When Michigan hired former Boston College defensive coordinator Don Brown last December, he had an on-field resume that made the hire a simple one, managing the nation's No. 1 defense in a high-scoring ACC with primarily two and three-star recruits.
Harbaughmade the phone calls and got recommendations for Brown from his brother, John, his father, Jack, former San Francisco defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and even Patriots coach Bill Belichick. From an on-the-field perspective, it was a no-brainer. And while on-field success oftentimes does a lot of the recruiting work for assistant coaches, the biggest questions about Brown revolved around what he would do on a day-to-day basis on the trail with more elite prospects.