While Jim Harbaugh might be back for another year as Michigan's head coach, Don Brown won't be back for another year as the Wolverines' defensive coordinator.
Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman reported Tuesday that Brown has been fired.
SOURCE: #Michigan has dismissed defensive coordinator Don Brown.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) December 22, 2020
Brown's dismissal in Ann Arbor comes after the Wolverines allowed 34.5 points per game and 429.3 yards per game this season, by far the worst marks of his five-year tenure at Michigan. Before this year, Brown's Michigan defenses never ranked worse than 11th nationally in total yards per game or 25th nationally in scoring defense.
That said, his defenses were picked apart in each of the last two games he coached against Ohio State, as the Buckeyes scored 56 points on 577 yards in Ann Arbor in 2019 and 62 points on 567 yards against their rivals in 2018.
Before joining Michigan's staff in 2016, Brown was previously the defensive coordinator at Boston College from 2013-15, where he worked alongside Ryan Day for two years.
Brown's dismissal is an indicator that Jim Harbaugh is likely to remain Michigan's head coach for 2021 – otherwise, the Wolverines wouldn't be firing assistants before firing the head coach – as contract extension talks between Harbaugh and Michigan continue. It's also an indicator, though, that he will be overhauling his coaching staff as the Wolverines look to bounce back after going just 2-4 this year.
