Albany Basketball Legend; Earnest Brown, Much More Than Athletic Coach
Dr. Earnest Brown is one of the most prolific basketball players to ever come through Albany, Georgia. He is well known throughout the city for his stellar play while at Dougherty High School. In 1995, Brown capped off a spectacular high school career by finishing as the leading scorer (32.5ppg) in the state of Georgia, edging out Wheeler High standout and eventual NBA All-Star Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
After going on to star at Auburn and Mercer Universities, his playing career abruptly ended in 1999 due to a leg injury.
However, understanding the importance of an education, Brown took care of business in the classroom and earned college degrees which have enabled him to show kids that education is the key to success.
- 2000 — Bachelor’s (Mercer University)
- 2002 — Master’s (Valdosta State University)
- 2009 — Doctorate (Nova Southeastern University)
Coaching & Community Service
Nowadays Brown is busy giving back to kids in southern states such as Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. In 2009, he founded Albany Elite Sports, citing a need to provide inner city youths in Southwest Georgia with an outlet that would present them an opportunity to further their academic and athletic careers. His company provides academic tutoring as well as athletic training for boys and girls. Albany Elite Sports was honored by the Only One Albany Organization in 2015 for its outstanding community service to the city of Albany.
Further, he is currently active on the boys travel circuit basketball coaching scene. He started out as head coach of the Albany Elite Tigers from 2009–2015 before moving up to the showcase circuit Atlanta Celtics this season. Brown’s 15u Atlanta Celtics team has enjoyed a substantial amount of success during the early sessions of the 2016 travel season. Winning a championship at the North Augusta/South Carolina tournament and finishing as runner-ups in the Norman Parker Showcase and On The Radar Sweet 16 event, they are primed to make a National Championship run in July — Adidas Uprising; Las Vegas.
*To support the 15u Atlanta Celtics Boys Basketball Program, click link below. GO FUND ME — SUMMER TRAVELS
Moving On
Through great athletic coaching, networking, & community service efforts Brown has been able to help many kids further their academic and athletic careers.
Below is a list of colleges & universities that have awarded scholarships to kids who’ve been affiliated with Brown or participated in his events.
- University of Georgia, Florida State University, Clemson
- University of Tennessee, Virginia Tech University
- University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Appalachian State University
- Gardner Webb University, Florida Gulf Coast University
- West Virginia University, Savannah State University
- Florida Institute of Technology, Albany State University
- Columbus State University, Valdosta State University
- Fort Valley State University, Tuskegee University
- Armstrong University, Junior Colleges (JUCO)
Notable players moving on and/or receiving college interest
