Spartans' Brown takes leave of absence from team

“He has some things going on in his life that he is going through.” Kokalis said. “It’s his stuff. We don’t know exactly how long he will be gone.”

Kokalis said the team is taking Brown’s absence on a game-by-game basis and has promoted Brown’s brother, Kyle Moore-Brown, from assistant head coach to interim head coach.

Moore-Brown’s first game as Spartans’ head coach will be 3 p.m. Sunday when La Crosse hosts Nebraska at the La Crosse Center.

Moore-Brown also coaches the Spartans’ offensive and defensive line. Mitch Madland, the Spartans’ defensive coordinator, will take over as interim assistant head coach, while Jose Jefferson will remain offensive coordinator.

All three coaches ran Wednesday night’s practice at Logan High School as Gilbert Brown was absent. Kokalis said he spoke with Gilbert Brown from midnight to 2 a.m. Thursday, and that’s when the decision was made for Gilbert to step aside.

“This was not something we knew at (Wednesday night’s) practice,” Kokalis said. “We finalized the direction when I was on the phone with him.

“We don’t know exactly how long he will be gone. I know it is his hope to get back, but at the same time, he has some needs to take care of.”

Moore-Brown said he is just the interim head coach and will gladly step aside when Gibert Brown returns. And he will return, Moore-Brown said.

“I talk to him every day. Today I talked him at least four times,” said Moore-Brown, who spent two seasons with the Detroit Lions and 15 seasons in the Arena Football League.

“It will probably be like that. He (Gilbert) is still very much involved in this team as he was in Day 1. This is his team. I am holding it down until he returns.”

Gilbert Brown coached the Spartans in their 39-33 victory over Richmond, Va., last Saturday. He did not ride with the team on its 40-hour (round trip) bus trip, however, instead flying to the game “on his own dime,” Kokalis said.

Xzavie Jackson, the Spartans’ standout defensive lineman who leads the IFL in sacks with nine, said nothing will change — with or without Gilbert Brown — in terms of his preparation.

“I really don’t know too much about the situation. Everybody has their ups and downs,” Jackson said. “Family comes first. I am glad he worried about his family first.

“It is not going to hamper anything I do. I signed to play for the La Crosse Spartans, not Gilbert Brown. Gilbert was not really a hands-on type of guy. He has his input with the coaches and some players, but nothing will really change.”