The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

NOW that he’s settled in his new role as the head coach, veteran quarter-miler Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown is trying to recruit as many Bahamians to Clayton State University to compete for the Laker track and field team.

Over the weekend, Brown was home along with Christina Hung, the senior international admissions coordinator at Clayton State University, for the 5th annual Education USA Bahamas Fall College Fair that was held at the Melia Nassau Beach.

Hung said Clayton State University in Morrow, Georgia, is trying to grow its international population and having Brown on board as their head coach, they feel they are heading in the right direction here in the Bahamas.

“We were there last year and we actually recruited a Bahamian athlete with Chris,” Hung said.

“So we came back this year to try to continue our growth and with Chris now as our head track and field coach, we feel we have a great opportunity to do that.”

During the trip, Hung said they got a lot of interest and they’re hoping that at the end of the school year in June, Clayton State University would be able to add to the list of Laker athletes to go along with St Augustine’s College graduate Sasha Knowles, who is now in her freshman year.

“Chris is coming along very fine. Our student-athletes really enjoy working with him,” Hung said. “I know our administration is also very pleased in adding him to the team this year.”

Brown, who is in the transition of the completion of his long and illustrious track career as a renowned quarter-miler, was hired on July 11 as the new head coach at Clayton State University.

“It was a great visit,” said Brown about returning home in a new capacity.

“I was happy to see the amount of interest from the student-athletes, who are willing to come over and to further their education.”

The native of Eleuthera, who graduated from RM Bailey Secondary High before he went on to excel for Norfolk State University, said he’s eager to prove his worth as a coach. “So far, I’ve been enjoying it,” Brown said. “You have a lot of paperwork, deadlines to meet and assignments to fulfill, but I’m basically in charge of everything, so I have to get the job done.

“I have a great support team in the Athletic Department, the athletic director has been very supportive and my assistant coaches have been very supportive. If I need anything, everybody has come together and supported me.”

Knowles, the younger sister of Glen Knowles, who is now attending Youngstown State (and children of Angelique and Glen Knowles), has already competed for the Laker, running a 5-kilometre race in 22 minutes and 48.90 seconds and a 6K in 27:17.60 during the current cross country season.

“She’s getting adjusted to it, but we are expecting her to do very well this year,” said Brown, of Knowles, a major in Biology, who is expected to run the 800m during the track season.

Talking about running, Brown reminded the public that he’s not quite done with his career. He intends to continue to train for his swan song at the 2020 Olympic Games in Toyko, Japan.

“It’s coming along very well,” he insisted. “My body is fully rested and I’m just looking for a race to compete in. But I’m just taking it one day at a time and allow myself to get back into the swing of things and just allow myself to be ready to go when the time comes.”

Having run on every men’s 4 x 400-metre relay that has won a medal on the international scene, Brown said his concentration will be on getting the Bahamas’ name back on the world stage in the event.

“I’m excited bout trying to get everybody back together so that we can give it another shot,” Brown said. “We just need to stay healthy and keep a positive mind, knowing that we’ve been there before and we can do it again once everybody stays in their lane and knows their role.”

And with the country claiming the world’s best quarter-miler this year in Stevie Gardiner, who won the IAAF World Championships 400m title in Doha, Qatar in September, Brown said he doesn’t see why they can’t accomplish that feat.

“You have a guy who won the world championship and he did it with a great time,” he pointed out. “In 2001, we had Avard Moncur who did it and he came back and was a part of our relay team that won a gold medal, so everyone has to play their part and know their role and we can back on the podium with a gold medal around our necks.”

Brown, 41, has run a lifetime best of 44.40 in the 400m and the Bahamian national record holder of the 800m in a time of 1:49.54 that he posted on August 17, 1998 in Maracaibo. Venezuela.

He has run on the men’s 1600m relay team that won the Olympic Games’ gold medal in 2012 in London, England, silver in Beijing, China in 2008 and bronze twice in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016 and Sydney, Australia in 2000.

Brown also competed on the relay team that won the World Championship title in 2001 in Edmonton, Canada, silver twice in Osaka, Japan in 2007 and Helsinki, Finland in 2005 bronze in St Denis, Paris, France.

While he hasn’t won an individual in any of the top two global events, Brown took the World indoor title in Doha, Qatar in 2010, silver twice in Portland, Oregon in 2016 and Sopot, Poland in 2014 and bronze three times in Istanbul, Turkey in 2012, Valencia, Spain in 2008 and Moskva, Russia in 2006.

Brown has also won a silver on the men’s 4 x 400m relay team at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014 and a bronze in Manchester, England in 2002.

And he has earned a medal of each color at the Central American and Caribbean Championships with gold on the men’s 4 x 400m relay team and a bronze in the one-lap race all in the Bahamas in 2005 with a silver in the 400m in St George’s, Grenada in 2003.