For many high school athletes, coaches are more than just sports instructors – they shape lives, teach discipline and foster leadership. At Burlington High School, head baseball coach Cagney Brigham takes that role a step further, balancing his responsibilities on the field with his position as a Student Support Specialist. In both roles, Brigham is committed to guiding students toward success, setting high expectations and creating an atmosphere of respect and responsibility.
Brigham is known for being particularly strict with his players, a distinction he doesn’t shy away from.
“I’m a lot more strict and harder on my baseball players than the other students in this school,” Brigham said. “Honestly, I feel like I do that because I feel that the baseball players are the only students in the school that I can have complete control over.”
This strictness extends beyond the baseball diamond. Brigham makes academics a priority, holding players accountable for their performance in the classroom.
“If your grades are bad, you’re not gonna play baseball,” Brigham said.
His players understand the message loud and clear. Austin Grzych ’25 is a current member of the baseball team.
“I definitely have extra expectations in the classroom because he is very strict about academics,” Grzych said.
The possibility of missing out on games keeps the team motivated.
“We all want to play baseball, so that motivates the whole team to try and do the best they can academically,” Grzych said.
On the field, Brigham employs what his players say is a tough-love approach.
“He gets loud, and he’s really hard on us because he knows what we’re capable of,” Grzych said.
Brigham’s discipline, however, goes beyond enforcing rules – it’s about teaching life lessons. When some players skipped class last year, Brigham made them run the football field 20 times down and back.
“After that, we knew not to skip class and behave in school,” Grzych said.
Assistant coach Ryan Boldwin, who is also a physical education teacher at BHS, sees the value in Brigham’s approach.
“It feels like he has a good connection with the players on the team, as do I,” Baldwin said.
Boldwin believes that teaching and coaching at the same school allows for stronger year-round relationships with players.
“I think it’s easier to build a relationship with students, whereas if the coaches were from an outside source, they would only see the players during practice and in-season,” Baldwin explained.
The players, too, recognize the benefits of having Brigham as both a teacher and coach.
“I feel like I have a closer relationship with Cags than I would if he wasn’t a teacher here in the school,” Matthew Chamberlain ’25 said.
Brigham’s consistent presence allows him to monitor his players’ progress both on and off the field, ensuring they meet the high standards he sets in both environments.
“I think it balances out well because in school he’s a little more chill than on the field, but he still has high standards for us in both places,” Chamberlain said.
