Visitation and Funeral Arrangements Announced for Beloved Brother Rice Coach

Brother Rice High School remembers Coach Tom Mitchell who died of an apparent heart attack at age 72 on Tuesday.

  Brother Rice High School has announced the visitation and funeral arrangments for late Coach Tom Mitchell, who was the Crusaders' head football coach from 1967 to 1995. Coach Mitchell died at age 72 of an apparant heart attack on Tuesday. His body will lie in state in Brother Rice High School's main gym from 2 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30. An ongoing reception will be held in the north gym during visitation. Watch the Tom Mitchell Retirement Tribute by Brother Rice High School. The coach led the Crusaders to an IHSA state championship in 1981, and the runner up in 1985, as well as two Chicago Prep Bowl Championships. The funeral mass will be at Most Holy Redeemer Parish at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31. Friends and family are asked to …

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9:32 am on Saturday, January 26, 2013

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Legendary Brother Rice Football Coach Tom Mitchell Dies at 72

Coach led Crusaders to state championship in 1981 and two prep bowl championships.

Former Brother Rice gridiron players were stunned to learn that their fabled coach, Tom Mitchell, passed away at age 72 of an apparent heart attack on Tuesday. Connect with Patch: Beverly-Mt. Greenwood / Oak Lawn / Evergreen Park The famed Brother Rice High School football coach's passing was announced at Tuesday's Oak Lawn Village Board meeting by several board members and alumni who were in tears. A 1959 graduate of Mt. Carmel High School, Mitchell joined Brother Rice as the head football coach in 1967 at the tender age of 26. He served in that role until his retirement in 1992. Like the retired Irish-American boxer played by John Wayne who returns to Ireland to reclaim his family's homestead in the John Ford film “The Quiet Man,” …

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Glory Days

Don Webster Enjoyed Hall of Fame Athletic Career at Brother Rice

Reliving the Glory Days: Don Webster, a 1966 graduate of Brother Rice, shined in football and baseball before successful career at Purdue.

Don Webster is grateful that he had some height when he first attended Brother Rice High School as a freshman. That proved to be the criteria necessary to start what would become a remarkable football career for the 1966 graduate. “I went out for football freshman year and there were only 10 uniforms left, so the guys that didn’t already have one were told to stand in line from tallest to shortest,” Webster said. “I happened to be one of the tallest guys, so they gave me a uniform. That’s the only reason I made the varsity that season.” While his first season was relatively uneventful, he would go on to become the first all-state player in program history. Webster was a two-way standout for the Crusaders, demonstrating his versatility by …

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Glory Days

Donahue: Former Brother Rice Standout Starred for Michigan Legend Bo Schembechler

Oak Lawn native Mark Donahue also enjoyed NFL stint playing on the offensive line across from the likes of Randy White and Mean Joe Greene.

Mark Donahue remembers how excited he was when Brother Rice earned the right to play St. Laurence in the Chicago Catholic League championship game at Soldier Field on Thanksgiving Day in 1972. Donahue’s excitement was tempered a bit, however, when conference Player of the Year, Kevin King, stole the show. “He kicked our butts,” said Donahue, who was a standout two-way performer for the Crusaders’ football team. “I still remember the headline in the Sun-Times after they beat us: King for a Day. He was awesome and was a fabulous running back. I played defense, too, and apparently my skills were much better on offense because I couldn’t touch him.” Little did he know at the time, but Donahue would eventually go on to be roommates with his …

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