Sunday, December 20, 2015

Report: Don Brown to Michigan


SI's Thayer Evans reported that Michigan hired Don Brown as their new Defensive Coordinator. There had been plenty of Brown to Michigan gossip on BC message boards the past few days, but I didn't think it had legs. Congrats to Brown, if true. He just put together one of the best Boston College Defenses in the school's history.

If this report is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), then Addazio has a enormous hole to fill. Brown was a special fit. Here was a long-time New England guy who found local talent and knew exactly what kind of defensive talent he wanted to recruit. This allowed some low-ranked recruits to blossom.

Addazio now has a decision to make. There are plenty of good defensive coaches, but does he hire a Brown disciple or does he hire a DC who wants to change schemes? It is going to be an interesting few weeks.

35 comments:

campy said...

Gloom. Doom.

Big Ern said...

Adios Dude. Great job here. You will be missed.

Knucklehead said...

Al Washington

Guido said...

If this true ??? - forget about replacements !!! The issue is the lack of any "Brains" in this Administration. Brad - question ?? After Don Brown won two prestigious honors and was in line for National recognition for the Broyles award as top assistant in the country - Did you immediately call him into your office and talk $$$$ - I doubt it because you probably blew your budget on renewing Addazio's contract. In addition , Brad , you were probably busy at work lining up another strong OOC program. Now that I think of it ,Brad , you are probably on your way to Michigan also. WE belong in the Patriot League. My 2 season tickets will not be renewed not that anyone cares at the Heights !!!!!

ccw said...

Brown was special. This is a freaking disaster for a program that's teetering on irrelevance again.

CT said...

Calm down. It's s step up. Congrats.

blist said...

Maybe this is sour grapes, but I hope brown fails terribly at Michigan.

Guido said...

CT - it is a step up , of course !!! And as a fan , I am happy for him. But , CT , if you are trying to build a contending ACC football program , you need to retain talent. AND CT , he has proven that he is a talented football guy. I am very calm , but I will let YOU and your friends watch this inept Administration and football going forward. Do you even have a season football ticket ?? SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY and THAT IS WHAT WILL BE SERVED TO YOU !!!!!

Kash86 said...

Brown won't fail at UM. When he finally got away from college football hell (yukon) and to an actual place with talent, look what he was able to do (#1 defense in the country). Now you put him at UM, where the talent level takes another step, he is going to be successful

EDawgBC07 said...

I'd like to see Mike London get a look to replace Brown... not successful as a head coach at UVA but was good as a defensive coordinator and an ace recruiter.

tinplate1925 said...

Bates should fire the Dazzler

oops!

I mean Father Leahy should fire Bates.

oops!

I mean Pope Francis should fire Fr. Leahy

oops! we're screwed for the foreseeable future with this group of morons whose IQ is probably no more than a combined 10

eddierock said...

Can't help but wonder if Daz had pulled he trigger on Fitch...

The Boston Series said...

Happy for Brown - it must have been torture for his this year. Imagine being such a good coach surrounded by so much mediocrity? Good luck to him and now you can expect Michigan to be really, really good.

BC is the loser. They should have moved heaven and earth to keep him. But he probably knows that being on a losing team no matter how good he is can only be a dead end. The question now is what coach thinking of a future would want to come to BC.

dixieagle said...

I had wondered if, given the phenomenally crappy and infuriating season we just endured, it would be possible to retain Brown. I should have known; we can't ever keep nice things.

If Addazio doesn't come up with someone decent (and my level of confidence in him is pretty low) I will not be responsible for my actions.

I wonder if we'll see D players transfer out of the program because of this.

Knucklehead said...

Don Brown has been around for decades. He is a really good coach but this year was special, He had Wujack(4-5 years NFL), Abedisma(spelling 5-6 years), Gutapel, Landry(NFL), Strahan(NFL), Daniels(NFL) and a nice stable of DB's. Addazio and Washington close the deal recruiting-wise so Brown is not completely responsible for the success of the D. He calls the plays and schemes the matchups but the talent on the field is closed by others for the most part. Finding someone with a similar scheme will keep things moving along. That being said, I would rather have Brown on account of his success, local ties and for the sake of continuity.

