Report: Fisch looking to hire Don Brown at Arizona
Per FootballScoop
I think a lot of us thought this might happen. Fisch is also supposedly targeting Jimmie Dougherty, who was an analyst at Michigan, and is now at UCLA, for a position.
A lot has been said about Brown’s recruiting, but this seems a good fit. Smaller DTs will not be as exposed in the PAC 12.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:25 PM ^
Meant to add but forgot, but perhaps this will save Michigan some money, if there was offset language in whatever buyout Brown had.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:04 PM ^
Coming soon to Arizona fan blogs:
”How about this New England to Arizona pipeline!”
”This is awesome! We got the #1 prospects out of Rhode Island and New Hampshire!”
December 28th, 2020 at 9:04 PM ^
Don Brown is a great coach if he has the horses. As long as someone can bring him talent he will do fine. If he is has primary responsibility for recruiting their defense it won’t go well (as we have seen at Michigan).
I wish DB all the best. Seems like a great guy who just had a deficient ability to bring in high caliber talent that is two deep.
December 28th, 2020 at 11:40 PM ^
I'm pretty sure I read that Brown did have offset language in his contract.
December 29th, 2020 at 7:50 PM ^
This year he had offsides language in his contract
December 28th, 2020 at 5:31 PM ^
Please, Lord, let this happen. I don’t ask for much.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:32 PM ^
That would be a great hire for Arizona. Recruiting might be a bit more of a stretch since AZ is further from New England. But compared to what they had before it would be an improvement.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:22 PM ^
You wouldn't have to do much to convince me to leave New England during the winter for the southwest. I was an idiot and did it in reverse, South during the summers and Michigan for the winter.
December 29th, 2020 at 11:58 AM ^
Doesn't the PAC-12 PREDOMINANTLY have spread teams with loads of crossing routes? You know, the weakness of "The Mustache"?
As a latent Arizona Wildcats (Football only) fan, I am not a fan of this hire (if true).
December 28th, 2020 at 5:35 PM ^
Brown’s moustache would be useful in preventing sunburns of his upper lip. Just another checkmark in the plus column for him.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:37 PM ^
Snowbird Don Brown shaves it within 48 hours as a symbolic break with the past.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:44 PM ^
There's no Ohio State in the PAC12. Glad that Don Brown landed somewhere rather quickly.
Good luck to them both.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:46 PM ^
Only team I could see having difficulty with in that regard is Utah, since they’ll be willing to do what Wisconsin does and just punishes you for having smaller dudes.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:53 PM ^
Perhaps, but Utah is no Wisconsin. They're a power running team, but nobody packs on the BEEF like Wisconsin. The Wisco interior linemen are all over 320 pounds. Utah doesn't have any starting linemen that big.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:52 PM ^
I wish Don Brown all the best. At some point, USC has to get its act together and become Death Star West but until that time, Don Brown and his dudes should do just fine in the Pac 12.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:58 PM ^
Clay Helton is still employed, so it may take a while. They hired an outsider as AD, which is a big deal for them, but I still don’t know what would happen if they made a coaching change, and whether they’d hire within the family.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:40 PM ^
Pac12 is definitely a step down in caliber of play. But still some Spread teams in there I see lighting him up with crossing routes
December 28th, 2020 at 6:49 PM ^
The Pac12 is a step down from what? Ohio State? Sure -- but so is the rest of the B10. The Pac12 is perennially underrated because a) it doesn't currently have a Final Four caliber team and b) media bias. But look at the Pac12's record against B10 teams. It's more or less equal, top to bottom, with most leagues.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:45 PM ^
Good for him. I wish him and Fisch the best of luck. Would be happy for Don Brown to get some redemption.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:28 PM ^
Definitely. Let’s not put Arizona on the schedule anytime soon though.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:46 PM ^
We all saw this coming. IIRC back in 2017 he was going to bring brown and partridge with him.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:47 PM ^
Brown's personal recruiting wasn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be. His issue was that nobody on the staff recruited defensive tackles for several years and he targeted too many corners who weren't a great fit for his system. There also isn't a death star team like Ohio State in the PAC-12 that will be elite at every position and able to brutally exploit his team's weaknesses.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:14 PM ^
Depends on to what degree he was directing the recruiting of the positions coaches. Was he telling DL coaches to focus on DEs and bulk them up instead of get actual DTs? Was that his preference?
As a DC, I feel like he should oversee what kind of recruits the position coaches are going after. If they’re bringing in guys that aren’t a fit for what Brown wants to do, that ultimately falls on Brown as well.
