Recruiting Areas: Colorado, Arizona
Spencer Brown is heading into his fourth season as defensive coordinator for Fort Lewis in the fall of 2025. Brown joined the Skyhawks in 2022 after spending three years at Southern Illinois University as the Defensive Run Game Coordinator and Linebackers Coach.
Brown’s defensive scheme made its biggest improvement in 2024, cutting down 126.5 yards of offense and 11.91 points per game off of its opponents’ averages. The difference helped the Skyhawks top Arizona Christian in the second game of the season to end the program’s 40-game losing streak. It also led to a pair of back-to-back conference wins later in the season, including a 27-17 victory over Adams State (Nov. 2) in the inaugural Clash for the Pass rivalry game, and a 44-22 thumping over New Mexico Highlands (Nov. 9), in the home finale.
Fort Lewis’ defense was led by standout inside linebacker Jacob Penney, who Brown brought in back in 2022. With 122 tackles on the season, and an average of 11.1 per game, Penney finished 5th in NCAA Division II in both categories, leading the RMAC as well. In addition, through his three seasons, Penney already owns 202 career tackles, just 66 shy of cracking the program’s all-time top 10 list. For his efforts on the season, Penney was named Second-Team All-RMAC and First-Team All-Colorado by the National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter (NFFCC), marking him as one of the best linebackers in the state across the NCAA Division II and Division I levels.
Penney wasn’t the only all-conference selection, however, as Brown also aided in the development of free safety Kalib Davis, who also earned an Honorable Mention All-RMAC distinction. Davis racked up 69 tackles, the second-most on the roster, while also hauling in four interceptions, breaking up two passes, forcing one fumble, forcing one quarterback hurry, and picking up a fumble as well.
The defense made steady progress under Brown’s tutelage in his first two seasons, shaving off yards of total offense and points per game from its opponents over both seasons. With Brown’s schemes in place, the Skyhawks steadily came closer to getting back into ballgames, coming within roughly two scores of their opponents on five occasions.
While at Southern Illinois, Brown helped the Salukis defense hold opponents to just 154 rushing yards per game, a 67-yard improvement from previous seasons. Additionally, the Salukis held the No. 1 Kickoff return defense in the Missouri Valley Conference and No. 3 Kickoff return defense in all of the FCS in 2019.
Prior to Southern Illinois, Brown had stops at North Carolina State University as Senior Defensive Analyst and at The University of South Dakota as a Linebackers Coach and Video Coordinator. While at NC State, Brown helped coordinate the Top 25-rated defense that included former National Football League players Dravious Wright and Shawn Boone.
Brown completed his Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of North Texas while serving as a graduate assistant for the football team. While assisting the Green, Brown helped coach future NFL athletes Zach Orr and Derek Akunne.
Brown earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southern Methodist University in 2010.
