Chris Brown Position: Assistant Coach Experience: Second Season Alma Mater (Year): Northern Illinois (2007)

A two-year letterwinner for the Northern Illinois men's soccer team as a player, Chris Brown enters his second season as graduate assistant coach for the Huskie women's soccer program. Brown also spent the 2007 campaign as a member of the NIU men's soccer coaching staff.

The Mesa, Ariz., native played centerback for the Huskies in 2004 and 2005. In 2008, Brown helped the Huskies reach their best start in school history, jumping out of the gate with a 5-1-3 record. NIU also posted seven wins (7-2-1) at the brand new NIU Track and Field & Soccer Complex, and shut out its opponent eight times on the season.

In addition to his duties with NIU, Brown, a National "B" License holder and Regional Goalkeeper Diploma holder, is the Director of Coaching for Northern Illinois FC (NIFC). NIFC, a club of two years, was formed when local clubs Spectre and Sycamore merged. Brown oversees and directs the NIFC 15-team club . Prior to becoming the Director of Coaching of NIFC, Brown spent three years coaching with Campton United Soccer Club in Geneva, Ill.

Brown's arrival at NIU as a player in 2004 coincided with an eight-win turnaround from the 2003 season, the second-largest win swing in the nation. With Brown on board, the Huskies went 12-7-0 and finished second in the MAC, the best conference placement by a Huskie team since 1990. As a senior, Brown helped Northern Illinois to a 11-6-2 season that included a seven-match unbeaten streak. During the run, Northern Illinois captured notable victories over Saint Louis and Wisconsin, as well as MAC foe Western Michigan.

Prior to his arrival in DeKalb, Brown played with Chandler Gilbert Community College, where he garnered all-conference honors n 2001 and 2003. As a senior, he led Chandler Gilbert to its most successful season in school history.

While working to achieve top-notch results on the field, Brown also achieved in the classroom. He graduated from NIU in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in psychology, and is now pursuing his Master's of Science in Sport Management.