New Jersey City University Athletics

Charlie Brown and New Jersey City University athletics have been synonymous for nearly 50 years and Brown will become only the second individual inducted into the NJCU Athletics Hall of Fame in two different categories when he is honored for a legendary 25-year coaching career.
 
Brown, who received the ultimate recognition in November, 2008, when the main arena floor at the John J. Moore Athletics and Fitness Center was dedicated in his honor as “Coach Charlie Brown Court”, etched his name into record books as a player and coach, while carving a legacy of winning across the state and nation.
 
Brown retired after 25 seasons as head coach of his alma mater from 1982-2007 as the winningest men’s or women’s basketball coach in the history of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, both overall and in league play (300-118). His 483-218 ledger made him the second winningest men’s college basketball coach in New Jersey history at the Division I, II, and III levels, just shy of the all-time record of 514.
 
Brown is the winningest coach in Gothic Knight history by more than 350 wins in a category that includes Hall of Fame coaches Larry Schiner (133), Ollie Gelston (126), and Paul Weinstein (115), and has more victories than all three combined (374).
 
His teams qualified for the post-season in each of his 25 years as head coach, including 12 NCAA Tournaments and 13 ECAC Tournaments and he never had a losing season.
 
Brown guided the Gothic Knights to the NCAA Division III Final Four in 1986 and 1992, twice losing to the eventual national champion in the national semifinal. He led NJCU to five NJAC Championships (1986, 1990, 1992, 1995, and 2004), adding to NJCU’s conference record of 11 overall titles.
 
The 1986 Kodak Division III National Coach of the Year, Brown is a three-time National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Atlantic District Coach of the Year (1986, 2004, 2007), six-time New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Coach of the Year (1986, 1989, 1990, 1995, 2004, 2007) and three-time Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Coach of the Year (1990, 1992 and 2004).
 
In 701 career games, Brown owned a .689 career winning percentage. He entered his final season in 2006-07 ranking 14^th among active coaches in career victories and 26^th in winning percentage in Division III. Overall in Division III history as of the 2010-11 season, Brown is 31^th in victories and 39th in percentage.
 
When Brown finished his 25^th and final season in 2006-07 with a 19-10 mark, the Gothic Knights secured their 37^th consecutive non-losing season since 1970-71, and 32nd straight winning seasons dating to 1975-76—the third longest ever streaks in Division III history.
 
In 25 seasons at his alma mater, Brown averaged more than 19 wins per season, winning 20 or more on eight occasions (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2001, 2004, 2006).
 
Brown guided 12 teams to the NCAA Division III Tournament (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, and 2005). When not in the NCAA’s, his clubs reached the ECAC Metro New York/New Jersey tournament on 13 occasions (1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007), winning  five championships (1983, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2006).
 
Brown recorded his 400th career victory on February 1, 2003 and on December 4, 2004, Brown passed his former college coach, Ollie Gelston to move into third place on New Jersey’s all-time wins list. On December 29, 2004, he won career game 432, passing former New Jersey Institute of Technology coach James Catalano for second place in state history.
 
Brown’s NJAC career record of 300-118 gives him a sizzling.718 winning percentage in among the most difficult basketball conferences in Division III. Despite the challenges of the NJAC, Brown guided his program to the NJAC tournament in 19 of 24 seasons (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 (play-in game in 2002), 2004, 2006, 2007). When hired in 1982-83, he became the first African-American head coach in NJAC history.
 
In 2004-05, NJCU played an independent schedule, and won another title, when the Knights captured the inaugural Association of Division III Independents Men’s Basketball championship. He was a unanimous choice as the 2005 Independent Men’s Coach of the Year.
 
In addition to his other coaching awards, the Star Ledger tabbed him as the All-State Coach of the Year in 1986. He was MBWA Division III Coach of the Year in 1990 and 2004, sharing the award in 1992. 
 
On January 25, 2004, Brown was inducted into the New Jersey Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame and presented with the “Coaching Legends Award” at its annual banquet.
 
On December 5, 2004, Brown was bestowed the first-ever “Jackie Robinson Role Model Award” by the Jersey City branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and was honored as part of the organization’s 85^th annual Freedom Fund Banquet.
 
In 2002, the Metropolitan New Jersey Collegiate Basketball Officials Association presented the Schoenfeld Sportsmanship Award upon Brown’s program, an honor presented annually to the school that demonstrates the highest degree of sportsmanship, character, and ethics among their players, coaches, administration, and spectators.
 
He was inducted into the Hudson County Athletic Hall of Fame on January 21, 1993. Among other honors Brown has received include the Jersey City Education Association Division III Coach of the Year, and 1989 and 1990 NJCBCA College Division Coach of the Year. He accepted the L. Harvey Smith Spirit Civic Association Community Service Award on September 16, 1994. Under his tutelage, the 1994-95 team led the nation in field goal percentage defense (. 370).
 
He coached the North-South All-Star game featuring players in Division I thru III in 1987, and led the NJAC in the inaugural NJAC/CUNYAC Senior Challenge in 2001-02 in Jersey City, before again coaching the squad in its third year in 2003-04. In 2007, in what became his final career coaching duty, he guided the NJAC Seniors to a victory over the Skyline Conference Seniors.
 
Brown was a charter member of the NJCU Athletics Hall of Fame as a student-athlete on October 13, 1979 in men’s basketball, cross-country, and outdoor track & field. He received the school's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992. The NJCU Board of Trustees issued a Resolution honoring his 400^th win on February 24, 2003. Prior to his tenure at NJCU, Brown served as head coach at Lincoln High School for 16 years between 1966-1981, securing a career record of 231-150 in 381 games at that level  (.606 winning percentage).