Exit: Don Brown
Per Bruce Feldman, Michigan has fired defensive coordinator Don Brown:
SOURCE: #Michigan has dismissed defensive coordinator Don Brown.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 22, 2020
Brown came to Michigan after a successful tenure as defensive coordinator for Boston College in December 2015 to replace DJ Durkin. His first season went well, as Michigan posted one of the NCAA's top defenses and "Dr. Blitz" made his mark in the maize and blue. Brown's defenses posted elite SP+ numbers up until, well, you know what date in 2018. Suffering from heavy attrition in 2019, the defense regressed but still put up solid stats as a unit. This season, though, the bottom simply fell out and Michigan ranks 56th in yards per play allowed.
For all the great defensive players Brown coached in his time in Ann Arbor, his memory to most Michigan fans will probably be his inability to adjust to Ohio State's mesh concepts and athletic skill position players in 2018-19, as well as recruiting failures that sunk this year's team. That fateful day in November 2018 triggered this slow fall and frankly, it's been a long time coming. After his cornerback room was ruthlessly exposed by MSU on Halloween, the end was clearly near and today it arrived. The situation with Jim Harbaugh's contract is still yet to be resolved, but regardless of who is the head football coach next year, Michigan football will be searching for a new defensive coordinator. There is no content after the jump.
December 23rd, 2020 at 10:10 PM ^
Yea, but he’s 65 so he’ll probably retire.
December 23rd, 2020 at 10:47 AM ^
For a few years, Don Brown's defenses were Superman. The problem is, Indiana and Ohio State gave everyone kryptonite. It was the right call to let him go.
December 23rd, 2020 at 2:16 PM ^
✌✌ Bye
December 23rd, 2020 at 5:40 PM ^
This is the most idiotic coaching dismissal this season.
He's had great results against teams that were in the same league talent-wise, and had not so great results at teams with much better players. Shocker.
Except this stupid abortion of a season, which shouldn't count against anyone, except for abuse or cheating.
Who the fuck do they think they are going to hire that will do any better?
Even my University of Washington buddy was like, "What the hell are they doing?"
December 23rd, 2020 at 7:20 PM ^
You serious? Our D has been steadily declining and was total dogshit this year. Fucking Michigan state lit us up.
December 23rd, 2020 at 7:03 PM ^
Fuck college football. Whole sport sucks when a guy like Don Brown gets fired. Losing interest in this shit and NFL is the only football to watch.
December 23rd, 2020 at 7:51 PM ^
College football is rigged by a shit bunch of cheaters. The NFL is pure football - draft and contracts renders a competitive outcome.
College football is a cluster fuck.
December 24th, 2020 at 1:05 PM ^
Not sure why you are getting negged. This is a true statement.
top 4 is the same basically every year and it won’t change until they expand the playoffs or blow it up again. It’s becoming just the same movie over and over again.
What pisses me off the most this year is that in a fuckin pandemic year you aren’t going to give Cincinnati or Coastal Carolina a shot at all? The two only undefeated teams in the country? Oh ok put in a 2 loss ND team and another team that has only played 6 games. So ND and OSU have more talent than those two teams...Of course, but to not do this in 2020 just cements the fact that nothing will ever change in this current stupid system we have right now.
ive watched more NFL this year than any year because of what you listed above. All level playing field, up to the GM and coach to get it done. You don’t, see yeah sucker.
and to your other posts above and below ....do i like the firing , no good dude, But it needed to happen because DB couldn’t recruit at all. And that just can’t happen here. I’m not defending JH at all, but it did have to happen in the end with Jim here or someone knew.
December 23rd, 2020 at 8:54 PM ^
The more I sit on this firing of DB the less I like it. Harbaugh using DB as s scapegoat is a fucking chicken-shit move. Harbaugh has lost my support forever.
December 23rd, 2020 at 9:29 PM ^
This is a chicken-shit move as I sleep on this firing. The offense has been dog shit for most of Harbaugh’s years. Making Don Brown the scapegoat for one bad year in a pandemic is so fucking lame. Both Warde Manuel and Jim Harbaugh need to resign as self-serving fucks.
December 23rd, 2020 at 11:59 PM ^
Shuffle those deck chairs Jim!
I don't give a shit if Brown stays or goes. His system works if the players are talented enough, but they haven't been in a while, nor will they be any time soon.
Still won t matter though because Harbaugh can't coach his way out of a wet paper bag anymore.
This is a PR job-saving attempt by Jim.
Won't help in the long run until the entire staff if new blood.
December 24th, 2020 at 5:56 AM ^
This needed to happen, but I take no joy in it. Brown seems like a legit good guy and it's unfortunate that it came to this.
December 24th, 2020 at 12:54 PM ^
Coach Brown’s defenses gradually went from very good to bad. This was an unfortunate but needed change.
Go Blue!
December 24th, 2020 at 2:01 PM ^
Thanks for 2016. That was fun.
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