Men's Track and Field
- Title:
- Assistant Coach - Cross Country/Distance/Pole Vault
- Email:
- berkowitzb@ecu.edu
- Phone:
- (252) 737-1418
An East Carolina University alumnae and a former track and field standout for the Pirates from 2003-2007, Brie Berkowitz enters her ninth season as an assistant coach at ECU after joining the staff in August 2012. Berkowitz supervises the pole vaulters, as well as assists in all aspects of the track and field program.
In 2018, Berkowitz mentored freshman Sommer Knight who became the first female pole vaulter in program history to clear 13 feet. Knight also set the indoor (3.99m) and outdoor (4.20m) school records while qualifying for the NCAA East Preliminary and capturing a pair of third-place finishes at the American Athletic Conference Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Additionally, Knight qualified for the USA Junior National Championships where she set a lifetime-best mark of 4.20 meters (13-09.25 feet) for a fourth-place finish. In 2020, Knight earned all-league accolades at the AAC Indoor Championships following a third-place result.Â
Berkowitz has been part of two conference championship teams at ECU, helping the Pirate women to the 2014 Conference USA indoor and outdoor titles.Â
In 2017, Berkowitz helped coach Adell Remsberg to a sixth-place finish in the pole vault at the American Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships with a personal-record of 3.79 meters.Â
In 2013, Berkowitz coached Brooke Kott to All-Conference USA First Team honors after she finished in seventh place overall at the league's 5K championship meet in Denton, Texas.
A two-time team captain for ECU's track and field team, Berkowitz competed in the 400-meter hurdles and the pole vault. In fact, Berkowitz and her relay team of Lindsay Dolan, Lanaire Lindo, and Jaslyn Grullon still hold the ECU record of 1:01.59 set in 2007 at the Florida Relays in the 100-meter shuttle relays.
Prior to her return to ECU, Berkowitz worked at the University of Miami as the travel and events coordinator in the Hurricane athletic department. She also had stints working for the Miami Heat and Florida Panthers in their respective sales departments.
Berkowitz could not be happier to return to her alma mater, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education and a master's degree in sport management. While pursuing her graduate degree, the York, Pa., native worked as a graduate assistant in academics and as a volunteer coach with the track and field squad. Berkowitz feels she has the ability to relate to student-athletes and help them excel and reach their full potential. In 2007, she was named the winner of the NCAA Division I Sportsmanship Award for Conference USA.Â
Her father, Marvin Berkowtiz, is a cross country/track and field coach at Redlion Area Senior High School in Pennsylvania. The elder Berkowitz is a former Penn State weightlifter, while Berkowitz's mother, Darla, ran cross country at York College (Pa.).
