Feb 11, 2016 3 min read

CALIFORNIA – Bill Brown, the winningest head coach in California University men’s basketball history, will retire at the conclusion of this season.

Brown and the school announced the retirement Thursday.

“I’ve been fortunate to see the transition of the university during my time and there have been lots of high marks,” said Brown, who owns a 365-207 record in 20 seasons at California. “I’ll miss the college atmosphere and it’s going to be tough, but its time.”

The Vulcans currently own a 9-13 record in the PSAC-West standings and are 14-14 overall. But Brown is the winningest active coach in the PSAC and is fifth in league history in total wins.

Brown replaced Jim Boone in 1996 when Boone accepted the head coaching position at Robert Morris University, coming to California following successful stint at Kenyon. His coaching career also has taken him from his alma mater, Ohio University, where he was a three-year starter, to Kent State, Arkansas, Sacramento State and Tennessee.

Brown owns a career record of 490-334 and ranks 18th among active head coaches in NCAA Division II victories.

“Coach Brown has been a pillar of the athletic department during my tenure at the university,” said Athletic Director Dr. Karen Hjerpe, who joined the department in 1993. “He has brought great leadership to our programs and has been instrumental in alumni involvement for the men’s basketball program.”

Brown guided the Vulcans to six NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by an Elite Eight appearance during the 2007-08 season. The Vulcans also captured the PSAC Championship that year, the first time since the 1998-99 campaign, and recorded the third-winningest season in school history at 28-6.

Overall, the Toledo, Ohio, native led California to the PSAC Tournament 14 times over the last two decades and earned at least a share of first place in the PSAC West standings eight times before the league expanded by four schools starting in 2008. The Vulcans have totaled at least 23 wins eight times during his tenure and have finished below .500 only twice.

Brown also mentored 40 All-PSAC West selections, including 22 first-team honorees.

“My goal has always been to impact players, not just in the game of basketball, but in life skills and how to treat and communicate with people,” said Brown. “I’ve been here long enough to have former players bring their children back to campus and introduce me as their coach and that’s special.”

Brown was awarded the prestigious NABC Guardians of the Game Pillar Award for Advocacy in the spring of 2012. He has been tabbed PSAC West Coach of the Year five times and received NABC Regional Coach of the Year twice during his tenure with the Vulcans. In 2011 and 2013, Brown served as head coach for a team that was assembled through Global Sports Academy and played several games across Europe.

He also recruited Shaka Smart to play for him at Kenyon and hired Smart as an assistant coach for the Vulcans upon his graduation. Smart led Virginia Commonwealth to the Final Four in 2011 and is now the head coach at the University of Texas.