Brown’s personal recruiting failures can extend beyond the individuals he personally recruits. His job as a DC is predicated on getting the right guys to run his system. At some point, the bosses (and this goes for Harbaugh too) have to answer for the failures of their subordinates.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:29 PM ^
I wholeheartedly agree with this. I'm curious to see what type of defense he recruits at Arizona. The failures in recruiting on that side of the ball ultimately fall on him. I can kind of understand the over compensation for recruiting tall and lanky cb's when we were getting beat by slot fades but I will never understand the undersized d tackle recruiting.
December 29th, 2020 at 2:51 AM ^
Brown recruited small and quick DL who could not hold up against 300 + lineman of the B1G. I'm not sure why he recruited those tall and lanky DB who are not fast, You think he would want athletic and fast DBs given his system of man coverage. Best of luck to him. Sad he did not workout here Loved his 2016 and 2017 defenses but 2018 and 2019 getting blown out by OSU two consecutive seasons and his defense did not have answer.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:47 PM ^
The smaller DTs might not be exposed, but the PAC 12 is pretty pass-happy with good/fast receivers. So unless he has a good group of corners to work with, his primarily-man defense could be a problem.
Good luck to him if true. I've always liked Brown and I'm sorry it didn't work out here.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:50 PM ^
The PAC-12 doesn't play defense anyway so he will be a good fit.
December 28th, 2020 at 7:05 PM ^
You had better warn Fisch that Brown isn't a good DC.
December 28th, 2020 at 5:52 PM ^
Five of the past six years (including the Boston College team that won zero conference games), he has fielded at least a top-twenty (and often higher) defense by just about every possible statistic. I hope he and Fisch do well.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:07 PM ^
December 28th, 2020 at 5:53 PM ^
A thought though. Could Don flip any current players at UM, or recruits?
December 28th, 2020 at 5:59 PM ^
Maybe junior Colson.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:00 PM ^
Maybe a long term backup type (not saying it’s likely, but someone like German Green comes to mind). I doubt anyone who’d be in line to start.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:02 PM ^
Perhaps Colson? He seemed annoyed by his departure. I will also say, until Michigan figures out what the hell the situation is with Harbaugh and also we get a defensive coordinator, there is always a chance for defections.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:05 PM ^
Good question. This is always a problem with changes. I would guess it mostly depends on who we hire as DC, what position coaches the new DC keeps, and/or whether he takes any of the position coaches with him.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:09 PM ^
Vincent Gray?
December 28th, 2020 at 5:57 PM ^
That would be a good hire for Fisch at Arizona. Brown is still a really good coach and I think he'd be able to field some good defenses with the Wildcats. Wish him luck.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:07 PM ^
I'm told the southwest is a helluva place to retire.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:08 PM ^
Brown will immediately begin scouring Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas for prospects.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:15 PM ^
South Dakota produces a river of defensive tackles every year. Put Don Brown on the case and it will be a golden pipeline to Tucson.
/s
December 28th, 2020 at 7:48 PM ^
"Brown will immediately begin scouring Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas for prospects."
+1, best underrated comment of the day
December 28th, 2020 at 6:10 PM ^
So if Jedd does well at Arizona and somehow becomes the next Michigan coach, he brings Don Brown back with him?
December 28th, 2020 at 6:18 PM ^
Fisch would probably have to be the guy after the next guy, unless he wins a PAC 12 title in year one and in dominant fashion. Given Brown’s age, I’d doubt it.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:15 PM ^
I wish them both every success. Since 2007, Michigan has cycled through quite a lot of coaching talent. Don Brown was probably the best coordinator of that period (if you consider RR an HC as you should).
December 28th, 2020 at 6:18 PM ^
This will last for about a week until Harbaugh calls Fisch to be his OC of the Chargers
December 28th, 2020 at 6:19 PM ^
I did not like how long it took young players to see the field and how difficult it was for us to be the slightest bit multiple, but Don Brown did deliver some excellent defenses in the aggregate over the years. Smart move by Fisch, if true.
December 28th, 2020 at 8:03 PM ^
I think you mean “Good shit, Jedd.”
December 28th, 2020 at 6:28 PM ^
Class guy I wish him the best. Michigan’s problems are much more then Don, our problems are controlled by one guy the leader of this team and he has let this team down, if he’s (still) as competitive as he used to be he’ll take it as motivation and fix it. Color me skeptical.
December 28th, 2020 at 6:33 PM ^
Fisch will be the next coach at UofM. He will get great experience at Arizona first
December 28th, 2020 at 6:43 PM ^
Yeesh, I can't wait for Fisch to go 9-4, get hyped up and have everyone wanting him after we go 10-3....