Joe Brown has led Cortland to an impressive 916-266-5 (.774) combined record, 25 NCAA Division III tournament appearances, 11 World Series showings and 18 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles in his first 25-plus seasons as the Red Dragons’ head coach from 2000-25 (the 2020 season was canceled after 11 games). His winning percentage is the best of any active coach nationally (NCAA Divisions I, II or III) with at least 15 years experience, and the second-best all-time among all Division III coaches with 15 years as a head coach.
Brown led Cortland to its first-ever national title in 2015. The Red Dragons finished the season 45-4, including a 5-0 record at the World Series and a 4-0 mark in NCAA regional play, and won the SUNYAC title. Brown was named both the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and D3baseball.com Division III National Coach of the Year, and he was one of eight finalists for the multi-division Skip Bertman National Coach of the Year award.
In addition to the 2015 national crown, Cortland also was national runner-up under Brown in both 2005 and 2010, tied for third nationally in 2016 and 2021, placed fourth in 2007 and 2012, and tied for fifth in 2000, 2001 and 2014.
Brown has been named the ABCA New York Region Coach of the Year 12 times (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2021) and the SUNYAC Coach of the Year on 10 occasions (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2025). He won the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Upstate New York Division III Coach of the Year award in 2009 and 2015 and was the D3baseball.com New York Region Coach of the Year in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 and 2023. In addition, Brown was selected as D3baseball.com's and the SUNYAC's "Coach of the Decade" after leading Cortland to a combined 386-96-3 (.799) record and 10 NCAA tournament showings, including five World Series appearances, from 2010-19.
Of Brown's players, 37 have been chosen as All-Americans, including six who were also selected in the professional baseball draft. In all, 24 of his players have advanced to play professionally, including two selections in the 2006 draft, one in 2007, one in 2009 and one in 2024.
Cortland teams under Brown have reached the 40-win mark seven times, including a school-record 45 wins during the 2015 championship season, and have won at least 30 games on 24 occasions. During Brown's tenure the Red Dragons extended their streak of NCAA tournament appearances to 32 straight seasons – breaking the previous Division III record of 27 years set by Marietta College (1976-2002). The 32-year streak is the best active run by a school over all NCAA divisions.
Cortland finished 31-13, won the SUNYAC tournament and regular-season titles and tied for 17th nationally in the NCAA playoffs in 2025. The Red Dragons finished 31-14-1, won the SUNYAC regular-season title and tied for 31st nationally in 2024 and were 34-13, won the SUNYAC regular-season title and tied for 17th nationally in 2023, and in 2022 Cortland went 35-12, won the SUNYAC tournament title and tied for 17th nationally.
In 2021, Cortland finished 33-9, won both the SUNYAC title and a six-team NCAA regional, and tied for third nationally after posting a 2-2 record at the World Series. In 2019 the Red Dragons went 34-13-1 and won a four-team NCAA regional at home before losing in the newly formed super regional round to tie for ninth nationally. His 2018 squad was 35-12 and tied for 17th nationally, and his 2017 team finished 38-9 and tied for ninth nationally, one win shy of making the World Series.
Brown's 2016 squad tied for third nationally at the World Series and ended the year 43-8. In 2014, he guided Cortland to a 36-10 record, a SUNYAC title and a tie for fifth place nationally at the World Series. In 2013, his team posted a 38-11 record. Cortland won the SUNYAC title and tied for ninth nationally after finishing second at the NCAA Division III New York Regional. In 2012, Brown led the Red Dragons to a 41-9-1 record, a SUNYAC title and a fourth-place national finish at the World Series.
In 2011, Cortland qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs, finished 36-10, won the SUNYAC title and tied for ninth nationally after placing second at the NCAA Division III New York Regional. In 2010, Brown led Cortland to a 40-10-1 record and a second-place national finish at the NCAA Division III World Series. The national runner-up showing was Cortland's second, both under Brown, with the first coming in 2005.
In 2009, Brown led Cortland to a 31-14 mark. The Red Dragons won the SUNYAC title and qualified for the NCAA Division III playoffs. In 2008, Brown's team enjoyed a 42-5 season that featured a school-record 38-game winning streak. Cortland won the NCAA New York Regional title and tied for seventh place at the World Series. In 2007, Brown guided Cortland to a 42-7 record and fourth nationally with a 2-2 mark at the World Series.
Brown's 2005 squad finished second nationally with a 43-9-1 record. His 2000 and 2001 squads also won NCAA New York Regional titles and tied for fifth nationally each year. His 2003 and 2006 teams each tied for ninth nationally and his 2002 and 2004 teams both tied for 17th.
In 2000, Brown had the best season of any Cortland first-year head baseball coach, leading the Red Dragons to a 36-9 record, an NCAA Division III New York Region title and a tie for fifth place at the World Series. In 2001, his squad finished 34-11, winning a regional title and once again tying for fifth nationally at the World Series. In 2002, Cortland finished the season 31-11 and participated in the NCAA Division III regionals.
In 2003, the Red Dragons were 35-11, advanced to the championship game of the NCAA regionals and finished tied for ninth nationally. In 2004, the Red Dragons finished 29-16 and earned one of three national “Pool C” at-large tournament berths. In 2006, Cortland posted a 39-9 record and advanced to the NCAA regional finals.
Prior to his promotion to head coach, Brown was the top assistant coach and pitching coach for Cortland teams that made seven straight NCAA Division III tournament appearances from 1993 to 1999 and four World Series showings between 1995 and 1999. He also assisted with team recruiting duties. His Cortland hurlers were ranked in the top 25 nationally in team earned run average for five of six seasons between 1994-99. During that time, four Cortland pitchers earned All-America honors and two were drafted professionally.
In the summer of 2019 Brown served as one of four managers for the inaugural season of the USA Baseball/Major League Baseball Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League in Bradenton, Fla. The league featured 80 of the top 2020 Major League Baseball draft-eligible high school prospects from around the United States. Brown's team shared the league title, and he coached one of the squads that summer at the MLB High School All-Star Game at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
From 1992-99, Brown was the head coach of the Ithaca Lakers in the summer Northeastern Collegiate Baseball League (NCBL). The most successful coach in league history, he led the Lakers to three league titles, three runner-up finishes and two third-place showings in eight seasons. He coached more than 25 players who moved on to the professional ranks, including major leaguers Brad Lidge and Scott Sauerbeck. Brown returned to summer coaching in 2006 and again in 2008 as the head coach of the New England Collegiate Baseball League's (NECBL) Sanford Mainers. He led the Mainers to the 2008 NECBL title. He coached the NECBL's Vermont Mountaineers four straight summers from 2013-16 and led the team to the 2015 league crown. Brown has served as the commissioner of the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) since 2017.
Born in Clifton Springs, N.Y., and raised in Maine, Brown moved back to New York and graduated as a three-sport letterwinner from Canandaigua Academy in 1986. He was inducted into the Canandaigua Academy Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006, the Section Five Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, and the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. A 1990 graduate of Ithaca College, Brown earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. He played four years of baseball for the Bombers and was a member of the school's 1988 NCAA Division III championship squad.
Upon graduation from Ithaca, he served for one season as adjunct faculty instructor and assistant baseball coach at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua. He earned a Master of Science in Sport Studies, concentrating in sports psychology, from Miami (Ohio) University in 1992 while serving as a graduate teaching assistant and assistant baseball coach for the Division I Red Hawks.
