Suzanne Henry Brown
Year of Induction: 2001 | Categories: Coach, Individual
When Suzanne (Henry) Brown left Salem Community High School in 2000, she left with her a long list
of coaching accomplishments.
During her 20 years of coaching at SCHS, Brown was either a head coach or assistant coach on 41 North Egypt Conference championship teams.
A 1975 graduate of SCHS, Brown began her coaching career in the fall of 1980 as assistant volleyball coach to Pam (McCartney) Raymer. Brown held that position until 1988 when she succeeded Raymer as head coach.
During her 11 seasons as Lady Wildcats volleyball coach, she posted a career record of 224-92, a .709 winning percentage. Her 224 career wins are the most by an SCHS volleyball coach. Ironically it was Raymer, her long-time co-worker, whose record of 141 wins she broke in 1996.
Her teams won nine NEC championships. The first was in 1988. She then won eight straight from 1991 until her last season in 1998. During her final 52 league games, Brown’s teams compiled a 51 -1 record.
Brown’s teams won six regional championships, 1992-94 and 1996-98. Her 1997 team won the school’s first and only sectional championship. Salem advanced to the sectional championship game four times 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998) during her tenure. Her final team in 1998 set a school record for wins in a season when it went 32-3.
Brown coached girls track at SCHS for 20 years from 1981-2000. During that span she won 16 NEC championships, 1981 and 15 straight from 1986 – 2000. Her 1998 team set an NEC record for margin of victory with a 136 point spread over runnerup Olney.
She coached three state medallists. They included Kristi Beeson in the high jump in 1986, the 800 meter medley relay team of Serra Morton, Angie Burroughs, Julie Bierman and Trisha Ward in 1994, and Brittany Bowers in the high jump in 2000.
In addition to volleyball and track. Brown spent nine years as assistant cross country coach to Kirby Phillips. Eight of those seasons came while she was coaching volleyball at the same time.
October 21st, 2023 at 6:40 pm
She will forever be Salem High School sports for me! Such a powerful influence who guided me and helped me through some difficult times. Always encouraging and inspiring! I’ll admit she is likely the reason for the success in my life! Thank you Miss Henry!