Rudy Brownell

Rudy Brownell

  • Title:
    Head Coach - 21st Season
  • Phone:
    419-448-3286
  • Email:
    rbrownel@tiffin.edu
  • Hometown:
    Columbus, Ohio

Alma Mater: Tiffin '96

Rudy Brownell enters his 17th season as the head coach of Tiffin University Men's Soccer team in 2023, where he has been the G-MAC Regular Season Champion twice, G-MAC Tournament Champion twice, GLIAC Regular Season Champion three times, GLIAC Tournament Champion 4 times, and has had 6 NCAA Regional Appearances in the last nine years. All 10 of those conference regular season and tournament titles have come in 10 of the last 14 seasons.

Tiffin went 10-4-4 in 2022, qualifying for the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament while also winning the G-MAC regular season championship. Tiffin also went 7-4 during their abbreviated 2020-21 season, which was played in the spring due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They reached the GMAC Tournament Championship game before falling to Ohio Valley 2-0. They picked up postseason wins against Cedarville and Findlay to advance to the title game, while also landing four athletes on the All GMAC squad.

During the 2019 campaign, Brownell's Dragons finished fourth in the GMAC regular-season standings but put things together in the postseason with wins over #4 Lake Erie and Cedarville to earn the 2019 GMAC Tournament Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament, where they reached the second round for the second-straight season. Three Dragons were named All-Conference by the GMAC, with two of those three also earning United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-Region honors.

In TU's first season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2018, Brownell led the Dragons to a 13-4 mark in the regular season and a 15-4-1 record overall after reaching the Second Round of NCAA Regionals. Tiffin was ranked as high as No. 12 in NCAA Division II during the season and finished at No. 18 in the final standings. Brownell's student-athletes received seven G-MAC Player of the Week honors, six G-MAC All-Conference honors, and two United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors. At the conclusion of the season, Brownell and his assistants were named the Division II Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.

Since taking over the program in 2007, Brownell has a 167-88-36 record. Brownell, who was also named an Assistant Athletic Director in January 2017, Associate Athletic Director in May 2022, and currently serves as co-interim Athletic Director, has led the Dragons to six NCAA Regional appearances in the last nine years while also winning championships in 10 of the last 14 seasons (2 GLIAC regular-season championships, four GLIAC Tournament Championships, 2 G-MAC Championships, 2 G-MAC Tournament Championship). Brownell was also named in August of 2023 to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer National Committee.

Brownell also holds an 84-39-16 career mark in seven seasons as Head Women's Coach at Tiffin. In 2008, the Dragons women's soccer program earned admission to the NCAA National Tournament after reaching a ranking of 4th in the Midwest Region.   
 
In 2004 the Lady Dragon program posted an 11-6-1 mark while finishing 2nd in the American Mideast Conference and making it to the Region IX final four. In his initial campaign, after losing nine seniors and starting nine new players, he led the 2003 Dragons women's soccer program to an 8-6-6 record, a 3rd place finish in the American Mideast Conference and also finished Runner-up in the Region IX Tournament.
 

Brownell earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Tiffin University and also obtained a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Tiffin University. He competed as a defender for the Dragons from 1992-1995. Brownell also helped the Dragons capture the 1992 & 1995 AMC titles. Tiffin posted a 65-24-3 record during his career. The 1992 team also made it to the NAIA National Tournament.
 
After graduation, Brownell played professionally for the Cleveland White Caps of the USISL in 1998. He was also an assistant coach for the women's and men's soccer programs. He helped the women's soccer program to four American Mideast Conference Championship crowns and to an 84-33-4 overall record. The Dragons went 45-2-1 in the AMC. The team was also ranked nationally from 1998-2000. The women's team advanced to the region final four and also made it to the national tournament in 2000 and 2002. As the assistant coach for the men's soccer program, he helped the team win the American Mideast Conference title in 1999, and take second place in 1996 and 2004. From 1996 to 2004 the team also posted a 116-62-13 overall record and made it to the region Final Four two out of the last three years.

He, his wife Brittany, daughter Leah Mary J, and son Leo Mickey reside in Tiffin.

 

The Brownell File
  School Record Pct. Conf. Post Season
2003 Tiffin (Women) 8-6-6 .550   NAIA Reg. Finalist
2004 Tiffin (Women) 11-6-1 .639    
2005 Tiffin (Women) 13-5-2 .700 AMC Champs NAIA Reg. Finalist
2006 Tiffin (Women) 17-4-2 .783 Region IX Champs NAIA Sweet 16
2007 Tiffin (Men) 10-6-1 .618    
2007 Tiffin (Women) 11-6-1 .639    
2008 Tiffin (Men) 13-6 .684 GLIAC Tournament Champs  
2008 Tiffin (Women) 13-5-2 .700   NCAA Tournament
2009 Tiffin (Men) 15-4-1 .775 GLIAC Tournament Champs  
2009 Tiffin (Women) 11-7-2 .600    
2010 Tiffin (Men) 11-6-1 .639    
2011 Tiffin (Men) 10-5-4 .632 GLIAC Tournament Champs  
2012 Tiffin (Men) 5-9-2 .375    
2013 Tiffin (Men) 11-3-4 .785 GLIAC Co-Regular Season Champs NCAA Regionals
2014 Tiffin (Men) 12-5-1 .705 GLIAC Regular Season Champs NCAA Regionals
2015 Tiffin (Men) 9-7-3 .563    
2016 Tiffin (Men) 14-5-2 .736 GLIAC Tournament Champs NCAA Regionals
2017 Tiffin (Men) 8-7-3 .533    
2018 Tiffin (Men) 15-4-1 .789 G-MAC Regular Season & Tournament Champs NCAA Regionals
2019 Tiffin (Men) 11-5-5 .642 GMAC Tournament Champs NCAA Regionals
2020 Tiffin (Men) 7-4 .636    
2021 Tiffin (Men) 6-8-4 .312    
2022 Tiffin (Men) 10-4-4 .714 G-MAC Regular Season champs NCAA Regionals
  Men Total 167-88-36 .654    
  Women Total 84-39-16 .662    
  TOTAL 251-127-52 .664    

 

Coaching Honors:

United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year 2018
Independents Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year 2007
Finalist-NAIA Coach of the Year 2006
NAIA Region IX Coach of the Year 2006