USF Women’s Soccer Head Coach Chris Brown Announces He Will Step Down Following the Conclusion of the 2026 Season
October 16, 2026 | Women's Soccer
TAMPA (OCT. 16, 2026) – University of South Florida Women's Soccer Head Coach Chris Brown has announced he will step down from his role following the conclusion of the Bulls' 2026 season to devote more time to family commitments.
Named the third head coach in program history on Nov. 28, 2023, Brown is in his third season leading the Bulls and 20th year with the program. He has been an integral part of the women's soccer program since 2007, previously serving as an associate head coach for 17 seasons before being elevated to head coach.
"For the past 20 years, Chris has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of South Florida women's soccer, recruiting and developing hundreds of student-athletes and providing an exceptional experience that has prepared them for success both on and off the field," CEO of South Florida Athletics Rob Higgins said. "His leadership helped elevate our program to national prominence, highlighted by six conference championships and eight NCAA Tournament appearances. We are grateful for Chris's lasting contributions to South Florida and the impact he has made on our student-athletes and our program. We thank him for his dedicated service and wish Chris and his family all the best in this next chapter."
Brown was instrumental in one of the most successful eras in South Florida women's soccer history, helping guide the Bulls to a 184-97-43 record during his 17 seasons as associate head coach. During that span, South Florida captured three American Conference regular-season championships and three conference tournament titles while making eight NCAA Tournament appearances. Brown helped lead the Bulls to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010 and a program-record 16 wins and its deepest NCAA Tournament run, reaching the third round, in 2019.
As head coach, Brown has compiled a 23-17-11 record, including a 12-2-5 mark in his debut season, the best first-year record by a head coach in program history. Under his leadership, the Bulls earned American Conference Midfielder of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
Throughout his tenure, Brown helped develop some of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, including Evelyne Viens, the program's first All-American and USF Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. Viens earned three All-America honors and went on to win an Olympic gold medal with the Canadian National Team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Goalkeeper Sydney Martinez earned All-America recognition in 2020, while forward Sydny Nasello earned the honor in 2020 and 2021. In total, Bulls student-athletes earned 10 American Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year honors during Brown's tenure. Georgia Brown also made program history by earning College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America First Team honors in 2023 and 2024.
"The University of South Florida has been an incredible home for my family and me over the past 20 years, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to lead the women's soccer program," Brown said. "This was a very difficult decision, as this program and the people in it mean so much to me. However, my family has always been my first priority, and the increasing time and attention required by my family commitments made it clear that I needed to make this decision. Our student-athletes deserve my full commitment and attention, and I believe this is the right decision for my family and for the program.
"I'm incredibly proud of what we've built together and of all that our players have accomplished, both on and off the field. It has been a privilege to be part of their journeys and to watch them grow and succeed. As I reflect on the past two decades, I do so with tremendous gratitude for the university, our players and staff, and the support of my family. I will always cherish the memories, relationships and accomplishments that have made my time at South Florida so special.
"We still have everything to play for this season, and our attention and preparation throughout the rest of conference play will reflect that urgency. Every ounce of our energy is directed toward our next opponent and securing the result we need to keep our goals alive."
South Florida has four regular-season matches remaining, including two home contests against Rice on Thursday, Oct. 22, and UAB on Friday, Oct. 30. The American Conference Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 8-14 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Follow South Florida Athletics
For the latest updates from USF Athletics, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow USF Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Get Your Tickets Today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit s
About South Florida Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, including the recent additions of women's lacrosse and women's beach volleyball. The Bulls' athletic program, founded in 1965, competed in its 60thseason in 2025-26.
Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Athletics District on the east end of USF's Tampa campus. The Bulls have won 160 conference titles across 18 sports, with 85 men's championships and 75 women's championships. Men's tennis and men's soccer lead with 20 titles each, while women's programs have been headlined by women's tennis (14) and volleyball (13). Since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, USF has secured 42 conference team titles.
Academically, USF student-athletes have achieved a program record of 23 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or better as of spring 2026. Since 2015, more than 900 Bulls have earned their degrees.
