Upcoming Event: Baseball versus MLB Desert Invitational on February 13, 2026
Baseball
vs MLB Desert Invitational
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Brazell's life, love celebrated
10/27/2018 1:41:00 PM | Baseball, Paul Coro
Memorial closes with procession through GCU
Before his 50-year imprint on Grand Canyon began, Dr. Dave Brazell was honored with a Purple Heart for being wounded during World War II, when he carried wounded fellow Marines to safety.
Brazell's memorial service Saturday was like he received another kind of purple heart with hundreds of his Grand Canyon connections attending in a display of reciprocal love for the coach and educator who groomed generations of purple Lopes.
Brazell, 93, passed away Oct. 17 while holding the hand of his wife of 72 years, Mildred, who taught alongside him at Grand Canyon for 38 years. She sat in front of a casket draped in an American flag Saturday as loved ones filled First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix for testimonials to Brazell's greatness as a man who taught hundreds of future teachers and a coach who won 728 games as the creator of Grand Canyon baseball, not including coaching success in basketball and golf.
"A lot of times, old coaches are quietly forgotten," Brazell's son, Don, said at the pulpit. "That is not the case here. Thank you to Grand Canyon for all they've done. He loved that courtside (basketball) seat."
If the flow of praise and anecdotes before, during and after the ceremony were not enough to convey that mutual love affiar, the processional did.
Per Brazell's request of two years ago, the hearse and train of cars traveled through Grand Canyon's campus before driving along the east side of Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, the new stadium that maintained the field location and design that Brazell set 56 years ago.
When the hearse turned the corner past Tim Salmon Baseball Clubhouse, a line of GCU baseball players appeared along the baseball complex's south side. A large, purple sign read, "God Bless Coach Brazell," amid players holding their hats to their hearts.
That was the sentiment throughout the memorial at the church where he and Mildred were members for 66 years after moving from Arkansas. They came so that he could become Grand Canyon's athletic director and basketball coach. Two years later, he started a baseball program that continues to flourish in his legacy.
"Every program that he took over was much better when he left it than when he found it," said Keith Baker, a 35-year Lopes athletic administrator whose father and uncles were coached by Brazell long before Baker pitched for Brazell's 1980 NAIA national championship team.
GCU President Brian Mueller shared a message sent from GCU Hall of Fame inductee Jim Carter, who was working as a laborer and playing in a softball league when Brazell offered him a baseball tryout that set up his education, which led to a career as a teacher, city prosecutor and judge.
"If there is a league in Heaven, please let me play on Coach's team," Carter wrote.
Mueller said it is hard to imagine any coach having a bigger impact than Brazell.
"When I think of Coach and Mrs. B, I think of all the things you did but mostly how you did it," Mueller said.
Brazell's credentials earned spots in Hall of Fames for Grand Canyon, Central Arkansas, American Baseball Coaches, NAIA Baseball Coaches, Arizona Sports and Junior College Football Officials.
But the anecdotes told Saturday shared more about the man:
Brazell's legacy lives on in children Don and Diane, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, Lopes teams and GCU graduates, for whom he took more pride than any athletic accomplishment.
"He was a man of iron fist, clothed in velvet," said David Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention.
For more on Brazell's life and GCU impact, read here.
To contribute to the GCU Scholarship Foundation in honor of Brazell, contact Madeline Winney at madeline.winney@gcusf.org or (602) 206-4465. Donations also can be made by PayPal at gcusholarshipfoundation.org or by mail to GCU Scholarship Foundation, 24 W. Camelback Road, Suite A 407, Phoenix, AZ, 85013.
Brazell's memorial service Saturday was like he received another kind of purple heart with hundreds of his Grand Canyon connections attending in a display of reciprocal love for the coach and educator who groomed generations of purple Lopes.
