Khiry Brown set to lead Ithaca Little Red

A new era in Ithaca High School football is just around the corner with a very familiar face taking over the program.

Khiry Brown is the new head coach of the Little Red after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach. Brown is the true embodiment of football in the city, having played for the Little Red (2013-16) and at Ithaca College (2017-20). He takes over from another Little Red alum, Clarence Welch, who has led the team since 2018. As his assistant, Brown learned plenty of things that he’ll be sure to carry over to his own head coaching career.

“He’s taught me more than just football skills,” Brown said. “He’s definitely taught me a lot of life skills and how to be a role model young man. Clarence was big on family first, so I think that’s one thing that I can take from him. Clarence was also big on blocking out the negativity and blocking out the outside noise. He’s also a good multitasker. I think that comes with the job.”

That family aspect carries over into the rest of Brown’s new-look coaching staff. The Little Red added two assistants who Brown played alongside in high school and are coming off playing college ball elsewhere: Daquan Griffin (SUNY Cortland) and Nazier Landes (Buffalo State). It’s all come full circle for Brown.

“If you’re gonna be picking a staff, you couldn’t ask to pick a better group of guys than those two,” Brown said. “Having that experience and having that family relationship already instilled is definitely something that helps me come to work every day. Having six others on the staff and the family and people that I’ve known for years just instills that idea of being one program, being one family, and being one team. It definitely makes things a lot easier and puts my mind at ease. I know I can always fall back on those guys dating back to at least 2013 when we started playing football together.”

Brown and the rest of his staff will be tasked with revitalizing a program that was filled with youth and experience last time out, but they ultimately went winless. The good news is that the Little Red have plenty of key returners, namely seniors Nicholas Talbot and Daniel Parker. The duo have excelled on both sides of the ball and are poised to have even stronger performances in their final campaigns.

“I’m expecting a lot from Nick,” Brown said. “He’s a guy that carries a big chip on his shoulder. He’s gonna bring it no matter how many times he gets knocked down. He’s gonna bring it every single play. I think he’s gonna have a spectacular season. He’s one of those kids that’s always looking to get better. He’s very coachable. He basically does exactly what you ask of him, and he doesn’t argue about it.”
Brown continued: “Danny reminds me of myself when I was here at IHS. He’s had to play everything from quarterback to wide receiver to running back. He’s a ‘do-it-all’ type of player like myself when I was here. He cares so much about the game of football. He’s also a leader off the field, and it reflects in the way he plays and in the way he carries himself… I’m expecting a lot of good things from him, as well.”

Another big change for the Little Red is the move from Class A to the independent league, meaning they’ll be in the same division as Dryden, Lansing, and Whitney Point. While facing smaller schools may seem less challenging on paper, Brown knows that football is never that simple.

“It’s not about playing different schools or a schedule being ‘easier,’” Brown said. “It’s just about lining up and putting your fingers and your cleats between these lines and getting out there and executing at the end of the day. That’s the way I see it. Maybe other people might have their own opinions about it, but football is not an easy sport. The job’s still gotta be done no matter who you put in front of them.”

As the Little Red continue to prepare for their season opener September 9 at Walton, Brown hopes that his team shows consistent improvement—both on and off the gridiron—as the year goes on.

“I’m a Bomber at heart, and it’s instilled in my head that I have to be 1-0 each week, whether that be in the classroom, on the field, or at home with family,” Brown said. “Growing these young men is what I’m here to do. It’s what I took the job to do. I pride myself in growing these guys and being a role model for these guys. Going 1-0 each week and having that mentality of getting 1% better each week is one big goal of mine.”