Former Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) student-athlete, Jamaal Brown has been hired by VUSD to serve as the Athletic Director of Foothill Technology High School. A former varsity football, basketball, and baseball player, who attended Buena High School and graduated in 1987, returns to Ventura after more than 30 years. Mr. Brown most recently served as a Special Education Inclusion and Physical Education teacher, as well as the Head Coach for the Carlsbad High School boys basketball team in Carlsbad, New Mexico. He will hit the ground running for VUSD on August 12, 2019.
Mr. Brown grew up on the same street that Foothill Technology High School now sits. He and his friends played in the empty lot behind his house, which is now the site the high school sits on. “We are so excited to have Jamaal return to his hometown of Ventura is this capacity. He is a special person and educator and will be a tremendous leader for our athletic program,” stated Foothill Principal, Joe Bova.
In addition to his role as Athletic Director, Mr. Brown will serve as a teacher and will coach the boys basketball team. Mr. Brown attributes his desire to teach and mentor young people to his high school coaches and his mother. His mother also attended Buena High School and was a Special Education teacher at Ventura High School until a tragic accident, at the hands of a drunk driver, took her life in Jamaal’s senior year. After graduation, Mr. Brown left Ventura to attend Stanford University and served as Manager for the basketball team under Head Coach, Mike Montgomery. He then obtained his master’s degree in Education from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and moved to New Mexico in 2004, where he met his wife. He worked at Hobbs High School as a teacher and Assistant Coach working under legendary Coach, Russ Gilmore. He served at Hobbs for five years before transitioning to Carlsbad High School in New Mexico where he served as the Head Coach for the boys basketball program. When Mr. Brown took over the Carlsbad team, they had only won six games in the previous season. However, through hard work and dedication, he was able to develop the team into the State runner-up in 2016. He looks forward to bringing that same commitment to Foothill Technology High School and collaborating with those already in place in the Athletics Department.
“Foothill’s academic reputation drew me back to Ventura. I have been given the opportunity to teach and coach, which is very important to me. In addition, my two boys will benefit from the VUSD education system; these are opportunities you just don’t pass up. I look forward to joining the Foothill team,” stated Mr. Brown.
