Augusta Stone
CHARLOTTE – The Panthers added a key piece to their teaching workers Friday, agreeing to phrases with Thomas Brown to work as offensive coordinator alongside head coach Frank Reich.
Brown, 36, has 12 years of teaching expertise and three years of expertise teaching within the NFL. The former operating again had a quick NFL profession earlier than transitioning to teaching, spending 9 years on the faculty stage earlier than most just lately serving on Sean McVay’s workers with the Rams.
Here are 5 quick details to learn about Brown:
1. Super Bowl win as assistant head coach underneath McVay: Brown first joined McVay’s workers in Los Angeles in 2020 as operating backs coach, incomes a further assistant head coach title forward of the 2021 season. The Rams gained the Super Bowl that season with operating backs Darrell Henderson, Sony Michel, and Cam Akers. In 2022, Brown transitioned to overseeing tight ends in Los Angeles, teaching Tyler Higbee to a career-high season in receptions (72).
2. College coordinator expertise: Brown’s first stint as an offensive coordinator was with the Miami Hurricanes from 2016-18, working underneath Mark Richt, his former faculty coach at Georgia. He additionally oversaw operating backs in Miami, serving to the Hurricanes rush for over 2,400 yards, averaging over 5.2 yards per carry in 2018. Following his time in Miami, Brown spent one yr on Will Muschamp’s workers at South Carolina, teaching operating backs.
3. Coaching future NFL stars in faculty: Brown coached a number of future NFL operating backs throughout his 9 years as a university coach, together with Melvin Gordon, Nick Chubb, and Michel. Brown was Gordon’s place coach at Wisconsin in 2014, as he went on to complete in second place for the Heisman Trophy and put up the second-best season for a operating again, speeding for two,587 yards and 32 touchdowns. Gordon was chosen fifteenth general within the 2015 NFL Draft after his yr with Brown.
Brown then returned to his alma mater, Georgia, to work with Richt in 2015. He coached Chubb and Michel as sophomores, serving to information the Bulldogs’ speeding unit to 2,513 whole yards on the yr, averaging 194.3 yards per sport. Both Michel and Chubb went on to be early NFL draft picks in 2018, as Michel was taken with the thirty first general choice, and Chubb went thirty fifth general.
4. Early teaching alternatives: After a quick stint within the NFL as a operating again for the Falcons in 2008 and the Browns in 2009, Brown retired from taking part in and have become a coach. His first alternative got here at Georgia in 2011, when he labored as an assistant energy and conditioning coach.
He moved on to teaching operating backs for Chattanooga in 2012 and Marshall in 2013 earlier than his first Power Five convention teaching alternative got here at Wisconsin in 2014.
5. Standout faculty profession: Brown was a four-year contributor as a operating again at Georgia from 2004-07, serving to the Bulldogs attain the SEC championship in 2005. He was a freshman All-SEC choice and led the Bulldogs in speeding for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Brown completed his profession because the fifth-leading rusher in Georgia historical past, with 2,646 profession yards and 25 touchdowns in Athens.