Coach Jay Brown started his coaching career as a student assistant in 1985 under his high school coach, the legendary Bill Burgess, at Jacksonville State University. From student assistant, he moved right up the ranks to graduate assistant to assistant coach and then to recruiting coordinator. Coach Brown spent 11 years at Jacksonville State as an assistant coach under Coach Burgess. He coached Defensive Line, Linebackers, and Defensive Ends during a period of tremendous success for the Gamecocks.
In 1996, Coach Brown accepted the Head Football job at Guntersville High School where he spent the next 3 years. His teams went to the playoffs 2 of 3 years, and he was also Area 14 Coach of the Year 2 of those 3 years.
In 1999, Coach Brown went to McAdory High School and spent three years as the Defensive Coordinator. His defense was unbelievable!
In 2002, Coach Brown accepted the head football coaching job at Pell City. In the eight years prior to his arrival, Pell City’s record was 16 – 64, an average of only 2 wins per year. They had no winning seasons and no playoff appearances. Over the next nine years, Coach Jay Brown went 57-42, the second winningest coach in school history, had an undefeated season, and five playoff appearances. During his time at Pell City, he also coached in the 2009 Alabama-Mississippi All Star Game and was the Head Coach in 2004 in the North/South All Star game.
In 2012, Coach Brown accepted the head coaching job at Moody. He had a winning season for 4 years in a row for the first time in school history. While at Moody, Coach Brown earned his 100th career win, was inducted into the St. Clair County Sports Hall of Fame and became the winningest coach in the history of St. Clair County.
Coach Jay Brown had an awesome career coaching, but he is much more than Xs and Os. Steve Smith, Head Coach at Piedmont, said about Coach Brown, “his word was the truth; Jay Brown has been an encourager to all coaches and athletes. In his 33 years, can you imagine the coaches that he has mentored – 13 former assistant coaches have left to become head coaches at other schools.” Coach Brown is also proud to have the honor of playing for three Hall of Fame coaches: Bill Burgess, Larry Davidson, and Jim Hubbert. These are the things that make Coach Jay Brown most proud. His family – his wife Debbie, son Wesley, and daughter Molly – also make him very proud.
Coach Brown was a valued board member of ALFCA since 2005. ALFCA board member Steve Smith said, “When I think of what makes a lifetime impression on student/athletes and what makes one worthy of a lifetime achievement award, the words that most often come to mind are character, honesty, and integrity. You cannot find a person in our profession who will ever question Coach Jay Brown in those 3 areas. To me, that is what makes a man.”