Alma Mater: Ramapo College ’11 (Master's in Sports Business, NYU '22)
Seasons as Head Coach: 8 (including 2025-26)
Record at NYU: 162-51 (.760)
Postseason Appearances: 6 (4 NCAA, 2 ECAC)
NCAA Tournament: 3 (2021 (Regional Finalist), 2022 (Final Four), 2023 (Final Four), 2024 (Second Round)
UAA Championships: 2 (2021, 2023)
ECAC Championships: 2 (2018, 2019)
Coach of the Year: 3 (AVCA Region 4 Coach of the Year 2022, UAA Coaching Staff of the Year 2022 honors, Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Coach of the Year 2022)
Andrew Brown was hired as head coach of the New York University women’s volleyball team in January 2018. His teams have posted a 162-51 (.760) winning percentage and have made postseason appearances each season.
The Violets again advanced to the postseason in 2024, securing an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and advancing to the second round. The squad opened the season with five straight wins en route to an overall 22-13 record. The season ended with a 3-1 loss to MIT after a 3-1 win over William Smith College in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Individually, several players thrived under Brown’s tutelage. Grace Nelson, Taylor Odum and Yooni Park were all named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-American, while freshman Chloe Hines was selected University Athletic Association (UAA) Rookie of the Year. Nelson was also a First Team All-UAA honoree.
Off the court, a total of 14 players received UAA All-Academic recognition, while four earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District designation. As a group, the Violets earned the AVCA Team Academic Award and Team Academic Honor Roll.
The 2023 season was yet again another successful campaign for Brown and the Violets, as NYU posted an overall 33-5 record, advanced to the NCAA Division III Final Four for the second year in a row and won the UAA Championship. The Violets posted a 17-match win streak before falling to Juanita College in the Final Four.
The Violets, who finished the season ranked #4 by AVCA, led NCAA Division III in total blocks (341), was second in blocks per set (2.62), sixth in kills (1,655), seventh in assists (1,538), 10th in services aces (325), and 11th in hitting percentage (0.248).
Individually, three Violets earned AVCA All-America honors. Haley Holz and Lindsey Hirano earned First Team accolades while Nelson was selected Second Team. The UAA also honored the trio: Hirano (First Team), Holz (Second Team), and Nelson (Second Team and Rookie of the Year).
Five Violets (Hirano, Holz, Nelson, Ava Launsbach, Camille Nazor) were selected AVCA All-Region District 4, with Holz being named Player of the Year, Nelson tabbed as Freshman of the Year, and Brown earning Coach of the Year honors.
The Violets’ success continued into the classroom as 15 team members received UAA All-Academic honors, while Holz and Hirano were named CSC Academic All-Americans.
.
The 2022 season was monumental for Brown as the Violets posted a 29-7 record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Final Four for the first time since 2004. NYU won three matches before falling to Trinity University (TX) in the Final Four.
Brown captured his 100th win as the Violets’ head coach against Montclair State University on October 5, 2022.
The Violets were ranked #4 in the final poll of the season released by AVCA. Brown was named AVCA Region 4 Coach of the Year, while AVCA All-American honors were awarded to three Violets: Holz (First Team), Hirano (Second Team) and Leela Anvekar (Third Team). Holz and Hirano were also named All-UAA First Team, while Anvekar and Gabriella Spaethling were named Second Team.
As a team, the Violets finished second in NCAA Division III in total assists (1,629), third in total kills (1,759), sixth in total attacks (4,838), 10th in total blocks (251.0), 15th in total digs (2,179), and 16th in hitting percentage (.237).
The success didn’t stop on the court as 14 team members received UAA All-Academic honors, Holz was named CSC Academic All-American Second Team and the Violets were recognized as USMC/AVCA Team Academic - Honor Roll.
The 2021 season was one of the most outstanding in team annals, as the Violets went 28-2, won their first-ever UAA Championship, earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, and advanced to the Hoboken Regional final.
The campaign, which ended with a #11 national ranking from AVCA, saw Brown and his student-athletes receive numerous awards. NYU earned UAA Coaching Staff of the Year honors and Brown was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Coach of the Year. Abby Ausmus was selected UAA Most Valuable Player, Holz and Spaethling received First Team All-UAA accolades, while Hirano was selected ECAC Division III Rookie of the Year and UAA Freshman of the Year. Ausmus and Holz both received All-ECAC honors, while AVCA All-American accolades were also bestowed upon the foursome: Ausmus (First Team), Holz (Second Team), Spaethling and Hirano (Honorable Mention).
