WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Athletic Hall of Fame member and Weatherford Mayor Mike Brown has been selected to receive the Cecil Perkins Service Award for the year 2024.

The award, which is presented by the SWOSU Athletic Department, will be presented next week at the department's annual All-Sports Awards Ceremony, held on Tuesday, April 30th at the Pioneer Event Center.

"I knew Cecil very well as a coach, athletic director, and friend," said Brown. "He was trustworthy, always had a smile on his face, enjoyed and truly cared about people, and had a lot of pride in the community. I'm so honored to earn an award with his name on it and join a special group of past recipients."

Brown has provided decades of service to SWOSU Athletics. He is currently a board member on the SWOSU Athletic Association, having also served as a past president, and is a donor to the SWOSU Football Legacy Fund. He also serves on SWOSU's annual Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee and on various other hiring committees for the department.

Aside from formal duties and titles with the Bulldogs, Brown might be best known for his volunteer hours in homes, concession stands, and kitchens alike where he feeds and supports teams by helping supply, serve, and/or cook food. 

"Being able to serve others and find comradery is why I love hosting teams and helping where I can. That's what it's all about. As I get older and think back to being an athlete, there were always people who stepped up and helped. I'm just one of a long list of people that have done so."

Brown grew up in Weatherford after moving into town in second grade. Upon graduating from Weatherford High School, he chose to stay local and attend Southwestern Oklahoma State University as a dual-sport athlete in football and baseball in the '70s. He would go on to earn inductions into the athletic hall of fames for both his high school, in 2014, and college, in 2019.

While attending SWOSU, Brown seemed to always be involved on campus and in the community – a trend that is still true to this day. He was first a student-athlete, fraternity member, and Student Government Association (SGA) member before becoming a booster club contributor after graduating. He and his wife Debbie, who worked at SWOSU for over 30 years, have two children who both attended SWOSU as student-athletes.

"I've just stayed connected one way or another over the years. It just happened naturally. The more I showed up, the more I got involved. Helping in any way we can has always been something that Debbie and I have always enjoyed."

As his kids aged, Brown naturally progressed from sports into local politics. He began serving on the city council and was eventually elected as the Mayor of Weatherford in 2004 – a title and role he holds to this day.

Brown says he has enjoyed his time as mayor for many reasons but having the ability to shine a light on the Weatherford and SWOSU community, including SWOSU Athletics, has certainly been one of those reasons.

"I've gotten to meet a lot of great people over the years and build great relationships. I get to share the great qualities of Weatherford and SWOSU, and in this case SWOSU Athletics. I feel good about the current administration and the coaches that we have. The future is bright, and I hope people will continue to give back to the place where they were able to get their education and play the sport they loved. That's what makes it special."

This is the 12th year that the Cecil Perkins Service Award has been presented. The award is named for Perkins, the former SWOSU Athletic Director who passed away in September 2013. Perkins helped pioneer the direction of the Bulldogs' athletic programs for more than a quarter century, elevating the SWOSU Athletic Department to the NCAA Division II level. His philosophy of putting the student-athlete first in any decision has led to hundreds of individual success stories that continue to positively impact the new generation of students, coaches, and teams at SWOSU and beyond.
 
Cecil Perkins Service Award Recipients
2023: Jim Loomis
2022: Rouben Tourian
2021: President Randy Beutler
2020: Herschel Brewster
2019: Stan Garrison
2018: Les Crall
2017: Jim Litsch
2016: Jimmy Harrel
2015: Rick Koch
2014: Max & Judy Pyron
2013: Joe Phillips