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College Football

David Braun named Northwestern interim head coach; releases statement

Andrew Olson

By Andrew Olson

Published:


David Braun is Northwestern’s interim head football coach for the 2023 football season. Braun’s elevated role was made official by the program on Friday.

Braun was hired as defensive coordinator on Pat Fitzgerald’s staff in January. After Fitzgerald’s firing, Braun was the team’s acting head coach before being formally named interim head coach.

“The opportunity to lead this team at this crucial moment in its history is not something I take lightly, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by (athletic director) Dr. Derrick Gragg and Northwestern leadership,” Braun said in a program release. “Our focus today and every day moving forward is on supporting these men, many of whom have only been on campus for several weeks, in their preparation for the 2023 football season and the 2023-24 academic year.”

Braun will be in the spotlight on July 26 when Northwestern appears at B1G Media Days in Indianapolis.

David Braun’s background

The 2023 season will be Braun’s first as a head coach and his first coaching at the Power 5 level. He made a name for himself in the FCS ranks.

Prior to his arrival in Evanston, Braun was the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at North Dakota State from 2019-to-2022. Braun helped lead North Dakota State to FCS national championships in 2019 and 2021. In both of the championship seasons, the Bison finished as the top-ranked scoring defense in the FCS.

In 2021, Braun was recognized as the FCS Coordinator of the Year. That season, the Bison limited opponents to an MVFC record 11.1 points per game, ranked third nationally in total defense (264.7 yards per game) and 3rd-down conversion defense (26.8%), fifth in red zone defense (68%) and sixth in rushing defense (87.6 yards per game).

Braun has been in coaching as an assistant since 2008, getting his start at Winona State as a grad assistant. His other stops include Culver-Stockton, UC Davis and Northern Iowa.

Earlier this week, Northwestern announced that all assistant coaches are being retained.

Featured image via Northwestern Athletics on YouTube

Andrew Olson

A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.