Brent Kell has been so focused on his team’s success that he wasn’t aware he was approaching a career milestone. It wasn’t until his longtime friend, Charlie Malam, called to seek permission to alert regional media of the feat that Kell realized he was approaching 400 career victories.
When the moment arrived –– in the form of a convincing 66-30 win last Tuesday against Conway in the opening round of the Mansfield Tournament –– Kell finally allowed himself to soak in the moment.
“Now that it’s here, it does mean quite a bit to me,” he said.
A Houston High School graduate, Kell has coached the girls’ basketball program the past 29 years. He is easily the winningest coach of any program at his alma mater.
“It’s in my blood. I knew I wanted to be a coach as a young boy,” Kell said. “It’s something I always wanted to do. I thank God for giving me the opportunity and the health to sustain that over the years.”
Kell credited his players over the past three decades with achieving the program’s success. He also thanked administrators through the years and the community for supporting him.
Kell recognized his family as well. His wife, Audrey, now keeps the scorebook beside him on the bench at away games. Both his daughters, Megan and Haylee, were at Mansfield to congratulate their father.
“I couldn’t do it without my family,” Kell said. “They’ve been a tremendous support over the years.”
As for how long he will continue, Kell said he still enjoys teaching the game in practice every day. But the end may be in the near future.
“Audrey keeps me calm and stays in the game on the bench. She is enjoying that,” Kell said. “We’re going to do that a few more years and then hang it up.”