Ken Brasington

Ken enjoyed an outstanding career as a high school and collegiate football coach, and later as an administrator in the Erie School District. He played high school football at Tech Memorial and was voted All-Scholastic. In football, Ken was a three-year starter on both sides of the ball and played in the 1971 Save-an-Eye Game. He also ran track for three years as a sprinter, placing second in the 880 relay City Championship his senior year.   Ken’s coaching career began as a student assistant at Slippery Rock after career ending injuries.   He later coached football at six of the local Erie high schools and three local colleges. He coached in the Save-an-Eye Game twice.  He was an assistant at Gannon and Edinboro in charge of linebackers, and was also an assistant and later head coach at Mercyhurst College (now University), leading the Lakers to an 11-7 record in 1988 and 1989. With Ken as defensive coordinator, the Lakers were perennially ranked in several NCAA categories.  He coached several All Americans, one of whom signed with the Steelers.  During his tenure as head coach, the Hurst broke more than 20 school records and were ranked as high as number two in the ECAC.  Ken started the Football Hall of Fame at Mercyhurst College, which evolved into the Athletic Hall of Fame, and was the Academic Counselor for Athletics.  In 1990 and 1991, he served as the head football coach at Western Connecticut State University. He coached in the Erie School District from 1974-81, then 1994-99, and was an assistant at Mercyhurst Prep in 2017-19.  He retired as an administrator in the Erie School District.  Ken says his biggest athletic accomplishment was coaching along with his wife, Irene, and his best friend, Edjui Nitkiewicz, the 1977 Holy Trinity girls’ grade school basketball team to an undefeated season and the Northwest PA diocesan championship.  He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Erie Lions’ Club as game manager for the Save-an-Eye game.  Ken and Irene have been married for 43 years. They have a daughter, Natalie, and two granddaughters, Abel and Ona.