Courtesy: Navy Sports
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Jake Brown, who helped the Chicago men’s and women’s teams to a pair of top-10 showings at the NCAA (DIII) Championship the last two seasons, has been named as an assistant coach for the Navy men’s swimming team, head coach Bill Roberts announced today.
“We are pumped to welcome Jake Brown to the United States Naval Academy,” said Roberts. “Jake had remarkable success at the University of Chicago and we have no doubt about the similar impact he will have on our Midshipmen.
“We also want to say thank you to (Navy director of athletics) Chet Gladchuk for making this possible for our program.”
“I’m honored to accept the assistant swimming coach position at the Naval Academy with the men’s program,” said Brown. “It’s a privilege to help shape the next generation of leaders, both in and out of the pool. I’m ready to bring my passion, dedication, and commitment to this incredible program and institution. Stepping into the role of assistant swim coach is not just a job, it’s an honor. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Bill Roberts, (assistant coach) Mark Liscinsky, and the entire men’s team. GO NAVY!”
Brown began serving as an assistant coach for Maroons for the 2023-24 season. The men’s team finished in third place at the NCAA Championship in each of his two seasons and the women’s team placed eighth in 2024 and sixth at the 2025 national championship. The Chicago programs set school records in 29 events, won five NCAA event titles and totaled 33 All-America awards during his two-year stint in the Windy City. Individually, he helped coach Cooper Costello, who won the 2025 NCAA (DIII) Championship in the 100 fly, Garrett Classen, who competed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and Jesse Ssengonzzi, who represented Uganda at the 2024 Olympics.
The native of Chestertown, Md., graduated from Queen Anne’s County High School in 2016. Brown totaled eight top-10 placings at the state (Md.) championship in his career, including podium finishes in four events and a trio of second-place efforts. He would go on to swim at Washington (Md.) College during the 2017-18 season when he was named team MVP after he placed third in the 50 free and 200 free relay, fifth in the 100 free and seventh in the 200 free at the Centennial Conference Championship. An injury ended his swimming career in the fall of 2018, but he served as a volunteer coach for the program as he completed his degree in history during the 2019-20 season.
Brown spent the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater and was a volunteer assistant coach at Kentucky during the 2021-22 campaign. He also has served as coach on the club level for Sho’men Swimming and Eastern Shore Aquatics and as a coach for both the Washington and Chicago masters swimming programs.
He’s going to have a tall task convincing the Navy head coach to change his ways in order to beat Army
Congratulations Jake, he was an amazing coach and role model for the short time he coached me at Washington College. Navy got a good one!
Jake is an outstanding hire for Navy. The positive energy and innovation he brought to UChicago every day were instrumental in our team’s success at UAAs and NCAAs these last two seasons. I am forever grateful for the impact Jake has had on our program- and on my own career – always pushing me towards my goals and making my senior year/Olympic Trials experience ones that I can look back on and be very proud of.