Brown Promoted to Head Women’s Basketball Coach at William Penn University
William Penn Women's Athletics
Oskaloosa–William Penn University Athletics Director Greg Hafner has announced the hiring of Mike Brown as Head Women’s Basketball Coach.
Brown moves up the ladder after serving the previous two years as an assistant coach to Brian Spielbauer, who is leaving the University to become the Athletics Director at Presentation College in Aberdeen, S.D.
“Coach Brown brings a great deal of experience, as both a head coach and assistant to Coach Spielbauer,” Hafner said. “We are pleased to have him on our staff.”
William Penn amassed a 35-29 record over the past two campaigns, including a 21-13 mark in the Midwest Collegiate Conference. The Lady Statesmen hosted first-round MCC Tournament games each of the last two seasons, their first home contests since joining the league in 2001-2002.
Brown inherits a young squad that had just one senior graduate.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for me to continue to build upon the winning tradition the Statesmen have established throughout Coach Spielbauer’s tenure,” Brown said. “I will strive to sign student-athletes who will love William Penn University and will make our alumni and the Oskaloosa community proud.”
“I want to thank President Dr. Ann Fields and Athletics Director Greg Hafner for allowing me to share in their vision of the women’s basketball program,” Brown added. “I would also like to send a warm thank you to Brian Spielbauer for all he has done for the women’s basketball program here at William Penn University.”
Brown came to William Penn two summers ago from NCAA Division II Upper Iowa where he served as head coach from 2008-2010. During his tenure, he coached the school’s first-ever Division II all-conference and all-region players in addition to several academic all-region performers.
Brown, who began his stint at Upper Iowa as an assistant coach in 2005, was also the head coach at Iowa Central CC from 1999-2005, compiling a 115-78 record. His 1999-2000 squad won the Region XI Tournament crown, played in the national tournament, and finished the season ranked eighth in the country. He moved up the ladder at Iowa Central as well, serving as assistant coach from 1997-1999.
He has coached four All-Americans, dozens of all-conference performers, and numerous academic all-region student-athletes.
Brown also has coaching experience at the prep (head sophomore and assistant varsity coach at Des Moines Roosevelt HS from 1996-1997) and NCAA Division I levels (student coach at Drake University from 1992-1996).
He is a 1996 graduate of Drake with a degree in biology and is currently taking classes towards his Master’s of Business Leadership from William Penn.
