Greg Brown joined the Auburn program in January, 2017, as the Tigers’ secondary coach. A 37-year coaching veteran, Brown has coached three winners of the Jim Thorpe Award, and has 20 years of college coaching experience (with three conference titles and 11 bowl berths) and 17 years of professional experience (15 NFL, two USFL) to his credit.
| Brown's Coaching Career | |
|---|---|
| 1981 | UTEP |
| 1983-84 | Denver Gold |
| 1984 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1985 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1986 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1987-88 | Wyoming |
| 1989-90 | Purdue |
| 1991-93 | Colorado |
| 1994 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 1995-96 | San Diego Chargers |
| 1997-98 | Tennessee Oilers |
| 1999 | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2000-01 | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2002-05 | New Orleans Saints |
| 2006 | Colorado |
| 2007-09 | Colorado |
| 2010 | Arizona |
| 2011-12 | Colorado |
| 2013 | Alabama |
| 2014-15 | Louisville |
| 2016 | Missouri |
| 2017-18 | Auburn |
In 2017, SEC West champion Auburn ranked 14th in total defense and 12th in scoring defense, allowing just 4.67 yards per play, eighth best nationally. The Tigers allowed just 6.0 yards per pass attempt, seventh nationally, and cornerback Carlton Davis earned All-America and all-SEC honors.
Brown came to Auburn from Missouri, where he coached the cornerbacks in 2016; Mizzou tied for the SEC lead in interceptions and corner Aarion Penton was first team all-SEC.
Brown’s impressive resume includes stops at Louisville (2014-15), Alabama (2013), Colorado (1991-93, 2006-09, 2011-12), Arizona (2010), Purdue (1989-90) and Wyoming (1987-88). The only coach to have coached three winners of the Thorpe Award, Brown served as defensive coordinator at Colorado and Arizona.
His professional football experience includes work with the secondary of the New Orleans Saints (2002-05), Atlanta Falcons (1994, 2000-01), San Francisco 49ers (1999), Tennessee Oilers (1997-98), San Diego Chargers (1995-96), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1984-86) and USFL Denver Gold (1983-84). In the last regular season game of 1995, safety Shaun Gayle returned a fourth-quarter interception 99 yards vs. the New York Giants for the winning score to put the Chargers in the playoffs in a win-or-go-home game.
During his NFL career, he coached nine Pro Bowl players: Ashley Ambrose (Atlanta), Blaine Bishop (Tennessee), Ray Buchanan (Atlanta), Dale Carter (New Orleans), Rodney Harrison (Chargers), Tim McDonald (San Francisco), Marcus Robertson (Tennessee), Samari Rolle (Tennessee) and Lance Schulters (San Francisco).
His collegiate player roster is a who’s who of defensive backs. Three -- Deon Figures (Colorado, 1992), Chris Hudson (Colorado, 1994) and Gerod Holliman (Louisville, 2014) -- won the Thorpe Award. In 2014, Holliman tied an NCAA record with 14 interceptions, and Louisville led the nation with a 17-game string with at least one interception per contest.
The starting safeties in the 2016 Pro Bowl, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Green Bay) and Landon Collins (New York Giants), were both coached by Brown at Alabama, where he also tutored Vinnie Sunseri (San Francisco).
At Louisville, Holliman (Pittsburgh), James Sample (Jacksonville) and Josh Harvey-Clemons (Washington) were NFL draft picks, and the corners he coached at Arizona – Robert Golden (Pittsburgh) and Trevin Wade (New York Giants) – and at Colorado – Jimmy Smith (Baltimore) and Jalil Brown (Indianapolis) – are still playing in the NFL.
A 1980 UTEP graduate with a bachelor’s degree in education (history/physical education), he lettered twice at corner (1978-79) before taking his first coaching position as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1981. He earned an associate’s degree from Glendale (Ariz.) Junior College in 1978.
Brown graduated from Arvada (Colo.) High School, where he lettered in both football and track. He and his wife, Stacie, have two daughters, Hannah and Grace.