After nearly two decades of coaching former JHHS graduate, Shannon Brown, is “moving on up” to become Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Cedar Creek High School in Ruston. The announcement was made on Thursday, April 1st by Head of School, Andy Yepson. 

“Coach Brown has been a huge asset to the Cedar Creek family for the past nine years,” Yepson said. “He has been involved in junior high sports, baseball, softball, and has been the head football coach for the past three years. We are looking forward to his leadership in this new role.”

The 1987 JHHS graduate began his coaching career in 2000 when he became the youngest head football coach in Jonesboro-Hodge High School history. From 2000-2006 he compiled a 37-32 record that included a district 2-2A championship in 2002-03. During his tenure, which was the first to two terms at JHHS, his Tiger squads set a school record for most yards rushed in a game (488 vs Grambling in 2003) and in 2004 the most points averaged per game (35.75), which is now second all time. He also orchestrated in 2004 six straight games that his Tiger team scored 40 or more points per game, which is still best in JHHS lore. 

After taking a hiatus from coaching, Brown came back to lead JHHS for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. This was during a time when student numbers at the school had shrunk to one of the lowest in JHHS history. As result of being one of the smallest schools in their classification the Tigers went 2-8 in both seasons bringing his total career coaching totals at JHHS to 41-48 in eight years at the helm. 

From there Brown moved to Cedar Creek in Ruston where he was an assistant on the Cougar football coaching staff and head coach for a myriad of sports including the Cedar Creek Junior High football team, varsity baseball and varsity softball teams. In 2018 Brown was elevated to head coach of the varsity football team where he compiled a three year record of 18-15 after going 7-4 over his first two season before compiling a 4-7 record last year.

Over his eleven seasons as a high school head football coach Brown finishes with a 59-63 career record. Sadly, this doesn’t do justice to the fine coaching skills he demonstrated over his career. Were it not for his dedication to his alma mater to come back and try to help the school at a time when athletic program was severely depleted of athletes his career record would be 55-47 and would have compiled winning seasons in six of his nine years at the helm. 

It is important to remember those two years though, as in a strange way it is a direct reflection of just the kind of person Brown is. Even as a young athlete at JHHS and later as a coach he always had a “team first” attitude. Brown was never one to pursue individual accolades but strove to help the others around him become better. He chose his profession because he knew it gave him a platform to help young men and women become better people. His contribution to both Jonesboro-Hodge and Cedar Creek as a coach should never be measured in wins and losses but by the countless number of area youth that he attempted to help mold into productive adults. In that respect, he ends his career undefeated.