By Mary Katherine Brost

Upper School religion and history teacher Brian Justice (‘85) and my father, Middle School history teacher Michael Brost (‘85), are not only colleagues but lifelong best friends. 

In 1977, Brost moved from Washington DC to Richmond to attend Collegiate. As a 5th Grader, he arrived at Collegiate knowing practically no one. He moved into a home near Collegiate, where classmate Brian Justice was just down the road. Justice recalls meeting Brost in their math class, and the two became close friends due to their love of basketball. In their neighborhood, there was an outdoor basketball court where Justice says they played “literally all the time.” Justice explained that there were no smartphones or internet then, so all they did was play outside.

1985 Collegiate varsity basketball team. Photo courtesy of The Torch.

Once Justice and Brost reached the Upper School, they wanted to play on the varsity basketball team, coached by their former teacher Bill Chambers. As sophomores, both made the team, and while they were extremely competitive with each other in sports like tennis and golf, their similar work ethic and passion for basketball made them great teammates. 

Justice and Brost both recall Chambers being one of their mentors at Collegiate. Chambers started working at Collegiate in 1970 and retired in 1995. He taught Lower and Middle School physical education, along with being the head varsity basketball coach until 1989. To this day, Chambers continues to have a relationship with Brost and Justice. Justice mentioned that Chambers recently called him to congratulate Justice’s son Evan Justice (‘17) on making his Major League Baseball debut as a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies on August 26. 

After graduation, Brost moved on to play basketball at Hampden-Sydney College, while Justice attended the University of Virginia. The friends frequently visited each other in college and remained close. 

After college, Brost and Justice eventually came back to Collegiate as teachers and later coached together. Brost first got a job at Collegiate as an Middle School history teacher in 1993, and Justice started as a history teacher and coach in 1996. Brost was named head coach of the boys varsity basketball team in 1996, and starting in 1997, Justice and Middle School P.E. teacher Trip Featherston (‘87) joined him as assistants. Their team won two Prep League championships, and in 1999 the team made it all the way to the state finals. Their 1998-99 team was named to the Collegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.  

1998 Collegiate varsity basketball team. Photo courtesy of The Torch.

Justice explained that because he and Brost played together, the transition was “natural and evolved in a similar dynamic as coaches.” They shared the same competitiveness, work ethic, and passion for basketball, so coaching together just made sense.

One of their most memorable games as coaches was against Highland Springs High School in the inSync Holiday Hoops Tournament at the University of Richmond Robins Center, with nearly 5000 fans in attendance. Brost explained that the team had “incredible chemistry, grit and determination.” In 2004, Brost stepped down as head varsity basketball coach, while Justice remained an assistant coach until 2018.

While transitioning from being students to teachers at Collegiate, and in their many years in the classroom and on the court, Justice and Brost have experienced many changes within the community. The Boys’ School they attended no longer exists, since the Boys’ and Girls’ schools merged in 1986. The school has also continued to expand both in students and the facilities. Both Justice and Brost expressed that Collegiate has many more opportunities now than when they were students. The extracurricular options are endless and cater to many different people. Justice explained that the skills of the athletic teams are consistent, but the facilities for athletics are much better and more advanced. Brost specifically recalls playing and coaching each basketball game in Jacobs Gym, before Seal Athletic Center was built. Brost says that “During big games like St. Christopher’s and Benedictine, Jacobs Gym was packed and extremely loud. The atmosphere was absolutely electric.” 

Justice and Brost children. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Brost.

Collegiate greatly benefits from having teachers like Brost and Justice who attended Collegiate and now work there. Justice explains that they “carry an institutional memory” and are a part of the few people at Collegiate that know what it was like. They carry extensive knowledge about Collegiate that provides the school with great resources.  

As Justice and Brost both married and had children, the families would frequently spend time together. Although Evan and Megan Justice (‘14) were much older than me and my siblings, we looked up to them. When Evan was playing in the College World Series for North Carolina State University in 2021, I recall my entire family sitting around the TV, intently watching and supporting Evan. Brost remarked that “Evan was not only an amazing athlete, but he was so good to my children. Evan would constantly make up various games to entertain all the kids.” 

While the two no longer play or coach together, they continue to have a close bond. Justice remarks that their friendship has “stood the test of time.” They were in each other’s weddings, and Justice is the godfather to my older sister Hallie Brost (‘21). Brost explains that he and Justice have “supported each other, no matter what.” Since they met in their 5th Grade math class, their relationship has grown in so many different ways. They have developed common interests other than basketball, which has made it easy for them to stay connected. 

Featured image courtesy of Michael Brost.