Former Georgia football assistant coach Fran Brown has gotten off to an electric start as a head coach. Brown led Syracuse to a 10-3 record last season, and all signs point to them having another great year this season.
The ACC recently held their media days, and Brown was asked what he learned from Kirby Smart during his time at Georgia and if he tries to be like him in any way. And Brown adamantly shared that he just wants to be like himself.
“But, the number one thing, I just be myself. Because I see so many people leave from a program that’s prestigious,” Brown shared via si.com. “And did as well as Kirby Smart did, and they try to go there and be Kirby. I never will be able to be him. I can only be myself, but I can implement some of the things he did."
Fran Brown learned from Kirby Smart, but he doesn't want to be him
Smart may be one of the best active coaches that anyone can learn from. That's why so many people jump at the opportunity to coach under him even if they prefer to be a head coach. Brown detailed how he was able to learn and take so much from Smart to apply at Syracuse as a head coach, but to him he still just wants to be himself.
“I think I took a little bit from everybody,” Brown continued. “The detail. I think working with Greg Schiano, he was a stifler when it comes to details. Kirby Smart, every day is important. He didn’t look forward. Never looked, don’t worry about anything else. We were playing UT Martin, and it was like we were about to play in the national championship.”
Whatever Brown's strategy is as a head coach clearly is working. 10 wins at a place like Syracuse is like winning a National Championship at Georgia, that's how impressive his first year was. Brown also isn't slowing down on the recruiting trail either as he pulled off one of the biggest upsets on the trail this summer too.
So it doesn't appear that Syracuse will be going away anytime soon, and with the expanded playoff maybe Smart and Brown will be able to face each other on the field sooner rather than later.