CLEVELAND, Ohio —Browns coach Kevin Stefanski had a surprise message for one unsuspecting March Madness team looking to go on a Cinderella run.
No. 15 seed Robert Morris will look to pull off an upset when they tip off against No. 2 seeded Alabama in Cleveland on Friday at 12:40 p.m. ET.
Stefanski will be pulling for them, and their Cleveland-native defensive star Amarion Dickerson, who grew up five minutes away from Rocket Arena, and loves all things Cleveland. He starred at James Rhodes High School and graduated in 2022.
“Yo Robert Morris basketball, coach Stefanski here,” Stefanski said in a video that Dickerson shared on his Instagram story. “Just want to wish you guys best of luck tomorrow. I’ll be there, I’m pulling for you guys. I’m rooting for coach (Andrew) Toole, I’m rooting for Amarion Dickerson, go Brownies, go Bobby Mo."
The connection between Stefanski and Robert Morris goes a step further, though.
Andrew Toole and Stefanski overlapped during their college days at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from 2001-03. Toole was a star guard on the basketball team, while Stefanski was a star defensive back.
men's college basketball team practices before a game
Robert Morris Colonials guard Amarion Dickerson (3) takes part in a team practice on Thursday, March 20, 2025, ahead of the start of the first round in the NCAA basketball tournament which begins on Friday at Rocket Arena.David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com
The message from the Browns coach has undoubtedly provided a boost for Dickerson, who is having a stellar year in his first season at Robert Morris after transferring from JUCO Mineral Area College in Missouri.
Dickerson was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, and was also named to the league’s All-Defense first team and the all-league second team.
He’s got 80 total blocks this season, and is averaging a whopping 2.4 per game. He also pulls down 5.9 rebounds per game and is averaging 12.9 points.
The 6-foot-7 junior is a big reason why Robert Morris has won 10 games in a row (the sixth-longest win streak in the nation) and has lost just once since Jan. 9.
He also has made his love for his hometown well-known among his team.
“When Mar’s career is over, there’s a good chance, or if he hasn’t discussed it, he should work for the Cleveland City of tourism, the Visitors' Bureau,” Toole said on Thursday. “There is no more prideful Clevelander, if that’s even a word, than Mar. He will argue with you about the Browns until death.
“When we come here to play Cleveland State, he’ll go through his list of favorite restaurants and all the attractions that make Cleveland what it is. So he has such great pride. So for him to be able to play a game here in the NCAA Tournament is awesome.
“As soon as we heard Cleveland, of course we knew what was coming next, right. We were going to get the long version of all the attractions of Cleveland.”
Now, Dickerson can head into Friday’s game knowing the coach of his favorite football team is cheering for him as much as he’s cheered on his Browns over the years.