Kippy Brown, a coaching legend who helped craft the very offense that powered our beloved Seattle Seahawks to their historic Super Bowl XLVIII victory, has passed away at 71 years old. This dude was more than just a coach, he was a trailblazer and a key part of the dominant era that brought the Lombardi Trophy home to the Pacific Northwest.
The Guy Who Helped Bring Us That Lombardi
When we talk about that 2014 Super Bowl win, that absolute 43-8 beatdown of Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos, you better believe Kippy Brown was in the thick of it. He was the wide receivers coach for Pete Carroll from 2010 to 2014, and he was right there as our Hawks went to two straight Super Bowls! Can you imagine? Brown himself even said back in 2015 that he probably would’ve left Tennessee to come to Seattle if things hadn’t gone sideways with Lane Kiffin back in the day. He clearly felt a pull to the Emerald City, and we are so blessed he ended up here when he did to help build that incredible team.
A Legend Who Changed the Game
But Brown’s impact stretched way beyond his time with our Seahawks. He was a pioneer from the jump, becoming the first Black quarterback to play at Sweetwater High School in 1969, leading them to back-to-back state championships in ’71 and ’72. Then he broke barriers again as the first Black quarterback at Memphis from 1974-77. This guy was a force! He later helped put Tennessee football on the map, coaching receivers like Anthony Miller and Carl Pickens to greatness, earning the Vols the nickname “Wide Receiver U” under Johnny Majors. Phillip Fulmer, another Tennessee legend, called having Brown on staff a “fantastic time” saying, “Kippy is smart, he’s energetic, his personality is infectious. He’s a great recruiter, and he’s a detailed football coach.” Fulmer even credits them with changing the culture at Tennessee back to a winning program. That’s the kind of guy we had helping our Hawks, folks, a proven winner and culture-builder.
From Knoxville to 22 Seasons in the NFL
Brown’s coaching journey was wild, with 22 seasons as an NFL assistant. After a stint with Lane Kiffin at Tennessee where he even took a shot at the head coaching job, only to feel like he didn’t get a “real chance,” Brown found his way back to the NFL and straight to Seattle. He worked for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, and even the Detroit Lions as an associate head coach. He even had a “fun” season as head coach of the Memphis Maniax in the XFL. But as he put it, after the Tennessee opportunity slipped by, “This was, and it’s been great.” He was talking about his time with the Seahawks, and you know what? It was great for us too, 12s. His legacy as a coach and a trailblazer is cemented, and we’ll always remember his contribution to our most iconic Super Bowl win.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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