Michigan is a complete fucking mess. Anyone coaching for Harbaugh better be able to deal with meddling, bullshit and demand for instantaneous success. I am not sure Brown can handle someone in his face nor do I see Harbaugh giving Brown carte blanche. Brown will be gone in 12 months if he doesn't turn it around quick. It makes sense to go to a higher profile program but Boston College has a better defense and defensive talent than Michigan does even now. I really believe that Michigan offered Brown a lot more money than BC could. Brown will not be there for the long term but who works anywhere long term anymore?

blist said...

Not to get all conspiracy theorist here, but Bates wants to be AD of Michigan, he needs to make nice with Harbaugh to get the gig, he clearly could have steered this situation to his and Michigan's benefit - not doing much to show we wanted Brown at BC for instance, encouraging Harbaugh to hire Brown, making t=matchmaker. This wouldn't be the first time a non-BC guy has done this to us -- remember Spaz and his refusal to poach or recruit against Penn State?

Napolean Bonaparte said...

This is probably another nail in the BC sports coffin to Leahy who has had it with the arms race (in his mind) that is major college football. Everyone here knows what has been needed for quite some time. Without major change at the top - which does not appear likely - Leahy is going to kill football at BC. I forsee us going the way of an NYU ultimately, or minimally - dropping down to join the Catholics in the Big East and aspiring to be on par with Providence, Fordham, Seton Hall, Georgetown, etc. And unless the major donors and trustees stand firm and demand change - this will happen. To effectively compete in college football, BC needs to be highly competent and ruthlessly demanding in its administration of the sport. The Jesuits just have other priorities. I'd rather they just put their cards on the table than to see the program wither and die on the vine as it is now. Its time for Leahy to speak up and clarify where he stands.

New York Eagle said...

I agree with Napoleon B - time to stop pretending - need to declare whether BC is in with the intent to win or out

Hoib said...

Good Luck to Coach Brown, he had a magical season, and you can't blame him for cashing in. I say Good Luck, because Knuckle is right. Harbaugh's track record is he's extremely difficult to get along w/.

Nappy

How will Leahy come up w/ the 50mm to leave the ACC? We're not going anywhere.

Kash86 said...

"Good Luck to Coach Brown, he had a magical season, and you can't blame him for cashing in. I say Good Luck, because Knuckle is right. Harbaugh's track record is he's extremely difficult to get along w/."

And why do you think Brown cares if Harbaugh is difficult ? you think Addazio isn't difficult to work with ? He is going there under his own terms, I would imagine much in the same way Steve Logan came here. If Brown doesn't like working with Harbaugh, guess what, he can retire or go somewhere else, he has been a mercenary the last 10 years, its a win win for him and he's getting a huge pay bump to top it off.

Bravesbill said...

Knuckle's claim is one of the most absurd things I've ever heard. Not entirely sure how Michigan is a mess given that they will have double digit wins and probably have a Top 5 college football coach. Oh and they also had the 4th ranked defense in the country. Good for Don Brown. Daz may as well resign now. It's only going to get worse.

Hoib said...

I didn't say it w/ any malice intended for Brown. It's a fact that Harbaugh is notoriously difficult to get along w/. Otherwise why would a coach who has won so much, had to move so much.

Bravesbill said...

I'm not sure what you're referring to Hoib but he's left schools to get better, more prestigious jobs. He was at USD for three years before moving on to a better job at Stanford. He was at Stanford for 4 years before moving on to an NFL job. While with the 9ers he clashed with the GM at the end so of course he was gone. Some of his players loved him, some hated him which is not uncommon in the NFL. Harbaugh actually demands excellence and holds subordinates accountable as well. The horror.

Guido said...

