Pat Tulley-Honoring Kyle Conrad

As intense as Kyle Conrad was on the court is as nice as he was off of it. “He was always very kind-hearted. You could just tell he was a genuine person…quality guy through and through,” recalled Gov. Mifflin Athletic Director Pat Tulley. Conrad passed away on September 12th after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 39. A celebration of life was held this weekend at Gov. Mifflin Intermediate School. The gym was filled with coaches and players from across Berks County. “I think that just speaks to Kyle. That’s who he was. He accepted everybody. He appreciated everybody,” said Tulley. To that point, Wilson head basketball coach Matt Coldren was one of the guest speakers. They became friends despite the heated rivalry between the Bulldogs and Mustangs. Conrad was a standout athlete in high school. He participated in basketball, baseball, and soccer. Conrad also loved to sing and was a member of the concert choir at Gov. Mifflin. Colin Waszkiewicz, one of Conrad’s longtime friends, noted that Kyle made it cool to be in the choir. Conrad went on to a stellar basketball career at Elizabethtown College. He scored 1,157 career points and was a first team all-conference selection. Several of Conrad’s former teammates were in attendance. Bob Schlosser was the head coach of the Blue Jays during Conrad’s time at Elizabethtown. Schlosser talked about Kyle’s quiet confidence and his ability to carry the team when necessary. Conrad returned to his alma mater and served as an assistant varsity basketball coach under Dan Haughney for four years. He became the head coach and guided the Mustangs to the Berks County championship game in 2020. Conrad spent four seasons as the head coach in Shillington. Tulley knows that he will be missed tremendously. “The players really took to him. He’s touched so many people in the community. It’s difficult,” stated Tulley. Numerous former Gov. Mifflin players recorded video messages that were shown on Saturday afternoon. Kyle’s wife, Lauren, spoke very eloquently at the conclusion of the program. She emphasized what a caring father he was to their two sons, Logan and Carson. The couple met while attending Immanuel United Church of Christ. Tulley joked about playing a couple of pickup basketball games with Conrad a number of years ago. “He got into it. He was not nice on the court. He was so competitive. He wanted to win even if it was a 2-on-2 game, but off the court [he was] totally different,” said Tulley with a smile. Conrad was a great player and, more importantly, an even better person.