Ithaca College athletics announced on Feb. 6 that long–time strength and conditioning coach Vic Brown has resigned.
Brown has served as the school’s head strength and conditioning coach since 2014. Brown officially resigned back on Jan. 19.
Brown’s departure from the school comes because of his desire to be closer to his family and wife, who has coached the Williams College women’s rowing team in Williamstown, Massachusetts since 2022.
In the statement, Susan Bassett ’79, director of the Office of Intercollegiate Athletics, thanked Brown for his tenure at the college and said his expertise set up every athletic team for success.
“Brown established a sophisticated program of both strength and conditioning development and coach development in his 10 highly productive years at Ithaca College,” Bassett said in the announcement. “[Brown] brought high level scientific research to our training programs with an eye toward building a positive weight room culture for all 27 IC Teams. Vic applied theory to practice and positioned the Bombers to achieve athletically.”
Brown reciprocated Bassett’s sentiment and said he was thankful for his 10 years at the college.
“I’d like to thank Susan Bassett for the opportunity to launch the strength and conditioning program in the department of athletics in 2014,” Brown said in the announcement. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to teach, coach and lead Bombers academically and athletically during my tenure.”
Assistant strength and conditioning coach Ben Fleet ’22 announced that he had been named to the interim strength and conditioning coach position on Jan. 16. Fleet has been and will be in that position until the conclusion of the semester.
Fleet played offensive line for the Bombers’ football team until 2020 and was promoted to assistant strength and conditioning coach in Aug. 2022. Prior to the position, Fleet took strength and conditioning internships with Syracuse University, Florida Atlantic University and Cornell University.
The athletics department will undergo a nationwide search for candidates in the spring, while Fleet steps into Brown’s former role.
Brown expressed admiration for his coworkers and students and said that he feels accomplished in his tenure at the school.
“It was a role I met with deep care and responsibility collaborating with many amazing colleagues and students across campus, including athletic administration, athletics staff and coaches, student athletes, athletic training, academic faculty and graduate and undergraduate students from the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance,” Brown said in the announcement. “I appreciate and am proud of our work together creating meaningful student experiences in the pursuit of academic and athletic excellence, and wish Ithaca College continued success.”
