Eastern Michigan Athletics
Sarah Brown Leaves Position as EMU Women’s Gymnastics Coach
5/4/2017 11:30:00 AM | Gymnastics
Search begins for the program's fifth full-time head coach
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University Interim Director of Athletics Christian Spears announced Thursday, May 4, that Head Women's Gymnastics Coach Sarah Brown has accepted the same position at Penn State University.
"We had total confidence in Coach Brown from day one and she proved it with our team's regular season and conference tournament championships," Spears stated. "She will be missed and we wish her the best at Penn State. We know that our team is special and will attract someone who knows that as well. Our search for the program's fifth all-time head coach will begin immediately."
Brown's lone season at the helm saw the Eagles capture the Mid-American Conference regular season championship for the first in program history after going 11-4 overall and 5-1 within the MAC. For the second consecutive season, the Eagles also finished atop the podium at the MAC Championships, claiming the program's third ever conference title. Based on EMU's performance throughout the season, the Eagles earned the team's second ever NCAA Regionals berth. There, EMU tallied six top-10 individual finishes, including a third-place finish on bars.
Overall, the Eagles claimed a total of eight weekly conference awards throughout the year, while also nabbing Eastern's first ever Regular Season All-American honor. Two Eagles earned All-MAC accolades, in addition to five also being named to the MAC All-Tournament Team. The success carried over to the classroom as well, as 10 gymnasts earned Academic All-MAC honors, while five additionally received Distinguished Scholar Athlete. Four of the Eagles' MAC Distinguished scholars owned a grade-point average of 3.85 or higher. During the 2016 fall semester, Brown's squad earned a combined 3.49 grade-point average and a 3.69 GPA in the spring of 2017.
Brown arrived in Ypsilanti following a year-long stint as the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she assisted on all four events, including beam and floor choreography, as well as the development of daily practice plans. Her lone year as a Wolverine saw the team capture the Big Ten Conference Championship, along with bringing home individual Big Ten titles on uneven bars, beam, and floor exercise. Additionally, she helped coach the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
She was also involved in on-campus recruiting, which saw her assist with campus tours for prospective student-athletes and their parents, among other duties. On the operations side, Brown coordinated the planning for meet judges, including hotel accommodations and travel, while also helping with team travel plans, community service opportunities, social media, and other daily operations.
Before joining the Maize and Blue, Brown was an assistant gymnastics coach at Southeast Missouri State University for three seasons. There, she was the head beam coach, in addition to the beam and floor choreographer, helping create unique routines while also mentally preparing her student-athletes for the rigors of the competitive season. She found plenty of success at SEMO, earning Midwest Independent Conference Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2014. Brown also coached the 2014 MIC floor, vault, and bars champions, in addition to the 2013 and 2014 MIC Freshman of the Year. Finally, she helped coach four individual all-around competitors that qualified to the NCAA Regionals in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Similar to her time at Michigan, she also helped with recruiting and attracting prospective student-athletes to SEMO. In her role, she assisted in all team functions, including monthly community service projects, ordering team apparel, and organizing team activities and events.
Prior to being a collegiate coach, Brown worked as the Director of Operations for the University of Missouri women's gymnastics team. Her duties as director of operations included being the primary travel coordinator for the team, which encompassed booking flights, arranging buses, and planning team meals. In addition, Brown helped coordinate summer camps, specifically assisting with registration, scheduling, and rotations, both inside and outside of the gym. During her time at Mizzou, she was also a sport psychology intern and an administrative assistant, helping the athletic director with various administrative tasks.
She got her coaching start at Flipz USA Gymnastics, spending six years instructing children between the ages of two and 18 in coordination, motor skills, and fundamental gymnastics basics. Not only did she coach beginners, but she also helped with advanced and team classes ranging from level three to level 10. Specifically within the team side, she choreographed beam and floor routines for levels seven through 10, in addition to creating workout plans for all four events.
Brown was an accomplished gymnast at Missouri and Utah from 2006 through 2010, being named to the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. A four-time All-American, Brown earned a Honda Broderick Cup Award nomination in 2010. In 2009 and 2010, she was named the Women's Intersport Network Collegiate Sportswoman of the Year, in addition to being named the University of Missouri Female Athlete of the Year, South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year, and Big 12 Gymnast of the Year. The 2010 recipient of the Director of Athletics Leadership Award, she was a nine-time All-Big 12 honoree and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2008. As a freshman at Utah in 2007, she helped the Utes to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships.
Brown is a double-graduate of Missouri, earning a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in communication and business in 2010, in addition to a master's of education in counseling psychology with an emphasis in sport psychology in 2012.
The Sarah Brown File
Name: Sarah Shire Brown
High School: Archbishop O'Hara H.S. - Raytown, Mo.
College: University of Missouri - Bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies - 2010
University of Missouri - Master's degree in counseling psychology - 2012
Family: Husband - Antonio Brown
Coaching/Playing Experience
Year School Position
2016-17 Eastern Michigan University Head Gymnastics Coach
2015-16 University of Michigan Volunteer Assistant Gymnastics Coach
2012-15 Southeast Missouri State University Assistant Gymnastics Coach
2011-12 University of Missouri Director of Operations
2011-12 University of Missouri Sport Psychology Intern
2010-11 University of Missouri Administrative Assistant
2007-10 University of Missouri Student-Athlete
2006-07 University of Utah Student-Athlete
"We had total confidence in Coach Brown from day one and she proved it with our team's regular season and conference tournament championships," Spears stated. "She will be missed and we wish her the best at Penn State. We know that our team is special and will attract someone who knows that as well. Our search for the program's fifth all-time head coach will begin immediately."
