Claflin's Brownlee to be Inducted into South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame
COLUMBIA, SC - Former Claflin University women's basketball coach Nelson Brownlee has been selected for induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. After a stellar career as one of the most successful women's basketball coaches in history, Brownlee will take his rightful place as among the greatest athletes, coaches, and administrators in the history of South Carolina.
Brownlee earned his place in the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame after an unparalleled career as the head coach of the Claflin Pantherettes. He led the Claflin women's basketball program for 27 years (1974-2001) where he won more than 600 games, and he remains one of the winningest coaches in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). While leading the Pantherettes, Brownlee led the team to 12 NAIA national championship tournament appearances and a pair of national championship runners-up finishes. Under his guidance Claflin won seven NAIA District 6 championships, 17 Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) championships, and six Southeastern Athletic Conference (SEAC) championships.
His induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame was far from the first honor for Brownlee. He earned numerous Coach of the Year accolades and he was twice named the Converse National Coach of the Year. In addition earning honors himself, Brownlee has helped several of his players earn honors, including numerous All-American honorees and the two-time NAIA National Player of the Year, Miriam Walker-Samuels.
Brownlee began his coaching career in 1958 at Mount Vernon High School in Mount Vernon, Georgia. He later coached 14 years at Wilkinson High School in Orangeburg, South Carolina and an additional two more years at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School after the merger.
Coach Brownlee passed away in 2003. He was posthumously inducted into the Claflin University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Brownlee's induction will take place at the 2025 South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Banquet. The event will take place at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on Monday, May 19th. He will be among 10 inductees into the 2025 class. The individuals will be forever enshrined with the state's highest athletic honor.
The SCAHOF Banquet is the largest annual celebration of Palmetto State sports stars under one roof. The traditional introduction of past inductees, the "Walk of Legends", is one of the event's highlights. The banquet, which will include a reception and dinner, is set to begin at 5:30 p.m. Tables of eight may be purchased online at
https://scahof.org/banquet
For more information on Claflin University athletics, contact the Claflin University Office of Athletics Media Relations at (803) 535-5548 or log on to
www.athletics.claflin.edu
