Alma Mater: Tiffin '96

Rudy Brownell completed his 17th season as the head coach of Tiffin University Men's Soccer team in 2023, where he has been the G-MAC Regular Season Champion three times, G-MAC Tournament Champion three times, GLIAC Regular Season Champion three times, GLIAC Tournament Champion 4 times, and has had 7 NCAA Regional Appearances in the last 10 years. All 12 of those conference regular season and tournament titles have come in 11 of the last 15 seasons.

Tiffin went 14-3-3 in 2023, landing the top spot in the region and reaching the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament while also winning the G-MAC regular season and tournament titles. Brownell landed G-MAC Coach of the Year for his efforts.

Tiffin went 10-4-4 in 2022, qualifying for the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament while also winning the G-MAC regular season championship. Tiffin also went 7-4 during their abbreviated 2020-21 season, which was played in the spring due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They reached the G-MAC Tournament Championship game before falling to Ohio Valley 2-0. They picked up postseason wins against Cedarville and Findlay to advance to the title game, while also landing four athletes on the All GMAC squad.

During the 2019 campaign, Brownell's Dragons finished fourth in the GMAC regular-season standings but put things together in the postseason with wins over #4 Lake Erie and Cedarville to earn the 2019 GMAC Tournament Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament, where they reached the second round for the second-straight season. Three Dragons were named All-Conference by the GMAC, with two of those three also earning United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-Region honors.

In TU's first season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in 2018, Brownell led the Dragons to a 13-4 mark in the regular season and a 15-4-1 record overall after reaching the Second Round of NCAA Regionals. Tiffin was ranked as high as No. 12 in NCAA Division II during the season and finished at No. 18 in the final standings. Brownell's student-athletes received seven G-MAC Player of the Week honors, six G-MAC All-Conference honors, and two United Soccer Coaches All-Region honors. At the conclusion of the season, Brownell and his assistants were named the Division II Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.

Since taking over the program in 2007, Brownell has a 181-91-39 record. Brownell, who was also named an Assistant Athletic Director in January 2017 and Associate Athletic Director in May 2022, has led the Dragons to seven NCAA Regional appearances in the last 10 years while also winning championships in 11 of the last 15 seasons (2 GLIAC regular-season championships, four GLIAC Tournament Championships, 3 G-MAC Championships, 3 G-MAC Tournament Championship). Brownell was also named in August of 2023 to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer National Committee.

Brownell also holds an 84-39-16 career mark in seven seasons as Head Women's Coach at Tiffin. In 2008, the Dragons women's soccer program earned admission to the NCAA National Tournament after reaching a ranking of 4th in the Midwest Region.   

In 2004 the Lady Dragon program posted an 11-6-1 mark while finishing 2nd in the American Mideast Conference and making it to the Region IX final four. In his initial campaign, after losing nine seniors and starting nine new players, he led the 2003 Dragons women's soccer program to an 8-6-6 record, a 3rd place finish in the American Mideast Conference and also finished Runner-up in the Region IX Tournament.

Brownell earned a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Tiffin University and also obtained a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Tiffin University. He competed as a defender for the Dragons from 1992-1995. Brownell also helped the Dragons capture the 1992 & 1995 AMC titles. Tiffin posted a 65-24-3 record during his career. The 1992 team also made it to the NAIA National Tournament.

After graduation, Brownell played professionally for the Cleveland White Caps of the USISL in 1998. He was also an assistant coach for the women's and men's soccer programs. He helped the women's soccer program to four American Mideast Conference Championship crowns and to an 84-33-4 overall record. The Dragons went 45-2-1 in the AMC. The team was also ranked nationally from 1998-2000. The women's team advanced to the region final four and also made it to the national tournament in 2000 and 2002. As the assistant coach for the men's soccer program, he helped the team win the American Mideast Conference title in 1999, and take second place in 1996 and 2004. From 1996 to 2004 the team also posted a 116-62-13 overall record and made it to the region Final Four two out of the last three years.

He, his wife Brittany, daughter Leah Mary J, and son Leo Mickey reside in Tiffin.

The Brownell File

School

Record

Pct.

Conf.

Post Season

2003

Tiffin (Women)

8-6-6

.550

NAIA Reg. Finalist

2004

Tiffin (Women)

11-6-1

.639

2005

Tiffin (Women)

13-5-2

.700

AMC Champs

NAIA Reg. Finalist

2006

Tiffin (Women)

17-4-2

.783

Region IX Champs

NAIA Sweet 16

2007

Tiffin (Men)

10-6-1

.618

2007

Tiffin (Women)

11-6-1

.639

2008

Tiffin (Men)

13-6

.684

GLIAC Tournament Champs

2008

Tiffin (Women)

13-5-2

.700

NCAA Tournament

2009

Tiffin (Men)

15-4-1

.775

GLIAC Tournament Champs

2009

Tiffin (Women)

11-7-2

.600

2010

Tiffin (Men)

11-6-1

.639

2011

Tiffin (Men)

10-5-4

.632

GLIAC Tournament Champs

2012

Tiffin (Men)

5-9-2

.375

2013

Tiffin (Men)

11-3-4

.785

GLIAC Co-Regular Season Champs

NCAA Regionals

2014

Tiffin (Men)

12-5-1

.705

GLIAC Regular Season Champs

NCAA Regionals

2015

Tiffin (Men)

9-7-3

.563

2016

Tiffin (Men)

14-5-2

.736

GLIAC Tournament Champs

NCAA Regionals

2017

Tiffin (Men)

8-7-3

.533

2018

Tiffin (Men)

15-4-1

.789

G-MAC Regular Season & Tournament Champs

NCAA Regionals

2019

Tiffin (Men)

11-5-5

.642

GMAC Tournament Champs

NCAA Regionals

2020

Tiffin (Men)

7-4

.636

2021

Tiffin (Men)

6-8-4

.312

2022

Tiffin (Men)

10-4-4

.714

G-MAC Regular Season champs

NCAA Regionals

2023

Tiffin (Men)

14-3-3

.823

G-MAC Regular Season, Tourney champs

NCAA Regionals

Men Total

181-91-39

.665

Women Total

84-39-16

.662

TOTAL

265-130-55

.670

Coaching Honors:

United Soccer Coaches Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year 2018

Independents Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year 2007

Finalist-NAIA Coach of the Year 2006

NAIA Region IX Coach of the Year 2006

G-MAC Coach of the Year 2023