Report: Wisconsin has hired former Cowboys RB coach Gary Brown [UPDATE: confirmed by UW] (original) (raw)

According to a report from Clarence Hill, Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, former Dallas Cowboys running back coach Gary Brown will be taking the same position for the Wisconsin Badgers. This has not been confirmed by UW at this time.

The Badgers had been searching for a replacement for John Settle who took the RB coach job at Kentucky two weeks ago.

Brown, who was not retained in Dallas after the coaching change after the 2019 season, did not coach last season as he was battling cancer for the second time. Per Hill Jr.’s article, “he is currently receiving immunotherapy treatment and has been cleared to return to coaching.”

A native of Williamsport, Pa., Brown attended Penn State for four years and was then drafted by the Houston Oilers. He played eight seasons in the NFL (1991-95, 1997-99) for the Oilers, Chargers and Giants amassing 4,300 yards and 21 touchdowns on 1,023 carries and catching 84 passes for 631 yards and three scores in 99 games.

In Dallas, Brown coached two league rushing leaders in DeMarco Murray (2014) and Ezekiel Elliott (2016 and 2018) and while he was in Cleveland with the Browns he coached Peyton Hillis to a Madden cover, which is still one of the craziest things ever imo. Brown was also the running backs coach at Rutgers before jumping to the NFL.

This looks to be a great hire by Paul Chryst and the Badgers and we will keep you posted as we learn more/this becomes official.

UPDATE: mere moments after we posted this, the Badgers made it official.

“Gary is really an impressive person. Everyone I know that has worked with Gary speaks very highly of him and has loved working with him,” head coach Paul Chryst said. “I look forward to our staff being able to work with him, and I’m really excited that our players will get to learn from him. He brings great experience at both the collegiate and professional level and is a heck of a good football coach.”