Johnny Brechtel
New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame
Football Coach, 1932-50
Behrman HS/Warren Easton HS/New Orleans Recreation Department
Inducted: 1983
Although he didn’t win 400-zillion games, Johnny Brechtel had three accomplishments of note: He formed Behrman’s first football team in 1932 and posted a 21-5-2 record in three years before moving on to Warren Easton.
In his nine-year stay at Easton, his teams went 83-19-8 and won the 1942 state championship, as well as five city championships. During his tenure, his teams scored 1,617 points to a mere 321 for opponents. But more importantly, before leaving the coaching ranks to help found the NORD youth sports program (then known as the New Orleans Junior Sports Association), Brechtel is credited with developing such great coaches as Buck Seeber, Hoss Memtsas, Mook Clavier, Joe Galliano, Harry Hahn, Jim Lavin and Joe Zimmerman into the ranks.
Many coaches today can still trace their roots to Brechtel, the uncle of legendary Shaw and West Jefferson mentor, Hank Tierney. Some of the top players who learned the game from Brechtel include New Orleans Sports Hall of Famers Eddie Price and Steve Van Buren, who both went on to college and NFL success.
In 2010, www.SportsNola.com selected Brechtel as the top football coach in New Orleans history.
