Rams' Thomas Brown, former Hurricanes offensive coordinator, draws interest from Dolphins

The Dolphins requested an interview Friday with Thomas Brown, the Los Angeles Rams’ running backs coach and assistant head coach, according to NFL Network.

Brown was an assistant coach at the University of Miami from 2016-18.

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The addition of Brown, 35, to the list of prospects forms a clear picture of the direction Miami’s coaching search is headed. Of the seven names linked to Miami, five are offensive coaches and three are in their 30s. The other two are 49ers assistant Mike McDaniel, 38, and Cowboys assistant Kellen Moore, 32.

Brown is young but considered on a fast track upward. He is in only his second season with the Rams, yet coach Sean McVay promoted him to his top assistant for this season.

The Rams, 12-5 and NFC West champions, will play Arizona in the wild-card round on Monday night. Dolphins fans might want to keep a close watch on that game; the Cardinals' defensive coordinator is Vance Joseph, who held the same title with the Dolphins for one season and also is being considered by Miami.

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McVay explained his confidence in Brown to The Associated Press last month.

“I lean on him in a lot of ways,” McVay said. “He’s just got a great feel for people. He’s got a great pulse of the team, and he’s one of those guys that I can always trust is going to be able to give me valuable information. … When you meet certain people, they’re refreshingly secure, just comfortable in their own skin. That’s exactly how he’s always been from the time that we’ve been working together.”

Brown and McVay attended high schools in the Atlanta area less than 10 miles apart, but they only knew of each other by reputation at the time.

Brown was a running back at the University of Georgia who was drafted in the sixth round by the Falcons in 2008. An injury cut short his playing career. Suddenly, the man who had been adamant he wouldn’t become a coach decided to give a try and liked the experience.

Brown served as running backs coach under Mark Richt, his coach with the Bulldogs, in Athens. When Richt became Hurricanes coach, he brought Brown with him, adding the title of offensive coordinator.

In 2016 under Brown, Mark Walton rushed for 1,117 yards and UM averaged 34.3 points per game, ranking 37th. The next year, Travis Homer rushed for 966 yards and UM averaged 29.1 points. In Brown’s final season in Coral Gables, Homer ran for 985 yards, the Hurricanes averaged 191.5 on the ground and 28.8 points per game.

This season, Sony Michel rushed for 845 yards and Darrell Henderson 688 for the Rams.

McVay hasn’t been afraid to go against the grain, fast-tracking Brown and Brandon Staley, now the Chargers’ head coach.

“A lot of times in the hiring process, it boils down to people who do not want to go outside their comfort zone,” Brown said. “It’s challenging to explore a different culture, to take a different approach to it. I understand it, and that’s what we all have to fight against.”

With the firings of Houston’s David Culley and the Dolphins’ Brian Flores, Mike Tomlin is the only Black head coach in the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Rams' Thomas Brown, ex-UM assistant, draws interest from Dolphins