Former Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown goes from hardwood to gridiron with son's eighth-grade football team

Former Cavs coach Mike Brown is coaching football now and enjoying some bonus time with his wife Carolyn and two sons.

WESTLAKE, Ohio — For the first time in 18 years, Mike Brown has not reported to an NBA training camp.

But the former Cavaliers coach who was fired last spring hasn't given up coaching altogether.

He has taken his talents to the football field, serving as a volunteer assistant for his son Cameron's eighth-grade team at Lee Burneson Middle School in Westlake.

"I have to be the highest-paid film guy for any eighth-grade football team in the country," Brown said with a laugh last week. He is still collecting about $2 million from the Cavs.

While the coach admitted he got anxious as the opening of training camp neared, he really has not been following his former team, although he has been in contact with new GM Chris Grant, a longtime friend and former teammate at the University of San Diego.

But their conversations tend to be personal instead of professional, more likely about family than basketball.

Brown also isn't ready to talk about LeBron James yet. All he will say about his time with the Cavs is: "I had a great five years here. Everybody wants the whole kit and caboodle. But it is what it is. I feel fortunate I had an opportunity."

Although he'd like to get back into the NBA and might do some television work this season, his dismissal gave him some midcareer bonus time with his family, and he's taking full advantage of it. He starts every day by driving older son Elijah to St. Edward High School, where he's a sophomore on the basketball team. The two work out in the school gym for at least an hour most mornings, then Elijah heads to class while Mike hangs out in the athletic department office or the bookstore.

Brown will return to his home in Westlake, and he and his wife Carolyn either will head out for a walk or go out for breakfast or lunch until its time for football practice, which has been something of a revelation for Brown. He did play high school football while growing up in a military family stationed in Germany, and he coached Elijah's first-grade flag football team in San Antonio. Sort of.

"I remember all my responsibilities clearly," Brown said. "I was the defensive coordinator, so I told all the kids to go get the flag. I also taught all the kids how to chest bump. Our team was called the Dogs. Before every game and after every game I led our cheer. I'd go, 'Who let the dogs out?' And all the parents and all the kids would go, 'Woof, woof, woof, woof.' We'd say it three times. That was the extent of my responsibilities."

This has been a little different.

"When I went out there the first day, the language was a lot different than what I was used to," Brown said. "They'd say, '87 jet left.' My son played on the line, and they were teaching him all this technique that was way over my head.

"So early on, I knew what my role was going to be for this team. I was the guy who got water for the kids and collected bags.

"It has been a great experience. I've had some experiences that I'll never forget. It has been fun. I've gotten a lot of joy out of it and learned a lot."

Mike Bee, head coach of the Lee Burneson team, enjoyed it, too.

"We love having him around," Bee said. "He has so much positive energy. It's funny to watch kids go through the line shaking hands after a game. After he shakes their hand, they're like, 'That's Mike Brown.' "

Cameron, who plays offensive left tackle and defensive tackle, was voted the best lineman for his age (13) during a summer camp in Florida. He was invited to play in a bowl game Jan. 1 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. That will mean a cross-country flight for the Browns, who will be with St. Edward in San Diego for a basketball tournament after Christmas.

But Brown doesn't mind. He knows a lot of coaches never get this chance.

"When I talked to Carolyn about this, I told her if it worked out that I was not coaching this year, I told her I was going to take full advantage of it," he said. "If I had gotten another job and we went on a nice run, both of my kids would be out of high school and I wouldn't have had this opportunity to spend time with them and my wife.

"It has been refreshing. It has been enjoyable. I have two wonderful boys and a wonderful wife. They have made this transition for me very easy and extremely enjoyable. Because of them, I'm in a good place."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668