CoeCollegeChronicles

"He was just someone you wanted to hear."

 

Kent Cooling developed many significant relationships during his time at Coe. Of course meeting his wife, Sally Nordstrom was the most significant. They met at Coe during their sophomore year and they have been married for 35 years. Cooling also shared a relationship with Barron Bremner, the athletic director at the time. Cooling says Bremner was a powerful man that could reach you in many ways.

 

“Bremner was a gentle giant and he commanded the room," says Cooling. "You didn’t dare want to get him upset. I watched him actually put a bear hug on Danny Farley who was a great wrestler here and put him to sleep out on the football field, so you really didn’t want to challenge the man that way. When he [Bremner] talked he was just somebody that you wanted to hear. His stories were wonderful and he just had that commanding presence.” 

 

Cooling had a work-study job working for the physical education department. He worked for Coach Bremner and Patty Owara, Bremner’s secretary. He had many responsibilities including rolling out the football field with a tractor. He also worked with the clean up crews. “It was a good experience doing that hard work but fun during the year to do,” Cooling says. Cooling grew to love Bremner after spending time with him. Cooling describes Bremner and all the other coaches as “very reachable. Coach Bremner went out of his way to be a friend,” Cooling says, “He was a great man to work for.”