after graduating from college, brickels, nicknamed "stub", was hired as an assistant football and basketball coach at new philadelphia high school in new philadelphia, ohio. he was promoted to head coach of both teams in 1932. during one successful run, his football team won 36 of 40 games. the team played numerous times against dominant massillon washington high school squads coached by paul brown in the 1930s, although new philadelphia lost all of the matchups. brickels went on to become head basketball coach and assistant football coach at huntington high school in west virginia in 1938. in 1944, he was named the head basketball coach at the west virginia university, and led the team to the national invitation tournament in 1945.