By Jack Hutt ’14
THE ROUNDUP

After 15 seasons—six of them undefeated—Mr. Shear finished his career earlier this fall as head freshman football coach with a record of 121-13-1.

“Mr. Tim Sanford and the principal at the time wanted me to take over the program, and that is what I did,” Mr. Shear said.

Based on my own experience playing under him as a freshman in 2010, it is not Mr. Shear’s record that sets him apart; it is the character he exemplifies and demands of everyone that surrounds him.

“Coach Shear knows more about motivating young men than any coach I’ve worked with in 20 years,” said assistant coach and English teacher Mr. Scott Middlemist ’87. “You can’t win that many games without getting the most out of every single player, and Coach Shear did that every season. Brophy was blessed to have him on the sideline, and he will be missed.”  

When asked what his biggest achievement was, Mr. Shear said, “My proudest accomplishment was that I started the freshman ‘White’ team. When I got the job we used to cut players, so a kid’s first experience at Brophy would be that they were cut from a team, and I felt that needed to change.”

Today, more than 100 freshmen participate in both freshman football teams every year.

Mr. Shear won a lot, but not as much as everyone who has been blessed enough to be a part of his spectacular legacy.