Derek Brown, the winningest coach in Coppin State women’s basketball history, has announced his retirement as the Coppin State women’s basketball head coach.
“It has been an enjoyable ride, all 30 years here at Coppin,” Brown said. “To me doing what you love to do as a job was a blessing for 30 years. I hope that everyone gets to do a job that they totally enjoy doing. I woke up every morning wanting to get the guys and then the girls better at their craft of basketball,” Brown continued.
“On behalf of President Dr. Maria Thompson and the University family we would like to thank Derek Brown for his many years of loyalty and dedication to the women’s program here at Coppin State University,” Interim Athletic Director Alecia Shields-Gadson said. “Brown helped elevate the Eagles to national success and molded the team into a MEAC powerhouse during his tenure as head coach. He will be missed.”
Coach Brown took over the women’s basketball program during the 1999-2000 season. The Eagles accomplished five 20-win seasons, nine different seasons with a winning record, and established the Eagles as one of the premiere programs in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
Brown has led Coppin State to three NCAA Tournament appearances, two berths in the WNIT, three
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season crowns along with a then-conference record 49-game winning streak against MEAC foes. Individually, he has won two MEAC Coach of the Year honors and has been named the Most Outstanding Coach of the MEAC Tournament on three occasions.
Under Brown, a Coppin State player has been named the MEAC Player of the Year on five occasions. Keisha Brooks became the school’s first Player of the Year following the 1999-2000 season, and Sherrie
Tucker who claimed the award in 2004-05 and again in 2005-06. Rashida Suber won the award in 2006-07 and Shalamar Oakley made it four straight Eagles to win the honor in 2007-08.
Brown has placed 22 players on the all-conference list. His teams have put together some remarkable streaks during his tenure including a 41-game MEAC regular season winning streak and a 21-game winning streak in the Coppin Center.
Brown’s career at Coppin began as an assistant under former men’s basketball coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell for his first 15 years. During his tenure with the men’s program, he helped guide the Eagles to nine Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season titles, 11 straight winning seasons, two NIT tournament appearances and three NCAA tournament appearances, including a first round upset of No. 2-seed South Carolina in 1997.
The Eagles’ nine MEAC regular-season crowns equaled the most won by any program in the country during the ’90s, and their winning percentage ranked among the top 25 that decade. Prior to coming to Coppin State, Brown and Mitchell were together for eight seasons at Gloucester County (N.J.) College.
A native of Camden, New Jersey, Brown and his wife, Joy, have one son, Jordan.
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