Brown's lone season at the helm saw the Eagles capture the Mid-American Conference regular season championship for the first in program history after going 11-4 overall and 5-1 within the MAC. For the second consecutive season, the Eagles also finished atop the podium at the MAC Championships, claiming the program's third ever conference title. Based on EMU's performance throughout the season, the Eagles earned the team's second ever NCAA Regionals berth. There, EMU tallied six top-10 individual finishes, including a third-place finish on bars.
Overall, the Eagles claimed a total of eight weekly conference awards throughout the year, while also nabbing Eastern's first ever Regular Season All-American honor. Two Eagles earned All-MAC accolades, in addition to five also being named to the MAC All-Tournament Team. The success carried over to the classroom as well, as 10 gymnasts earned Academic All-MAC honors, while five additionally received Distinguished Scholar Athlete. Four of the Eagles' MAC Distinguished scholars owned a grade-point average of 3.85 or higher. During the 2016 fall semester, Brown's squad earned a combined 3.49 grade-point average and a 3.69 GPA in the spring of 2017.
Brown arrived in Ypsilanti following a year-long stint as the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, she assisted on all four events, including beam and floor choreography, as well as the development of daily practice plans. Her lone year as a Wolverine saw the team capture the Big Ten Conference Championship, along with bringing home individual Big Ten titles on uneven bars, beam, and floor exercise. Additionally, she helped coach the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
She was also involved in on-campus recruiting, which saw her assist with campus tours for prospective student-athletes and their parents, among other duties. On the operations side, Brown coordinated the planning for meet judges, including hotel accommodations and travel, while also helping with team travel plans, community service opportunities, social media, and other daily operations.
Before joining the Maize and Blue, Brown was an assistant gymnastics coach at Southeast Missouri State University for three seasons. There, she was the head beam coach, in addition to the beam and floor choreographer, helping create unique routines while also mentally preparing her student-athletes for the rigors of the competitive season. She found plenty of success at SEMO, earning Midwest Independent Conference Assistant Coach of the Year honors in 2014. Brown also coached the 2014 MIC floor, vault, and bars champions, in addition to the 2013 and 2014 MIC Freshman of the Year. Finally, she helped coach four individual all-around competitors that qualified to the NCAA Regionals in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Similar to her time at Michigan, she also helped with recruiting and attracting prospective student-athletes to SEMO. In her role, she assisted in all team functions, including monthly community service projects, ordering team apparel, and organizing team activities and events.
Prior to being a collegiate coach, Brown worked as the Director of Operations for the University of Missouri women's gymnastics team. Her duties as director of operations included being the primary travel coordinator for the team, which encompassed booking flights, arranging buses, and planning team meals. In addition, Brown helped coordinate summer camps, specifically assisting with registration, scheduling, and rotations, both inside and outside of the gym. During her time at Mizzou, she was also a sport psychology intern and an administrative assistant, helping the athletic director with various administrative tasks.
She got her coaching start at Flipz USA Gymnastics, spending six years instructing children between the ages of two and 18 in coordination, motor skills, and fundamental gymnastics basics. Not only did she coach beginners, but she also helped with advanced and team classes ranging from level three to level 10. Specifically within the team side, she choreographed beam and floor routines for levels seven through 10, in addition to creating workout plans for all four events.
Brown was an accomplished gymnast at Missouri and Utah from 2006 through 2010, being named to the Mizzou Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. A four-time All-American, Brown earned a Honda Broderick Cup Award nomination in 2010. In 2009 and 2010, she was named the Women's Intersport Network Collegiate Sportswoman of the Year, in addition to being named the University of Missouri Female Athlete of the Year, South Central Regional Gymnast of the Year, and Big 12 Gymnast of the Year. The 2010 recipient of the Director of Athletics Leadership Award, she was a nine-time All-Big 12 honoree and the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2008. As a freshman at Utah in 2007, she helped the Utes to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships.
Brown is a double-graduate of Missouri, earning a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in communication and business in 2010, in addition to a master's of education in counseling psychology with an emphasis in sport psychology in 2012.
The Sarah Brown File
Name: Sarah Shire Brown
High School: Archbishop O'Hara H.S. - Raytown, Mo.
College: University of Missouri - Bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies - 2010
University of Missouri - Master's degree in counseling psychology - 2012
Family: Husband - Antonio Brown
Coaching/Playing Experience
Year School Position
2016-17 Eastern Michigan University Head Gymnastics Coach
2015-16 University of Michigan Volunteer Assistant Gymnastics Coach
2012-15 Southeast Missouri State University Assistant Gymnastics Coach
2011-12 University of Missouri Director of Operations
2011-12 University of Missouri Sport Psychology Intern
2010-11 University of Missouri Administrative Assistant
2007-10 University of Missouri Student-Athlete
2006-07 University of Utah Student-Athlete
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