Bri Brown is currently the S&C coach for the University of Pittsburgh’s women’s basketball team. Prior to joining the Panthers, she served as the Director of High Performance for the Racing Louisville FC of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). While in Louisville, Brown was responsible for implementing and developing all aspects of individual player and team strength, conditioning, mobility, readiness, and recovery sessions, and she oversaw all aspects of team nutrition.
Brown spent three seasons as the Director of Women’s Soccer and Basketball Sports Performance at the University of Houston before making the move to professional soccer in 2021. While a member of the Cougars staff, she was responsible for implementing all aspects of strength, conditioning, and recovery for the women’s basketball and soccer teams. She also oversaw all aspects of professional development and education for the basketball sports performance staff.
Nate Huffstutter: Every institution has unique systems and processes in place—what have been some of the biggest adjustments you’ve had to make in coming to the University of Pittsburgh from Racing Louisville FC and the University of Houston? What advice can you offer young coaches about successfully transitioning into a new position?
Bri Brown: One of the biggest adjustments I’ve had to make in a positive way is having so many more resources and people on staff to collaborate with. Here at the University of Pittsburgh, we have a sports dietician fellow, athletic trainer, sports science assistant, physical therapy fellow, and me who are all only dedicated to women’s basketball.
I had to wear multiple hats in my previous roles, overseeing sports science, nutrition, return to play, and strength and conditioning. I sometimes felt I didn’t have enough time to do everything or had to sacrifice doing more in one area to make sure the whole picture was being taken of. But because we have a dedicated performance team, we all have more freedom to really hone our craft and operate at high levels across the board.