Coaches
Francis Flax
Head Coach
Phone: 785.823.4647
Email:
fflax@brownmackie.edu
Widely known throughout the coaching circles, Francis Flax is no stranger to Junior College Basketball. Beginning his 27th year as a Junior College Coach, Flax is the only men’s coach Brown Mackie College has ever known. As the dean of JC coaches in Kansas, this season will be his 18th at Brown Mackie College in Salina, Kansas, a school that has only had basketball for 18 seasons. Prior to Brown Mackie, Flax coached at Highland Community College in Highland, Kansas. He also spend 9 seasons at two Kansas High Schools, Spearville and Ellinwood. Entering the 2009-2010 season, Flax has amassed 622 career wins, 498 JC wins, 332 while coaching Brown Mackie.
Since joining the ranks of NJCAA Division II in the 1996-97 season, the Lions have won 278 games and have lost 155. This includes 4 trips to the NJCAA National Tournament, claiming two 4th place finishes and 2 National Championships. Two of his former players have signed NBA contracts, but more importantly, 90 former players of Brown Mackie have furthered their careers at 4-year schools.
In addition to his High School and Junior College experience, Flax served as the Head Coach of the Kansas Cagerz, a professional team in the United States Basketball League (USBL) from 2000 through 2007. At the end of the 2007 season, Flax had won more games than any other active USBL coach (129). His coaching competition included former NBA stars Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Darryl Dawkins, Rick Berry, Rex Morgan, Lionel Hollins, Robert Parish, Roy Rogers, Kenny Charles, Cliff Levingston, John Starks, and others. Five former Cagerz coached by Flax either are or have played in the NBA, while countless others are playing overseas.
Flax and his wife Carmen reside in Salina. He is the father of 4 children; Renee, Lynell, Rachael, and Bryson.
Milestones
1997 NJCAA D-II Final Four
1998 NJCAA D-II Final Four
1999 NJCAA D-II National Champions
2002 USBL Finals
2005 NJCAA D-II National Champions
2007 USBL Champions
2008 NJCAA Basketball Hall of Fame
2008 NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association D-II Rep
2009 NJCAA Basketball Coaches Association Vice-President
Greg Gibson
While at Salina South High School, Brown Mackie coach Francis Flax tried to make Greg Gibson one of his top priorities for recruitment. Although Gibson opted to attend and play basketball at Barton County, both continued to keep the lines of communication open. The relationship developed and Flax has been successful in recruiting Gibson, this time as an assistant coach for the Lions.
Greg Gibson was a stand-out basketball player at Salina South, still holding five school records: 37 points in a game; 6 3-point field goals in a game; 9 steals in a game; 161 steals in a career; and 396 field goals in a career. His 1,023 career points puts him second all-time high at South. His career flourished at Barton County, where in two seasons, the Cougars went 67-5, including a perfect 31-0 at home. During the 98-99 season, Barton won the J-Hawk west title, won the Region VI tournament, and finished 2nd in the National Tournament. Ironically, that was the year that Brown Mackie claimed their first National Championship.
Gibson brings a high level of love for the game, a great knowledge of defensive schemes, and a passion to win to the Brown Mackie program.
Ricky Johnson
Ricky Johnson rejoins his former coach, this time in a different capacity, that of an assistant coach at Brown Mackie College. Johnson played for Lions under Francis Flax from 2002-2004. After graduating from Brown Mackie, Ricky attended Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.
It was while playing at Brown Mackie that Johnson developed a deep love for not just coaching basketball, but helping young adults find opportunities to play basketball and to further themselves through education. During his playing days, Johnson was known as a fierce competitor and vows to carry that onto the court as a coach. His work ethic, his commitment to strength and conditioning, and his demand for discipline will help the present Lions team members reach new heights. In addition to his coaching duties, Johnson will assist Flax with duties associated with Athletic Administration.
During the past four years, Ricky started and coached a top-level summer AAU basketball program, both boys and girls, in the Beaumont-Houston area. Many of his AAU team members have enjoyed successful Junior College careers at various schools throughout the United States, including several in Kansas JC’s. His AAU teams are noted for their aggressive style of play, their discipline on and off the court, and their strong desire to win.