OLIVET, Mich. – Darrick Brown has been named head softball coach, according to an announcement by Athletic Director Ryan Shockey. Brown replaces James Farnum, the winningest softball coach in school history, who resigned from the position to pursue other career opportunities outside of coaching.

“First, I want to thank Ryan Shockey and the search committee for giving me this opportunity to be the head softball coach at Olivet,” said Brown. “I am excited to get started and look forward to building a winning program which will contend for a conference and national championship.”

Most recently, Brown served as the head softball coach for the last two seasons at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. While there, he led the Bruins to a 37-13 overall record in 2015, winning the Michigan Community College Athletic Association Western Conference championship and earning a berth to the 2015 NJCAA District I Tournament. Two of his players earned NJCAA Division II All-American honors.

Prior to his time at KCC, Brown spent two years as the pitching coach at Davenport University. He also coached the Chicago Bandits to a National Pro Fastpitch championship in 2011. Other softball coaching stops for Brown include one year at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and two years at Glen Oaks Community College. Both teams won MCCAA Western Conference titles under his leadership. Overall as a head softball coach, Brown has a 164-86 record.

“I am excited for Darrick to lead our softball program,” said Shockey. “He has a wealth of softball experience as a coach at the collegiate level and as a softball instructor. I am confident Darrick can bring a new level of success to Olivet.”

Brown lives in Kalamazoo with his wife, Katrina, and two sons, Gibson and Brennan.