Jim Brothers of North Putnam and J.R. Moffatt of Hamilton Heights are the IBCA Assistant Coaches of the Year. This is the third year that the IBCA has presented awards in this category.
Previous winners – 2018, Roger Bowling, Union County; 2019, Clark Miles, Jeffersonville, and Danny Pierce, Crawfordsville.
Jim Brothers, North Putnam
“Jim Brothers is North Putnam.”
That is the first sentence in the nomination of Brothers for this award by first-year North Putnam girls basketball coach Lukas Haworth, and a review of Brothers’ life path shows that it is a statement of absolute truth.
A teacher for 40 years at his alma mater, Brothers also has served as a coach and/or athletic administrator for 33 of those years for the school located in Roachdale, Ind. Beyond that, Brothers grew up in nearby Fincastle and attended Roachdale Elementary School, North Putnam Junior High and North Putnam High School, graduating in 1976 as an all-conference player in basketball, football and baseball.
He went off to Franklin College for a year, then transferred to Marian University for the next three and played basketball at both colleges. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Marian in 1980, then returned to North Putnam to spend the entirety of his professional career while living in Fincastle, Bainbridge and Putnamville.
During his career, Brothers has served as North Putnam’s varsity coach in boys basketball for eight seasons (1988-96), its varsity coach in girls basketball for three seasons (2009-12), its varsity baseball coach for two seasons (1985 and 1986), its varsity softball coach for three seasons (2008, 2009 and 2010) and its athletic director for eight years (1995-2003).
In addition, Brothers has been a North Putnam assistant coach in boys basketball for six seasons (1980-86), baseball for five seasons (1981-84 and 1995), football for six seasons (1980-85), softball four seasons (2004-07) and girls basketball for eight seasons (2004-09 and 2017-present).
“We all know the ups and downs that come with being a coach and teacher in today's world,” Haworth said. “Throughout all of these times, Jim Brothers has been a constant for North Putnam. He has coached consistently for 40 years and always has approached each sport, each practice and each moment as a teacher first. When Jim Brothers is done coaching you, you are not just a better player, but also a better person.”
Brothers, who also earned a master’s degree from DePauw University in 1985 and was a men’s basketball assistant for the 1987-88 season at Wabash College, described the opportunity to remain in his “home” corporation for an entire career as a blessing.
“I've been able to teach and coach my classmates’ kids and now their grandkids, watched my former players and students grow and for many of them, teach and coach their kids,” Brothers said. “By knowing the community so well, I've not had to make a lot of adjustments in learning the culture of the area. It's been a positive thing, I believe, to know the people, culture and expectations of the community and to grow with it.
“I wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again at the same place. I've had the opportunity to work with fantastic fellow teachers and coaches at North Putnam, and the student-athletes here have been outstanding and given me a lifetime of great memories. It's always been ‘family’ at North Putnam.”
Brothers was an outstanding athlete in the 1970s. He helped North Putnam capture boys basketball sectional titles as a junior and senior with back-to-back 20-4 seasons. As a coach, he guided the Cougars to another boys basketball sectional title in 1990 and was an assistant for the school’s only softball sectional winner in 2006. But for him, the benefit of athletics is beyond the results on the field.
“Winning is great, but the players whom I have coached and the coaches whom I have been coached by and coached with have been the absolute best,” Brothers said. “Even today, after all of these years, leaving the players coming through our program is so very, very hard to do. The kids we have and have had at North Putnam have been a big part of my life and have been a true blessing to me.”
Brothers’ perspective has been evident to others throughout his career. He has been described as a friend, brother, mentor and father figure by many in the North Putnam community.
“I never previously had had the chance to coach and work with someone who has such a connection to his players and a community,” Haworth said. “Having been a part of the North Putnam boys and girls programs in some form or another for the past 30-plus seasons, it is clear that Jim Brothers has had an impact on every one of the students’ and players’ lives with whom he has come into contact.
