Coach Ray Brown joined the Panther staff for the 2019-2020 season with a primary focus on the hurdles. In February freshman Jamara Watson earned her first USTFCCCA/NCAA All-Region accolade for her US #25 performance in the 60 meter hurdles when she ran 8.76 for an NCAA Championship provisional qualifier mark, set a new school record, and finished as the CIAA Championship Runner-up for All-CIAA honors. Watson now holds 8 of the top 10 times in VUU history, and collected a win at the historic New York Armory LeapYear Invite. Freshman Ashley White also ran into the VUU history top 10 with a time of 9.12 in January at the VMI Invite.
While on the staff of VUU the women’s team was honored with the CIAA Highest GPA Award for 2019 for both the indoor and outdoor season, including 4 women who received perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA’s at the conclusion of the year.
Prior to his collegiate coaching experience, Coach Brown worked at the high school level, where he assisted 17 athletes to individually qualify for the New Balance National Championship, as well as multiple relay performances. His athletes accrued 18 VHSL 5A All-State performances and 14 school records across a spectrum of events from 55 meter through the 3200-meter relay. Coach Brown has also been a part of the Richmond based Virginia Vipers track and field club, which sent 9 athletes to national championship meets in their inaugural 2019 season. While working with the sprints, hurdles and relays from 2010 to 2014 for the 5 Star Track Program the club claimed three AAU National Club Championships in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Most importantly however is that the program implemented a college prep program that produced a 100 percent high school graduation rate with more than 80 percent going on to pursue higher education. Of the athletes that were part of the year-round training program, 14 won high school state championships, four claimed high school national championships and one set a high school national record. A graduate of Norfolk State University with a B.S. Interdisciplinary Studies, and a dual minor in both Health Fitness Instruction and Secondary Education, Coach Brown was a leader on the track during his time as a scholar-athlete and two-year co-captain of the Spartans. Brown was a 7x NCAA East Region Championship qualifier, 4x individual and 6x team MEAC champion, and 11x All-MEAC performer. Additionally, he served as the SAAC representative for both junior and senior year. With deep ties to the Richmond area, Coach Brown attended Cumberland County High School where he lettered in five sports – track, cross country, football, basketball, and wrestling. He earned two VSHL State Championship titles on the track, and multiple District and Region crowns and school records in football, wrestling, and track. Coach is CPR-AED certified, and an American Fitness Professionals Association Certified personal trainer since 2012. He resides in Richmond, VA.
