E257: University of Cal Defensive Backs Coach Terrence Brown Jr. on football and the game of life.
I'm excited to share my discussion with Coach Terrence Brown Jr. Coach Terrence is the Defensive Backs Coach at the University of Cal. Here is information about his playing and coaching career. I'm in my third season as a defensive backs coach at Cal in 2024. I have spent 11 seasons in the Pac-12 as a player and coach, including the last two seasons at Cal (2002-23) and five campaigns over two stints on the coaching staff at Washington (2015-17, ’20-21). I also played collegiately in the league for four seasons at Stanford (2009-12). I also coached at Vanderbilt (2018-19) in between my stints at Washington. In addition, I was among a group of 30 coaches on 247Sports’ 30Under30 list in both 2019 and 2020.
Coached Patrick McMorris who was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins after posting strong numbers (90 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.0 SK, 1 INT, 8 PBU, 2 FR, 2 FF) and Craig Woodson (81 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PBU, 2 FF) who earned his second straight honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection.
In 2022 I coached, Daniel Scott a fifth-round selection of the Indianapolis Colts in the 2023 NFL Draft after being a third-team All-Pac-12 pick of Phil Steele and Pro Football Focus as a 2022, as well as Jeremiah Earby a second-team College Football News Freshman All-American, and all three honorable mention All-Pac-12 selections of the league's coaches.
At Washington, I coached a pair of 2021 first-team All-Pac-12 defensive backs in Kyler Gordon and Trent McDuffie, while Elijah Molden was a first-teamer in 2020 when McDuffie earned second-team honors. I coached four Huskies currently on NFL rosters in Gordon (Chicago), McDuffie (Kansas City), Molden (Tennessee), and Keith Taylor Jr. (Kansas City), with McDuffie a first-round pick and No. 22 overall selection of the Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft while Gordon was taken in the second round (No. 39 overall) by Chicago, Molden was a third-round pick (No. 100 overall) of the Titans in 2021 and Taylor Jr. a fifth-round selection of Carolina also in 2021. As a graduate assistant, I coached a pair of All-Americans in Budda Baker and Sidney Jones, while working with a long list of future NFL defensive backs in addition to Baker and Jones including Kevin King, Jordan Miller, Byron Murphy, Taylor Rapp, Keith Taylor Jr. and Zeke Turner, with Husky defensive backs earning five first-team All-Pac-12 honors during the period.
At Vanderbilt, I coached second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection Joejuan Williams in 2018 when Williams led all SEC cornerbacks in interceptions (4), while also pacing all of the league's players in pass breakups (14) and passes defended (18) before he was selected by New England in the second round (No. 45 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:02 Early Years and Introduction to Football
08:42 Earning a Scholarship and Playing at Stanford
16:29 Playing Cornerback and the Rise of Stanford Football
19:34 Handling Pressure and Staying in the Moment
28:44 Preparation, Focus, and Confidence
32:18 The Importance of Film Study in Football
36:42 Showing Grace and Building Confidence in Players
45:53 Faith and Purpose in the Journey of Becoming a Coach
50:48 Developing Discipline, Respect, and Hard Work
57:26 The Power of Vulnerability and Growth
01:00:42 Everything Works Together for the Good
