SCOTT BROWNING10th YearOhio State ‘81 When Scott Browning leads the Edinboro football team onto the field at Sox Harrison Stadium on September 3 it will officially mark his 30th season as a part of Fighting Scot football. Browning served as an assistant coach for twenty seasons before taking over as Edinboro’s 13th head coach on January 5, 2006. He now enters his tenth season as head coach.
Browning becomes just the fifth coach in Edinboro history to serve as head coach for ten-or-more seasons. With a 57-43 record over his first nine campaigns, he has climbed into second place in career victories. He trails only his mentor Tom Hollman, who owns 78 career victories. He has led Edinboro to one NCAA Division II playoff appearance and the Fighting Scots have finished in the AFCA Top 25 twice.
When Browning took the reins as head coach in 2006 he made sure to restore several Edinboro traditions. Most prevalent was the return to the “Boro”, the common name the football team was referred to during the 1980’s and ‘90’s, some of the most successful periods in Edinboro football history.
Browning recorded career win number 50 came in the season-opening 35-34 win at Walsh in 2013. A week later the Fighting Scots suffered a 47-35 loss to 15th-ranked Bloomsburg. Edinboro lost more than a game that day, as starting quarterback Cody Harris was lost for the year with broken ribs.
That injury would be the first of many in the 2013 campaign, as an injury-wracked Fighting Scots squad would suffer its second straight losing campaign, ending the year at 5-6. With Harris out the offense struggled behind three first-year signal callers. Edinboro did enjoy a moment of glory with a 36-30 upset at 22nd-ranked Indiana(Pa.).
A year ago a young Fighting Scots’ squad ended the year with a 3-8 record. However, the season ended with hope for the future as Edinboro posted wins over Seton Hill and Millersville.
Browning’s 2012 edition suffered the first losing season in his tenure at 4-6. Three of the losses came to nationally-ranked teams, and a fourth setback came in overtime. Edinboro trailed by less than a touchdown heading into the fourth quarter against sixth-ranked California(Pa.) and 22nd-ranked Indiana(Pa.), but could not pull off the upset.
Edinboro finished with a 7-4 record in 2011. The Fighting Scots got off to a fast start with four straight wins, climbing to as high as 18th in the AFCA Division II Top 25. The season would end in disappointment for Browning, who saw his team suffer a 34-28 loss to PSAC powerhouse California(Pa.) in week number ten, then follow that with a 27-26 loss at East Stroudsburg in the season finale on the final play of the game.
In 2010 Browning guided a young team to a 7-4 finish. The Fighting Scots actually opened the year with four straight wins, three on the road, including a 20-19 triumph at seventh-ranked West Liberty and a 16-14 win at West Chester, the preseason favorite in the PSAC East.
Edinboro would climb as high as 12th in the AFCA Division II Top 25 but suffered a mid-season slump, dropping three straight games. The third was the most painful, a 22-21 setback in overtime to a Mercyhurst team which would go on to win the PSAC championship and reach the Super Region One finals. The Fighting Scots would rebound with wins in three of their final four games, the only defeat coming to 24th-ranked California(Pa.).
The 2009 Fighting Scots tied the school record for wins for the second straight year while finishing with a 9-4 record. The Fighting Scots were selected for the NCAA Division II Playoffs for the first time since 2004, and won their third-ever playoff game with a 31-16 win at East Stroudsburg in the Super Region One quarterfinals. Edinboro would lose at West Liberty in the regional semifinals, but the Fighting Scots handed West Liberty one of its two losses in the season opener, claiming a 42-30 victory.
Edinboro ended the year ranked nationally for the second straight season, finishing 24th in the AFCA Top 25 and 20th according to D2Football.com. That despite facing a demanding schedule which saw eight of the 14 teams post winning records. Edinboro swept local rivals Gannon and Mercyhurst and defeated Indiana(Pa.) for the second straight year. Browning was recognized as the 2009-10 Edinboro Coach of the Year.
Taking over in 2006, Browning’s first edition finished with a 6-5 record, the most wins ever under a first-year coach. But it didn’t end just on the football field. The Fighting Scots excelled in the classroom, including a cumulative team GPA of over 2.8 for the spring semester.
Browning became the first coach at Edinboro since Sox Harrison to win his first two games as head coach. That happened in 1926, the first year of football at the Boro. Thanks to a 28-14 win at West Chester, he became the first coach since Bill McDonald in 1969 to win his first game as head coach.
That victory, on the road at West Chester between a pair of 2005 NCAA playoff teams, also displayed Browning’s propensity as a riverboat gambler. The Fighting Scots went for it on fourth down four times, and converted on three occasions.
The 2007 Fighting Scots finished with a 7-4 record while facing one of the most difficult schedules in recent memory. Edinboro faced four nationally-ranked teams, upsetting 25th-ranked Bloomsburg thanks to a memorable comeback, 42-41, while losing to eighth-ranked California(Pa.), 17th-ranked West Chester and 24th-ranked IUP. In fact, Edinboro’s four losses came to teams which combined for a 40-9.
In 2008 Edinboro barely missed making the NCAA Playoffs while tying the school record for wins in a season, finishing at 9-2. The wins included a 24-17 decision over 16th-ranked Indiana(Pa.). The losses came by a combined seven points to 14th-ranked California(Pa.) and Mercyhurst. The Fighting Scots finished 20th in the final AFCA Division II rankings.
