Michigan special teams coordinator J.B. Brown fired

Michigan Wolverines football special teams coordinator J.B. Brown has been dismissed from the program, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Brown spent the last two seasons in that role, after serving as an analyst on staff for three prior to that. Brown’s contract was set to expire in January.

Brown’s father, James Brown, is on the Michigan football staff, officially listed as an ‘administrative specialist.’ James was a longtime high school coach in Texas.

This is the first coaching staff move for second-year head coach Sherrone Moore following the conclusion of a 9-3 regular season.

Moore released a statement on the decision Wednesday evening.

“After thoroughly evaluating our special teams’ performance throughout the season, I made the decision to make a change that was in the best interest of the program,” Moore said. “I want to thank J.B. Brown for his unwavering dedication and the positive impact he’s had on our players and program. We are grateful for his commitment, and I wish him nothing but success as he continues his coaching career.”

The highlight of Brown’s career at Michigan was landing Arkansas State kicker transfer Dominic Zvada, who went 21-of-22 on field goals and earned All-Big Ten honors in 2024.

However, the Wolverines’ special teams took a major dip over the last two seasons — especially in 2025 — compared to its prior form. Michigan currently ranks 117th nationally in ESPN’s special teams efficiency rating. The Wolverines finished third in the country in that metric in Brown’s first season as the coordinator in 2024.

During a press conference in October, Brown was asked if he believed Michigan’s special teams unit was performing up to its standard.

“Yeah, I think the kids are trying their best,” Brown replied. “I think they’re working as hard as they can. We want the results on paper a little bit more, but at the end of the day, we’re going to continue to strive to work on our fundamentals, securing the football and creating field position for the offense and defense.”

In 2025, Zvada struggled with consistency, going 15-of-22 on field goals, though he knocked through all 3 of his attempts against Ohio State and, two weeks prior, drilled a game-winning kick as time expired to beat Northwestern at Wrigley Field.

Zvada is out of eligibility after this season, and Michigan is expected to pursue another kicker out of the NCAA’s transfer portal. The Wolverines also signed Hinsdale (Ill.) Central three-star Micah Drescher on signing day, and he’s considered one of the top prep kickers in the nation.

Punting was also an issue, with senior Hudson Hollenbeck averaging 43 yards per attempt, ranking 12th in the Big Ten among those with 10-plus attempts. His 3.65-second average hangtime checks in 16th in the conference. Hollenbeck booted 10 punts of 50-plus yards but has also been known for his short kicks, including an 11-yard shank that proved costly in a 27-9 loss to Ohio State Nov. 29.

The Wolverines also had a spotty return game all season long. Junior Semaj Morgan was the primary punt returner until being replaced in the 10th game, and he averaged only 2.3 yards per return on 13 attempts. He lost a fumble against Northwestern, the same game in which Michigan allowed a fake punt to result in a first down. Freshman Andrew Marsh took over the duties late in the season and recorded 11.7 yards per punt return — a huge improvement. Marsh also attempted 12 kick returns, averaging 19.6 yards per try.

An Alvin, Texas, native, Brown was a special teams analyst for Michigan from 2021-23, before being elevated to coordinator under Moore, following the departure of Jim Harbaugh to the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. The previous special teams coordinator was Harbaugh’s son, Jay Harbaugh, with whom Brown worked closely.

Prior to his time at Michigan, Brown was the special teams coordinator at Texas Southern (2019-20), following graduate assistant stops at Kansas (2015-16) and Houston (2017-18).