Stability at the Defensive Coordinator Position Gives Brown Hope Heading into 2020

Louisville, Ky - The University of Louisville football team has undergone a lot of change since Scott Satterfield and his staff arrived on campus last year.

The adversity faced by this group in turning a two-win team in 2018 into an eight-win squad, bowl winning team was wonderful to witness.

No change can be different from the recent shut down because of COVID-19.

"This shutdown has changed the landscape of the world," said defensive coordinator Bryan Brown. "You can't go out to restaurants and sit down and have a good meal or even really just go outside a lot and mix and mingle with some of your neighbors."

The changes have been difficult on defensive coordinator Bryan Brown and the rest of the staff when it comes to interacting like they normally would with their players.

"It's changed a lot with our players and not being able to see those guys on a day to day basis," Brown said. "Having to FaceTime with those guys and not being able to put your arms around them and tell them you love them. You can do it over the phone, but it's nothing like actual affection with your guys and doing it in person. You have to find different ways to continue to get to them throughout each and every day."

Louisville is coming off of its first bowl win since 2015. A lot of the positive change can be attributed to Brown's scheme. This is the first time since 2016 that Louisville has retained a defensive coordinator, which will play a potentially great role on the players retaining the scheme.

"With me being the fourth defense coordinator in four years. I mean, that's tough on anybody," Brown said. "I don't care if you're in the NFL, high school level, college level, it doesn't matter. When you change the schemes year in, year out. When you change in terminology year in, year out. You're not able to play fast and understand, you know, what, what to expect, how to do it, when to do it, why you do."

Playing faster was a point of emphasis throughout the 2019 season. Brown noticed his guys were able to play this way from the start of the season all the way through their seven spring practices this year.

"In the beginning of the season we played really fast and played hard and then you saw us wear down and that was all because and I still think, we have depth issues for sure. When you when you look at that bowl game and you see that these guys know where to go right now," Brown said. "I think those bowl practices for sure helped us a whole lot to be able to get to the way we played during that game. Those practices told us that these guys know where to go. They know how to play fast."

The Cardinals players have been working hard during the winter in preparation for spring. After the conclusion of spring practice, Brown did notice some players who were making some strides preparing for next season.

"Jared Goldwire was a different human being during the seven practices of spring and I joked with him a couple after a couple of practices in May," Brown said. "I said, when is the old Jared going to show up because he was literally different. He was a different element. He knows this is his last go around. He was in the film room every day. There wasn't a day that went by that I did not see Goldwire in the film room. That's a big positive"

The senior defensive lineman totaled 22 tackles and four sacks during the 2019 season. There have been different players who are working to earn their spot for next season. One thing coach Brown emphasizes is not giving up on any kid too soon.

"That's one thing that we talked about," Brown said. "Within society, sometimes we give up on kids too soon and are kind of just thrown to the wolves. I think that you see that a lot, especially with some freshmen and sophomores. You say things like, he's not ready. But, you can't give up on him, we got to continue to develop them, and in hope that, by their junior, senior year. By that point, hopefully they will be able to contribute at that time."

With Brown back for a second season, Goldwire and the Cardinals should be able to see more progress on the defensive side of the football.

University of Louisville Athletics

Stability at the Defensive Coordinator Position Gives Brown Hope Heading into 2020

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