Browning also places a strong emphasis on academics. Each year a good number of Edinboro players acieve PSAC Scholar-Athlete status, and through the years many players have earned CoSIDA District 2 Academic All-American honors. This past year quarterback Cody Harris was a PSAC Fall Top Ten honoree.
Most noteworthy among the academic honorees is Branden Williams. The former cornerback is a two-time Capital One Academic All-America® Division II Football Team selection, earning first team accolades in 2012 and second team in 2011.
Browning joined the Edinboro program in 1986 as the running backs coach under Steve Szabo. After two seasons on the offensive side of the ball, the graduate of The Ohio State University moved to the defensive side, serving as the defensive backfield coach under Hollman. In 1994 he moved back to offense as the offensive line coach. He had remained in charge of the linemen since that time, coaching such All-Americans as Jeremy O’Day, Joe Valvoda and Greg Bzorek. The last two years Browning’s offensive line led the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in fewest sacks allowed.
After serving as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator in Lou Tepper’s first season in 2000, Browning took over as the offensive coordinator in 2001. The Fighting Scot offense made great strides over the next five years. Browning emphasized a balanced attack which showcased the combination of a strong ground game and dangerous aerial attack. Over his last three seasons Edinboro averaged 29.9 ppg. in 2003, 33.2 ppg. in ’04, and 31.4 ppg. in ’05.
He had previously served as the offensive coordinator for five seasons under Hollman. In all, Browning had served as Edinboro’s offensive line coach the previous 12 years.
All told, Browning has been either the head coach or an assistant coach on all eight of Edinboro’s NCAA playoff teams, along with five of the nine PSAC champion squads.
“It goes without saying that I am extremely excited to have this opportunity,” noted an elated Browning upon his hiring. “I was proud to be a part of the teams in the 1990’s that ranked among the best in Division II, and over the last few years we have once again elevated the program to one of the best in the country. The University and the community of Edinboro mean a great deal to me. Over the years we have tried to become an integral part of this community. I am thrilled that I can continue that association while taking over a group of players that represent the ideals I believe in.
“I’m sure you will see some changes in the future, but I can tell you this, the ideals remain in place for this program, and always have in the time I’ve been here. Without question we want to be successful on the field, and that means challenging for the PSAC West title. But we won’t compromise integrity. We will continue to bring in young men who have the ability to be successful both in the classroom and on the football field. It is my sincere belief that when they take the field, they must wear the Edinboro jersey with pride, and when they are in the community, that they have earned the respect that comes with being a Fighting Scot.”
Browning has served on the staffs at three NCAA Division I institutions. Prior to joining the Fighting Scot staff, he coached receivers and running backs at Ohio State for two years while serving as a graduate assistant. That group included Keith Byars. The Buckeyes went to the Rose Bowl in 1984, dropping a 20-17 decision to USC to finish with a 9-3 record. The following year Ohio State went bowling again, this time defeating Brigham Young, 10-7, in the Citrus Bowl, to once again finish at 9-3.
Browning served as a graduate assistant coach at New Mexico State in 1982, and the following year instructed the receivers at Idaho State. Idaho State reached the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs before suffering a 27-20 defeat to Nevada.
A 1981 graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Education, Browning began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Worthington High School and Dayton-Fairview High Schools in Ohio from 1979-81. Before transferring to Ohio State he attended Capital University where he played football for one season. Browning later earned a master’s degree in Education Administration from New Mexico State in 1983.
Browning, 56 and a native of Loudonville, Ohio, and his wife, Lynn, reside in Edinboro and have two children, Andrew (21) and Katelyn (17). Andrew served as a coaching intern on The Ohio State University team which finished as the national champion. Katelyn is a member of the General McLane girls basketball team.
Personal DataBorn: October 28, 1958
Hometown: Perrysville, Ohio
Wife: Lynn
Children: Andrew (21), Katelyn (17)
EDUCATIONHigh School: Loudonville (OH) High School, 1977
College: The Ohio State University, B.S. in Education – 1981
Postgraduate: New Mexico State, M.S. in Education Administration -- 1983
Playing Experience: Capital University, running back – 1977
COACHINGCoaching Experience: Worthington (OH) High School – assistant coach, 1979; Dayton-Fairview (OH) High School – assistant coach, 1980-81; New Mexico State University – secondary, 1982; Idaho State – receivers, 1983; Ohio State University – running backs, 1984-86; Edinboro University – offensive coordinator, defensive backs, running backs, offensive line, 1986-2005, head coach, 2006
Browning's Record as EUP Head CoachYear Record PSAC Notable
2006 6-5 3-3 (T4th)
2007 7-4 3-3 (4
th)
2008 9-2 5-2 (T2nd) #20 AFCA Final Ranking
2009 9-4 5-2 (3
rd) NCAA Division II Playoffs/ #24 AFCA Final Ranking
2010 7-4 3-4 (T4th)
2011 7-4 4-3 (4
th)
2012 4-6 3-4 (5
th)
2013 5-6 3-4 (T6th)
2014 3-8 2-7 (T6th)
Career Nine Years 57-43
