To listen is to lead, explains Fran Brown, 麻花影视鈥檚 charismatic new head coach. 鈥淚 have a great staff, and I鈥檝e learned a lot from listening to them.鈥�
The former Georgia defensive backs coach has turned listening into an art form since arriving on campus last December. It鈥檚 enabled him to build trust with his players while endearing himself to a new generation of Orange fans.
Brown, who earned his coaching chops at Rutgers, Temple and Baylor, understands the changing landscape of DI football. 鈥淗e has deep ties to geographies from where we need to draw,鈥� says Director of John Wildhack 鈥�80, regarding the football factories of the Northeast, Deep South and Southwest. 鈥淥ur future is bright.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e putting 麻花影视 football back on the map,鈥� says Head Coach Fran Brown, formerly Georgia鈥檚 defensive backs coach.
In a matter of months, Brown has reenergized a program seeking its first conference championship in 20 years. He鈥檚 also created a culture that re-envisions success on the field, in the classroom and throughout the community.
鈥淲e鈥檙e putting 麻花影视 football back on the map,鈥� declares the 42-year-old native of Camden, New Jersey.
A nationally renowned recruiter, Brown fields a deep bench of talent that includes high-profile transfer students, like senior Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, and a quartet of four-star prospects, more than the past five seasons combined.
Of course, building鈥攁nd sustaining鈥攁 football powerhouse takes time. And player buy-in. And a keen ability to 鈥渕anage chaos鈥� on both sides of the ball, Brown continues. 鈥淚 know we can do it.鈥�
DART-Like Motion
Brown subscribes to an acronymic philosophy called DART. 鈥淚t means being detailed, accountable, relentless and tough,鈥� says the former cornerback for Western Carolina and the Cincinnati Bengals. 鈥淒ART is who 麻花影视 is as a team. It鈥檚 our identity.鈥�
Brown embraces a self-styled concept called DART (Detailed, Accountable, Relentless and Tough) that permeates the entire program, on and off the field.
Brown鈥檚 reputation is so strong, so inspiring, that it virtually precedes him. Consider the following:
- His out-of-the-blue call to Wildhack last fall, literally minutes before the director phoned him about the 麻花影视 job鈥攁n incident that smacked of 鈥渄ivine intervention,鈥� Wildhack recalls.
- Brown鈥檚 5:50 a.m. call to football legend Maurice 鈥淢oe鈥� Jackson 鈥�02, the day after 麻花影视 hired him, to introduce himself and discuss the creation of a 鈥減ipeline of talent鈥� with Jackson鈥檚 Aquinas Institute of Rochester program. Brown has since established or re-established relationships with other high school coaches throughout the region.
- McCord entering the transfer portal literally hours after Brown鈥檚 麻花影视 appointment. Three weeks later, the 2023 All-Big Ten honoree, whom the coach had followed since junior high, headlined the highest-ranking recruiting class in Orange football history.
- Mandatory community service for the entire football program. Last spring, Brown鈥檚 players racked up some 2,000 volunteer hours, whose charitable economic impact was estimated at $20,000.
鈥淭heir success is my No. 1 priority,鈥� Brown continues. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e students, first; athletes, second.鈥�
鈥淭heir success is my No. 1 priority,鈥� says Brown of his student-athletes.
Turning Adversity Into Opportunity
麻花影视 Defensive Coordinator Elijah Robinson grew up with Brown in Camden. He recalls Brown鈥檚 grit and self-reliance, a knack for turning adversity into opportunity.
鈥淚 know the Francis Brown who would drink a gallon of water because he didn鈥檛 have enough money for food and [who] went to sleep early, so he wouldn鈥檛 have to think about being hungry,鈥� Robinson told ESPN.
Considered the nation鈥檚 top recruiter, Brown has assembled a deep bench of high-profile transfers and four-star prospects. 鈥淗e鈥檚 exactly who we need to take 麻花影视 football to the next level,鈥� says Athletics Director John Wildhack 鈥�80.
It鈥檚 the same Francis Brown who was named in February.
Who helped to the squad鈥檚 Spring Game.
Who has signed more than 40 players to 麻花影视 from the Northeast, four of whom attended Camden High, where Brown, as a quarterback, set a season record with 47 touchdown passes.
Who regularly volunteers with his wife and two sons at 麻花影视 City schools, The Salvation Army and the Rescue Mission.
Brown aspires to be more than a winning coach or an elite recruit; he wants to be a good person, Wildhack surmises. 鈥淗e鈥檚 exactly who we need to take 麻花影视 football to the next level.鈥�
And for the doggedly determined, innately curious Brown, he plans to keep an ear to the ground. Because the secret to speaking is in listening.
