Q&A with new Draughn AD Brian Lowman

Brian Lowman grew up in Burke County and graduated from Freedom High School in 2006 before attaining a degree in education from Appalachian State University, from where he graduated in 2012.

Lowman’s first professional job was as a math teacher at Walter Johnson Middle School, and he also served as a volleyball and softball coach during his time with the Yellow Jackets. He then moved to Salem Elementary School, where he was a physical education teacher for 10 years before becoming Draughn High School’s athletic director over the summer.

While at Salem, Lowman coached the archery team to much success, including at state and national competitions. He also coached his own children’s teams — he and his wife, Anna, have three children — in recreational basketball, soccer, flag football, and baseball.

Now the AD at Draughn, a title held by Eric Shehan for the previous five years, Lowman recently answered several questions from The Paper via email.

Here’s what Lowman had to say about his new role, his top priorities during his first year, the best piece of advice he has ever received, and more:

What attracted you to the athletic director position at Draughn High School?

I feel that I was ready to take the next step in my educational career and being an athletic director and an assistant principal has been a goal of mine. I’ve had family members who had attended Draughn and have attended many sporting events throughout the years. Draughn has always had a great reputation academically and athletically. I am proud to be a Draughn Wildcat and hope to spend many years here.

Who have been some of your biggest influences as a coach and educator?

Chris Parlier was a big influence and made a huge impact on my life as a coach. Chris was my coach in elementary school for football and basketball for several years. He had a passion for coaching and making sure each player felt important and understood how to play the game he was coaching at the time.

I’ve had a lot of great teachers throughout my school career. Several that really stick out to me are Mary Anne Dameron, Mac Frazier, and Steve Corpening. These teachers made it a point to make learning fun while also making a connection with their students.

What are your early impressions of Draughn and its athletic programs?

The administration and staff are very welcoming and supportive of each other and the students. The athletic programs here at Draughn have amazing coaches that work extremely hard to prepare their student-athletes for success on the court/field and in the classroom.

What are your top priorities during your first year?

My top priority for this school year is to learn the culture and community of the school, build relationships, and do the best job I can in supporting the students, staff, and community of Draughn High School.

How would you like student-athletes to balance athletic success with academics?

I strongly believe that academics come before athletics and our coaches do a great job of making sure that our students know that. I want our students to know that they can ask for help with any academic classes.

What qualities do you look for in a successful coach?

I look at the passion the coach has for their sport. Are they knowledgeable of the sport? Are they able to adapt to the abilities of the student-athletes on their roster? Are they good listeners? Coaches need to be able to realize and understand that these high school students are still kids in a sense, and they still need to be listened to and supported. I also like for a coach to have high expectations for their players on and off the court/field.

How important is community support to a successful athletic program?

Community support is essential for a successful athletic program. The student-athletes love when their community comes out to watch their sporting events. A lot of the local community businesses provide financial support for new equipment and uniforms. I also know that a lot of DHS alumni still support our school in many different ways as well.

Do you have a favorite sports memory?

As an athlete, one of my favorite memories is playing in the Gatorade State Games baseball tournament in Winston-Salem. I got to play a lot of competitive baseball with my friends and meet basketball player Chris Paul while he was playing for Wake Forest.

A lot of my favorite memories now are watching my three kids play the sports and activities that they love.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

To slow down and listen. Life moves so fast and we “hear” a lot of things that people share or talk to us about, but we need to slow down and actually listen to be able to learn and grow.

If you could attend any sporting event in history, which one would you choose?

I think I would have to choose the Atlanta Braves’ World Series games in 1995. The Braves have always been my favorite professional baseball team, and they were loaded with talent and elite pitching in the ’90s.