Report: Michigan hires defensive coordinator of nation's top unit
There weren’t many teams that were better defensively than Michigan was in 2015.
To be exact, three teams finished ahead of the Wolverines in total defense. In order, those teams were Boston College, Alabama and Wisconsin. Naturally, all of their coordinators were top targets for other jobs, including Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who took the head position at Maryland.
So Michigan elected to keep it within the top four. Actually, Michigan elected to keep it within the top one.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Thayer Evans, the Wolverines locked down Boston College defensive coordinator Don Brown to take over the position.
Boston College DC Don Brown will be Michigan's new DC per source.
— Thayer Evans (@ThayerEvansCR) December 20, 2015
Brown led the top-ranked unit in the country in 2015, which allowed just 254 yards per contest. His success at BC earned him the American Football Coaches Association’s Assistant Coach of the Year Award.
The 60-year-old Brown has deep-rooted ties on the East Coast. He has 33 years of experience in the region, including stops at Maryland and UConn.
Brown would add a wealth of experience to a unit that saw plenty of success in 2015. The Wolverines ranked third in FBS against the pass and allowed just 17 points per game.
The Wolverines were reportedly in the market to land former Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, but he took the Alabama DC opening instead.
Brown is not expected to coach the Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl against Florida on Jan. 1. That position will be manned by linebackers coach Greg Mattison.
The team will likely have an official release on the news in the coming days.