Now in his fifth season as a William Paterson assistant coach, Chadd Braine will again serve as the Pioneers’ defensive coordinator and academic coordinator in 2012, and will coach the linebackers for a second straight year after working with the cornerbacks from 2008-09.
Under Braine’s leadership, WP was sixth in Division III in pass defense (129.70 yards/game) during the 2011 season as four Pioneers were named to the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) All-Defensive Team, including all-region defensive lineman Damian DiIorio and all-NJAC linebackers Jim Hamill and John Garbowski.
The Pioneer defensive unit continued to make strides in 2010, finishing third in Division III in pass defense (115.3 yards/game), 26th in total defense (268.8 yards/game) and 27th in pass efficiency defense (96.5 yards/game). Four Pioneers were all-conference honorees, including D3football.com first-team all-American cornerback Leer Biddle.
Braine’s impact on the defensive side of the ball was felt almost immediately as four Pioneers earned 2008 all-conference accolades, including NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Year Doug Dudek. In 2009, William Paterson was second in the league in pass defense (135.4 yards/game) and third in total defense (252.8 yards/game), as six student-athletes were again recognized with spots on the All-NJAC Defensive Team.
Prior to joining the Pioneers, Braine served as the Northern Michigan University defensive coordinator and secondary coach for two seasons (2006-07). In addition, he was the Wildcats’ academic and travel coordinator, and developed the program’s youth and speed camps. Prior to his stint at NMU, he was the linebackers, defensive line and special teams coach at Michigan Technological University (2004-05), helping to lead the Huskies to their first conference championship. Braine worked with the defensive backs at the University of South Dakota during the 2003 season, was the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Ferrum College from 2000-03, and worked with the secondary at his alma mater, East Stroudsburg University, from 1998-2000.
A four-year letterwinner for the Warriors in both football and track and field, Braine was a second-team all-division selection at cornerback in 1997, and was an all-conference honoree in the 55 and 100 meters while establishing the school record in the 100.
A native of New Holland, Pa., Braine earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education teacher certification at East Stroudsburg in 1999. He completed a master’s in health and physical education, with a concentration in management, at the same school in 2001.