The National Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association will honor eight coaches whose mentorship and groundbreaking coaching careers have left an indelible mark on the high school game of lacrosse by inducting them into its Hall of Fame November 12. Portsmouth Abbey School’s Al Brown is one of the distinguished inductees.
Brown retired as the Abbey’s director of athletics earlier this year, but remains at the helm of the Raven lacrosse program. He first joined the Portsmouth Abbey community in 2000 and has also served as head football coach.
Brown has earned multiple recognitions as Coach of the Year by both US Lacrosse (2010, 2013) and as EIL Coach of the Year (2008, 2011, 2022). Nine of his Raven teams have captured lacrosse league championships while 11 of his athletes have been selected US Lacrosse All-Americans and 10 as US Lacrosse Academic All- Americans. His football teams have also won three league championships.
A native of Massapequa Park, NY, Brown was a standout on the football and lacrosse teams at Berner High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from C.W. Post College and played lacrosse four seasons there, earning All-America honors as a defenseman in 1973 and 1974 and serving as captain for the 1974 team. He also holds a master's degree in sport science from Adelphi University and is the author of Coaching Youth Lacrosse for US Lacrosse, published by Human Kinetics.
Brown has served as a teacher, director of athletics and varsity head coach of football, boys' and girls' soccer, boys' and girls' basketball, and boys' lacrosse for 46 years. He credits much of his success to his wife, children, loyal and dedicated assistant coaches, and committed student/athletes.
The NILCA will induct Brown along with Joe Baccarella (Farmingdale/Southside HS, NY), Scott Craig (West Islip HS, NY), Terry Crowley (St. Thomas Aquinas HS, FL), Henry “Skip” Flanagan (Avon Old Farms/WRA CT/OH), Kevin Giblin (Georgetown Prep, MD), John Nostrant (St. Albans/Haverford/Gilman, PA/MD) and Ted Wolford (Upper Arlington HS, OH) into its 2022 Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 12 at Plandome Country Club in Plandome, New York.