The Man They Call Coach: Pandemic, Football and Life with Don Brown

Knowing the Man They Call Coach

Yes, the man they call Coach, Don Brown, is really called “Coach” by just about everyone; family included. The University of Michigan Football Defensive Coordinator is a tremendous man and complex individual. I have had the privilege of getting to know Don Brown for a large portion of my life. Coach is a force of nature; he needs no microphone or speaker to get his point across when need be. He is also a calming and stabilizing presence; a rock-solid figure to help guide young men and build future careers in and out of football. Coach Brown was gracious enough to sit down with me recently. We discussed the upcoming football season, the pandemic, and how things have impacted him:

The Questions

MP: Jumping right in, based on opinion alone, do you think there will be a college football season in the fall?

DB: Yea, yea I do now. I mean, there have been times during this pandemic where I really didn’t have a clue if we would or wouldn’t. It just seems now the information we’re getting, and teams across the country are getting the same kind of information as you share with coaches, that there now is kind of a plan in place. Each school has kind of has a plan in place. Moving forward I think we’re, it’s not just speculation; people are actually moving forward to put their plans in place to get the kids back, and the coaches back, and get back to work.

MP: How would you feel about playing games in stadiums with no fans? Venues have discussed and even implemented ideas like cardboard fan cut-outs in the stands and piping in crowd noise over the speakers. If there are no fans in the stadium, what is your opinion on options like those to simulate the experience?

DB: Well, to be honest it seems a little, it sounds a little strange. You know in 40-plus years of coaching I’ve never heard of anything like that. From just a straight football scenario, you know that’s what I love to do is coach football. I love to help players get better. I’ll do whatever it takes to play football, and I think the players would agree with that. As long as the players are safe, I’m good.

Interesting that cardboard cutouts in stands have been well received in the Bundesliga. Gives the players a sense of ‘presence’ – a reminder that lots of people are invested in the game. Eight PL clubs clubs looking at the idea, reports @AdamLeventhal https://t.co/j0tzyXeLzm

— Peter Rutzler (@peterrutzler) June 6, 2020

MP: Has there ever been something that you’ve had to coach through that could be compared to the pandemic at all?

DB: I can’t think of a real comparison. You know, 9/11 there were cancellations during the season, but there’s no comparison to the length of time and the coaches being, in essence, coaching from your spare bedroom; virtually trying to read your players and so forth. It certainly has been an interesting process, but one, educationally, that’s really helped me from a technical standpoint. It’s really forced me to accelerate my game in that area .

MP: What has been the biggest change you’ve had to make during the pandemic from a coaching standpoint besides the obvious of not being able to meet in person?

DB: Well, usually during the spring period you have spring practice, which is 15 practices; all the meetings, structure, and film review. You take all that and really educate your players on what’s coming next when they come back from pre-season camp. They’re going through the June and July conditioning period which, you know, for virtually everybody that hasn’t really started yet. Those are challenges, and at the same time the biggest concerns as well.

Doing the virtual stuff with your players from a film standpoint is great, but the spontaneous teaching moments, having the grease boards available to you, being able to kind of go back and forth at a rapid pace and in mode, those [situations] are less. It forces you to be more organized in your preparation of your meeting. Obviously, there are some challenges there for sure; some days the film is not quite as good, all of a sudden this guy’s wi-fi is down. There are some issues you’ve got to get through for sure.

MP: Not everyone has insight into how young people are dealing with the pandemic. Being in a coaching position, you’re often like family to your players by the end of their tenure. How do you think this has impacted the students you’re currently coaching, both from a football standpoint and from a personal standpoint?

DB: Well, I think it has impacted them along the lines of what you’re talking about. You know, the whole thing about coaching football is building relationships and the relationships that you have with your players, and you’re having to do that from long distance. That’s certainly challenging. Thank God we have the opportunity to meet with our players during the course of the week and actually, you know [through] Zoom meetings and FaceTime and those things, you’re able to, at least visibly see them and they can see you, so I think that part of it has helped. It’s certainly one of the things that, it’s funny. In an interview I just said I can’t wait until they let me hug my players again because that’s the biggest part of this; you miss being around the guys.

MP: In terms of kids that have yet to come into the fold, how has your recruiting process been impacted? Do you feel at a disadvantage comparatively this year in terms of scouting and being able to reach kids?

