Former University of Georgia running back and Tucker alum, Thomas Brown, has been hired on the Chicago Bears staff as the team’s Passing Game Coordinator.
Brown has made his way around the NFL, including experience in playing and coaching professional football. Most recently, Brown was on the Carolina Panthers staff as their offensive coordinator, coaching 2023 first overall pick out of Alabama, Bryce Young, and the Panther offense.
Former #Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is joining the #Bears as their pass game coordinator, per sources.
Brown, 37, was voted the NFL’s No. 2 OC in a recent NFLPA player poll. It’s a reunion for him and Shane Waldron, who were on Sean McVay’s staff together in L.A. pic.twitter.com/agUKRjeFMe
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 31, 2024
Originally from Tucker, GA, Brown played his high school football at Tucker where he was a two-way starter as a member of the Tucker football program and was voted a team captain. The former running back caught the attention of his coaches early as a freshman with his incredible work ethic and high character.
“You don’t get many kids like Thomas Brown on a high school team,” said former Tucker football coach Bill Ballard. “He has a high character and a great work ethic and is someone you just love to have on your team. I am very proud to be a part of his development,” said Coach Ballard.
The Tucker-native committed to the University of Georgia where he played running back and earned Freshman All-SEC honors and rushed for 875 yards and eight touchdowns in his first year with the Bulldogs. He accumulated over 3000 scrimmage yards and 25 touchdowns in four years in Athens before being drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft to the hometown Atlanta Falcons.
Injuries plagued Coach Brown’s NFL playing career, but his coaching career was just getting started.
In 2011, he got his first coaching job with the UGA football program as a strength coach. From there, he was hired to a plethora of college staffs including Chattanooga, Marshall, Wisconsin, UGA once more and South Carolina.
In 2020, Coach Brown made it back to the NFL and was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as an assistant head coach and running backs coach. He was hired by former Marist quarterback and current LA Rams head coach Sean McVay who were rivals against Brown and Tucker during their high school playing days.
A year later, Coach Brown was on the staff with the Rams when they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56. Brown then took the job to become the Carolina Panthers Offensive Coordinator two years later.
Coach Brown now takes over a Chicago Bears passing game who saw improvement in 2023, but has tons of questions moving forward. The Bears hold the first overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft and have the opportunity to draft a new quarterback or stick with former Harrison Hoyas quarterback, Justin Fields, as the teams starting quarterback next season.
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