As the University of Washington men's soccer team is preparing for its season, a former Husky player himself is preparing his team for the same thing.
Cliff Brown enters his 23rd season as head coach at Newman University Jets, an NCAA DII school in Wichita, Kan.
Brown became just the second soccer coach in school history in 1988, four years after the program was founded. He has guided the Jets to three NAIA national tournament appearances, three regional titles, seven conference championships, six conference tournament championships, and the 1988 District 10 championship.
Under Brown's leadership, the men's program has produced eight First Team All-District players, 59 First Team All-Conference players, 27 First Team All-Region players, seven All-Americans, nine conference Players-of-the-Year, two regional Players-of-the-Year, and one NAIA All-Tournament player while earning 224 victories.
This year, Brown's team has been picked fourth in the Heartland Conference Men's Soccer pre-season poll. Newman opens its 2010 campaign Sept. 2 with a 4 p.m. contest against Missouri-St. Louis at Wilkins Field.
Brown's 40 years of coaching experience includes founding the Newman women's soccer program in 1989. He coached the Lady Jets for 11 years, earning District 10 Coach of the Year honors in 1990. On the men's said, he has been named conference Coach of the Year four times and regional Coach of the Year three times.
At Washington, Brown was a goalkeeper where he earned team MVP, All-Conference, and All-American awards. He was drafted by the Seattle Sounders of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 1978. Brown then joined the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) for stints with the Cleveland Force, Wichita Wings, Tacoma Stars, and Kansas City Comets. He also played for the Toledo Pride (AISA) and the Tulsa Ambush (NPSL) as well as with the Wichita Blue and the Oklahoma City Slickers of the United Soccer League (USL). Brown has also coached professionally with the Ft. Wayne Flames (AISA), Toledo Pride, and the Shreveport-Bossier Lions (USL D-3).
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