Don Brown Bolts BC for Michigan

By Anthony Iati

Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh has reached over to the East Coast and hired a new defensive coordinator for his staff. Now ex-Boston College defensive coordinator Don Brown will head to Ann Arbor and join a Michigan team that went 9-3 in 2015 and will face Florida in the Citrus Bowl.

Brown, 60, served three impressive years as the head of BC’s defense. His resume thus far includes 34 years of coaching experience, 19 as a defensive coordinator. His tenure on The Heights was highlighted by a No. 1 finish in total defense for his Eagles, despite a 3-9 campaign. With Brown at the helm, the Eagles led the FBS by allowing an average of 254 yards per game this past season. BC held opponents to 83 rushing yards per game and slightly more than 170 passing yards per game. Brown deployed an aggressive, attacking scheme to confuse opposing quarterbacks.

The defensive coordinator job opened at Michigan when DJ Durkin departed the Wolverines to accept the head coaching job at the University of Maryland. The jump to the Big Ten represents a step up for Brown, as he will have to scheme against the likes of Urban Meyer’s Ohio State Buckeyes, Mark D’Antonio’s Michigan State Spartans, and Kirk Ferentz’s Iowa Hawkeyes.

On the heels of Friday’s good news regarding BC’s new quarterback, this is a tough blow for Steve Addazio’s program. The search for Brown’s replacement is likely to include both internal and external candidates. Whomever is hired will have to lean on a solid culture set by Brown, as well as on a healthy stable of talent in returning starters Matt Milano, Connor Strachan, Kevin Kavalec, and Truman Gutapfel. Best of luck to Don Brown in his new role.