Fran Brown emerges as candidate for head coaching vacancy

Georgia defensive backs coach Fran Brown has been linked as a top target to an open head coaching position. The New Jersey native who spent stints at Temple and Rutgers in the northeast has now been tied to Syracuse and “one of three targets” by ESPN’s Pete Thamel and FootballScoop’s John Brice. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has him as the top candidate.

The Orange are seeking to replace the fired Dino Babers after Babers spent the last eight seasons at Syracuse. He made bowl games in 2018, going 10-3 that season to finish No. 15 in both the AP and Coaches polls, and 2022. His other six seasons averaged just four wins.

According to reports by both Thamel and Brice, Syracuse’s other top candidates include Holy Cross head coach Bob Chesney and Toledo head coach Jason Candle.

In Brown’s time at Georgia, the Bulldogs have gone a perfect 27-0, winning the 2022 national championship over TCU and putting themselves in a position to pursue another one in 2023. A pair of his defensive backs (Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith) were drafted this past spring while more like Kamari Lassiter are likely to hear their names called next April. Georgia ranks No. 12 in the NCAA and first in the SEC for pass defense this season, allowing just 176.5 yards per game through the air. Furthermore, the Bulldogs are tied for first in the conference with 12 interceptions.

Brown’s impact has been felt not only on the field, but also on the recruiting trail. He has acted as an influence for several of Georgia’s top prospects including IMG Academy cornerback Ellis Robinson IV, the No. 3 overall player and top-ranked cornerback according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Other recruitments Brown has had a hand in include a pair of New Jersey products – Jordan Thomas and Nyier Daniels. Brown has widely been considered a rising star of the coaching ranks both for the recruiting and coaching prowess.

Brown was hired by Georgia in 2022 as a replacement on the defensive staff for Jahmile Addae. Brown joined the Bulldogs from Rutgers where he spent two seasons (2020-21) on the staff of Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights gained 19 turnovers in his first year with them in 2020, including eight interceptions, picking off a pass in each of the last four games including two against both Maryland and Nebraska. The turnover number was most in a season since 2012 and 10 more than they forced the previous year. Cornerback Tre Avery earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors while safeties Christian Izien and Brendon White and cornerback Avery Young all were honorable mentions. In 2021, the number of turnovers decreased slightly to 17, seven of which were interceptions including a pick-six against Temple in the season-opener. The Scarlet Knights intercepted multiple passes in the win over the Owls along with their win over Indiana.

Speaking of Temple, that’s where Brown was before Rutgers. He spent the 2019 season as the co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach, helping guide a unit that ranked fourth nationally in red zone defense, 10th in sacks, 11th in defensive touchdowns, 12th in tackles for loss and 13th in fumbles recovered. Five players from the 2019 Owl defense advanced to the NFL, all of which Brown had a hand in either recruiting or coaching while in Philadelphia.

That wasn’t his first stint with the Temple program though having gotten his start in College Football as the director of internal operations there in 2011, working as a graduate assistant there in 2012 before moving into a full-time defensive backs role in 2013. He coached the secondary from 2013 to 2016, adding the title of associate head coach in his final season. Brown helped improve the passing defense during his first couple of seasons. The Owls shaved off over 100 passing yards allowed per game from the 2013 to 2014 seasons, allowing 186.9 yards per game and just nine scores through the air in 2014 as compared to 298.6 yards per game and 24 touchdowns the year before. Cornerback Tavon Young was named All-AAC with four interceptions and a conference-best 153 return yards. Then, in 2015, cornerback Sean Chandler was named a Second-Team All-AAC selection as he recorded four interceptions, including two returned for a touchdown. Young now plays in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens after being selected in the fourth round in 2016 while Chandler is with the Carolina Panthers after a three-season stint with the New York Giants. Brown also coached current Denver Broncos cornerback Nate Hairston, selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Brown made the jump to the Power Five level after his initial run at Temple, joining Matt Rhule at Baylor. He actually interviewed for the head coaching job when Rhule left, later seeing it go to Manny Diaz. Brown served as the Bears’ assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach in 2017 and 2018, helping the program back into a bowl game in 2018. He then interviewed for the Temple job once again, this time seeing Rod Carey hired for the position, before returning to Temple as the co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach under Carey.

Georgia plays for the SEC Championship Game on Saturday against Alabama and will learn its postseason fate on Sunday when the College Football Playoffs are announced. Kickoff time for the battle between the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on CBS.