SANTA CLARA -- It took more than six years, a change of careers, a change back, and a move up the ladder for both men, but Scott Brown is finally coaching nose tackle Mike Purcell.
Purcell and Brown, who was Colorado State’s defensive line coach at the time, first met when Brown was recruiting him out of Highlands Ranch High (Colorado).
But there was only one problem: Brown could not offer Purcell a scholarship for the 2009 season because Colorado State had another player head coach Steve Fairchild wanted more than Purcell.
“He wanted to pull the trigger on me, but the head coach didn’t,” Purcell said.