LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Louisville defensive coordinator Bryan Brown was selected to participate in the 2022 NCAA Champion Forum for Football July 10-12 in Phoenix, Ariz.
The NCAA Champion Forum for Football is a unique and transformative professional development opportunity for current NCAA Football coaches, designed to gain a realistic view of what it takes to become a head coach at the collegiate level. High-performing, high-potential assistant coaches who have been identified as rising stars in the industry will be selected to participate in this immersive educational experience. The Champion Forum prepares tomorrow’s Football leaders today, populating a talented pool of future head coaches primed to influence a vital shift in the sport.
“It’s an honor to be selected as an attendee at this awesome event,” Brown said. “I want to thank the NCAA for giving my family and I this opportunity. I’ve researched the impact that it has had on past coaches and have talked to coaches who have attended. They learned a lot and were able to help their team with things they learned and ultimately helped their career moving on as head coaches or becoming better at their position. My family and I are looking forward to this event and looking to represent this great university well.”
Brown, who begins his fourth season as UofL’s defensive coordinator, was nominated by the conference offices, and then selected in consultation with the NCAA national office staff and administrators from within the membership.
After taking over a defense that ranked near the bottom of the national statistics, Brown’s unit has displayed improvements each year. The Cardinals have improved by 17 points per game and 85 yards per contest since taking over in 2019. After registering only five interceptions and 21 sacks in 2020, Brown’s defense doubled their interception total to 10 and sacks to 33.
Coaching the defensive backs, Kei’Trel Clark has been honored as a second team All-ACC honoree the last two seasons.
During the three-day forum, Brown will engage in the following sessions: Leadership discussion; building a culture of excellence; mock Interviews to include feedback; chalk Talk session to present thoughts on football strategy and receive feedback from industry experts; message articulation to include feedback to help refine messaging with important constituents and the media; keynote discussion with a sitting head coach; engagement with college athletics search firms; contract considerations and strategies, and roadmap discussion for preparation for head coaching opportunities and making the transition from coach to CEO.
“The NCAA Championship Forum is a tremendous honor for Bryan Brown to continue his development as a collegiate coach,” UofL head coach Scott Satterfield said. “Coach Brown is an excellent defensive mind and has tremendous respect from all his players and coaches. I'm thrilled he has been awarded this opportunity to continue his development.” To be considered for the forum, coaches must demonstrate the ability to clearly communicate/articulate personal coaching philosophy and vision for a football program to key stakeholders (university administration, donors, media, student-athletes, etc.); has management experience or management potential (has managed staff previously); has called plays or is directly involved in game planning; is an effective recruiter; and has quickly climbed coaching ladder and appears primed to become head coach.
Past program participants who have been successful in landing leadership opportunities include:
Dave Aranda, Head Coach, Baylor
Tony Elliott, Head Coach, Virginia
Larry Scott, Head Coach, Howard University
Mel Tucker, Head Coach, Michigan St.
