The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/835590
THE WOLVERINE 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 45 but they'll never rush only three. They'll often bring only four, but it's not always going to be line up and come at them with four linemen. "I also believe in some four-man rushes where you show everybody up [at the line of scrimmage]," he said. "You call them 'blitz simulators.' The quarterback will feel like it's pressure because one of the second- or third-level players will come, but it's really a simulation of that pressure, and it's really a four-man rush." And then there are the exotic blitz packages with more guys coming. "Do we five-man rush? A lot," he said. "Do we six-man rush? Yes. Not as much as five and four, but we do six. Do we do seven-man rush? Absolutely. Same deal. But we determine when we do it. It's a mindset, and you have to get them to think along with that." Kindred Spirits That mindset is exactly why Brown was Harbaugh's first choice to replace Durkin, and why the coordinator and his head coach have hit it off so well. Harbaugh was so impressed that he extended Brown's contract five years and made him the fourth-highest paid assistant in college football after his latest gem of a season. Brown told the story at this year's Broyles Award dinner how he and his wife, Debbie, were on their way to Little Rock, Ark., this winter for the event, seated at the back of the plane and worried about making their connection in Dallas. Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Tim Drevno were headed to Dallas recruiting, Brown recalled, and seated in first class at the front of the plane. "All of a sudden I see [Harbaugh] walking to the back of the plane with Coach Drevno. He said, 'You two get up there … we just want to help make sure you make your connection,'" Brown said. "That doesn't happen every day, now. The boss switched places from where they were supposed to be so we would have a chance to make our connection. "That just doesn't happen. That just goes to show the quality of the man I'm working for. He's one of those guys who is going to push the envelope, be creative and expects creativity in our rooms, with our players and at the University of Michigan." Brown, of course, is exactly that guy. His first spring, last year, was completely different than Brown had been used to, he admitted, trying to match pieces that were new to him with his scheme. "We were wondering who we were going to be, fooling with different concepts to see what might be the best suited for us," he Brown made the unconventional move to get 6-1, 205-pound Jabrill Peppers closer to the line of scrimmage at linebacker in 2016, the versatile defender thrived. He placed fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting, was named team MVP and took home the Big Ten's Linebacker and Defensive Player of the Year honors. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Don Brown Among The Highest-Paid Assistants In College Football Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown signed a five-year extension in late December worth more than $1 million per season, up from $880,000 he made in year one as the Big Ten's highest-paid assistant, that should keep him in Ann Arbor for a long time. Brown led a Michigan defense that finished first nationally in yards allowed per game (261.8) and second in points allowed per game (14.1). Head coach Jim Harbaugh called him his top choice when Brown was hired, and he was instrumental in ensuring Brown got what he needed to stick around for the next several years. Brown will be paid $1 million annually over the first four years of his contract and $1.4 million in the final year. The contract includes a $300,000 retention bonus over the first two years and $400,000 in years three and four, making him the fourth-highest paid coordinator in football. "Don is a tremendous coach and teacher, first and foremost, one of the very best," Harbaugh said in the days before the extension was signed. "I haven't been around better, in all phases, in terms of relation- ships with the staff, with the players, with his football acumen at the very highest level. "He's a good person. So all things and all ways, somebody that you really like being around." The top five paid assistants heading into 2017: 1. Dave Aranda, LSU defensive coordinator, $1,800,000: Aranda went from $500,000 as Wisconsin's DC to a huge raise in 2015, and his three-year deal worth $5.5 million signed in December makes him the highest-paid assistant ever. 2: John Chavis, Texas A&M defensive coordinator, $1,558,000: Chavis is scheduled for another $50,000 raise next year, according to USA Today, and moved into the top spot for a while when Will Muschamp and Kirby Smart took head coaching jobs at South Carolina and Georgia, respectively. 3: Brent Venables, Clemson defensive coordinator, $1,431,250: Venables received a $75,000 raise after leading the Tigers to the title game two years ago and will probably jump up even more after winning the championship with Clemson last year. He won the most recent Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant. 4: Don Brown, Michigan Defensive Coordinator, $1,400,000: In his first year as Michigan's defensive coordinator, Brown produced one of the country's elite units. The Wolverines led the nation in third-down defense under Brown, allowing third-down conversions at a rate of just 21 percent. The unit ranked No. 2 in points allowed per game (14.1) and tackles for loss per game (9.3), among many other high rankings. 5: Todd Grantham, Louisville Defensive Coordinator, $1,302,000: Grantham received a $325,000 raise over what he got in 2014 and it remained the same in 2016. — Chris Balas