All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Ranking all 28 offseason coaching changes by impact on Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee Herd Coach Josh Heupel at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue
Tennessee Herd Coach Josh Heupel at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
8 of 28
Next
Oct 12, 2019; Champaign, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown looks on during the second half of the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Allio-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2019; Champaign, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown looks on during the second half of the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Allio-USA TODAY Sports /

Walt Bell. player. 891. Pick Analysis. UMASS Minutemen. Don Brown. 21. Scouting Report

Previous role: Defensive coordinator, Arizona Wildcats

Another coach being lured away from a Power Five program is why this one impacts Tennessee football. Don Brown is back to where he served as head coach from 2004 to 2008. Yes, he coached the Massachusetts Minutemen during those years and was very successful in FCS play, enjoying five winning seasons and winning two conference championships.

Of course, since then, UMASS has made the move up to the FBS, and Brown became a notable defensive wizard as an FBS assistant. That included two years with the Maryland Terrapins, two more years with the UConn Huskies, three years with the Boston College Eagles and, most famously, five with Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines.

Brown was fired from Michigan after 2020 and worked under Jeff Fisch in 2021 as the Arizona Wiildcats went 1-11. Still, he was able to reclaim his old job at UMASS, which is in a different place from where it was when he last coached there largely because of what he did there.

Honestly, Jerry Kill’s hire could have had more of an impact, but in a tiebreaking moment, Bell has gone over to a Power Five school, as he’s now the Indiana Hoosiers’ offensive coordinator. He went 2-23 in three years at UMASS, and Alex Miller finished out the final four games there this past year after he was fired.

Home/Vols Football