• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Phoenix Sports Today

Phoenix Sports News Continuously Updated

  • Cardinals
  • Diamondbacks
  • Coyotes
  • Basketball
    • Mercury
    • Suns
  • Soccer
  • Colleges
    • Arizona State
    • Grand Canyon University
    • Northern Arizona
    • University of Arizona

Former Michigan DC Don Brown Reportedly “Top Candidate” For 1 Head Coaching Job

November 19, 2021 by The Spun

Don Brown looks on from the sideline.

Less than a season removed from his time with the Michigan Wolverines, longtime assistant Don Brown has emerged as the top candidate for an open FBS head coach job.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Brown has become the frontrunner for the current UMass vacancy. The Minutemen (1-9) parted ways with Walt Bell less than two weeks ago and offensive coordinator Alex Miller has taken over in an interim capacity.

Brown, 66, is currently the defensive coordinator at Arizona. He assumed the position under Jedd Fisch after he was fired from Michigan in 2020 after five seasons.

Per Thamel, no official announcement is imminent and Brown will be with Arizona when the Wildcats take on Washington State on Friday night.

Sources: Arizona DC Don Brown has emerged as the top candidate for the head coaching job at UMass. No announcement is imminent. Arizona plays Washington State on Friday night.

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 18, 2021

UMass might seem like a strange fit for Brown after his work over the last few years, but he has a unique history with the program and close-knit relationship with the state of Massachusetts.

Brown, a native of Spencer, Massachusetts, has had two previous stints with the Minutemen during his nearly 40 decades in college football. He first arrived at UMass in 1998 and served as the program’s defensive coordinator for two seasons.

After making the move to become the head coach at Northeastern in 2000, Brown returned to Amherst in 2004. He took over as head coach for the Minutemen for the next five seasons.

During his time at the helm, Brown led UMass to a 43-19 overall record. The highlight during his tenure came when the Minutemen advanced to the FCS Championship game in 2006.

Since the years when Brown was in charge, UMass football has taken a major dive. The Minutemen, now an FBS independent, have had just one winning season since Brown left in 2008 and have won just two games in the last three seasons.

Brown will be tasked with turning UMass football around and into a more formidable FBS program if he were to accept the job.

Given his experience in the area and familiarity with the school, it seems like he would be strong choice to take on the challenge.

The post Former Michigan DC Don Brown Reportedly “Top Candidate” For 1 Head Coaching Job appeared first on The Spun.

Filed Under: University of Arizona

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Snake Bytes 7/5: The Wrong Kind of Fireworks
  • Kevin Durant: Will you miss him?
  • (no title)
  • Rising Falls to Lexington SC, 1-0
  • 5 Teams Reportedly Interested In Young Point Guard Coming Off Career Season

Categories

Archives

Our Partners

All Sports

  • 247 Sports
  • ArizonaSports.com - 98.7 FM
  • Bleacher Report
  • Heat Waved
  • OurSports Central
  • The Arizona Republic
  • The Sports Fan Journal
  • USA Today

Baseball

  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • AZ Snake Pit
  • Last Word On Baseball
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Venom Strikes

Basketball

  • Phoenix Suns
  • Amico Hoops
  • Basketball Insiders
  • Bright Side Of The Sun
  • High Post Hoops
  • Hoops Hype
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Last Word On Pro Basketball
  • Pro Basketball Talk
  • Real GM
  • Valley Of The Suns

Football

  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Cardinals Gab
  • Cards Wire
  • Deep Dive
  • Last Word On Pro Football
  • NFL Trade Rumors
  • Our Turf Football
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Football Talk
  • Raising Zona
  • Revenge Of The Birds
  • Words From The Birds

Hockey

  • Elite Prospects
  • Five For Howling
  • Howlin Hockey
  • Last Word On Hockey
  • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Talk
  • The Hockey Writers

Soccer

  • Last Word on Soccer
  • MLS Multiplex

College

  • AZ Desert Swarm
  • Busting Brackets
  • College Football News
  • College Sports Madness
  • Devils In Detail
  • House Of Sparky
  • Last Word On College Basketball - Univ of Arizona
  • Saturday Blitz
  • Zags Blog
  • Zona Zealots

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in