JOHNSON CITY, TENN. (Aug. 23) – The ETSU Bucs women’s basketball program hopes that the hiring of new head coach Brenda Mock Brown will help to usher in a new era for a program that has struggled in recent seasons.
ETSU Interim Athletic Director, Dr. Richard Sander, introduced new head coach Brenda Mock Brown with strong words about her character:
“She checks all the boxes. Her passion is to make every student-athlete the best they can be, which is right in line with our values. I have no doubt that she is going to turn this program around and get us back to where we belong– competing for and winning SoCon championships.”
Coach Mock will take over a program that has produced a 29-70 record since the 2018-19 season. The last time that the Bucs finished with a winning record was during the 2017-18 season, where the Bucs would go 20-13 on the year before falling to No. 1 seeded Mercer in the SoCon Championship game.
“I am beyond excited and honored to be the next head women’s basketball coach at East Tennessee State University,” Coach Brown said during her introductory press conference on Aug. 8.
With 18 years of coaching experience on her impressive resumé, Coach Mock’s history speaks for itself.
The new head coach spent her collegiate career playing for Wake Forest where she was a two-time captain for the Demon Deacons. In her career with the team, Mock was an “iron-woman,” playing in all 111 games and starting in 57 of those games.
Coach Mock started her coaching career with Georgia Tech as an assistant coach from 2002-2004. She would continue her coaching career during her time with Jacksonville and Charlotte before joining the Florida Gators for five seasons, again as an assistant coach.
After accepting a new position with UNC-Asheville in 2012, Coach Mock would spend eight seasons as the head coach for the Bulldogs and would build her legacy as one of the greatest coaches in program history. Under Coach Mock, the Bulldogs would have five winning seasons, matching the total of winning seasons in program history, as well as setting single-season records for wins and conference wins.
The new head coach has already made clear her expectations for the team and program.
“This program will have shared ownership among the staff, student-athletes and this community, and my intent is to continue to raise the bar as we compete for Southern Conference Championships. We will be relentlessly committed to excellence on and off the court, and work hard to create an environment where our student-athletes and coaches are improving daily and thriving in the process,” Coach Mock said during her introductory press conference.
