• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ankeny Fanatic

Your Ankeny Sports Resource

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • About
    • Support Us
  • News
    • Podcast
  • Forums
  • Hawks
    • Boys’ Basketball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Basketball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Wrestling
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Swimming
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Boys’ Bowling
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Bowling
      • Roster
      • Schedule
  • Jaguars
    • Boys’ Basketball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Girls’ Basketball
      • Roster
      • Schedule
    • Wrestling
      • Schedule

Ankeny’s Brown promoted to head men’s soccer coach at William Penn

April 4, 2020 by Dan Holm

Ankeny girls’ soccer coach Simon Brown has been named the head men’s soccer coach at William Penn University, where he had served as the associate head men’s and women’s coach for the last three years. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

Ankeny girls’ soccer coach Simon Brown has been promoted to head men’s soccer coach at William Penn University, where he had been the associate head men’s and women’s coach for the last three years.

Brown, who led the Hawkettes to the Class 3A state title in his first season last year, said he hopes to keep both coaching jobs for a long time.

“There’s always a lot of turnover, especially with assistants in the college game,” Brown said. “In the last 12 months alone I’ve turned down three different jobs, but this job keeps me in the area. My goal is to stay here for the long term and that keeps me at Ankeny, and hopefully they want me to stay. I’m still all in for the kids.”

William Penn Athletics Director Nik Rule announced Brown’s promotion earlier this week. Brown helped the men’s squad to a 39-18-2 record over the last three seasons, including its first-ever berth to the NAIA National Championship in 2019.

“We are really excited to have Simon as our next head men’s soccer coach,” Rule said. “He has worked extremely hard the last few years at the university and is uniquely prepared to continue to build on the success that the program has had recently. His vision and commitment to the big picture of what it means to be a student-athlete has been noticed during his time with the program. His ideas for enhancements in the future were well thought out and fit directly in line with our culture.”

Brown has also helped the women’s team to a 23-30-2 mark during his tenure at William Penn. He will serve as the interim women’s head coach until a new coach is hired.

“When the administration here decided to split the programs, it was a case of which team would be the best fit for myself,” Brown said. “I’m really looking forward to building on the success that the men’s team has had.”

Brown, a native of Dublin, Ireland, started his collegiate coaching career at Hastings College (Neb.), where for two years he served as a graduate assistant on the women’s team and a volunteer assistant on the men’s squad. While at Hastings, Brown helped the men’s team to the 2016 NAIA title.

Brown’s coaching background also includes a stint as a volunteer assistant at Ashford University, his alma mater. As a player, he captained the 2013 team that reached the NAIA national semifinals.

Ankeny coach Simon Brown reacts after being doused with Gatorade by his players following the Hawkettes’ victory over Waukee in the Class 3A championship game last season. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

Brown owns a USSF Coaching C license and NSCAA Goalkeeping Level 1 and 2 certificates. He is also a current Olympic Development Program Coach with Iowa Soccer.

Brown said he doesn’t anticipate making a lot of changes in the men’s program.

“The players will have to call me head coach Brown instead of assistant coach Simon,” he joked.

Brown alerted Ankeny Activities Director Andy Umthun before accepting the promotion at William Penn.

“I texted Andy and told him that he would probably see this on social media in the next couple of days,” Brown said. “I told him not to worry. I’m still all in for Ankeny, and I wanted him to know that.

“I really enjoy coaching at Ankeny, probably more than I thought I would when I signed on about 18 months ago,” he added.

Brown has been busy communicating with his Ankeny players for the last few weeks while the season has been put on hold due to the coronavirus. The Hawkettes were originally slated to open the season on Tuesday at Iowa City West.

“We’re still hoping we can salvage the season,” Brown said. “I’ve been posting workouts online, we’ve been having group chats, and we’re doing some Zoom meetings. It’s been tough on all of us. We just have to stick together.”

Filed Under: Girls' Soccer, Hawks Tagged With: Featured, Simon Brown

Primary Sidebar

Support Ankeny Fanatic

Recent Posts

  • Hawks defend their Dave Ewing Duals title on Jace Anderson’s win in OT
  • Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Jackie Pippett, Centennial girls’ basketball
  • ‘We’ve put ourselves in a great spot’: Ankeny girls remain in title chase
  • Lipsey leads Little Cyclones past Ankeny boys, into tie for 2nd place
  • Five Centennial players score in double figures as Jaguars top Mason City

Find Us on Facebook

Ankeny Fanatic

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017

Categories

  • Hawks
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
        • Roster
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Boys’ Bowling
      • Boys’ Swimming
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Bowling
      • Wrestling
  • Jaguars
    • Fall
      • Boys’ Cross Country
      • Boys’ Golf
      • Football
      • Girls’ Cross Country
      • Girls’ Swimming
      • Volleyball
    • Spring
      • Boys’ Soccer
      • Boys’ Tennis
      • Boys’ Track
      • Girls’ Golf
      • Girls’ Soccer
      • Girls’ Tennis
      • Girls’ Track
    • Summer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
    • Winter
      • Boys’ Basketball
      • Girls’ Basketball
      • Wrestling
  • Top Sports Stories
    • Football
    • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball

© 2021 Ankeny Fanatic. All rights reserved.