May 22, 2008

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - The new Memphis women's basketball staff continues to take shape as Melissa McFerrin has hired Tempie Brown as one of her assistant coaches it was announced Thursday. Brown has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach at Northwestern University in Chicago.

"Tempie brings an incredible amount of high-level recruiting basketball experience to the University of Memphis," McFerrin said. "She will hit the ground running in recruiting and has contacts in some of our key recruiting areas, meaning Chicago and Detroit, and will certainly make a home here in Memphis as well. She was an elite level basketball player in the Big 10 (playing at Michigan) and we expect her to bring that expertise to our program. "

Brown played at the University of Michigan from 1987-1990, graduating with a degree in kinesiology, also earning her master's degree in exercise physiology in 1992. On the court, she still ranks in the career top 10 in scoring with 1,142 points and ranks in the top 20 in scoring average, steals and assists. A four-year letterwinner, she was a two-time team co-captain and was named the team's Most Improved player in 1988, the same season she earned All-Big 10 Honorable Mention honors.

After coaching at the high school level, Brown began her college coaching career in 2000 as an assistant coach for Saginaw Valley State. There, she worked primarily with recruiting as well as scouting opponents. She also worked closely with the post players and coordinated summer camp efforts.

She then went on to Eastern Michigan for the 2000-2001 season. There, she oversaw the academic progress of the student-athletes, and was also responsible for compliance issues as well as film exchange. She also helped the Eagles' marketing department to put together EMU's four-team tournament and played a major role in the team's strength and conditioning. The Eagles responded with a school-record 18 wins.

Brown left Eastern Michigan to join the staff at Lehigh in 2002. At Lehigh, Brown oversaw the guards and assisted in recruiting and compliance as well as strength and conditioning, helping the Mountain Hawks to a school-record number of Patriot League wins in her first season, a feat the team repeated in her final season at Lehigh.

She left Lehigh in 2004 to join the staff at Northwestern, where she handled compliance, player development, scouting and recruiting. She also served as the director for Northwestern's summer basketball camp.

A native of West Palm Beach, Fla., Brown grew up in Denver, Colo., and will oversee recruiting and individual player development and will serve as the team's academic liaison at Memphis.