CVHS Field to Be Named After Coach Brosnan

John “Coach” Brosnan

John Brosnan, a beloved Castro Valley high school coach and teacher, will be honored by adding his name to the football field on which he shaped the lives of students for 31 years.

The Castro Valley Board of Education voted unanimously, 5-0, to adopt the recommendation of the 13-person Naming Committee and move forward with naming the field after John Brosnan at Trojan Stadium on the Castro Valley High School campus. Brosnan or “Coach”—as he was known around Castro Valley—passed in September 2020 at the age of 85.

Brosnan’s niece, Michelle Smith McDonald is with the Alameda County Office of Education and a former sportswriter. She says the idea that future Trojan players would one day run onto the field named for the man who loved the school so much is a fitting tribute. She added that the man on the field had the same passion for life and learning at home.

“To us, he was always, Uncle John,” McDonald told the Forum. “He was always eager to show off the letters and pictures that he would get from his former players. It was really important to him to keep in touch with them. So, renaming the field is our way to tell the community how important he was to all of us.”

Brosnan began teaching at CVHS in 1963 and retired in 1994. He coached varsity football, golf, and baseball. Coach Brosnan was a longtime Athletic Director at CVHS and was named an NCS Honor Coach in 1989. He was also one of the first inductees into the Castro Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

“He was one of the most noteworthy people in the history of Castro Valley. A true legend as a coach, educator, and human being,” retired Bay Area Sportswriter Carl Stewart said in a statement.

The Naming Committee met on November 18, and after discussion unanimously agreed to recommend that the field at the Castro Valley High School Stadium be named after Coach John Brosnan in honor of his legacy and contributions to the CVUSD community. The honor will include a commemorative plaque.

“He was a hard-working, humble coach that was truly interested in the person through athletics,” said Pete Vaz, who was on the committee and currently a coach at Castro Valley High School. “He led by example and his dedication to Castro Valley High School was second to none. He has been on my personal Mount Rushmore of educators for years.” 

Many of Brosnan’s former players also submitted their thoughts on why Coach was the perfect person to honor with a field named after him. 

“A lot of life lessons taught between the lines on the football field from Coach Brosnan,” former player Joe Salazar said. “He for certain is one of the people who had influenced me in my life as a young teenager.”

“I can only say that Coach B was more of a father to me when I played for him in the 60s,” former player William Hemmet said. “I lost my own dad and Coach B drove discipline and accountability into me that I did not have. Without his influence and support, I never would have gone on to earn a football scholarship and finish college. I truly loved the man.” 

Brosnan was born on December 22, 1934, in Oakland. He attended St Elizabeth High School in Oakland where he met his wife, Maureen. Upon graduation, he joined the army and served in South Korea. After the army, he attended San Francisco State University on the GI bill where he played on the 1962 championship baseball team.

He graduated with a master’s degree in physical education and started teaching PE at Castro Valley High School in 1963 and then practically lived there. He retired in 1994. He coached varsity football for his entire teaching career; it was his favorite thing.

The financial implications of adding Brosnan’s name to the field are yet to be determined, CVUSD Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi said.