More than 100 FAMU athletics supporters gathered to welcome alumnus Willie Brown aboard as the university's new head baseball coach."We are here to jump into the Willie Brown brand of baseball here at FAMU," Athletic Director Derek Horne said.
Brown, a former outfielder for the Florida Marlins' minor league system, helped lead FAMU to three consecutive Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) baseball championships during his days as a student-athlete. He formerly served as the interim head coach of Bethune Cookman-University's baseball team and the head coach of Maclay High School's baseball team in Tallahassee.
"I told my players that the first thing they will leave FAMU with if they worked hard, was a college degree," Brown said. "The second thing I told them they would learn is valuable life experience."
Brown also spoke about his recruitment plan, stating that he plans to step up the pursuit of top-level talent in Leon County's K-12 schools.
"I've coached on the high school and Babe Ruth levels and we've got to stop letting our talent get away," Brown said. "I feel [that Leon County has] some of the best talent that is recruited by other colleges and junior colleges."