Chris Brown Named Head Coach for CUC Women's Soccer
April 7, 2015 - Concordia University Chicago has announced Chris Brown as its new head coach for the women's soccer program. The sixth head coach in the history of the program, Brown succeeds Thomas Goines, who coached the Cougar women the previous four seasons.
"I am very excited to come to Concordia University Chicago and have this opportunity to coach the women's soccer program," said Brown. "I would like to thank (director of athletics) Pete Gnan and the committee as well as the players who have put their trust in me to lead this program."
A native of Mesa, Arizona, Brown played collegiately at Chandler (AZ) Gilbert Community College for two seasons before transferring to Division I Northern Illinois University. The center back contributed to an eight-game turnaround in his first season at NIU as the Huskies went 12-6-0 and finished second in the MAC, their highest conference finish since 1990. Brown's senior year in 2005 saw the Huskies go 11-6-2, a season that included a seven-match unbeaten streak.
Brown remained at Northern Illinois following graduation to begin his collegiate coaching career. In 2007, he served as an assistant coach for the men's program before moving to the women's program and coaching the NIU goalkeepers for two seasons. Brown also worked as an assistant coach and director of soccer camps at Oregon State University during the 2010-11 season.
In the summer of 2011, Brown's return to the Chicagoland area resulted in his taking a position as a goalkeepers' coach with the women's soccer program at Dominican University. His time at Dominican gave him a very early preview of his new situation, as he states that "I was impressed by the level of play in the conference. There are a number of exciting and competitive teams here, and I look forward to leading the Cougars into this level of competition on a regular basis."
Brown's experience coaching soccer at the club level is equally extensive. Most recently, he was the Director of Coaching for the girls' program at Campton United Soccer Club of St. Charles, Illinois that manages over 300 players and 17 teams. Brown was named the 2013 Illinois Youth Soccer Girls' Competitive Coach of the Year and coached State Champions in both U16 Boys and U16 Girls in the Presidents Cup, which took place from the fall 2013 to the spring of 2014. Prior to that, Brown was a staff coach with Campton United from 2006-08 and a Director of Coaching for Northern Illinois FC in DeKalb from 2008 to 2010.
The Olympic Development Program (ODP) has also benefited from Brown's coaching in recent years. In 2011, he was part of the ODP Region IV staff in Oregon. Since 2013, he has been a staff coach for Illinois Youth Soccer Olympic Development, coaching both boys and girls.
While Brown's coaching credentials are solid (his certifications include a United States Soccer Federation National "A" License and NSCAA Regional and State Goalkeeping Diplomas), so is his commitment to education as evidenced by a BA in psychology and an MA in sports management from Northern Illinois in 2007 and 2011 respectively. Brown is anxious to recruit within the framework of the NCAA Division III's concept of the student-athlete and the complete college experience. "I have been privileged to see several of my club players go on to college, and I think I have a good eye for what makes a good college soccer player, both athletically and academically. It is very important that when our players leave Concordia-Chicago, it will be with a degree in hand along with a great soccer playing experience."
Brown currently resides in Elgin, Illinois. He is newly married as of June 2014 to Caitlin.
