Corwin Brown to Coach Defensive Backs

According to multiple reports, the New England Patriots have hired former Notre Dame defensive co-coordinator and associate head coach as their defensive backs coach.  Interestingly, Brown has a background playing under coach Bill Belichick, as he played for the Patriots from 1993 to 1996, and with the Jets from 1997 to 1998.  A little background on Brown from Albert Breer of the Boston Globe:

Corwin Brown at Practice

When Bill Belichick arrived to coach the Patriots defensive backs in 1996, Brown was in his fourth NFL season and already knew that, after he was done playing, he wanted to coach. He made this clear to Belichick, and the coach found ways to help tutor him, staying late to watch extra film and such to show Brown how to see the game from a coach’s eyes. Brown followed Belichick, and Bill Parcells, to the Jets in 1997 and spent two seasons there, so those two are pretty tight.

Brown got his start in coaching with Al Groh — his defensive coordinator in his four seasons as a Patriot — at Virginia from 2001-03, and was one of the few held over from Herm Edwards’ Jets staff by Eric Mangini. He’s been at Notre Dame the last three years, where he was co-defensive coordinator and associate head coach.

From the looks of it, Corwin Brown is unique in mold of Pepper Johnson in that he has experience both playing and coaching in the Patriots’ system, having played under the likes of Parcells, Belichick, Groh, and Weis.  He also seems like a bright mind who wants to learn more about the game, and looks like he could develop even further down the road here in New England.

This seems like it will be a solid move for the Patriots.