HOUSTON – It’s training camp, and practice is over for the Los Angeles Rams. Thomas Brown is with his family when he and his children are greeted by Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald and middle linebacker Bobby Wagner.
The message they imparted to his family is one of respect and appreciation as they introduced themselves and posed for pictures: “Your dad is a great dude.”
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It was significant in what it says about Brown, the son of a pastor, and his authenticity as a leader, a father, husband and coach.
“For the gold jacket guys like that to do that, it’s really telling,” a league source said. “That tells you a lot about him. What does an assistant head coach title mean? It means that person can help develop, maintain and permeate the locker room with the right message and vibe. For Sean McVay to rely so heavily on Thomas, it says a lot.”
Brown, a key assistant with the Rams’ Super Bowl championship winner two seasons ago, interviewed Tuesday for the Texans’ head coaching job, according to league sources.
A former Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons running back drafted in the sixth round by Atlanta after being the fifth all-time leading rusher at Georgia in school history, Brown, 36, is the Rams’ assistant head coach and tight ends coach. He previously coached the running backs for the Rams, who won the Super Bowl two seasons ago.
He became the sixth candidate to interview with the Texans, interviewing in-person, and followed Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. An interview is set for Friday with San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, a former Pro Bowl linebacker and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Texans.
Brown has coached at Georgia, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Miami and has coached running backs Sony Michel, Melvin Gordon and several other top players, including Rams tight end Tyler Higbee.
“My draw to football coaching initially wasn’t about football coaching,” Brown said last season. “My passion for X’s and O’s probably came four to five years down the road. For me, I was big on relationships. It was about helping players maximize their ability and also find their passions outside of football.”
Brown joined the Rams’ staff in 2020 and he was promoted to assistant head coach after one season.
In his first season with the Rams, Brown coached a running game that finished 10th in the league, averaging 126.1 rushing yards per game as rookie Cam Akers led the team with 625 rushing yards. This season, Brown played a critical role in jump-starting Akers’ career after injuries nearly derailed his tenure with the Rams.
As the Miami Hurricanes’ offensive coordinator and running backs coach, the team rushed for 2,489 yards, an average of 5.2 yards per carry while scoring 25 rushing touchdowns in 2018.
In 2015 at his alma mater, coaching Michel, Georgia rushed for 2,513 yards for the season, including 194.3 yards per game on the ground.
“He’s got such a unique, educated and impressive thought process as it relates to a lot of things outside of football,” McVay said. “That’s why he’s also the assistant head coach. I heavily lean on him with some things where he runs some leadership group meetings. He has a great pulse for the team.”
Brown shifted to tight ends this season to diversify his coaching experience and make even more of an impact on the Rams’ offense.
Brown, who represented the Rams at the NFL’s diversity seminar in Atlanta and at the Ozzie Newsome general manager-quarterback coaching summit, is regarded as a future head coach. What if the future is now?
By all accounts, Brown had a strong interview with the Texans’ search committee that includes chairman and CEO Cal McNair and general manager Nick Caserio and other team officials.
“The tight end is a position that you’re really involved in all phases of the offense. So, I think it only expands on the knowledge and understanding,” McVay said. “It was one of the most beneficial things that I was able to do as a coach. He’s really attacked the role with the right mindset and mentality.
“He’s one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever been around. He’s got such a great disposition. Very matter of fact, secure of himself, demanding of his guys. Any time that you’re a great coach, you have a big picture perspective, and he’s always had that. I’m a big believer in listen, learn, and then you can lead the right way. Being able to listen and learn from Thomas has helped me in a lot of ways.”
Brown interviewed last season with the Miami Dolphins for the head coaching job that went to Mike McDaniel.
“When it comes to tight ends, it’s about being a great communicator,” Brown said. “It’s about being able to try to provide clarity, being able to try to provide a spark to that room and make sure I maximize every guy’s ability.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
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