As a team, the Violets finished 5th in NCAA Division III in winning percentage (.933) and hitting percentage (.272), 11th in blocks per set (2.22), 12th in assists per set (12.53), 14th in total blocks (231), and 20th in kills per set (13.3) and opponent hitting percentage (.102).
The Violets were also successful off the court in ’21-22, as 13 team members earned UAA All-Academic honors and both Lauren Robinson and Jessie Tsang received the prestigious Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award. NYU made the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award Honor Roll, achieved by the top 20% of team GPA’s in Division III.
Brown’s first two seasons at NYU resulted in back-to-back ECAC Division III Tournament Championships.
NYU did not compete during the 2020-21 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, 10 team members earned UAA All-Academic honors and the Violets received the AVCA All-Academic Team Award (Honor Roll).
In 2019, Brown guided the Violets to a 28-8 record, the team’s most victories since 2013. The team’s success included another ECAC Championship, as well as titles at the Kean Invitational and New York Region Challenge as NYU led all of NCAA Division III with 2.57 blocks per set.
Individually, several NYU players were recognized for their on-court accomplishments in 2019. Holz was selected AVCA All-New York Region Freshman of the Year and All-AVCA Honorable Mention. Ausmus was named AVCA All-New York Region and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention, while both received All-UAA Honorable Mention and ECAC All-Tournament honors. Nicole Dao was selected ECAC Championship Most Valuable Player, while both Jacqueline Kupeli and Gretchen Kincade received All-UAA Honorable Mention.
The Violets were also celebrated for their classroom work that season, receiving the USMC/AVCA Team Academic Award while 10 student-athletes earned UAA All-Academic accolades.
In his first season, Brown led the Violets to a 22-16 overall record. NYU earned a postseason berth and won all four matches en route to capturing the ECAC Championship.
Many of Brown’s players earned accolades in 2018. Ausmus was selected ECAC Rookie of the Month (October), ECAC Championship Most Valuable Player and Second Team All-UAA. Ausmus, along with Kupeli and Maddie DeJong, were also named to the ECAC Championship All-Tournament Team while Nazzarine Waldon was selected Honorable Mention All-UAA. Kincade was selected the Knights Invitational Most Valuable Player, while Waldon was named to the NY Region Challenge All-Tournament Team.
Brown’s student-athletes also fared well off the court as nine earned UAA All-Academic honors. The squad also received the AVCA Team Academic Award.
Prior to arriving at NYU, Brown served as the women’s head coach at Union College, where his teams produced a 66-38 record and posted second- and third-place finishes in the Liberty League. During that span, two of his players earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-America accolades.
Brown also served as the women’s head coach at NCAA Division I Saint Peter’s University from 2012-15, guiding the
Peacocks to a top-10 team grade-point average in all of Division I women's volleyball.
A 2011 graduate of Ramapo College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts, Brown was an outside hitter for the Roadrunners’ volleyball team for two seasons. As a senior, he finished with 196 kills as Ramapo earned its sixth-straight berth in the North East Collegiate Volleyball Association (NECVA) Conference Tournament and made an appearance in the ECAC Metro Championship.
Brown also served as an assistant coach for the men's volleyball team at his alma mater for three seasons (2012-15). He helped guide the squads to three straight Skyline Conference tournaments and back-to-back finals appearances in 2014 and 2015.
He went on to earn a Master's in Sports Business from NYU in 2022.
Brown’s other coaching stints include Head USA Women’s Volleyball Coach at the Maccabiah Games in Israel (Summer 2017) and Varsity Boy’s and Girl’s Head Coach at Montclair High School (2010-15).
A native of Montclair, NJ, and a Brooklyn resident, Brown has also held various positions at numerous volleyball camps.
BROWN'S YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD
NYU
| Year |
Overall |
UAA |
| 2018 |
22-16 |
2-5 |
| 2019 |
28-8 |
3-4 |
| 2020* |
----- |
----- |
| 2021 |
28-2 |
6-1 |
| 2022 |
29-7 |
6-1 |
| 2023 |
33-5 |
5-2 |
| 2024 |
22-13 |
4-6 |
| TOTALS |
162-51 (.760) |
26-19 (.577) |
Union College
| Year |
Overall |
Liberty League |
| 2015 |
29-6 |
9-3 |
| 2016 |
25-11 |
9-4 |
| 2017 |
12-21 |
1-6 |
| TOTALS |
66-38 |
19-13 |
Overall Record: 228-89 (.719)
* Season canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
