Kevin Brewer was named the new head boys basketball coach at Van.

Kevin Brewer didn’t think he would be a coach and educator.

Despite being the son of an administrator, Brewer had other interests.

Brewer’s father, David, spent 35 years at Blooming Grove, including 27 as principal, and he also coached baseball during his career.

“All of my friends told me I was going to grow up and be in the school business like my dad, and I told them they were liars,” Brewer said. “I tried through college to make them liars, but eventually, it felt right to get into education.”

Brewer said he played basketball as a youngster but didn’t play in high school. Instead, he was interested in agriculture, which is also what he pursued when he started college at Texas A&M University.

Brewer eventually transferred to UT Tyler, where he majored in history and realized he wanted to be a teacher and coach.

Brewer worked at Sky Ranch in Van before being hired by Van ISD.

Brewer has spent the past five years as the assistant basketball and football coach for the Vandals.

On Thursday, Brewer was named the new head boys basketball coach at Van.

“It’s a blessing to be able to stay here,” Brewer said. “I’ve had chances to leave, but I couldn’t leave this place. It’s a great community to be a part of. I definitely couldn’t have been here without the people that helped me along the way.”

Brewer worked his first four years at Van as an assistant for Ben Kinnison, who came to Van from Blooming Grove and is now the head boys basketball coach at Johnson High School in Buda.

This past season, Brewer was the assistant for Dean McMullen, who had successful stints at DeKalb, Big Sandy, Buda Hays and Pflugerville Connally.

“I learned a lot from them and I will pick some of what they did that worked well and use it to my advantage, because the kids already know a lot of what we are going to do,” Brewer said.

Brewer said the senior group next season was in the seventh grade when he came to Van.

He said transition basketball has been vital to the Vandals’ success and that is something they will continue to utilize.

Brewer said he would also like the Vandals to change defenses a little more.

Van graduates eight seniors from a team that tied for first in District 14-4A with Canton. Javonta Thomas and Luca Kozhev will be two key returners for the Vandals.

“A lot of those guys have been a huge part of the program,” Brewer said. “We’ve counted on those guys for so long, and we look up and they’re gone. But I am confident in the young guys we have coming up.”

Brewer said the current sophomores have won district on the freshman and junior varsity levels the past two seasons.