As of the 2025-26 season, Mark Brown is the longest tenured Director of Athletics in the Northeast-10 Conference (NE10) as he enters his 15th year with Pace University.
Brown has contracted a unique resume throughout his time in Pleasantville. He provides a stable leadership and continues to bring his vision to life for the Setters program with significant increases in enrollment, academic and athletic achievement, and donor engagement and support. Additionally, he oversaw several new initiatives from 2015-16, including the development of a multi-million-dollar master plan for athletics facilities, such as the 14,010 square foot Joseph R. Ianniello Field House, renovations to Pace Stadium (Northwell) and Peter X. Finnerty Field.
Brown has emphasized academic success and student-athlete welfare where the department has seen record numbers in recent years. In the 2023-24 season, Pace Athletics posted a cumulative grade point average of a 3.37, a .10 increase from the 2017-18 campaign when the department posted a 3.27. Throughout the most recent academic year, the Setters tallied 311 student-athletes on the NE10 Academic Honor Roll; ranked second in the NE10 with 80.3% of competing student-athletes honored. Pace set records during the 2016-17 year, with 72 percent of student-athletes earning Northeast-10 Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll distinction for both the fall 2016 and spring 2017 semesters.
The competitive nature surrounding the department has skyrocketed since Brown’s arrival with various Northeast-10 Championships (Baseball and Women’s Lacrosse being the most recent), NCAA East Regional Appearances, an NCAA Women’s Basketball Elite Eight Appearance (2021-22), and an NCAA National Tite. The development of one of the Setters’ most successful programs who brought home the 2023 NCAA Title was developed when Brown chaired a campus inclusive Gender Equity Committee. In just under 10 years since it is addition, Women’s Lacrosse (circa 2015) was crowned the NCAA National Champion in 2023 and the NE10 Champion in 2024. The nationally ranked squad set a new standard for record percentage going 21-1 (91%) in 2024.
Enrollment and the competitive nature of Pace Athletics will continue to rise as Brown welcomes back Men’s Soccer in the Fall of 2025, who last competed in 1990. They will call Northwell Stadium their home alongside Football, Women’s Soccer, and Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse.
One top of the record academic numbers and major athletic successes, Brown’s efforts put forth a record revenue generation number through his restructuring of the department with a systematic review of athletics budgets, strategic modifications to meet NCAA reporting guidelines, and more. He initiated an Internal Athletic Advisory Committee with all facets of athletics represented to cooperatively work together to help the University and department move forward. The department has increased their generation of external revenue and has developed a corporate partner program that provides opportunities for the business community to align with Pace on marketing, promotional, advertising, and branding initiatives, while supporting the student-athletes. The department also launched PaceUAthletics.com in 2014, partnering with Sidearm Sports, and established a formal licensing program, now with Learfield Licensing Partners and complete with an on-line store for athletic apparel (PaceTeamShop.com).
One of his major accomplishments that surrounds Setter alumni, was the resurrection of the Pace Athletics Hall of Fame. This event has quickly become one of the marquee events at Pace. The event has provided an opportunity for alumni engagement and is a celebration of the successes of former student-athletes. Brown also brought forward a branding initiative to better celebrate the accomplishments of Pace student-athletes and fruits of their labor can be seen in all the athletic facilities but with a primary focus in the Goldstein Health, Fitness and Recreation Center.
For a quick overview of past seasons under Brown, 2018 was one of the most successful seasons for the program. Pace Field Hockey earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance in its fourth season and finished No.5 in the nation. Football put together a historic campaign with their most winningest record of 7-3 in their DII history. Volleyball compiled a 20-win season to punch their ticket to a third consecutive conference tournament. Swimming captured 16 medals at the NE10 championships and sent 2 team members to the NCAA Championships. Softball made their third NCAA Tournament appearance and men’s lacrosse battled through one of their toughest schedules and finished with a No.20 ranking.
Previously, Brown served the athletic department at Old Dominion University for many years as the Associate Athletic Director of Business and Finance prior to accepting his appointment at Pace.
Brown received a Bachelor of Science in Management degree from The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and later went on to receive a master's degree of Science in Education from Old Dominion University.
He resides in Ridgefield, CT and is the proud father of two sons, Noah, and Hayden.
