BROOKFIELD, Conn. — Many schools have coaching legends and BHS certainly has a few. Coach Ed Butt is one of them. Now in his 22^nd year coaching Cross Country and Track and Field, Ed is beloved by both his former and current athletes as well as the residents of Brookfield. Ed has served over 20 years on the town’s Parks and Rec Commission. He is also the Co-founder of the Brookfield Lions New Years Day Run For Sight 4 Miler, now in its 35^th year. In his time at BHS he has a Cross Country winning % of 70% and an overall % of 60%. In 2014 he was named Brookfield High Coach of the Year.

Born in Stamford, his family soon moved to Danbury and he attended Danbury schools. Ed began distance running as a teen for his own personal pleasure. A strong runner, he never competed at the high school or college levels. In 1968, he moved to Brookfield. In his mid-20s Ed took a job as a merchandiser for a food brokerage company, a position he held for over 20 years. His life however would change drastically in 1999 thanks to a Brookfield acquaintance.

One day while out on a run Ed was stopped by longtime Brookfield resident Barbara Sikorski, who at the time was the Administrative Asst. to BHS principal Dick Nabel. She informed Ed that the high school was looking for a Track and Field coach. Ed was soon hired to coach the girls team. Additionally, Ed was brought on as a Para Professional in the Special Ed dept., a position he still holds today.  In subsequent years he has coached both boys and girls cross country, as well as indoor and outdoor track and field.

Ed’s accomplishments are numerous. However, he will be the first to tell you he doesn’t coach for the won -loss record. He will also tell you the students he coaches are not part of “his team” or “their team.” Rather it is “our team.” His goal is to see each student athlete be successful and work hard to reach their individual goals. In doing so, they not only enjoy a great feeling of accomplishment but help mold winning teams.

Many of Ed’s coaching philosophies can be correlated with one of the most successful collegiate coaches in history, UCLA’s John Wooden. Well known to Ed even before he took the BHS job, Wooden’s methods of coaching and motivation easily align with Ed’s.

Of course there were some outstanding athletes as well as outstanding students. Ed is first to acknowledge that fact. But he is also most proud of the GPA’s his athletes achieved and the nine CIAC Scholar Athletes including boy and girl in the same year.

Ed Butt has made an impact on many in the Brookfield community. He has touched the lives of hundreds of students, both athletes and non-athletes. For many of his team members, Ed became a second father. To this day he still receives texts, cards, even meals from former students on his birthday, Father’s Day,  or around the holidays. Thankfully, he has no plans to retire- a blessing for BHS and the Brookfield community!

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