Wow, I just read a post or two that implied that the football program at Michigan was a mess. Are you kidding me ???? I believe that your observations are a bit off base. How about the program at BOSTON COLLEGE ????? My first point to posters who talk to others that giving $$$$ would help Father Leahy make some serious improvements to the athletic situation. Before I give $$$$ to any organization , I want to determine that they have been investing prior donations in a wise manner. BC has not demonstrated that they are willing to part with $$$$ in the athletic realm , so why would donors open their wallets ???? . I am not a big donor to BC . I am a graduate Of Babson College who happens to love D-1 college sports. I have , however, supported BC in small ways , one of which has been the purchase of 2 season tickets to football.(which will end ,sadly enough).This situation , IMHO , could have been averted. But I will not elaborate on that issue. Top donors and influential BC grads must contact the "Powers to be" and demand that the Administration detail their commitment to the future of BC football. THAT IS A CRUCIAL FIRST STEP !!!! UNTIL THAT STEP IS TAKEN, YOU WILL BE RUNNING AROUND in circles forever, your fan base will shrink and future success is doubtful. Last comment relating to the "here and now " is how many quality commits will jump ship. THIS SITUATION IS SAD !!!! As I have previously stated, maybe the PATRIOT LEAGUE is the only alternative. That would break my heart, but life will go on , whatever.

Knucklehead said...

Braves,
You said it all. Michigan has had more OC's and DC's the last 10 years than any other school in America. Harbaugh is the de facto AD right now which means the inmates are running the asylum. They are a fucking mess. They were not as good as their record either. They looked like crap against MSU and Minnesota, those were the two games I saw.

My point is that he has never sealed the deal. He always leaves right when the getting is good. DUI at SD he takes he finishes the season to save face and then takes off. Stanford beings to expect PAC12 and national title he takes off. SanFran he goes all-in(hate the reference but don't have time) with the most overrated sack of shit QB in the NFL Krapernick and loses to his brother in the superbowl. Then takes off from there when he realizes Krapernick cannot read a defense. He has his work cut out for him against OSU and MSU.

I don't know how you know that he holds people accountable? Seems more tyrannical and blowhard-ish. I do know he got a really good DC. Mark my words the honeymoon will be short and they will be at odds real quick.

Knucklehead said...

They are a mess. Revolving door or coordinators and coaches every year. Rich Rod, SanDiego St guy, now Harbaugh for 70 million. No AD and whoever comes in will be Harbaughs guy. Sounds like a mess. No continuity. No mission. Throwing money at problems. Sound familiar . . . El Presidente.

Michigan is not going to win a conference title for years. Maybe their division. Michigan State and Ohio State have continuity, a mission and proven success. Penn State isn't going anywhere with their $$ and coach either.

Harbaugh has not proven anything yet. He won the Pioneer League Championship at SD twice and a couple of bowls. Not impressive based on salary level. He has a media driven reputation.


Below is what he has to contend with on his side division of the conference. Good luck.
1. Michigan State* 11-1 .917 7-1 .875 6-0 1.000
2. Ohio State 11-1 .917 7-1 .875 5-1 .833
3. Michigan 9-3 .750 6-2 .750 4-2 .667
4. Penn State 7-5 .583 4-4 .500 3-3 .500
5. Indiana 6-6 .500 2-6 .250 1-5 .167
6. Rutgers 4-8 .333 1-7 .125 1-5 .167
Maryland 3-9 .250 1-7 .125 1-5 .167

Bravesbill said...

I don't know what game you were watching but Michigan dominated MSU and lost on a fluke at the end. Harbaugh built s solid USD program that literally never had any success. He rebuilt the entire Stanford program from the ashes and make it into the solid, successful program it is today. He also tookover the 9ers when they were a mess and took them to 3 NFC title games. He also made Kap look like a legitimate Pro Bowl QB. If that's not doing anything then I don't know what doing something is. And are you honestly trying to argue that he shouldn't have taken the better job as it became available? That's ludicrous. And if you think Michigan is in a worse situation right now than BC you're an idiot quite frankly. And FYI, even though Michigan has been a mess in your words the last 10 years, they still made a 3 BCS bowls, which is a whole lot more than BC.

