Charles Brown, now in his 22^nd season as head coach of the NJCU men’s basketball team, will be presented with the “Coaching Legends Award” and will be inducted into the New Jersey Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame at the 68^th anniversary NJSWA banquet on Sunday, January 25, 2004.

The event will take place from 11:30 am until 2 pm at the Pines Manor on Route 27 in Edison, NJ.

“It’s extremely special to me to be recognized like this, and when I look at the list of people being honored at the banquet, it’s really the who’s who of sports in New Jersey,” said Brown. “Of course, anytime I’ve been honored, it’s special to me. Over the years, I’ve put a lot of time in as coach at a job that I love, and to be rewarded for it, when it’s something you enjoy so much, I don’t think there’s anything more you can ask as a coach.”

With a career mark of 411-183 as of Christmas 2003, Brown is the winningest coach in Gothic Knight history by nearly 300 wins in a category that includes Hall of Fame coaches Larry Schiner, Ollie Gelston and Paul Weinstein.  

On February 1, 2003, he became only the second coach in the history of the New Jersey Athletic Conference to achieve 400 wins, and is second in league history only to his collegiate coach, Ollie Gelston who won 429 games at then-Jersey City State and Montclair State from 1959-1991. He is currently one of only 25 active Division III coaches, and 42 ever in Division III to win 400 games.

In his first 21 seasons at his alma mater, Brown has averaged more than 19 wins per season, winning 20 or more on six occasions. He has never had a losing season and has never missed the post-season. Brown has guided 10 teams to the NCAA Division III Tournament (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999), and reached the Division III Final Four in 1986 and 1992. When not in the NCAA’s, his clubs have still reached the ECAC Metro New York/New Jersey tournament on 11 occasions, winning  four championships (1983, 1993, 1994, 2001).

Brown owns an amazing 270-107 record in NJAC play, for a .714 winning percentage in arguably the most difficult basketball conference in Division III. The 270 wins are an all-time NJAC record.  He has guided his program to the NJAC tournament in 16 of 21 seasons, winning the league’s title in 1986, 1990, 1992, and 1995. No NJAC institution has won more conference titles than NJCU.