Barry Brown has been the head coach of Young Harris College’s men’s and women’s cross country teams since their inception in 2006. 

In just four seasons, he has led each of his teams to a NJCAA regional championship and twice won the region’s Coach of the Year award.

He wasted little time building the team into one of the top teams in the region, as both Mountain Lions teams claimed second place in the regional championships in that inaugural season in 2006.  That same year, Young Harris claimed the women’s individual regional champion and the individual runner-up in the men’s regional meet, and both runners participated in the NJCAA National Championship.

That was just an appetizer for the men’s team, which went on to claim the regional championship and a top-20 national ranking in 2007, netting Brown the region’s Coach of the Year award.  The women were the regional runners-up for the second consecutive season.

In 2008, the roles reversed, with the women’s squad claiming the regional crown and a top-20 national ranking, and the men finishing second at the regional championships.  Again, Brown was named the region’s Coach of the Year, this time on the women’s side.

In 2009, the women finished second and the men finished third at the regional championships.

A long-time competitive runner himself, Brown has made several appearances in both the Chicago and Boston Marathons.

A member of the tennis team as a student-athlete at NCAA Division I member Jacksonville State University, Brown was ranked in both the juniors and open divisions while growing up.  From the age of 10 he raced bicycles, progressing all the way to the professional level in that sport.

Brown is active in the community, helping sponsor and support local running groups.  He holds several 5K races on the Young Harris College trail every year.

He is also the co-owner of BRODI Screenprinting and Embroidery.

Brown is married to Kathy Insel Brown, who is the head coach of Young Harris’ women’s soccer team.  The couple has three sons: Jensen, Brayden and Leyton.