George Mason baseball coach Bill Brown has stepped down after serving 41 years as the Patriots head coach.
Associate Head Coach Shawn Camp will serve as the program’s interim head coach.
Brown concludes his impressive George Mason career as one of collegiate baseball’s elite head coaches. He finished his 41st season at the helm of the George Mason baseball program, posting a 1,083-1,056-7 overall record. Overall, Brown’s association with the Mason program as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach total a remarkable 45 years.
“We are sincerely grateful for Billy’s unwavering commitment and passion to our Mason baseball program,” said Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Brad Edwards. “Billy is an iconic figure in collegiate baseball. He has built a strong foundation for Mason baseball and cultivated its success over the past four decades. Billy is part of the fabric of Mason baseball, beginning as a student-athlete before transitioning to an impressive career as a head coach for the past 41 years. He has mentored and empowered countless student-athletes who have benefited from his leadership and his knowledge of the game. We recognize and honor the impactful legacy he will leave as an outstanding ambassador for Mason baseball and our university community.”
“It has been a pleasure and an honor to have been the Head Baseball Coach at George Mason University the past 41 years,” Brown said. “It is impossible to recognize everyone who has been instrumental in allowing me to enjoy such a long career, but I need to say a heartfelt thank you to all of my assistant coaches and players over the years as well as all of the support staff within the department. None of this would have been remotely possible without every single one of you. Thanks also to all of the fans and supporters who have cheered us on over the years and invested their time, energy and money in the baseball program. I will always cherish my years at Mason, I look forward to the future and I am excited to support the program and department in the years ahead.”
Brown was the third coach in program history when he took over the program at the age of 24 when Walt Masterson retired in 1981. The 2022 season marked his 45th overall of being involved with the Patriots.
There have been only 22 head coaches in the history of Division I baseball who have coached for 40 or more years. Among active head coaches, Brown was one of only three with four decades or more of experience as a skipper.
Brown was honored as Colonial Athletic Conference Coach of the Year six times and guided the Patriots to two CAA titles, while finishing second three other times. He has been a member of three conferences during his tenure, the ECAC, CAA and Atlantic 10.
In 2014, the Patriots joined the Atlantic 10 Conference. Brown continued the success that he had as one of the most decorated coaches in CAA history.
The Patriots won the conference tournament title in their inaugural season in the league and advanced to the Houston Regional. Brown has led Mason to the NCAA Tournament in 1985, 1988, 1992, 1993, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
Hundreds of players have benefited from the knowledge that Brown has been able to pass along over the years. Since Brown has been the head coach of the Patriots, 68 players have signed professional contracts after playing at Mason, with 47 players drafted and 21 players signed as free agents. A record of six players were drafted off the 2009 team.
Six of Brown’s players have gone on to play in Major League Baseball. Justin Bour, Shawn Camp, Mike Colangelo, Mike Draper, Chris O’Grady and Chris Widger made it to the Major Leagues.
Brown has also seen former players make their mark in management in Major League Baseball.
Former Mason infielder Dayton Moore was named the general manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2006, and he was joined by fellow Patriots J.J. Picollo (Assistant General Manager), Lonnie Goldberg (Director of Scouting) and Ken Munoz (regional scout). The Royals won the World Series in 2015.
Since joining the A-10, another 10 Mason players have turned professional after playing for Brown, including catcher Logan Driscoll, who became the highest draft pick in program history when he was selected by the San Diego Padres in the second round with the 73rd overall selection in the 2019 MLB Draft.
In 2018, Brown led Mason to a second-place finish with a 16-8 mark in A-10 play, equaling the program record for wins against the conference.
Twice in the last 14 years, a Mason player has been in line for the Johnny Bench Award as the best collegiate catcher. Chris Henderson was a finalist in 2009 and Driscoll was a semifinalist for the award in 2019.
Brown will leave a legacy of always passing along his love and knowledge of the game, working with the community and local baseball organizations, summer camps and coaching clinics, and promoting baseball throughout the Northern Virginia community.
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