Twin Brothers From Maryland Face Off As Head Coaches For Opposing NCAA Teams, Making History
BRYN ATHEN, Pa. (WJZ) -- Identical twin brothers from Maryland made history over the weekend as the first set of twin coaches to go head to head in college basketball.
Sean and Richard Westerlund head NCAA teams in Pennsylvania and Michigan, respectively. The brothers from Ellicott City said Saturday's game was one for the books.
"To be able to do that is really unique and it's something I will always cherish," said Sean Westerlund of Bryn Athen College.
The brothers used to work side by side coaching Harford Christian School's basketball team, and say since day one, they've always been competitive.
"We got banned from playing one on one because we got into too many fights in the yard," Richard Westerlund said.
Now at 30-years-old, they're taking that friendly competition to the sidelines. They compared it to football's Harbaugh brothers.
"I think we always talked about that we wanted to coach against each other at some point, sort of like the Harbaughs in the Superbowl a couple years ago," Richard Westerlind said.
The game was a close call for visitors Great Lakes Christian College, headed by Richard Westerlund. The Christian Crusaders edged out the Lions by five points.
"Even though his team beat us by five, it's a lot easier pill to swallow when I lose to my twin brother," Sean Westerlund said.
The historic matchup just so happened to fall on the weekend of their mother Sylvia's birthday. She had a special shirt to commemorate the game.
"They are a perfect balance to each other," Sylvia Westerlund said. "I had a shirt made so I had both logos on the front, logos on the back and their mascot names on either side of the arms."
We couldn't help but ask the Westerlunds if twin telepathy is real.
"It is a real thing," said Sean Westerlund." I turned my switch off during the game so he couldn't hear what I was thinking, because I couldn't let him get inside my mind."
But regardless of who took home the big W, The Westerlund brothers say they each scored big time on an unforgettable memory.
"For me, I want to play Sean every year," said Richard Westerlund. "It's something about playing with family and friends is always special."
Sean Westerlund sees the matchup as an opportunity for growth.
"Now I don't see a situation where I don't play him again," he said. "And we could just continue to build stretch and grow each other."
The brothers already have another game planned for next year on December 10 in Philly.
