Central Michigan University Athletics
Brown Added to Women's Basketball Staff
6/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
June 14, 2004
MOUNT PLEASANT - Head coach Eileen Kleinfelter has announced the addition of Brent Brown to the Central Michigan University women's basketball staff.
"We are very pleased that Brent will be a member of our staff," said Kleinfelter. "He brings a wealth of experience coaching the women's game. He will also enhance our recruiting efforts, having extensive contacts in Michigan and in the Midwest.
"I am very impressed with his knowledge of the game and his teaching ability. He will be an asset to our players' skill development, especially at the post position. "
This won't be the first time that Brown and Kleinfelter have crossed paths. The two first met while working for Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rivals. Kleinfelter mentored the University of Findlay women's basketball team (1994-2001) while Brown was an assistant at Ferris State (1999-2002). In addition to their GLIAC rivalry, Brown coached Ferris State standout and former Chippewa graduate assistant coach Tianna Kirkland. Kirkland accepted a full-time assistant coaching job with the Butler women's basketball program after completing her masters degree at CMU.
Brown brings 13 years of coaching experience to the Chippewa staff. His coaching career began with a seven-year stint at Iowa City High School in Iowa City, Iowa. He started as the girl's basketball assistant coach in 1991 and was named Iowa City's girl's varsity head coach in 1994. Brown left the high school setting for Ferris State in 1999 before joining the IUPUI staff in 2002 where he has spent the last two seasons.
Since joining the collegiate coaching ranks, Brown has had a hand in molding some of the conferences' top performers. Between Ferris State and IUPUI, he has worked with two first team Academic All-Americans, a pair of conference "Player of the Year" honorees, two Mid-Continent "Defensive Player of the Year" designees, and four first team all-conference selections.
At Ferris, Brown's team was in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 in each of his three seasons there. In fact, the Bulldogs turned in the top team cumulative grade-point average in 1999-2000, the same year that they qualified for the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
Brown has experience in all facets of coaching basketball. While at IUPUI, he worked with the offensive and was recruiting coordinator.
He has also worked numerous camps around the country. Brown has coached at camps hosted by Drake, Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa and Notre Dame, among others.
Brown graduated in 1989 from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, with an accounting degree. He was a four-year member of the basketball team and captained the Storm his senior year. Brown earned a masters degree in 1994 in athletic administration from the University of Iowa.
Brown takes over for Jill Nagel who returned to her home state of Missouri with her husband.
