C. J. Brown

{{Infobox football biography

| name = C. J. Brown

| image = C. J. Brown.JPG

| image_size =

| caption = Brown in 2011

| fullname = Charles James Brown

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|6|15}}

| birth_place = Eugene, Oregon, U.S.

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}

| position = Center Back

| youthyears1 = 1993–1996

| youthclubs1 = San Jose State Spartans

| years1 = 1993

| years2 = 1995–1997

| years3 = 1998–2010

| clubs1 = Santa Cruz Surf{{cite news |author= |date=1993-07-30 |title=Pair of Surf players earn league honors |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/66385274/ |work=Santa Cruz Sentinel |location= |access-date=2021-09-09 }}

| clubs2 = San Francisco Bay Seals

| clubs3 = Chicago Fire

| caps1 = ?

| caps2 = 47

| caps3 = 296

| goals1 = ?

| goals2 = 0

| goals3 = 3

| totalcaps = 343

| totalgoals = 3

| nationalyears1 = 1998–2003

| nationalteam1 = United States

| nationalcaps1 = 15

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2011–2013

| manageryears2 = 2014

| manageryears3 = 2015

| manageryears4 = 2016–2018

| manageryears5 = 2018–2020

| manageryears6 = 2021

| manageryears7 = 2021–2022

| manageryears8 = 2022–2023

| managerclubs1 = Real Salt Lake (assistant)

| managerclubs2 = Chicago Fire (assistant)

| managerclubs3 = New York City (assistant)

| managerclubs4 = Orlando City (assistant)

| managerclubs5 = New York Red Bulls (assistant)

| managerclubs6 = Chicago House

| managerclubs7 = United States U23 (assistant)

| managerclubs8 = Chicago Fire (assistant)

| pcupdate = December 21, 2012

| ntupdate = January 18, 2010

}}

C. J. Brown (born June 15, 1975) is an American soccer coach and former player.

Early life

Brown was born Charles James Brown in Eugene, Oregon.{{cite web|work=Soccer Wire|url=https://www.soccerwire.com/notes/new-york-red-bulls-add-c-j-brown-to-mls-coaching-staff/|title=New York Red Bulls add C.J. Brown to MLS coaching staff|date=July 10, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190102235601/https://www.soccerwire.com/notes/new-york-red-bulls-add-c-j-brown-to-mls-coaching-staff/|archive-date=January 2, 2019|access-date=January 2, 2019|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=2024-10-06 |title=College GameDay is returning to Eugene for the Big Ten Ducks vs. Buckeyes game |url=https://autzenzoo.com/posts/college-gameday-is-returning-to-eugene-for-the-big-ten-ducks-vs-buckeyes-game-01j9fkhhzz5w |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Autzen Zoo |language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Thornton |first=Tweed |date=2011-01-18 |title=C.J. Brown hired to be new Assistant Coach at Real Salt Lake |url=https://www.hottimeinoldtown.com/2011/1/18/1941838/c-j-brown-hired-to-be-new-assistant-coach-at-real-salt-lake |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Hot Time In Old Town |language=en}} He is of African American descent.{{cite web|work=Vice Sports|url=https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/yp79yx/why-are-there-no-black-coaches-in-mls|title=Why Are There No Black Coaches in MLS?|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190102235452/https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/yp79yx/why-are-there-no-black-coaches-in-mls|archive-date=January 2, 2019|date=March 5, 2015|last=Kehoe|first=Robert}}

College career

Brown played college soccer at San Jose State University for four years. He finished with 11 points (5 goals and 1 assist) and was named a two-time All-Conference Player in 1995 and 1996. Out of college, Brown was ignored by MLS, and instead joined the USISL's San Francisco Bay Seals between 1995 and 1997.

For the first two years, Brown played as an amateur while the Bay Seals played in USISL Premier League and he was still playing at San Jose. In 1997, the Bay Seals played in the USISL D-3 Pro League and made an improbable run to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals in 1997. His performances made Major League Soccer clubs take notice.

Club career

Brown was drafted first overall in the 1998 MLS Supplemental Draft by Chicago. He immediately stepped into the Fire's starting lineup and continued there until his retirement at the end of the 2010 season.

