John Brown, two time high school WV State Champion wrestler under the tutelage of Coach Bobby Stover, has been named the AAU National Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2013. After being named the Coach of the Year in Ohio’s competitive Capital Conference 10 times, Brown was awarded Coach of the Year in their central district in 2006. That same year the Ohio State Division I Committee named him their State Coach of the Year. Now with Coach Brown’s recognition at the national level, he receives the AAU National Wrestling Coach award.
John Brown has experienced unprecedented success in high school wrestling and this success has been met in a top competitive area of the United States. In fact the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Iowa lead the world in competitive wrestling. The Columbus, OH area, where Coach Brown has enjoyed his coaching success, holds the honor of sustained superior wrestling competition for many decades.
Coach Brown’s 26 year success with his teams – first at Toledo Central Catholic and for the past 19 years at Ohio’s Mount Vernon High School – establishes him well deserving of this national award. His teams boast 11 conference titles, 45 state qualifiers, 12 state placers, with 5 state finalists. In addition Coach Brown has directed Team Ohio (a team that consists of Ohio high school wrestlers that represents the state at the National Junior Olympics) since 1997. His team has won the Junior Olympic National Tournament twice and finished runner-up five times.
Coach Brown’s wrestlers have gone on to enjoy success beyond high school. One of his graduates went on to become a NCAA National Champion. His students have competed in the Olympic trials and a female graduate won three Women’s National Wrestling titles.
John Brown graduated from Clay High in 1981 after wrestling all four high school years under the excellent training of Coach Bobby Stover. Stover was himself honored with a “Lifetime Service to Wrestling” award by the national Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. Brown attributes much of his success to Coach Stover who coached Brown to a Junior High WV State Wrestling Championship during Brown’s first year as a freshman in 1978, and Brown continued his high school success by winning the High School WV State Wrestling Championship in 1980 and again in 1981.
Clay County congratulates Coach John Brown on his success and his most recent award as the AAU National Coach of the Year in 2013.
