The community of Gwinn in the central Upper Peninsula lost one of their own as their beloved high school football coach Dion Brown died Wednesday night after suffering a heart attack. He was 37 years old.

Gwinn varsity football head coach Dion Brown, center, talks to his Modeltowners during a timeout on Aug. 29 in a game against Bark River-Harris at McCormick Field in Gwinn. (Journal file photo by Amy Grigas)

According to ABC 10 of Ishpeming, first responders arrived at the scene to perform resuscitation efforts to Brown, but they were unable to revive him. No foul play was suspected.

Before becoming head coach at Gwinn High School, Brown was a defensive star for Northern Michigan University and was an assistant coach at Ishpeming High School for two state championship teams. Under his guidance, his Modeltowner teams made the playoffs in 2016 and 2018. His overall record was 20-36.

One of Brown’s former players, Austin Forbes, said that he brought people in through all of the community.

He was the Gwinn football coach, but he was a lot more than that to many, many people,” Forbes said to Radio Results Network’s Jack Hall. “He pulled many people into his house, and let them stay there, just because he cared about everyone. He helped me through many, many things. He helped everybody. he was more than just a coach to Gwinn. He was practically the face of it. He changed everything.”

A statement from the Gwinn School District said that Brown ‘was big in heart, big in spirit and big on the field. Our condolences to his family and our entire community.’

Counselors were on hand last Thursday at the school for anyone that wanted to talk to someone about the sudden loss, and Gwinn’s boys basketball game against Ishpeming was cancelled.

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