Holy Cross Athletics

Recruiting Areas: Western Massachusetts, Georgia, Southeastern Florida, Northeastern/Central Florida

Valdamar Brower joined the Holy Cross football staff as the program’s defensive line coach in 2024. 

In his first season with the Crusaders, Brower helped Holy Cross earn a share of its sixth consecutive Patriot League Championship, with Holy Cross posting a 5-1 record in conference play.

Brower spent the previous two seasons as the defensive line coach at his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts, after an impressive stint developing one of the most elite high school programs in the Commonwealth over more than a decade.

In his first season back with the Minutemen in 2022, Brower helped the UMass defense move from 130th to 55th in FBS and saw defensive end Marcus Cushnie (second team) named to Phil Steele's 2022 Postseason All-Independent Conference Team.

A former UMass football All-American, Brower returned to Amherst after serving as the Springfield Central High School head coach since 2008, after working on the staff since 2005.

Under Brower’s tutelage, Central became one of the most dominant and successful high school programs in Massachusetts, winning three consecutive state championships while also developing numerous high-level Division I student-athletes. 

Central’s first state crown came in the Division III state championship against Tewskbury in 2018, followed by a Div. III title victory against Duxbury in 2019. He also guided Central through a successful move to the Division I classification, with Central defeating Central Catholic in the title game for the 2021 state crown. 

Brower was a star defensive lineman for the Minutemen from 1999 to 2003. He still holds the program career records for tackles for loss (63.0), yards from tackles for loss (250), quarterback hurries (40) and blocked kicks (6). He earned All-America honors in 2001 and 2002 in addition to being a three-time All-Atlantic 10 honoree. 

BROWER’S COACHING CAREER
2024- | Holy Cross (Defensive Line)
2022-23 | Massachusetts (Defensive Line)
2008-21 | Central High School (Springfield, Mass.) (Head Coach)
2005-07 | Central High School (Springfield, Mass.) (Assistant Coach)