In his ten years and beyond in the league, Brown has played in 249 regular season games, first in team history. He has also appeared in 32 playoff games, helping the Fire to the MLS Cup in 1998. Brown has scored four MLS goals in his career (three in the regular season and one in the playoffs). He won the U.S. Open Cup in 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006.

On October 21, 2010, Brown announced he would retire following the Fire's season finale two days later at Chivas USA{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/chicago/soccer/news/story?id=5710746 |title=Brown to Retire |date=October 21, 2010 |publisher=ESPNChicago.com |access-date=December 4, 2011}} which the team went on to win 4–1. Brown retired as the club's last remaining "Fire Original", and the all-time leader in competitive appearances (372), starts (364) and minutes (32,538). Brown sits behind only Jaime Moreno (415) and Cobi Jones (392) for most competitive appearances for one MLS team.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/2010/05/brown-350 |title=CJ 350 |publisher=Chicago-Fire.com |access-date=December 4, 2011}}

He also won the Chicago Fire/USSF Humanitarian of the Year from 2001 through 2003 for his efforts in his community.{{cite web| url = http://www.mlssoccer.com/player/cj-brown| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100425070516/http://www.mlssoccer.com/player/cj-brown| archive-date = 2010-04-25| title = C.J. Brown {{!}} Major League Soccer}}

On May 9, 2012, Brown was inducted into the Chicago Fire's Hall of Fame.{{cite web |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/05/09/brown-return-chicago-ring-fire-induction |title=Brown returns to Chicago for "Ring of Fire" induction |work=MLSsoccer.com |date=May 9, 2012 |access-date=December 1, 2014}}

International career

After emerging from soccer obscurity, Brown amassed 15 caps with the United States national team, his first coming on November 6, 1998, against Australia. He played in the US's third-place finish at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup, when he was involved in one of the biggest surprises for the U.S. during the tournament, playing 90 min. on July 2 vs. Germany, in the U.S.'s 2–0 win. He also appeared in two games for the U.S. in the 2000 Gold Cup, playing 18 min. as a second-half sub on February 16 vs. Peru – a 1–0 win – and on February 2, as the Americans downed Haiti 3–0, he also participated in the Olympic Festival in 1994 and 1995.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}}

Coaching career

On January 18, 2010, Brown was hired as an assistant head coach for Real Salt Lake.{{cite web |url=http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/2011/01/real-salt-lake-adds-cj-brown-coaching-staff |title=Real Salt Lake Adds C.J. Brown to Coaching Staff |work=realsaltlake.com |date=January 18, 2011 |access-date=December 1, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924085456/http://www.realsaltlake.com/news/2011/01/real-salt-lake-adds-cj-brown-coaching-staff |url-status=dead }} He would assume the vacancy left by Robin Fraser, who left the club to coach Chivas USA. On December 11, 2013, Brown was named assistant coach of the Chicago Fire, where he won an MLS Cup as a player in 1998. After almost a year he moved to expansion club New York City FC on December 1, 2014, rejoining Jason Kreis, who he had worked under at Real Salt Lake.{{cite web |url=http://www.nycfc.com/post/2014/12/01/new-york-city-fc-adds-cj-brown-coaching-staff |title=New York City FC Adds CJ Brown to Coaching Staff |work=nycfc.com |date=December 1, 2014 |access-date=December 1, 2014 }}

On November 2, 2015, New York City FC, disappointed with not making the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, announced they had parted ways with Head Coach Jason Kreis as well as Brown and assistant Miles Joseph after just one year of management and would be looking for a new head coach for the following season.{{cite news |url=http://www.nycfc.com/post/2015/11/02/jason-kreis-leaves-post-new-york-city-fc-head-coach |title=Jason Kreis leaves post as New York City FC Head Coach |date=November 2, 2015 |access-date=November 2, 2015 |work=nycfc.com }}

