Prairie View A&M University has officially named Dawn Brown as its head women’s basketball coach. Brown, who served on an interim basis this past season, becomes Prairie View A&M’s fifth head coach since the program moved to the NCAA Division I ranks in 1982.
"Coach Brown has done a tremendous job in continuing the overall success of the program on-and-off the court," said Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson. "She stepped into the position last summer and immediately proved herself as a solid motivator, teacher and recruiter. Coach Brown has the desire to move the Prairie View A&M women’s basketball to another level in terms of its national profile after having an instrumental part in the program’s success over the past four seasons."
Named the team’s interim head coach on July 1, 2013, Brown led the Lady Panthers to their fourth consecutive NCAA Women’s Basketball Division I Tournament appearance and the team’s fourth straight SWAC Tournament Championship this past season. Under her watch, junior point guard Jeanette Jackson had a record-breaking season as she became the all-time single season scoring leader in PVAMU women’s basketball history in addition to earning All-SWAC First Team and SWAC Tournament MVP Honors. Brown also developed senior guard LaReahn Washington into a scoring threat as the senior had a career season in her lone season as a starter while sophomore post Shamiya Brooks emerged as one of the top shot blockers in the SWAC.
In addition to the team’s individual accolades, the Lady Panthers had a pair of five-game winning streaks under Brown over the course of the 2013-14 campaign and won 10-of-11 contests during a two-month span. Since joining the PVAMU women’s basketball program as an assistant coach in 2010, the Lady Panthers are a perfect 12-0 in postseason play with Brown on the bench.
Prior to becoming interim head coach, Brown served as the team’s assistant coach for three seasons along with adding the responsibilities of recruiting coordinator during the 2012-13 campaign. Brown recruited 2012 SWAC All-Tournament center Larissa Scott, 2013 SWAC Tournament MVP Kiara Etienne and do-it-all forward JaQuandria Williams, who contributed heavily to the Lady Panthers’ SWAC Tournament Championships in 2012 and 2013.
Before coaching at Prairie View A&M, Brown spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Tougaloo College. At Tougaloo, Brown played a major part in turning the program around as the Lady Bulldogs finished the 2009-10 season with their best record in 12 years and advanced to the semifinal round of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
A 2005 graduate of Jackson State University, she had a two-year career as a student-athlete with the Lady Tigers and helped capture the 2002-03 SWAC Regular Season Co-Championship and a SWAC Tournament semi-final berth.
Before her playing days at Jackson State, Brown a two-time captain at Atlanta Metropolitan College, led the team to two-straight GJCAA Tournament appearances as she was a part of the inaugural team in 2000.
Dawn knows the demands of a Division I student-athlete, as she also excelled in the classroom earning her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 2005. She also holds memberships in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Order of Eastern Star, Black Colleges & Administrators and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
