Temple assistant football coach Fran Brown headed to Rutgers

Fran Brown is leaving his job as an assistant football coach at Temple to be an assistant at Rutgers.

Brown will be joining Greg Schiano, who was recently hired for his second stint as head coach at Rutgers.

“I am so excited to be working for Greg Schiano,” Brown said in a phone interview with The Inquirer. “I am from New Jersey, he is from New Jersey, we are similar. I am a younger version of him.”

Brown, 37, said he sent his resignation to Temple on Saturday. Rutgers announced the hiring late Saturday afternoon.

This past season Brown served as co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach for the Owls, who are 8-4 and awaiting their bowl opponent, with the announcement on Sunday.

Brown began his coaching career in 2011 as the assistant director of internal operations for Temple. He was a graduate assistant the next year before serving as four seasons as an assistant coach. From 2013-15 he coached defensive backs and in 2016 he was named associate head coach and defensive backs coach. After the 2016 season he became an assistant head coach/cornerbacks coach for two seasons at Baylor before returning to Temple in January.

Rutgers announced that Brown has been named secondary coach. He is the first defensive assistant to join Schiano’s staff.

"Fran is a rising star in this business with tremendous expertise on the defensive side of the ball,” said Schiano in a statement released by the school. “Fran is a tireless worker and someone who truly cares about the people he’s around which are principles this program will be built on. The combination of hard work and love are what will make us successful and I’m excited to have Fran help us get there.”

A former star quarterback and defensive back at Camden, Brown played at Western Carolina University, where he became an all-conference selection on defense.

Brown is known as an outstanding recruiter, something that Rutgers needs in hopes of rebuilding the program. Rutgers hasn’t had a winning season since going 8-5 in 2014. The Scarlet Knights went 2-10 this past season after going 1-11 in 2018.

There won’t be a long wait for Brown to face his old team as Rutgers will visit Temple on Sept. 19.