Brazell, 93, passed away Oct. 17 while holding the hand of his wife of 72 years, Mildred, who taught alongside him at Grand Canyon for 38 years. She sat in front of a casket draped in an American flag Saturday as loved ones filled First Southern Baptist Church of Phoenix for testimonials to Brazell's greatness as a man who taught hundreds of future teachers and a coach who won 728 games as the creator of Grand Canyon baseball, not including coaching success in basketball and golf.
"A lot of times, old coaches are quietly forgotten," Brazell's son, Don, said at the pulpit. "That is not the case here. Thank you to Grand Canyon for all they've done. He loved that courtside (basketball) seat."
If the flow of praise and anecdotes before, during and after the ceremony were not enough to convey that mutual love affiar, the processional did.
Per Brazell's request of two years ago, the hearse and train of cars traveled through Grand Canyon's campus before driving along the east side of Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, the new stadium that maintained the field location and design that Brazell set 56 years ago.
When the hearse turned the corner past Tim Salmon Baseball Clubhouse, a line of GCU baseball players appeared along the baseball complex's south side. A large, purple sign read, "God Bless Coach Brazell," amid players holding their hats to their hearts.
That was the sentiment throughout the memorial at the church where he and Mildred were members for 66 years after moving from Arkansas. They came so that he could become Grand Canyon's athletic director and basketball coach. Two years later, he started a baseball program that continues to flourish in his legacy.
"Every program that he took over was much better when he left it than when he found it," said Keith Baker, a 35-year Lopes athletic administrator whose father and uncles were coached by Brazell long before Baker pitched for Brazell's 1980 NAIA national championship team.
GCU President Brian Mueller shared a message sent from GCU Hall of Fame inductee Jim Carter, who was working as a laborer and playing in a softball league when Brazell offered him a baseball tryout that set up his education, which led to a career as a teacher, city prosecutor and judge.
"If there is a league in Heaven, please let me play on Coach's team," Carter wrote.
Mueller said it is hard to imagine any coach having a bigger impact than Brazell.
"When I think of Coach and Mrs. B, I think of all the things you did but mostly how you did it," Mueller said.
Brazell's credentials earned spots in Hall of Fames for Grand Canyon, Central Arkansas, American Baseball Coaches, NAIA Baseball Coaches, Arizona Sports and Junior College Football Officials.
But the anecdotes told Saturday shared more about the man:
- He commonly greeted others with a peppy "Good to see you!"
- He went to bat for a player who was denied a teaching job for being Black and the school district changed its mind a day later.
- After a player missed two late free throws in a one-point loss to rival Northern Arizona, Brazell silently put his arm around the sobbing player alone in the locker room for several mintues.
- Even when a player drove up as a golf team bus was pulling away to go to the airport, Brazell would not have the bus stopped to teach a lesson.
- As a college football official who worked bowl games, he once had a head-on collision with Marcus Allen … and Allen went down.
- After retirement in 2000, he wore GCU clothes daily.
- Brazell turned down several coaching offers for more money and prestige elsewhere to remain with Grand Canyon.
Brazell's legacy lives on in children Don and Diane, four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, Lopes teams and GCU graduates, for whom he took more pride than any athletic accomplishment.
"He was a man of iron fist, clothed in velvet," said David Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention.
For more on Brazell's life and GCU impact, read here.
To contribute to the GCU Scholarship Foundation in honor of Brazell, contact Madeline Winney at madeline.winney@gcusf.org or (602) 206-4465. Donations also can be made by PayPal at gcusholarshipfoundation.org or by mail to GCU Scholarship Foundation, 24 W. Camelback Road, Suite A 407, Phoenix, AZ, 85013.
❌ 𝐧𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞 ❌ Max Charles' diving grab
Friday, November 14
Dom goes DEEP at ASU in fall ball
Friday, November 14
GCU Baseball - WAC Tournament vs. Utah Tech - Highlights
Thursday, May 22
Baseball at Stanford - Barreras' game-winning double
Saturday, May 10