Napolean Bonaparte said...

Hoib - the severity of the exit fee issue will depend on the circumstances. Right now the future of major college football at Boston College is at a critical cross roads. The program is a highly visible major investment by the university. Major doubts have legitimately arisen as to the university's current and future commitment to maintaining a competitive program.

Father Leahy is the leader of Boston College. As far as I know, he has never clearly communicated his views about the program and his level of commitment to make it highly competitive in the ACC. Speculation about his commitment is rampant among many alums and students. It is high time that he become transparent, open and honest with the students, alumni and donors to the Flynn Fund concerning his commitment. This is the fundamental first step before anything else can happen. The worst thing he can do is to engage in willful neglect for as long as the money lasts.



Hoib said...

Nappy

All you say May be true, but the ACC could care less. So long as the current funding mechanism holds in tact for college football, we will not be allowed contractually to walk away from the ACC. They could care less if we're 0-8 or 8-0. What matters are the millions of cable boxes in greater Boston.

ccw said...

Knuckle is a straight imbecile. Harbaugh will have Michigan winning 10+ games a year for years to come. Rehashing the problems with Rich Rod and Hoke is silly ancient history.

The dumbest part of the argument is the phony sour grapes that Brown is going into a bad situation when everyone would objectively say he's in a much better spot and getting paid a lot more money.

Hoib said...

Ccw BB

Of course Brown is doing the right thing by going, but me saying he'll earn his money is not sour grapes. Harbaugh is a great coach but he is mercurial. He might win 10 plus games a year, see John Cooper, but that is not what he's being paid 5mm per year to do. He's being paid that to win one game a year. The problem is the guy he has to beat is being paid even more and is an even better coach IMO. Till they win that game Harbaugh will be miserable and he will make everyone's life around him miserable. Brown will not be left to do his thing, like at BC. The people at SD and Stanford weren't all that un happy when Harbaugh left in spite of the winning.

Guido said...

The time has come to move on and stop the nonsense about Don Brown , Michigan and Harbaugh. Don Brown is not a "shrinking violet" and will have no problems expressing his thoughts to his boss. In addition , he will be carrying a much "larger wallet". It would wonderful if this forum was frequented by many BC alums (especially a few generous donors).As a group , you would then be able to voice your disgust (or whatever) in an organized fashion and maybe things might change. I would start my letter or phone call(s) by stating that the MOTTO "Ever To Excel" should be applicable to both academics and athletics - period. I would love to know the "chain of command" and/or the process that is utilized in making decisions involving $$$$. When Brad Bates decided to give a lucrative extension to Addazio (OMG) ,who did he approach - Father Leahy , and if so , did the process then go to a select group that sits on the Board of Directors etc. I would pay $$$$ to understand the "process" and as an outsider would write a check to the "Flynn Fund" for that knowledge. There is much work to be done , but I am afraid that BC Football will suffer another setback that might take another 4-5 years to correct.

Knucklehead said...
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Knucklehead said...
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Knucklehead said...

CCW,
Brown left for the money. You should go with him. He isn't at Boston College anymore so I don't give a shit about him really. Here explaining to fucking idiots like you that Michigan isn't that great.

10+ wins doesn't get it done at Michigan. You still don't seem to understand that Michigan will have to beat Michigan St, Ohio St, Penn St and the other division winner to win the conference. Might happen once. It is really a "no win" job and Harbaugh will find that out pretty quickly. When Harbaugh is back in the NFL "turning around" Cleveland in two years(the only place that will take him) you will still be on this message board calling me, someone with a 150 IQ, an imbecile because it makes you feel better about your crooked smile. Or whatever your fucking problem is.

Merry Christmas. Douchebag.