Sam Brown - Field Hockey Coach - Syracuse University Athletics

Sam Brown

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
sbrown69@syr.edu

Sam Brown joined the Syracuse University field hockey program as an assistant coach in June 2023 and will begin his first season with the program this fall.

Brown joins the Orange after a four-year stint at James Madison University. While in Harrisonburg, Brown helped revitalize the Dukes to a pair of CAA regular season championships and CAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021. Last season, James Madison competed as an independent program, completing a 10-6 overall record with a clean 6-0 mark at home. JMU went 36-27 in Brown’s time in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Completing his FIH Academy Coaching Level 3 certification, Brown has a wealth of international coaching experience, most recently as the USA Field Hockey Men’s U18 head coach and an assistant coach with the USA Field Hockey Women’s U22 team. Brown guided the USA Men’s U22 Stripes team to a gold medal at the USA Field Hockey Young Men’s National Championship.

Prior to his time at James Madison, Brown was the head performance coach at Wakefield Hockey Club in England, serving as the head man for the men’s and ladies first teams. He guided both programs back to the National League Conference in 2018-19, with the men’s side winning the North Premier League for the first time in two decades.

Brown began his coaching journey at Southern Storms Women’s NHL team in New Zealand before leading the Midlands Hockey U18 team to a New Zealand Premier U18 Championship in 2014 and a silver medal in 2015. Brown was the hockey development manager for the Waikato Hockey Association and was the Midlands Hockey performance squad coach. He also served as an assistant coach for the Midlands Hockey NHL men’s team.

Brown earned his bachelor applied science in sport and exercise nutrition from the University of Otago in 2011. He carries Level 1 and Level 2 coaching certificates from Hockey New Zealand. Additionally, Brown earned his England FA Talent ID Certificate Level 1 in 2021.

In Harrisonburg, Brown served on the JMU Athletics Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. He was also on the NFHCA All-American South Region Committee in 2022 and is currently on the NFHCA/USA Field Hockey Forward Data Committee.