Browne Named South Coast Conference Co-Coach of the Year

by Cerwin D Haynes

East Los Angeles College Athletics has learned today that Men & Women's Cross Country head coach Milton Browne was named South Coast Conference co-Coach of the Year. It's Coach Browne first ever COY award as Cross Country coach (he also coaches Track & Field).

"Man, I'm so excited," exclaimed Browne as he learned of his COY nod. But it's not just about the award, but what it means: recognition of success of a multi-year program rebuild.

The Browne Plan

It feels good to execute a long-term plan. Even better: being recognized for executing said plan.

Back in 2021, East LA College Men & Women's Cross Country head coach Milton Browne knew his program would have to be rebuilt from scratch coming off Covid. So he developed a multi-year plan to raise his teams out of basement, which involved gradually recruiting better athletes each season.

Last year, Browne finally hit on one star runner: Marbelle Flores. She was a one-woman act all season, as she alone raced to a state top-10 finish. Browne used Flores' success (she also won the state championship last spring in the Women's 5000m) to make a better pitch to potential recruits and as inspiration to his returning runners. This season, coach has another star runner in Kiyoko Divecchio, but this time her Pack-mates are keeping pace as the women's team has placed 11th overall in SoCal rankings. They've qualified as a team for the SoCal Regional Championships with the expectation that they'll make it to the 3C2A State Championships as a team (instead of just one runner).

That would be great news by itself, but Coach Browne also learned that his men's team will also race at the SoCal Regionals, earning an at-large qualifier. It's the first time since 2018 that both ELAC men and women's teams will run at SoCal.

"The Coach of the Year Award, man," exclaims Browne. "That let's me know that my plan, what we're doing here, it's working."

Note: One of the two Mt. SAC head coaches were named the other Co-COY, though which one is unconfirmed as of this writing.