Longtime teacher, coach, writer dies

[Mike Simpson]

Longtime teacher, coach, writer dies

By Kenton BrooksPhoenix Sports Writer

Bob Branan is being remembered for his love of sports, writing and coaching.
Branan, who coached baseball at Muskogee High School between tenures as a sportswriter at the Muskogee Phoenix, died Friday afternoon after being hospitalized following a heart attack Sunday. He was 65.

Branan was in his second stint as the media relations director at Connors State College. Before going to Connors, he taught journalism and was the head baseball coach at Muskogee for 22 years until his retirement in 1996.

John Leafer, former Muskogee athletic director and head baseball coach, knew Branan when the two attended Northeastern State University in the early 1960s. Leafer had Branan as an assistant baseball coach in the 1970s before retiring and later in the 1990s coming back to assist Branan, then the head coach.

“He did stories on me for the college paper when I was playing football and baseball, and we got to know each other then,” Leafer said. “Our relationship amounts to just a few years of coaching together, but it amounts to about 50 years of friendship. I’m not going to let myself get torn up, but it’s hard not to when you’re talking about a relationship that long. It was a friendship that endured time. He was there for me and I tried to be there for him, and I think we were. There didn’t seem like there was a day that went by without a phone call with him.”

Branan also was known his love for baseball.

“He loved sports and loved people,” Connors State baseball coach Perry Keith said. “I’ve known Bob for 30 years and we’ll definitely miss him.”

Danny Womack met Branan after taking over as owner of Outlaw Motor Speedway.

“He was a part of Outlaw before we came here,” Womack said. “He’s been good to us and the racers. Bob will be sadly missed. He did a lot for us, not just writing but also public relations. He was a great asset to us.”

Bill Muse, a longtime friend and Connors men’s basketball coach, knew of Branan’s passion for sports and writing.

“We were extremely close. He was a very loyal friend,” Muse said. “You could always count on Bob. If you needed something, he was available for you.”

Branan’s influence as a journalism teacher is far-reaching.

“He taught me everything I know about journalism and media relations,” said Eric Shannon, the general manager at Outlaw Motor Speedway. “It’s a hard loss. It’s certainly not going to be the same in the press box. Outlaw has lost one of its biggest supporters and one of its best employees.

“It’s like losing a father. It’s a tough deal.”

Dana Eversole was a journalism student of Branan’s at MHS and became professor of mass communication at NSU. She was the newspaper editor at MHS as a senior.

“I knew I always wanted to be a writer, but he gave me a great foundation,” she said. “He’d have recruiters come for journalism scholarships. A lot of people know him as a coach and sportswriter, but he also did a good job with young journalists.”

The Rev. Lance Sawyer, pastor of First Baptist Church, said he was amazed at Branan’s spiritual growth over the past several years.

“He became a vibrant part of the church and a good servant,” Sawyer said. “He particularly cared for the sick and had a heart for them. He was great about publicizing events of the church.”

Sawyer also recalled Branan’s integrity.

“Nobody could tell him what to believe,” he said. “He worked out his own belief and was a good source during discussions.”

State Sen. Earl Garrison, who taught Branan’s Sunday School, called Branan a “dear, dear friend.”

“He was one of the greatest guys I’ve ever known,” Garrison said. “He was explicitly honest and a man of great integrity. Guys like Bob are just a rarity. He had his philosophy of life and he never pulled any punches. If you didn’t like it, don’t ask the guy.”

Garrison said he was heart broken.

Branan is survived by his wife Sharon, a son Michael and a daughter Lori Branan Purvis.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

— Reporter Cathy Spaulding contributed to this report.