Michigan Football Hires Don Brown: The Pros and Cons
By Jay Meade
Michigan football seemingly made a good hire with Don Brown, but I’ll let you weigh the pros and cons.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not sold on the Don Brown pickup for the defensive coordinator opening.
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Now don’t get me wrong, he is definitely a good coach. His Boston College defense led all of college football this year in overall defense. That’s a very impressive feat, no matter the conference or strength of schedule.
There are a few reasons that I’m not entirely sold on Brown; all of these can be swayed with the exception of one.
Michigan held onto the claim of being one of the best defenses in the nation this year. Finishing at No. 4 in the nation, Michigan just didn’t look the same in the latter half of the season.
Is Durkin to blame for that? Yes and no. Durkin was the game planner and play caller, so that’s where some of the decline is to be pointed. On the other hand, over playing Jabrill Peppers—a Harbaugh choice—and lack of effort by many players on the defensive side of the ball are some reasons why you can’t point the finger at Durkin.
This Michigan team posted a very quick turnaround to many people’s surprise, but not mine. I pretty much called for a nine- or 10-win season. I knew the cupboards weren’t bare, and that’s going to be a definite benefit for Brown going into next season.
Now let’s talk some good about the Brown situation.
Brown is coming into his Michigan gig with both teams finishing as top-five defenses. Brown is a linebackers coach, which is where I believe Michigan needs the most help on the defensive side of the ball. Consider this year a huge disappointment for a couple of players on the defense, but especially for Joe Bolden.
Bolden was to fill the shoes of Jake Ryan, and while Bolden was a solid player, he was not dominant. Michigan needed him to be dominant. The entire linebacking core needed to be dominant and they simply weren’t.
With Brown working the linebackers, this could be a very solid upgrade for the team.
Brown has had a pretty good amount of defensive success wherever he has been; that’s another plus for him. He will be coming to a very good setup in Michigan where pretty much all of the pieces are already set in place.
On the downside there a couple double edged swords with his pros and cons. Though he has had defensive success, he seems a bit unstable.
In his 33 years as a coach it would seem he has never truly found a home, working with 11 different teams. Michigan is going to need stability, and maybe Brown is looking for a home, but as of right now, his team stability issues are a big concern of mine.
Another concern of mine is the conference he was in with Boston College. Yes, it is true that being the No. 1 defense is impressive no matter what, but it’s not like he had to play two top-10 teams in one season. The Big Ten is a very different ball game, I mean we’re talking about the best conference in college football. (Yeah, I said it.)
My biggest and final concern is that I am not sure that Michigan will be able to retain Greg Mattison much longer. I strongly believe that Mattison was the best available defensive coordinator, but that’s just my opinion, and who am I? Mattison will stay on the roster for now, but if he keeps getting passed on, knowing his prestige as a coach, I don’t see him staying with this team too much longer, regardless of his loyalties.
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Mattison had success in his years at the defensive coordinator position, and I’m not entirely sure why he wasn’t given a closer look. Maybe it was his choice, but not likely.