Named the third head coach in program history on Nov. 28, 2023, Brown is in his third season leading the Bulls and 20th year with the program. He has been an integral part of the women's soccer program since 2007, previously serving as an associate head coach for 17 seasons before being elevated to head coach.
"For the past 20 years, Chris has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of South Florida women's soccer, recruiting and developing hundreds of student-athletes and providing an exceptional experience that has prepared them for success both on and off the field," CEO of South Florida Athletics Rob Higgins said. "His leadership helped elevate our program to national prominence, highlighted by six conference championships and eight NCAA Tournament appearances. We are grateful for Chris's lasting contributions to South Florida and the impact he has made on our student-athletes and our program. We thank him for his dedicated service and wish Chris and his family all the best in this next chapter."
Brown was instrumental in one of the most successful eras in South Florida women's soccer history, helping guide the Bulls to a 184-97-43 record during his 17 seasons as associate head coach. During that span, South Florida captured three American Conference regular-season championships and three conference tournament titles while making eight NCAA Tournament appearances. Brown helped lead the Bulls to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2010 and a program-record 16 wins and its deepest NCAA Tournament run, reaching the third round, in 2019.As head coach, Brown has compiled a 23-17-11 record, including a 12-2-5 mark in his debut season, the best first-year record by a head coach in program history. Under his leadership, the Bulls earned American Conference Midfielder of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year honors.
Throughout his tenure, Brown helped develop some of the most accomplished student-athletes in program history, including Evelyne Viens, the program's first All-American and USF Athletics Hall of Fame inductee. Viens earned three All-America honors and went on to win an Olympic gold medal with the Canadian National Team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Goalkeeper Sydney Martinez earned All-America recognition in 2020, while forward Sydny Nasello earned the honor in 2020 and 2021. In total, Bulls student-athletes earned 10 American Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year honors during Brown's tenure. Georgia Brown also made program history by earning College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America First Team honors in 2023 and 2024.
"The University of South Florida has been an incredible home for my family and me over the past 20 years, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to lead the women's soccer program," Brown said. "This was a very difficult decision, as this program and the people in it mean so much to me. However, my family has always been my first priority, and the increasing time and attention required by my family commitments made it clear that I needed to make this decision. Our student-athletes deserve my full commitment and attention, and I believe this is the right decision for my family and for the program.
"I'm incredibly proud of what we've built together and of all that our players have accomplished, both on and off the field. It has been a privilege to be part of their journeys and to watch them grow and succeed. As I reflect on the past two decades, I do so with tremendous gratitude for the university, our players and staff, and the support of my family. I will always cherish the memories, relationships and accomplishments that have made my time at South Florida so special.
"We still have everything to play for this season, and our attention and preparation throughout the rest of conference play will reflect that urgency. Every ounce of our energy is directed toward our next opponent and securing the result we need to keep our goals alive."
South Florida has four regular-season matches remaining, including two home contests against Rice on Thursday, Oct. 22, and UAB on Friday, Oct. 30. The American Conference Tournament is scheduled for Nov. 8-14 in Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
Follow South Florida Athletics
For the latest updates from USF Athletics, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow USF Athletics on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
Get Your Tickets Today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit s
About South Florida Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 21 varsity teams, with 20 competing at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, including the recent additions of women's lacrosse and women's beach volleyball. The Bulls' athletic program, founded in 1965, competed in its 60thseason in 2025-26.
Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the Tampa General Athletics District on the east end of USF's Tampa campus. The Bulls have won 160 conference titles across 18 sports, with 85 men's championships and 75 women's championships. Men's tennis and men's soccer lead with 20 titles each, while women's programs have been headlined by women's tennis (14) and volleyball (13). Since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, USF has secured 42 conference team titles.
Academically, USF student-athletes have achieved a program record of 23 consecutive semesters with a combined GPA of 3.0 or better as of spring 2026. Since 2015, more than 900 Bulls have earned their degrees.
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