Joe Brown has led Cortland to a combined 289-83-1 record, eight NCAA Division III tournament appearances, four World Series showings and seven State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) titles in his first eight seasons (2000-07) as the Red Dragons’ head coach.
In 2007, Brown guided Cortland to a 42-7 record, a fourth-place national finish and its third straight SUNYAC crown. His 2005 squad enjoyed the best season in school history with a 43-9-1 record and a national second-place finish. 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, he 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, won the SUNYAC championship and advanced to the NCAA regional finals.
Brown was named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) New York Region “Coach of the Year” in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2007 and was the SUNYAC “Coach of the Year” in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Thirteen of his players have been chosen as All-Americans, including three who were selected in the professional baseball draft. In all, seven of Brown’s players have advanced to play professionally, including two selections in the 2006 draft and one in 2007.
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.
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 Sports Hall of Fame in the fall of 2006. 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, N.Y. 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.
