The press box at Ely’s high school football stadium is being renamed in honor of one of the local football program’s greatest contributors.
Following action by school board members Monday, the press box will be renamed the “Coach Bill Braun Press Box.”
Braun, who spent more than 30 years as a teacher in Ely’s school system and nearly a half-century on the sidelines as an assistant coach in the high school football program, passed away in 2024 at the age of 92.
Athletic Director Tom Coombe recommended the press box honor Braun prior to Monday’s school board meeting noting that “There’s no doubt in my mind that Mr. Braun was one of the most significant contributors to Ely’s football history, and the impact he made on hundreds of Ely football players was immeasurable.”
Board member Tony Colarich, a former student of Braun’s, also endorsed the move.
“He said, ‘Call me Bill, and I could never do that,’” Colarich said of his interactions with Braun after he was no longer a student in his classroom. “Anybody who had Mr. Braun as a teacher and coach had a great respect for that gentleman.”
Braun coached B-squad football in Ely and was a varsity assistant for decades and was part of the coaching staff when Ely reached the Class B state title game and advanced to the Metrodome in 1987.
Even after retiring from teaching in 1990, Braun stayed on as a football assistant for most of the ensuing two decades.
The Braun family has also contributed funds to improve and make renovations to the press box, and the work is expected to be done in 2026 in conjunction with other major improvements to the district’s athletic facilities, including the football field and stadium.
