Fishers HS Jim Brown named IBCA District 2 Administrator of the Year

Jim Brown, athletic director at Fishers High School, has been named the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association District 2 Administrator of the Year for 2026, an honor tied to the 2025-26 academic year. Brown is in his 20th year leading FHS Tigers Athletics and marks his 41st year overall in athletic administration after serving 21 years as athletic director at Triton Central.

The IBCA selects one Administrator of the Year from each IHSAA district; Brown is the District 2 honoree alongside District 1 winner Brian Strong of Logansport High School and District 3 winner Chad Gilbert of Charlestown High School. The association cites administrators’ support of basketball programs in their school, area and for state-level events as the basis for the recognition. The IBCA award program has been presented since 2008 and, after pandemic-related adjustments that moved 2020 honorees into 2021 and left no winners in 2021, this marks the 18th presentation in 19 years.

Brown’s career résumé is detailed and long-standing: he graduated Southwestern High School in 1973 and competed in basketball, baseball and cross country, earning a basketball sportsmanship award. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology and physical education from Ball State University, a master’s degree in education from Indiana State University earned in 1981, and an administrator’s license from Butler University earned in 1985. His professional recognitions include the NIAAA State Award of Merit in 2001 and the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2012.

Locally, Brown’s imprint extends beyond varsity gym nights. Fishers will host the third annual Jim Brown Unified Track Invitational this spring, an event named in his honor that signals his ongoing engagement with inclusive athletics in the community. Brown’s family life — married to Gretchen, father to Liz and Nick and grandfather to eight — figures into the long view of his career and community ties that helped build support for school and area programs.

Community reaction to the announcement was immediate online; one commenter wrote, "Congrats, Jim! Well deserved!" That approval reflects what the award recognizes: sustained administrative leadership that facilitates basketball operations, postseason hosting and state-level event participation across a district. Brown’s two decades at Fishers, coupled with his 21-year tenure at Triton Central and national awards from the NIAAA, position him as a figure whose career has helped shape the infrastructure and opportunities for Indiana high school basketball.