On July 10, 2018, the New York Red Bulls announced that Brown would be joining newly appointed head coach Chris Armas' staff as an assistant.{{cite news |url=https://www.newyorkredbulls.com/post/2018/07/10/new-york-red-bulls-add-cj-brown-coaching-staff|title=New York Red Bulls Add C.J. Brown to Coaching Staff|date=July 10, 2018|access-date=July 10, 2018|work=newyorkredbulls.com }}

On February 2, 2021, Brown was announced as the first technical director and head coach for Chicago House AC, a new professional soccer team in the National Independent Soccer Association.{{cite web |last1=Mikula |first1=Jeremy |title=Chicago Fire legend C.J. Brown is the 1st technical director and coach of the new Chicago NISA club |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/ct-chicago-nisa-cj-brown-20210202-aelmm6yfrze4nc5463sjasc6sm-story.html |website=chicagotribune.com |access-date=3 February 2021}} Later that year on March 11, Brown was announced as an assist coach for the United States men's national under-23 soccer team ahead of the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship.{{cite web |title=U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team Head Coach Jason Kreis Names Roster for Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2021/03/us-u23-mnt-head-coach-jason-kreis-names-roster-for--concacaf-mens-olympic-qualifying-championship |website=www.ussoccer.com |access-date=12 March 2021 |language=en}}

Brown rejoined the Fire on December 20, 2021, as a member of head coach Ezra Hendrickson's coaching staff.{{cite web |title=Chicago Fire FC Name Club Legend C.J. Brown Assistant Coach |url=https://www.chicagofirefc.com/news/chicago-fire-fc-name-club-legend-c-j-brown-assistant-coach |website=ChicagoFireFC.com |access-date=21 December 2021}} In January 2024 Brown left the Fire coaching staff for a new grassroots role with the club.{{Cite web |last=chicagofirefc |title=Head Coach Frank Klopas Names Coaching Staff for 2024 Season {{!}} Chicago Fire FC |url=https://www.chicagofirefc.com/news/head-coach-frank-klopas-names-coaching-staff-for-2024-season |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=chicagofirefc |language=en}}

Personal life

Brown married wife Kim on October 22, 2000, the day after winning the 2000 U.S. Open Cup Championship. The couple welcomed their first daughter, Canessa Brown on February 24, 2004. Their second daughter, Kali Brown was born exactly one year later, on February 24, 2005.

Career statistics

Statistics accurate as of January 5, 2014.{{cite web |url=http://www.chicago-fire.com/playerregistry |title=C.J. Brown |work=Chicago Fire |date=January 2, 2013 |publisher=Chicago-Fire.com |access-date= January 5, 2014}}

colspan=3 \| Club performance ! colspan=2 \| League ! colspan=2 \| Playoffs ! colspan=2 \| Open Cup ! colspan=2 \| Continental ! colspan=2 \| Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Season	Club	League ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals ! Apps	Goals
colspan=3 \| USA ! colspan=2 \| Regular Season ! colspan=2 \| Playoffs ! colspan=2 \| U.S. Open Cup ! colspan=2 \| CONCACAF/SuperLiga ! colspan=2 \| Total
1998	rowspan="13"\|Chicago Fire	rowspan="13"\|Major League Soccer	28	2	5	0	4	0	colspan="2"\|–	37	2
1999	26	0	3	0	0	0	3	0	32	0
2000	27	0	7	1	5	0	colspan="2"\|–	39	1
2001	22	0	6	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|–	31	0
2002	24	0	3	0	1	0	3	0	31	0
2003	21	0	0	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	22	0
2004	24	0	0	0	4	0	4	0	32	0
2005	20	0	3	0	2	1	colspan="2"\|–	25	1
2006	28	1	2	0	3	0	colspan="2"\|–	33	1
2007	29	0	3	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	33	0
2008	3	0	0	0	1	0	colspan="2"\|–	4	0
2009	18	0	3	0	0	0	4	0	25	0
2010	26	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	28	0
rowspan=1 \| Total ! colspan=2 \| USA !296\|\|3\|\|35\|\|1\|\|25\|\|1\|\|16\|\|0\|\|372\|\|5
colspan=3 \| Career total !296\|\|3\|\|35\|\|1\|\|25\|\|1\|\|16\|\|0\|\|372\|\|5