Former Flames standout and NFL player Mike Brown has been named the new Liberty running backs coach by coach Turner Gill.
Mike Brown will take over the assistant coach position held by former associate head coach and running backs coach Ron Brown. Ron Brown will be leaving the program as of June 30 to explore other future opportunities.
“Ron has been an integral part of our staff, both in his ability to coach young men and in his inherent ability to help our players and staff members continue to grow in their faith,” reflected Gill. “He will be missed and we all hope the very best for his family and him.”
Mike Brown returns to his alma mater, where he had a stellar four-year career and graduated with a degree in finance and a minor in coaching in 2011. During his time in a Liberty uniform, Brown was a two-time All-American, earning the honor at both wide receiver and quarterback.
“We are thrilled to have another one of our former players coaching at Liberty,” stated Gill. “Mike is a phenomenal fit for this position because of his knowledge of the game, interpersonal communication skills and experience of playing at the highest level in the NFL.”
Brown helped the Flames win three Big South Conference titles (2008, 2009 and 2010) and his graduating senior class posted the second-best, four-year win total in program history (33-12 overall, 20-3 in Big South play).
Brown led the Flames in receiving yards in 2009, earning CSN Fabulous FCS All-America honors. He finished the season with 698 yards on 60 receptions and two touchdowns.
Brown posted a pair of 100-yard games in 2009, including a breakout game onto the national scene against West Virginia on Sept. 5. Against the Mountaineers, Brown had 11 receptions for 157 yards and a touchdown, while finishing the game with 271 total all-purpose yards after adding three kickoff returns for 107 yards.
Brown guided the Flames’ offense during his final two seasons at Liberty as the starting quarterback. He was named to the CSN Fabulous FCS All-America team in 2010 after finishing the year with a program-record 3,810 total offensive yards. He led the Flames in both rushing yards (854 on 160 carries) and passing yards (2,956 yards on 223-of-351 passing attempts) and was responsible for 32 total touchdowns (23 passing, nine rushing).
Brown was named the Big South Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010 and finished his career as a three-time All-Big South honoree.
Brown finished his senior season completing 196-of-299 passing attempts for 2,664 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also rushed for 437 yards and nine touchdowns, giving him 3,103 all-purpose yards during his final collegiate season.
Brown completed his career with a 150.35 passing efficiency rating and a 65.0 completion rate (469-of-722 with 21 interceptions), both of which are still school records. He also ranks third in program history with 7,947 career total offensive yards.
Following his career at Liberty, Brown signed a free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars, playing for the franchise for three seasons (2012-14). He finished his career with 39 receptions for 534 yards and two touchdowns, including a 32-catch, 446-yard, two-touchdown season in 2013.
The native of Charlottesville, Va., began his collegiate coaching career in 2016, when he served as an offensive analyst and running backs assistant under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. The Wolverines finished the year with a 10-3 overall record after losing to No. 2 Ohio State (30-27 in overtime) and to No. 10 Florida State in the Orange Bowl (33-32) to wrap up the season.
Brown was reunited with Danny Rocco, who he played under during his time at Liberty, in 2017. Brown joined Rocco’s staff at Delaware in March 2017 as the program’s offensive quality control assistant and running backs coach. He helped the Blue Hens finish the season with a 7-4 overall record and tied for third in the CAA with a 5-3 mark.
Brown was responsible for supporting the Blue Hens’ full-time staff in various areas, including leading the running backs unit, practice preparation and film breakdown.
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