Fran Brown

Francis Brown (born February 3, 1982) is an American college football coach and former cornerback who is currently the head football coach at Syracuse University. Previously, he served as the defensive backs coach at Georgia.

Early life Brown was raised in Camden, New Jersey and graduated from Camden High School, where he set the school record as a quarterback with 47 touchdown passes.

Playing career Following his high school career at the Woodrow Wilson High School, Brown switched to cornerback and played with Hudson Valley Community College. He was recruited to Western Carolina by then linebackers coach Matt Rhule, and became a first-team All-SoCon selection and team captain.

Coaching career Temple After spending a year coaching at Paul VI Catholic High School, Brown joined Steve Addazio's staff at Temple as the Assistant Director of Internal Operations in 2011. During the 2012 season, Brown transitioned to a graduate assistant role in 2012 before becoming Temple's defensive backs coach on Matt Rhule's staff in 2013. Brown held that role until 2016, when he was added associate head coach responsibilities to his job description.

After the 2014 recruiting season, in which he signed a number of players including future pro Sean Chandler, Brown was named a top recruiter in the American Athletic Conference by Rivals.com. During his time in Waco, Brown was considered Baylor's top recruiter.

Second stint at Temple Following the 2018 season, Brown interviewed for the head coaching job at Temple that eventually went to Manny Diaz. Diaz's first hire at Temple was to bring Brown in as assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator.

Georgia On February 18, 2022, Brown was hired to be a part of Georgia’s defensive staff. Brown was hired to replace Jahmile Addae who took the same position at Miami (FL) on Feb. 7. He was part of the coaching staff on the Georgia team that defeated TCU in the National Championship. In 2023, Brown was named #1 national recruiter by 247Sports.

Syracuse On November 28, 2023, Brown was named the 31st head coach of Syracuse University. His deep recruiting ties in South Jersey, one of Syracuse’s primary recruiting grounds, were cited as a major reason for his hiring. A video detailing the punishment went viral on the social media platform X.

Head coaching record

Personal life Brown is married to Teara Brown and has three children. Brown once mentioned in a press conference that he often does not shower after his team loses a game, describing showers as a ritual and a motivation for winning (only "winners get washed" ). His son, Fran Brown Jr., started his freshman season for the Saint Francis Red Flash football and transferred to Syracuse in December 2024.