The 2007-08 season will be the 12th at California University of Pa. for head men's basketball coach Bill Brown, who boasts a 230-91 (71.7%) record with the Vulcans -- the most coaching wins in team history.
Under Brown, the Vulcans have won or tied for the PSAC West title seven times, have posted seven 20-win seasons, have made the PSAC playoffs in nine out of 11 seasons, and have made three 'State Game' appearances with one state title in 1999.
Brown has been named the PSAC West Coach of the Year four times during his Cal tenure, including the 2006-07 campaign. He was also named the NABC Regional Coach of the Year for the first time in 2007, and was selected to serve as head coach in the senior all-star game at the 2007 NCAA Division II Championship Weekend in Springfield, Mass.
Prior to his tenure at Cal, Brown served as head coach at Kenyon College (Ohio) for eight seasons, compiling a 108-106 record, and two years at Sacramento State University (17-21). Brown's 21-year career record is 355-218 (61.95%).
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, the 56 year-old Brown has served in every facet of the game of basketball as a player, a coach and an administrator. Before becoming one of the top basketball coaches in the country, Brown enjoyed a phenomenal playing career at Ohio University, where he earned his Bachelor of General Studies degree in 1974 with concentrations in English, Sociology and Social Work.
As a player, Brown was a three-year starter and a two-time All Mid-American Conference selection. He served as Ohio's team captain for two seasons and helped OU win two MAC titles and appear in two NCAA tournaments in 1972 and 1974. Brown was named Ohio University's Athlete of the Year in 1974 and served as president of the OU Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Brown began his coaching career in 1974 at his alma mater, serving as the recruiting coordinator, organizing practice plans and administrating summer camps at OU. After four seasons, Brown was named the No. 1 assistant at Kent State University under head coach Ed Douma, where he organized recruiting and scouting, served as academic advisor for student-athletes and implemented strategies in addition to his on-court duties.
After one season at Kent State, Brown accepted the position the top assistant coach at the University of Arkansas (1980-85) under legendary head coach Eddie Sutton. His duties included serving as recruiting coordinator, assisting with on the floor coaching, academic counseling, scouting, and directing Razorback Basketball Camp. The Razorbacks won two SEC championships and twice finished among the Associated Press Top 10 in the final rankings of the season. He also hosted his own weekly television show.
Aided by Brown's contributions, Arkansas made five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, won two Southwest Conference Championships, and remained in the top 20 rankings for five consecutive years. In 1984 and 1985, Brown was rated as one of the top five assistant coaches and recruiters in the nation by the Basketball Times.
Brown's first head coaching position was at Sacramento State University, guiding the Hornets to a 17-21 overall record in the program's transition to the Division I level. He was instrumental in initiating the scholarship program, developing a counseling and tutorial program for student-athletes and performing fundraising efforts for the University. He followed that with a year as an assistant under Don DeVoe at the University of Tennessee.
He then moved back to Ohio, where he took on the challenge of building a winner at Kenyon College. Brown guided the Lords to their first back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1993-94 and 1994-95. Both of those Kenyon teams earned berths in the Division III NCAA tournament.
The '94-'95 squad reached the 'Sweet 16' before losing to eventual national runner-up Manchester (Ind.) coached by a young Steve Alford. Brown's '93-'94 team won the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament championship, earned the top seed in the NCAA tournament, and finished with a school record 24 wins and only 4 losses.
Brown was named the NCAC Coach of the Year twice, the 1993-94 Great Lakes District Coach of the Year, and a finalist for the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year Award.
In addition to his coaching duties at Kenyon, Brown served as the College's associate athletic director for 5 years and directed a summer seminar for six years. Brown supervised SCAP, School College Articulation Program, and a three-week program for inner city students from cities in Ohio.
While at Cal, Brown served as head coach of Planet Basketball, an all-star team that made summer tours of Belgium, the Czech Republic and Venezuela from 1998-to-2001. He also earned an award for excellence in community service in 2000. As a player and coach, Brown's teams have competed in the NCAA Tournament 12 times.
Brown and his wife Christy have two children, Aaron and Kerra, and a grandson, Jalen.
