Brown promoted to senior director of player development and alumni relations

Head coach Billy Napier has retained Vernell Brown as part of his staff. He has been promoted to senior director of player development and alumni relations.

Brown previously was the director of student-athlete development under Dan Mullen.

In his new position, he will serve as a lead for personal development, mental health and collegiate affairs for current athletes.

Brown, a Gainesville native and former Gators cornerback from 2001-05, will also serve as a liaison between current and former players. He will also assist in creating connections between university and University Athletic Association personnel and current players to create a network of support.

He appeared in 45 games as a player at UF and was named a captain as a senior. Coach Urban Meyer called him “The Face of Florida Football” due to his work ethic and leadership.

Ethan Hughes
Ethan was born in Gainesville and has lived in the Starke, Florida, area his entire life. He played basketball for five years and knew he wanted to be a sportswriter when he was in middle school. He’s attended countless Gators athletic events since his early childhood, with baseball being his favorite sport to attend. He’s a proud 2019 graduate of the University of Florida and a 2017 graduate of Santa Fe College. He interned with the University Athletic Association’s communications department for 1 ½ years as a student and also wrote for InsideTheGators.com for two years before joining Gator Country in 2021. He is a long-suffering fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars. You can follow him on Twitter @ethanhughes97.