Thomas Brown (American football coach) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | May 15, 1986 Tucker, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Weight: | 203 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Tucker (Tucker) |
| College: | Georgia (2004–2007) |
| NFL Draft: | 2008 / Round: 6 / Pick: 172 |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | 1–4 (.200) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Thomas Brown (born May 15, 1986) is an American football coach and a former player. He used to play as a running back. Most recently, he was the interim head coach for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). Brown played college football at the University of Georgia. He also played professionally in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons and the Cleveland Browns. Before becoming a head coach, he worked as an assistant coach for several NFL and college teams.
Thomas Brown's Playing Days
College Football Success
Thomas Brown started his college football journey at the University of Georgia in 2004. In his first year, he was named a Freshman All-SEC (Southeastern Conference) player. He ran for 875 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He also caught 16 passes for 150 yards. In total, he gained 1,043 all-purpose yards, which means yards from running, catching, and returning kicks. He had several games where he ran for over 100 yards.
In his second year, Brown continued to shine. He started every game and led his team with 736 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He even threw a 9-yard touchdown pass! He also had a career-long 52-yard touchdown run in the 2006 Sugar Bowl.
In 2006, Brown played in seven games before a knee injury (a torn ACL) ended his season early. Despite the injury, he still managed to return a kickoff for a school-record 99 yards against Tennessee.
For his senior year in 2007, Brown rushed for 779 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for two scores. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after running for a career-high 180 yards and three touchdowns against the University of Mississippi. He played in the 2008 Sugar Bowl against Hawaii.
Playing in the National Football League
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons picked Thomas Brown in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL draft. Unfortunately, his first season was cut short. He got injured during a preseason game and had to go on the injured reserve list. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of the season. The Falcons later released him in 2009.
Cleveland Browns
On November 10, 2009, the Cleveland Browns signed Brown to their practice squad. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but aren't on the main roster. He was later moved to the active roster in January 2010. However, he was released by the Browns in June 2010.
Thomas Brown: From Player to Coach
After his playing career, Thomas Brown decided to become a coach. He has coached for many college and NFL teams.
Early Coaching Steps
In 2012, Brown started his coaching career as a running backs coach for the Chattanooga Mocs. The next year, in 2013, he coached running backs for the Marshall Thundering Herd.
Coaching at Wisconsin
In 2014, Brown became the running backs coach for the Wisconsin Badgers. During his time there, a running back named Melvin Gordon set a new school record. He rushed for an amazing 2,587 yards in one season!
Returning to Georgia
In 2015, Thomas Brown went back to his old college, the University of Georgia, as the running backs coach. He worked under his former coach, Mark Richt. This move brought together the coach of a record-setting running back (Melvin Gordon) with one of the best college running backs at the time, Nick Chubb.
Coaching at Miami
Brown joined the University of Miami in December 2015. He became the running backs coach and the offensive coordinator. This meant he was in charge of planning the team's offense. He worked with Mark Richt again at Miami.
South Carolina Role
In January 2019, Brown became the running backs coach for the University of South Carolina.
Working with the Los Angeles Rams
On February 12, 2020, Thomas Brown was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as their running backs coach. He worked under head coach Sean McVay. In 2021, he also became the assistant head coach. Brown helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI in 2022, when they beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. This was a huge achievement! In 2022, he changed roles and became the tight ends coach, while still being the assistant head coach.
Carolina Panthers Offensive Coordinator
In February 2023, Brown was hired by the Carolina Panthers as their offensive coordinator. He worked under head coach Frank Reich. After the team had a tough start to the season, Frank Reich let Brown take over the play-calling duties. Brown was even named one of the top offensive coordinators in the league by a poll of NFL players.
Chicago Bears Journey
On January 30, 2024, Brown joined the Chicago Bears as their pass game coordinator. Later, on November 12, he was promoted to offensive coordinator. Then, on November 29, 2024, Thomas Brown was named the interim head coach of the Bears. This happened after the previous head coach was let go. As interim head coach, he led the team for the rest of the 2024 season, finishing with a record of 1 win and 4 losses. The Bears later announced that Brown would not be kept for the 2025 season.
Personal life
Thomas Brown is married to his wife, Jessica. They have three children together.
