Don Brown Reportedly Fired as Michigan's Defensive Coordinator

The Michigan Wolverines dismissed Don Brown as defensive coordinator on Tuesday, according to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and Fox Sports:

Brown's defense gave up the third-most yards per game on average in the Big Ten (434.3) and the third-most points per game (34.5) only a year after Michigan finished fourth in the conference with 307.2 yards allowed per game.

The Wolverines finished the 2020 season 2-4.

Staff changes seemed inevitable after an abysmal season in Ann Arbor—especially if head coach Jim Harbaugh is going to keep his job. 

Brown, 65, isn't exactly taking the fall here, but the drop-off in defensive production left little choice for a program with some of the highest expectations in college football. The decision ends a tenure that began in 2016 when Brown took over for D.J. Durkin on Harbaugh's staff. 

According to USA Today, Brown was the highest-paid assistant coach in the Big Ten at $1.7 million. He earned $1.1 million in base salary and $600,000 from a retention bonus. Only seven assistant coaches in the Power Five made more than Brown last season. 

A former defensive coordinator at Boston College, UConn and Maryland before joining Michigan, Brown was responsible for helping Harbaugh land some of his most notable recruits, including wideout Tarik Black, linebacker Jaydon Hood and defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon—though Black and Solomon would later transfer elsewhere. 

It's unclear who Michigan could target to replace Brown.