Meet new Michigan assistant JB Brown: A sharp football mind with deep recruiting ties in Texas

Texas. The mecca of high school football. The most active players in the NFL. The most NFL Hall of Famers.

The list goes on and on.

Every year, college coaches from across the country flock to the Lone Star State in an attempt to pull prospects from one of America’s true recruiting hotbeds. Michigan is no exception.

The Wolverines blitzed Texas over the last few weeks, with almost the entire staff, including new head coach Sherrone Moore, making the rounds in Austin, Dallas and Houston. From Gemon and German Green to Alex Orji, Michigan has recently been able to land a Texan almost every cycle.

With Moore running the show, it appears Michigan will put an even bigger emphasis on Texas. And now, the Wolverines have something on staff they’ve never had before — a direct gateway.

Look, landing the state’s elites is always going to be a daunting task. Everyone wants players from Texas on their respective rosters. But U-M is capable of taking the next step when it comes to recruiting Texas, thanks in large part to the promotion of special teams coordinator JB Brown.

Texas may be the largest state in the contiguous United States, but the community feeling is very real. Everybody knows somebody that knows somebody in the state of Texas. If you have a connection, and you’re good at what you do, you can have success.

Insert Brown.

The son of former Texas high school coach and current SMU Director of High School Relations Jason Brown, JB was born in Alvin, Texas — about 30 miles south of Houston — and saw his father have multiple successful stints in the area before making two stops in the DFW Metroplex.

Simply put, JB grew up around Texas high school football. He was literally embedded in the culture since birth.

“I’ve been in this business for a while, and his father is one of the best people I’ve worked with,” said Mansfield Timberview co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator Robby Sevier. “It’s a great family with a great football heritage. James was a Texas high school coach for a long time. When JB comes to events with his dad, he’s a legend. He knows everybody, and everybody knows him. JB is very personable, and I think that’s going to help him with recruiting. He has good familiarity with everyone in Texas. He has familiarity in Houston and Dallas. That’s big.

“It’s hard to say a guy is a savant, but JB is really sharp. He loves learning and studying the game. He’s always getting better. We pick his brain a lot, and he’s a great resource for us. He’s always willing to help out.”

Unlike his father, JB wanted to make a name for himself in the college ranks. He began his career as a graduate assistant at Kansas before returning home and spending time at both Houston and Texas Southern. JB took an opportunity to work closely with former special teams coach Jay Harbaugh at Michigan in 2021 and never looked back.

JB has done a ton of quality work under Harbaugh over the last couple years but wasn’t exactly a household name for Michigan fans, especially on the recruiting trail. However, with multiple openings on the staff, Moore was able to send JB on the road last month before he was elevated to the full-time staff.

And yes, JB did help lead the Texas recruiting blitz in recent weeks. JB began his baptism by fire by returning to the Houston, where he dished out multiple offers and made stops at some of the area’s most notable programs, including Pearland Shadow Creek, which won a Class 5A state title in 2019.

“I’ve known Coach Brown for a while,” said Shadow Creek assistant head coach Tyrone Brown. “He’s a really great guy. He does a good job of recruiting. Even before he was getting on the road, he was recruiting from the office. His dad was a high school coach. He understands the lay of the land down here in Houston and has a lot of respect from the high school coaches. I think he’s going to do phenomenal at Michigan. He seems like a guy that will build great relationships with kids. Being a coach’s son, you know the knowledge is going to be there.”

JB then worked his way to Austin, where he offered On300 2025 defensive lineman Gus Cordova out of powerhouse Lake Travis, which has won half a dozen state titles since 2007.

“I was really impressed with him,” Cordova said. “He was repping all Michigan. He’s a super visible guy. You knew he was from Michigan from a mile away. He seemed like a good guy. He got right to the point.”

While JB was born in Alvin, he spent a lot of childhood in the Dallas-area — specifically Forney as his father served as head coach at North Forney. So it’s no surprise JB returned to the city and offered fast-rising 2026 Forney High running back Javian Osborne.

“He actually grew up in Forney,” Osborne said. “His dad was the head coach at North Forney when (Indianapolis Colts safety) Armani Watts was playing there. I was like ‘wow.’ We had a little connection. He seems like a really cool guy. He’s a laid back type of coach for sure.”

Of course, JB made it a priority to stop at Mansfield Timberview, where his father coached for more than a decade before making the leap to SMU. Timberview is home to On300 2025 defensive lineman Dilan Battle, who visited Michigan in the fall and is a top priority for next cycle.

And it’s safe to say JB made a strong impression on Battle and the entire staff at Timberview during his visit late last week.

“Our head coach was actually his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in high school,” Sevier said. “He probably got more hugs here than most stops. As much as he was here for Dilan, he got a lot of attention from the staff because he has a lot of long-time friends here. It was fun to have him here. He sat around and talked a bit about life, his kids and exciting times at Michigan.”

Moving forward, Michigan has the right ingredients to have a successful recruiting campaign in Texas this cycle and beyond.

“Coming off three straight playoffs and a championship, that’s going to be helpful,” Seiver said. “James and JB know everyone. When they walk into the room at a Texas high school coaches event, it’s hard for them to get across the room because they are always stopped. His name, familiarity and camaraderie with the Texas coaches is only going to help Michigan. He’s personable enough that if he gets recruits to campus, I think they’ll have a great shot.”