Departures of note

Charles Henry "Kippy" Brown was born on March 6, 1955, in Sweetwater, Tennessee. He led Sweetwater High School to state championships in 1971 and 1972 before becoming the starting quarterback at Memphis State University from 1975 to 1977, making him the first Black quarterback in school history. He engineered a notable upset of seventh-ranked Auburn in 1975 and graduated with a degree in communications in 1977.

Brown began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1978 and went on to coach wide receivers at Louisville and Tennessee, helping the Volunteers earn the nickname "Wide Receiver U." He moved to the professional ranks as running backs coach for the New York Jets (1990-92) and later served as a wide receivers coach for Tennessee, Tampa Bay, Miami, Green Bay, Houston, Detroit, and Seattle. He spent one season as head coach of the XFL's Memphis Maniax in 2001.

Brown was the Seattle Seahawks' wide receivers coach from 2010 to 2014, during which the team made consecutive Super Bowl appearances and won Super Bowl XLVIII. He mentored receivers such as Doug Baldwin, Golden Tate, Jermaine Kearse, and Sidney Rice and was widely beloved by players and staff. He was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 2016 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Brown died in August 2026 at age 71.