Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Football tradition is held in high regard around these parts and Northwestern Oklahoma State Football coach, Lee Brower had a big part in starting and continuing that tradition.

For two seasons, Coach Brower was the Offensive Coordinator and saw the offense make great strides under his direction. The offensive unit helped lead the team to a 7-3 record during his second season and a 3-1 conference record.

Brower’s teams were forces to be reckoned with as he had five seasons of winning records, including two playoff appearances, the first two in school history.

In just his second season, the Rangers were extremely successful, going 7-3 on the year and taking the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference, leading to the first ever conference championship for Northwestern.

One of Brower’s favorite memories was listening to the excitement of his players in the locker room after which they were able to take home their first conference title in 1986, and the fact that it was against arch rival Southwestern Oklahoma State made it that much sweeter.

1987 was another big year for the Ranger Football program as they were 7-4 overall throughout the regular season, going 5-0 at home, leading them to the school’s first ever playoff appearance against Central Arkansas in the Round of 16.

The Rangers were ranked throughout the entire season, and made it to as high as No. 10 throughout the season. Brower’s team also beat the Bulldogs for the third straight season to end the regular season schedule.

1988 was a tough one for the team, but in 1989, the Rangers came alive again and had one of the best seasons in Northwestern history to date as they again were OIC champions and made the playoffs for the second time in three seasons under Brower.

The 1989 season wasn’t just a big one for the program, but also Brower himself as the team’s success led to the honor of OIC Coach of the Year, one of the first such honors for a coach in Northwestern history.

1991 marked the third straight season for the Rangers to have a winning record and was the fourth time in five seasons. Going into the final game of the year, Northwestern was rolling as they were a superb 8-1, with the only loss coming to Adams State who was No. 20 in the country at the time. Unfortunately for the Rangers, they ran into a hot Northeastern State team who was No. 1 in NAIA, who handed the Black-and-Red their first conference loss of the season, putting them in second overall in the OIC.

Brower finished his Northwestern coaching career with a 47-44 overall record after the 1994 season where he had five winning seasons, two playoff appearances, two conference titles, a Coach of the Year honor and a 6-3 record over the Southwestern Bulldogs during his time at the helm.

Before arriving to Northwestern, the Laverne, Okla. native took his playing talents to Southwestern Oklahoma State where he was a three-year starter at Free Safety and an All-OIC selection in 1968. He still holds a record for the Bulldogs that just may stand the test of time where he picked off the Sam Houston State QB four times in a single game in ’68. In his final game as a Bulldog, he intercepted three more passes, this time against Eastern New Mexico.

Brower earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education at SWOSU in 1969 after which he traveled to Central Oklahoma where he received his Master’s degree in Secondary Administration in 1981.

Coach Brower is now retired and resides in Piedmont, Okla. with his wife, Cindy. They have two children in Jeff and Michelle Brower.