Former Georgia RB Thomas Brown heating up as NFL OC candidate
Thomas Brown has spent the past three seasons in the NFL, all with the Los Angeles Rams, and he could be on the cusp of taking the next step in his career. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Brown is set to get a second interview for two offensive coordinator jobs in the near future.
“(Rams) assistant head coach Thomas Brown is scheduled to fly to Tampa for a second interview Wednesday for the Bucs’ OC job and then to Carolina for a second interview Thursday for the Panthers’ OC job, per sources,” Pelissero tweeted on Sunday. “A rising coach who knows Sean McVay’s offense inside and out.”
Brown joined the Rams’ staff in 2020 as the running backs coach. He quickly earned the title of assistant head coach in his second season as the Rams won the Super Bowl and kept that title in 2022 while moving from running backs to tight ends. He has interviewed for offensive coordinator and even head coaching jobs over the past two seasons.
Brown no stranger to changing jobs
Other than coach defense, there isn’t much that Brown hasn’t done over the past 12 years and he has been all over the country. His coaching career began at Georgia in 2011 where he was on the strength staff.
He spent one year in that role before being hired as the running backs coach at Chattanooga in 2012. He moved on to Marshall as running backs coach in 2013 and got the same position at Wisconsin in 2014.
Brown returned to Georgia in 2015 as the running backs coach but due to quarterback issues, dysfunction, and a gruesome injury to Nick Chubb, the Bulldogs fell flat. They went 10-3 but lost to Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia Tech. Mark Richt was let go as head coach and Brown left with him for Miami.
The Tucker High School product spent three seasons at Miami as the offensive coordinator (did not call plays) and running backs coach. When Richt retired from coaching after his third season at Miami, Brown spent one season at South Carolina in 2019 before moving on to the NFL.
A stellar career at Georgia
Brown will always be known as one of the most powerful and hard-working players to ever don the red and black. He never reached 1,000 yards rushing at Georgia but he went for over 700 yards in three of his four seasons with the team.
His most productive season was in 2004. He was a true freshman and racked up 875 yards and eight touchdowns on 172 carries. He helped Georgia win an SEC Championship in 2005, rushing for 736 yards and six touchdowns with Kirby Smart as his position coach.
A torn ACL cut Brown’s 2006 season short after just seven games but he came back the next season and ran for 779 yards and 10 touchdowns while adding two receiving touchdowns. The Bulldogs finished No. 2 in the nation that season.
Brown was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round (No. 172 overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft. He battled injuries in the NFL and spent just three seasons at that level before moving on to coaching.
