World News – US and Michigan players defend Don Brown despite outside criticism

The Michigan soccer team is well on its way to hitting one of the worst defenses in program history, and the Wolverines defense coordinator is on the chopping block with fans.

But within Michigan’s practice, Defense Coordinator Don Brown is running the business as usual and the longtime coach has the support of his players.

« We focus on ourselves and don’t worry about having to worry about the outsiders. « . Whatever is said, it doesn’t matter, ”said Daxton Hill. « Coach Brown, he’s going to keep doing his job and motivating us to just keep fighting, so he’s going to stay Coach Brown. ”

Christopher Hinton added in the second defensive game: “We have full confidence in Coach Brown. He’s a great defense coordinator. He’s shown over the years that he knows what he’s doing. I have no questions in the scheme and none of the above. As defenders, as players, we have to do what he tells us to do one by one and play after the other because, as I said, we have full confidence in coach Brown. ”

While this is likely to stay that way through the 2020 Michigan season, Brown’s time in Ann Arbor is beyond that uncertain. In four games, including three defeats, the Wolverines rank 92nd nationwide. Place in goal defense (34). 5 points per game), 78. national in overall defense (allowed 425. 8 yards per game), 113. national with 4. 0 tackles against loss per game, 107. in third defense (47). 5 percent), 120. Touchdown rate in the red zone (15 out of 18 trips allowed, 83). 3 percent) and have only made one sack and no sales in the last three games.

If those numbers continued, the Michigan defense for 2020 would be the second worst in program history in multiple categories, just behind the 2010 Wolverines defense that led to the sacking of Rich Rodriguez.

« This defense has been successful for many years and Don is an aggressive style coach. This is us and this is what we will be. We’ve added a few wrinkles and I think they’ll help, « cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich said Wednesday.  » . . . We also have to adapt as coaches, we can’t just keep banging our heads against the wall, we have to give our guys a chance to develop and get used to the basics and techniques. ”

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh backed Brown at press conferences earlier this fall and said ahead of this season that Brown was the greatest coach he has worked with. It was a hit on the field during most of Brown’s Michigan’s first three years, with the Wolverines ranked in the top three overall defense nationally for all three years.

Today, however, Brown’s tenure has waned. Michigan has only made the defensive coordinator available to the media once since the fall camp began and has not done so since the season began. This week, when the Wolverines suffered their third straight defeat, Brown’s players began defending him in front of the media.

« It doesn’t matter what people outside are saying, » Hinton said. « We are all behind Coach Brown. We’re playing hard for Coach Brown and we’re still going to play hard for Coach Brown. ”

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Michigan Wolverines Football, Head Coach, American Football