Chris Brown Named Head Coach of Fort Hays State University Football

On Friday, December 10, 2010, Fort Hays State University named Chris Brown as its new head football coach. Brown comes to Fort Hays State from Washburn University, where he served as the defensive coordinator and defensive secondary coach for nine years and assistant head coach this past year. He helped Washburn compile a 62-41 record in his nine-year span with the program, which included two NCAA playoff appearances and two bowl wins.

In his time at Washburn as defensive coordinator, Brown coached the 2009 and 2006 MIAA Most Valuable Defensive Players. As head of the defense, he guided two players selected in the NFL Draft (defensive tackle Trey Lewis-6th round 2007, and cornerback Cary Williams-7th round 2008), six All-Americans, 20 all-region, and 41 All- MIAA selections at Washburn. His defense led the MIAA three of the last four seasons in turnovers gained, including a school record-tying 23 interceptions in 2007.

While coaching the secondary, Washburn picked off 97 passes over the last five years. The Ichabods set five of the top nine interception totals for a season in school history under Brown.

Brown came to Washburn to after spending three years as the secondary coach at Liberal High School where he helped the team to a mark of 37-5 in his time.

Brown, a native of Liberal, Kan., is a 1996 graduate of Pittsburg State University where he recorded 470 tackles in 43 starts in his career at free safety. He is one of only three Gorillas to earn All-American honors three times. He was a unanimous All-American First Team selection his senior season and was named the CNN Division II National Player of the Year in 1995. He was also named to the NCAA Quarter Century Team for all players from 1975 to 1999 at free safety. He had a record 21 tackles in the NCAA Division II National Championship as a freshman against Jacksonville State. Brown was inducted into the Pittsburg State Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

He and his wife, Daphne, have two boys, Hunter and Hayden.