DB: To be honest, I think it’s probably been more intimate than it usually is. Usually, you’re out for a month, and you’re virtually in and out of a city, in and out of another city, in and out of another city and that’s kind of how the recruiting goes. And it’s tough to build relationships when you’re on planes and running from city to city.

Whereas, [during the pandemic] I think you’re able to build relationships at a stronger level because you’re talking to families much more, you feel like you know the recruits more, you know you’ve got your guys that you’re involved with and you’re really trying to touch them virtually on a day-to-day basis. I can’t say a whole lot of specifics about our recruiting because they just won’t let you; but the one thing, If you look at our commitments as compared to a year ago at this time, I think they’re significantly up.

Don Brown: Michigan football ahead of pace with 2021 recruiting class https://t.co/Mdl7BB0MVB

— MLive (@MLive) May 21, 2020

MP: Do you think there are kids that may have been missed, or that may not have gotten a second look, due to all the cancellations and closures?

DB: Well, and especially the summer camps on college campuses; [being] on campuses across the country where we’re able to actually go, and observe, and be part of the coaching staff. That period, for the most part, has been shut down. There just aren’t that many camps.

Now, people are trying to organize in a small group or whatever and send video to coaches to evaluate. That certainly helps. But there’s nothing like, for example at Michigan, we have our camp and have many young people visit; there’s nothing like putting your hands on those guys and coaching them face to face, hand to hand, and really putting them through the paces to give you an evaluation as to the potential of the player. [The pandemic] makes it a little bit more difficult. Plus, you get to see how a guy interacts with other guys that he’s working out with during that period of time. It’s just another scenario that’s a little bit more difficult, that’s all.

Defense —> #ProBlue pic.twitter.com/88HMQzBkpM

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) June 11, 2020

MP: As a coach you often have praised the value of “solving problems with aggression” on the field. The pandemic to this point, has been a long drudge of a process. It’s difficult to solve any problem with aggression when you can’t leave the house, never mind get on the field. Have you been able to adapt that “solving problems with aggression” mentality to any current professional situation?

DB: Well, obviously from a football standpoint we’re able to meet as any type of staff on a daily basis. In terms of moving forward, adjusting and tweaking our concepts, and techniques, and fundamentals and all those things; we’re probably farther along than we’ve ever been at this point in time going into the summer period, because usually during that period we’re in recruiting. Everybody is all over the country doing the same thing. So you don’t have that interaction on a day-to-day basis because your mind is on the recruiting process.

Where, this year, we’ve been able to stay pretty much true to form and work hard on our concepts and the adjustment of those, and the things that we feel will be positive additions to our concepts moving forward to fall. Basically, the two things you’re able to do is recruit and work on your own Xs and Os. Those are the two areas that we focused on, at least at Ann Arbor, for our guys.

Don Brown, @UMichFootball‘s DC, shares something we have all learned during the pandemic, don’t take anything for granted. @FBCoachDBrown @_Dbush11 #GoBlue #JustWinhttps://t.co/ptW9HLUnQT pic.twitter.com/GNwgyk1Pxc

— Jon Jansen (@JonJansen77) May 13, 2020

MP: On a personal level, how has the pandemic impacted you? How are you handling stay-at-home orders and the change of living in the current “new normal?”

DB: It’s difficult. I mean, I think everybody is finding it, to some degree, difficult. We were in Michigan for a period of time. Obviously they had a tough time, a tough go of it, and are doing better now but are still under the stay at home scenario. Massachusetts is virtually the same. Wearing a mask, and making those adjustments, and social distancing and all those things; those are all new to us, new to me. I’m just trying to follow along with what they tell me and keep my fingers crossed that everyone stays safe.

MP: Do you have any message for your athletes looking forward to the season ahead? The fans?

DB: Just keep your fingers crossed. Keep doing what your states tell you to do, social distancing. Stay after it; a lot of our guys are in summer school right now virtually, but at the same time going to classes and so forth. Stay in some kind of condition. I’m looking forward to us being together here in the very near future and then we’ll pick it up and get rolling with it. Just control the “controllables” and don’t worry about the things you can’t control. Take care of your business and we’ll all be together pretty soon, that’s for sure.

The Man They Call Coach – the Wrap Up

Hearing signs of progress for sports from someone directly involved is hopeful. Everyone is ready for touchdowns and big defensive stops, and the Wolverines will provide plenty of both this fall. Thank you again to Don Brown, the man they call Coach, for taking the time to share some insights and updates.

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