Gregg Braun enters his eighth year as JJC's Director of Athletics and Head Baseball Coach and his 19th year serving the JJC Athletic Department. Prior to being named Athletic Director, Braun served as the Associate Head Baseball Coach for 11 years as well as working as a Student-Athlete Retention Specialist in the Athletics Department.
Since becoming Director of Athletics at Joliet Junior College, Braun has grown the Athletic Department at it's opportunities for student athletes. Braun took over leadership in 2019, and since then, the Wolves Athletic Department has gone from 10 to19 sports programs competing at the NJCAA DIII level. Under Braun's supervision, JJC has added Men/Women Track & Field, Competitive Cheerleading, Men/Women Golf, Men/Women Bowling and Women's Wrestling to the Wolves Athletic Department. In June of 2026, Joliet Junior College Athletics was awarded 2nd place in the Daktronics Ron Case Directors Cup which recognizes excellence in two-year college athletics based on success in championship competition across all sports. This was the 2nd straight year for the Wolves to be named 2nd in the country in the Cup. Gregg Braun has been blessed to see much success from the sports here at JJC, with three National Championships (2020 Women & 2021 Men Cross Country, 2025 Women Golf), Three National Runner-Ups (Men & Women Cross Country, Competitive Cheerleading), Five 3rd Place finishes (Women & Men Cross Country, Women & Men Track, 2026 Softball), Two 4th place finish (Women XC & Track & Softball), one 5th Place (2024 Men Soccer), One 6th Place (Men's Basketball ), Three 7th place (Men's Basketball, Baseball, Men Wrestling), Three 8th Place (Men's Wrestling, Men Bowling, 2025 Men Soccer) and two 9th place (Men track & Women Wrestling). Along with the team honors, the Wolves have also had seven individual National Champions since 2019.
On the coaching side, Braun enters his 8th season as head coach, but due to the 2020 pandemic, it is just his 7th full season guiding the Wolves. In 2020, Coach Braun's first season ended after 14 games due to the season being canceled. In 2021, Braun led the Wolves to a 25-34 record and a Region IV Runner-Up finish. The 2022 season saw the Wolves finish 36-22 and a national ranking as high as #8. The Wolves also won the 2022 N4C Conference Championship for the first time since 2010. Braun was named the N4C Conference Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.
The 2023 season was the most successful season for the Wolves baseball program under Braun. The Wolves compiled a 39-25 record and claimed their first NJCAA Region 4 Championship since 2015. After winning the Regional, the Wolves then won the Great Lakes District and earned a spot in the NJCAA Div. III World Series in Greeneville, TN. The Wolves finished 7th in the country at the World Series. Braun was honored as the Region 4 and Great Lakes District Coach of the Year. He was also recognized as the ABCA Regional Coach of the Year for the Wolves success. During the 2023 season, Braun also reached the Century Club with his 100th win of his career. The 2025 season saw Caoch Braun reach career win #150 as the Wolves finished with an overall record of 32-27 and NJCAA DIII Region 4 Runners Up. In the past 7 years under Braun, the Wolves have sent 70 players to move on and compete at 4 year college or university. Along with that, during Braun's tenure; The Wolves have produced 7 NJCAA DIII All-Americans, 3 NJCAA DIII Region 4 Players of the Year and
32 NJCAA DIII Region 4 All-Region honorees. Along with that, the Wolves have had three individual players receive the Rawlings Gold Glove award under Braun's leadership. Since the Spring of 2020, 73 players from Coach Braun's program have moved on to 4 year colleges and universities to continue their athletic and academic careers.
Off the fields and courts, Braun has made it a mission to increase the visibility of JJC Athletics within the community. Gregg's commitment to bringing the "campus to the community" and the "community to the campus" has begun to show major influence within the campus of JJC and the Chicagoland area. On February 26, 2024, Braun was proud to introduce a new formal partnership between The Greater Joliet Area YMCA and JJC Athletics - with that, the "Junior Wolves" youth sports program was introduced as well. Through this partnership, JJC and the YMCA will continue to expand youth sports, mentorship, and community programs on JJC's main campus. These programs will include year-round youth sports leagues and camps, offered as part of YMCA Junior Wolves, where youth will have the opportunity to train with JJC athletes and coaches and YMCA staff. Another initiative is the newly launched Paws on the Street program, which brings JJC student-athletes into schools and the YMCA’s after-school Kid Zone program to mentor and inspire younger students. Also, the YMCA Junior Wolves NFL flag football league, supported in part by a partnership with the Chicago Bears, will be hosted at JJC, giving local youth access to high-quality training and facilities.
In the summer of 2026, this partnership received state-wide recognition as the JJC Junior Wolves and the YMCA were awarded as a finalist for the 2026 Illinois Governor's Hometown Award. This recognition highlights innovative collaborations that strengthen communities through service, volunteerism and community engagement.
October 2026 brought more honors to Braun and the JJC Athletic Department's commitment to community engagement. JJC Athletics received the 2026 Excellence in Innovation Award: College Athletics from Insight Into Academia magazine, the nation’s longest-running publication advancing best practices in higher education. This new honor celebrates colleges and universities shaping the future of intercollegiate athletics through forward-thinking programs, initiatives, operations, and partnerships. JJC Athletics was recognized for the area of innovation for their community engagement
Braun also serves as the NJCAA Region 4 Division 3 Baseball Chairmam and is a member of the NJCAA DIII Men's Soccer National Committee. He also assists with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter in Chicagoland.
In the past at JJC, as an assistant coach, Braun helped to guide the 2012 Wolves baseball team to an NJCAA Division III National Championship in Tyler, TX. JJC finished that season with a 37-29 overall record. In addition, he helped to lead JJC to a national runner-up (2015), a 6th place finish (2011), and a 4th place finish (2009) at the NJCAA Division III World Series.
Before JJC, Braun spent two years as the assistant varsity baseball coach at his alma mater, Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, where he coached under former longtime JJC assistant baseball coach Mark Smith. Braun also coached football at Providence, coaching the secondary on the sophomore level. Prior to coaching at Providence, he spent one year at Romeoville High School as an assistant varsity baseball coach and one year at Lemont High School as a freshman assistant coach.
As a student at Providence, Braun was an all-area catcher on the baseball field and played free safety on the gridiron. He helped lead the Celtics to the final two of four straight IHSA State Championships in football in 1996 and 1997. He then continued his football career at Butler University in Indianapolis, IN, where he lettered for the Bulldogs in 2000 and 2001, playing free safety for them as well. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunication Arts with a minor in Journalism. He received his master's degree in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Gregg and his wife, Kate, have two beautiful boys - who happened to be the Wolves absolute biggest fans!
Braun's Season Records at JJC
2020: 6-8 (season canceled due to COVID-19)
2021: 25-34 *NJCAA Region 4 Runner-Up
2022: 36-22 *N4C Conference Champions
2023: 39-25 *Region 4 Champions/Great Lakes District Champions/NJCAA Div III World Series - 7th Place
2024: 24-31
2025: 32-27 *NJCAA Region 4 Runner-Up
2026: 22-34
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Overall Record: 184-181
