Ottawa, Kan. – Ottawa University announces the selection of Abby Brown to lead the Braves as head coach of the Women's Flag Football team for the 2026-27 season.
 
The Braves have captured five consecutive NAIA National Tournament Championships since the program began in 2021. Brown currently serves as an assistant coach for the Braves.
 
"Abby was here when this program was just an idea," said Braves Women's Flag Football Head Coach Liz Sowers. "Now she's the one who will shape its future. That's the kind of legacy every coach hopes for, and there is no one more prepared to carry it forward."
 
Brown is one of the most accomplished figures in Ottawa University women's flag football history, pairing record-setting on-field success with impactful leadership in the growth of the sport at the national level. She is a three-time KCAC Defensive Player of the Year and four-time First Team All-KCAC selection at linebacker. Brown helped lead the Braves to four consecutive NAIA Women's Flag Football National Championships, along with four KCAC regular season titles and four KCAC tournament championships. She served as the team captain from 2021-24 and was twice recognized as a KCAC Champion of Character for her integrity, leadership, and service.
 
"We are incredibly excited to welcome Abby Brown as the next leader of our women's flag football program," said Donald Anderson, Interim Co-Director of Athletics and Dean of Student Life and Services. "Abby was not only an outstanding player during her time here, but also someone who made a lasting impact on our campus community. Her leadership, character, and passion for the game make her the perfect successor to the Sowers sisters, and we are confident she will continue to build on the strong foundation they established."
 
Brown's defensive excellence is cemented throughout the Ottawa University record book. She is tied for first in single-game flag pulls (12) and holds program records for single-season flag pulls (111) and career flag pulls (359). She also ranks first all-time in career pass breakups (47) and interceptions (26), highlighting her instincts, consistency, and disruptive presence on the field.
 
Most recently, Brown has served as a Football Development and Marketing Coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. In this role, she plays a key role in building and overseeing high school girls' flag football across Kansas and Missouri. In this role, she has coordinated league operations for 80+ high school programs, structured 200+ games in a single season, launched 77 new pilot programs, and overseen postseason tournaments, showcases, coaches clinics, and large-scale kickoff events. Brown has also managed athlete data for more than 1,500 participants, coordinated the distribution of more than $264,000 in funding, and served as a primary point of contact for partners including Nike, USA Football, RCX Foundation, and RefReps.
 
In addition, Brown organizes and coaches numerous camps and clinics, including All-Abilities camps with Special Olympics organizations, STEM initiatives, Nike camps, and high school flag football clinics throughout the Kansas City metro area.
 
A graduate of Ottawa University, Brown earned her bachelor's degree in applied psychology with a concentration in criminal psychology, graduating summa cum laude. She will assume her new position at the helm of the Braves following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
 
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