Jasmine Brown, GPS Class of 2009, has been named the varsity head coach at Girls Preparatory School. Her experience as a GPS student-athlete, NCAA Division I volleyball player, high school coach, K2 Volleyball Club head coach, and Division I college coach gives her a wealth of skill and understanding to help her thrive in her new position, school officials said.
“I am really looking forward to building onto the success that the team has experienced over the past couple of years,” said Brown, “and grateful to be coming into a program with a solid foundation.” Brown, who is the oldest of six children, is also excited to return to Chattanooga where she’ll be near family.
“I’m so excited to be able to give back to GPS because it gave so much to me.”
Brown’s most recent coaching assignment was assisting the women’s volleyball team at the University of Louisville. The Cardinals were co-champs of the ACC in 2017 and advanced to the NCAA tournament. At the end of this most recent season, Brown was named one of only 12 recipients of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) 2017 Coaches 4 Coaches Scholarship to attend the AVCA Convention.
Prior to coaching at Louisville, Brown was an assistant at Berean Christian School in Knoxville, where her teams won back-to-back district championships and a region title. She was also part of a state semifinalist and region champion squad at Christian Academy of Knoxville in 2013. She played volleyball at the University of Tennessee and was named to the SEC Honor Roll all four years. Her Volunteers qualified for the NCAA tournament four consecutive seasons and won one SEC championship.
“While her accomplishments as a player and a coach are quite impressive, what we’re most excited about is the passion Jasmine has for investing in the lives of her players and teaching life lessons that extend far beyond the court,” says Jay Watts, GPS Athletic Director. “We are incredibly fortunate to be able to have Jasmine come back home to GPS and continue to elevate our program to a higher level.”
At GPS, Brown was part of TSSAA State Championship volleyball teams in 2007 and 2008, earning All-Tournament Team honors in 2007 and MVP recognition in 2008. In her senior year, she received highest honorable mention commendation on the PrepVolleyball.com High School All-American Team. A strong advocate for multi-sport participation, Brown was a three-sport star at GPS, lettering all four years in volleyball, basketball, and track. She was the captain of her volleyball and basketball teams during her senior year.
“Things have changed so much since I was a high school student in terms of the influence of social media,” Brown said. “The ages of 14 to 18 are so impressionable, and teachers, coaches, and parents can have a huge influence on girls. I love stepping into that role. For those students who won’t play volleyball after high school, the skills learned on the court—how to be a leader, how to compete, how to show love and respect for others, how to treat others how you want to be treated—will help them in their personal and professional lives. My goal is to build well-rounded young women who can take those skills outside of GPS and into the community.”
Brown also worked closely with her college recruiting coordinator and witnessed the conversations that go on between parents, coaches, and student-athletes at the NCAA Division I level.
“I’m grateful for that experience and how I can help our girls better navigate the college recruiting process,” Brown said.