Colorado Northwestern Community College Men's Soccer

Dave Brown is entering his first season as the Head Men's Soccer Coach at Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC). Brown brings a diverse coaching background spanning the NJCAA, NCAA Division II, high school, and club levels, along with international playing experience and a championship pedigree. Before joining CNCC, Brown was a member of the coaching staff at Jones College, where he helped lead the Bobcats to MACCC, NJCAA Region 23, and Gulf South District Championships. Following the championship season, the coaching staff was recognized as the United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division II South Staff of the Year. Prior to Jones College, Brown spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Christian Brothers University while earning his Master of Business Administration. During his time with the Buccaneers, the program advanced to the Gulf South Conference Semifinals and compiled a strong record against some of the top competition in NCAA Division II soccer. Brown's coaching experience also includes work with Lobos Rush in Memphis, Oklahoma Rangers FC, Putnam City High School, and Piedmont High School. Throughout his career, he has worked with players at the youth, high school, junior college, and collegiate levels, helping student-athletes maximize their potential both on and off the field. Originally born in Nairobi, Kenya, and raised in Cardiff, Wales, Brown began his collegiate playing career at Lassen Community College in California, where he helped his team capture a Golden Valley Conference Championship before transferring to Oklahoma Baptist University. Prior to coming to the United States, he played for Caerau Ely in the Welsh Football League Division One and Cardiff Corinthians in the South Wales Alliance League. As a student-athlete, he also helped lead Cardiff High School to its first-ever Welsh Schools Cup and Cardiff & Vale Schools Cup double championship. Coach Brown's philosophy centers on player development, accountability, and creating an environment where student-athletes can excel academically, athletically, and personally. He believes that success is built through discipline, commitment, and a team-first mentality while preparing players to compete at the highest level and become leaders in their communities. As he begins his first season leading the Spartan men's soccer program, Brown is excited to build a culture of excellence and help CNCC compete for championships while providing a transformational experience for his student-athletes.

Coach Austin Shafer enters his first season as the Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC), bringing a strong blend of high-level playing experience and a rapidly growing coaching résumé to the Spartan program. A native of Jamestown, North Dakota, Schafer began his soccer career with Jamestown Soccer Club and Jamestown High School before advancing to the collegiate and semi-professional levels. He played four seasons at Montana State University Billings (NCAA Division II) from 2018–2022 before transferring to the University of Jamestown (NAIA). During his time at Jamestown, he tied the school’s single-season goal-scoring record with 14 goals in 17 matches and earned GPAC First Team All-Conference honors. Beyond the college game, Schafer competed at a high level in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) with Dakota Fusion from 2017–2021 and later in USL League Two with the Colorado International Soccer Academy from 2022–2024, gaining valuable experience in competitive summer environments. While still an active player, Schafer began giving back to the game through coaching, working with youth programs in his hometown and serving with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) in the Dakota region. He also spent time as an assistant varsity girls’ coach and goalkeeper coach at Jamestown High School, further developing his coaching foundation. At the collegiate level, Schafer served one season as an assistant men’s soccer coach at the University of Jamestown before being promoted to head men’s coach, leading the program for a year. His coaching strengths include training design, match preparation, opponent scouting, video analysis, recruiting, and comprehensive student-athlete support. Schafer graduated from the University of Jamestown with a degree in History Education and a minor in Political Science. Now entering his third season as a collegiate coach, he is excited to lead the CNCC women’s soccer program, building on the strong foundation already in place while continuing to develop a competitive, player-centered culture within Spartan Athletics.