“Whether it is an alumnus who graduated in the 1990s or a freshman walking the halls today, everyone greets Coach Brothers with a smile, a wave and usually a hug. The boys and girls basketball programs, as well as the numerous other sports he has helped coach over the years, would not be the same without the positive leadership and encouragement that he has provided.”
Brothers and his wife, Tammy, have two adult children – Brittney and Drew.
J.R. Moffatt, Hamilton Heights
J.R. Moffatt has been the freshman boys' basketball coach and a boys' basketball program assistant at Hamilton Heights High School for 31 seasons, long teaching the fundamentals of sports and life to help young student-athletes excel on the court, in the classroom and in the world.
“The impact that coach Moffatt has on his players extends way beyond the wins and losses on the court,” said first-year Edgewood coach Matt Wadsworth, who submitted the nomination for Moffatt for this award. “Anyone who plays for coach Moffatt has a friend and mentor for life. Coach Moffatt is now at a stage in his career where he is coaching former players' sons. It would be very difficult to find a player who didn't enjoy playing for Coach Moffatt. He has used coaching as a way to instill the values needed to help boys grow into young men.
“Although he has the experience and ability to advance past the freshman level as a coach, he never has had a strong desire to move up. One reason for this is the importance he puts on the teaching of fundamentals. He feels it is important that one of the program's best coaches is at the freshman level in order to help develop skills. … He has always had the ability to challenge and push his players to improve. This is possible be each player knows how much he cares for them.”
Moffatt has worked with three varsity coaches during his time with the Huskies – Kirby Overman for two seasons, Bill Bowen for 16 seasons and Chad Ballenger for 13 seasons. Officially, he has been the freshman team coach while helping with the varsity and JV teams for all these years. Unofficially, he has been a mentor to the coaches, too.
“J.R.'s relationship with the coaches at Hamilton Heights is also important,” Wadsworth said. “J.R. was Bill Bowen’s next-door neighbor when Bill was the head coach. After a difficult loss or a bad day at practice, many conversations and words of encouragement were shared in Bill’s driveway.”
Hamilton Heights athletic director Kurt Ogden also is aware of Moffatt’s impact, noting that he also has served the community as a pastor at Arcadia Christian Church since 1987.
“Nobody knows the culture of our school and community better,” Ogden told the Hamilton County Reporter in 2017.
For Wadsworth, a North Daviess graduate who previously has coached at Riverton Parke (2007-08), North Posey (2008-12) and Whiteland (2012-19), Moffatt’s support has been personal.
“J.R. has served as a mentor and friend to my wife and me,” Wadsworth said. “He has been there to support and encourage me throughout my life and each step of my coaching career. One of the most difficult times of my life was when my wife had a miscarriage. The emotional support provided by J.R. was critical for helping my wife and me get through this time. In addition, he has traveled across the state to watch my teams play. Many times, he has shown up to offer encouragement when we were struggling.”
Moffatt has helped students and adults in time of need.
“Whenever a player loses a parent, J.R. is there to help counsel the player through the difficult time,” Wadsworth said. “Unfortunately, there have been times that it has been the other way around. When a former team manager passed away in a tragic accident, J.R. was there to help the parents overcome the grief they were experiencing. … I do not think that words can fully describe the impact that he has had on players, coaches and parents at Hamilton Heights.”
Moffatt is a 1983 graduate of Columbus East High School, where he played basketball for coach Roger Reed and baseball for coach Lou Giovanini. His Olympian baseball teams finished 30-4 and 28-5 in his junior and senior seasons. Moffatt went on to Cincinnati Christian University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Christian ministries and also played basketball and baseball. His CCU basketball squads, under coach Tony Wallingford, captured National Christian College Athletic Association national championships in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
In addition to coaching basketball, Moffatt has coached baseball at Hamilton Heights. He was the Huskies’ varsity baseball coach in 2018 and 2019 after serving the two previous years as an assistant coach in that program.
Moffatt and his wife, Leigh Ann, live in Cicero. The couple has two children – Zac, 24, and Shanna, 18.
