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It is not very often one can say they spent most of their working career at their alma matter. University of Illinois Sports Information Director Kent Brown can.
Brown, who will receive his 25 year award from CoSIDA at the 2014 Workshop in Orlando in June, graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Journalism degree in 1987. He completed his Masters in Sports Administration two years later then joined the University of Illinois as Assistant Sports Information Director in 1989.
Brown served as Assistant Sports Information Director for the Fighting Illini until 1996. As an Illinois assistant, Kent was the primary contact for men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's golf, men's and women's track & field and cross country, and also served as secondary contact for football.
Brown left Illinois in 1996, accepting the Sports Information Director position at Kansas State University where he spent four years
from 1996-2000, helping the Wildcats begin their tenure in the newly formed Big 12 Conference. While at KSU he served as primary contact for the football program that played in four-consecutive bowl games, including the 1997 Fiesta Bowl. Brown returned to Illinois in 2000, becoming Assistant Athletic Director in charge of Media Relations until 2013. He was the primary contact for football and men’s basketball and promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations last year.
Brown has been active in CoSIDA. He served on the CoSIDA Scholarship Committee every year since joining the organization in 1989. He has attended 13 workshops and served as Board Liaison for the former Allied Organizations Committee. From 2010 to 2013 Kent was on the CoSIDA Board of Directors.
During his career, Kent worked with football teams that have played in 14 bowl games, including the 1997 Fiesta Bowl, 2002 Sugar Bowl and 2008 Rose Bowl, and with men’s basketball teams that advanced to 18 NCAA Tournaments, including Final Four appearances in 1989 and 2005. While at Kansas State, he helped publicize 13 national football award finalists, including the 1998 Davey O’Brien Award winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up (Michael Bishop).
At Illinois, Brown led publicity efforts in men’s basketball for one National Player of the Year (Dee Brown), three Big Ten Players of the Year (Frank Williams, Brian Cook and Dee Brown) and four consensus All-Americans (Dee Brown-twice, Luther Head and Deron Williams). He has worked with an incredible list of coaches that includes Lou Henson, Lon Kruger, Bill Self, Bruce Weber, John Groce, John Mackovic, Bill Snyder, Ron Turner, Ron Zook and Tim Beckman.
Brown’s wife Robin died of breast cancer in 2004. His daughter, Nicholle (19) is a freshman at Illinois while his son, Ty (15) is a sophomore at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. He also has a younger daughter, Cameron (5). Despite his hectice and busy schedule, Kent coached his son’s basketball and baseball teams at various levels.
Kent is extremely grateful to CoSIDA for having assisted in college funding for Nicholle and Ty after his wife passed away.