Bill Price knew teaching pros, and he called Lloyd Brown the best he knew, which is quite a statement considering all that Brown had overcome. He contracted polio at 10, and for the rest of his life said nothing about the effects he still felt, focusing instead on the difference he could make. 

Brown came up as a player before turning to coaching, working under legends Earl Buchholz Sr. and Bill Price. 

At University City High, he coached Ralph Hart Jr. to a 1969 state singles title. As St. Louis Junior Development Director, his teams won national city championships in 1967 and 1969, led by a young Jimmy Connors. 

Then came Jefferson Junior College. Brown spent 22 years there. His teams went 449-97. He produced 13 All Americans and 9 Academic All Americans. In 1998, the same year his team finished third in the nation, he was inducted into the NJCAA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. In 2001, he was named Wilson ITA Coach of the Year. 

He was able to put his feet up for about three years before Larry Miller asked him to help launch the tennis program at Missouri Baptist. He outlasted Larry and stayed on a decade longer as a volunteer, earning him a place in the Missouri Baptist Hall of Fame. 

He made the best of what he was given, and spent a lifetime giving his best. 

(2006)