John Brady, a highly successful boys basketball coach at Annapolis High School for nearly four decades before stepping away from coaching in 2016, died Tuesday of complications from a chronic illness, his daughter confirmed. He was 78.

When Brady resigned as head coach, he had the winningest record as a public school boys basketball coach in Maryland history, according to the Capital Gazette.

Brady led the Annapolis Panthers to a 772-173 record over 39 years, the Capital Gazette reported. The team advanced to the state finals three times during his tenure, winning the state Class 2A championship in 1990.

His daughter, Erin Brady, said her father was a humble person who didn’t coach for acknowledgment or recognition, but because he truly loved getting to connect with students.

“He always instilled in me, and other people that, do what you love, but do it in a way that can benefit others or help others,” she told The Banner.

His long tenure at Annapolis High and in the region created a lasting impact.

“John Brady taught lessons on the basketball court and in the classroom for more than three decades,” said Bob Mosier, a spokesperson for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, in a written statement. “The impact he made is legendary and it can still be seen today in those who had him as a teacher or a coach.”

Brady also taught business at the school for years.

When he stepped down, he was remembered by former players, colleagues and rivals as a “gem,” “old school” and an “amazing man, a great coach, terrific father and a really good friend,” according to the Capital Gazette.

Brady, who grew up in Brooklyn Park and played basketball as a student at Mount Saint Joseph High School, was inducted into the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

His daughter said Brady would go the extra mile to support the student-athletes he coached. That included everything from buying shoes for players who couldn’t afford them to making phone calls to help with college admissions, she said.

“Those little things were important,” Erin Brady said. “He really focused not just on the sport, but the education piece.”

Marcus Johnson played under Brady. In a Facebook post, he described Brady as “tough as nails.”

“Some might call his coaching style cruel, oppressive, or harsh,” Johnson wrote. “But for us, it was tough love, guidance, and the discipline we needed to prepare for what was coming in life.”

Wiley Baker, a local sports broadcaster, wrote on Facebook that Brady was a tough and successful coach on the court, and a gentle, compassionate man off the court.

“Coach Brady was so kind to me. What an AMAZING Legacy he leaves, in a multitude of ways,” Baker wrote.

Something people may not have known about Brady is that he was a huge animal lover, his daughter said. At one point growing up, Erin Brady said, the family had five dogs at the same time.

“Even up until last week,” she said, “I would bring my dog into the house, and my dad would love that dog.”

Erin Brady had a career in college athletics, working in academic support for the students. She credits her father with teaching her how to connect with students.

“Just being genuine, building relationships, that last long beyond when the players are in high school or college. That’s something I took from him,” she said.

No formal funeral service is planned, according to the Capital Gazette, though a celebration of life will be scheduled.

In a 2015 interview for an Anne Arundel County Public Schools broadcast, Brady said the only thing that anyone “truly owns” is the effort they put into something.

“Everything else, they learned from somebody else ... the one thing they have control over is their effort,” he said.

He went on to explain that a player needs to give maximum effort in order to realize their potential on the court.

Being part of the basketball team at Annapolis under Brady meant students had to put in a solid effort in the classroom, too.

“It’s all about education, make yourself valuable,” Brady said. “Maybe you’re a good mechanic, maybe you’re a good musician. Whatever it is, be good at it. Make yourself valuable.”