Don Brown sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night to jot something down in his notebook.
He’s all football, all the time.
Brown’s passion for the sport and his profession is evident during practice, after practice, during media interviews ... pretty much anywhere. If safety Jaydin Young should happen to pass by the Arizona defensive coordinator in the Lowell-Stevens Football Facility, Brown will greet him with a resounding “JY!”
Those small gestures matter in the grand scheme. Brown is trying to get the Wildcats to understand where he’s coming from and how he wants them to play defense. They haven’t played it consistently well for a long time.
“You don’t know Coach Brown,” equally enthusiastic safeties coach Chuck Cecil said Saturday. “You get a little touch, a little feel. But seriously, it’s special. It really is. Somebody that’s done it for that long and to still have the passion ... it’s in him. He loves it.
“Does he get loud and yell at his players? Yeah. He wants to try and make them better. He loves to help them.”
Arizona needs all the help it can get. The Wildcats haven’t ranked higher than ninth in the Pac-12 in yards allowed or points allowed since 2014. They ranked last in both categories each of the past two seasons.
Although Brown has a sterling résumé — he has directed seven defenses that ranked in the top 12 in the nation — he isn’t here to talk about the past.
“With all due respect, because I love the coaching profession, I don’t care about last year,” Brown said. “We don’t run that system. I don’t even know what they (ran); I stopped watching it after the first few plays because it’s completely different than what we do.
“I can tell you this: We’ve got a core group of guys that are getting better every day. And Coach (Jedd Fisch) has done a good job (of) allowing us to get some defenders in here that are gonna be immediate helpers. I feel pretty good about where we’re going.”
Although he spoke with typical fervor after Saturday’s practice, Brown’s assessment of the defense was measured. Although he has turned other defenses around quickly — Boston College ascended from 92nd nationally in 2013 to first two years later — Brown isn’t assuming anything.
Don Brown
“We haven’t put a pad on yet,” he said. “We really haven’t hit anybody yet. And the strain of camp ... we haven’t been challenged yet.”
Brown likes the buy-in so far, though. He’s excited about the revamped linebacking corps, where the depth, he estimates, has improved “four-fold.”
They’re all still learning — including the coaches. Cecil, who has been a defensive coordinator in the NFL, said he has learned a ton from Brown, whose “knowledge of the college game is much greater than mine.”
Cecil wasn’t sure a system primarily featuring a single-high safety, man-to-man coverage and constant pressure could be effective against college offenses utilizing dual-threat quarterbacks. Brown has him convinced.
“You still have to coach it and get your players to execute it,” Cecil said. “That’s where he has separated himself and (what) makes him one of the best that’s ever done it. ... He is able to get his players to buy in, believe and execute the defense.”
Developing situation
Arizona’s freshmen didn’t get a ton of reps, if any, with the first and second units during the first two practices of training camp. That doesn’t mean they’re being ignored.
A group consisting mostly of freshmen participated in 11-on-11 work at the end of each session. It’s a way for the coaches to bring them along without overwhelming them.
Brown gave that defensive group five calls Saturday. The unit ran each one twice. By comparison, he and his assistants put in 12 calls for the entire defense. He said that total will exceed 50 by the end of this upcoming week.
“They were functional,” Brown said of the freshmen. “What does that mean? Well, it’s not 100 miles an hour. But it’s starting to show 11 guys working as one. That’s what you’re really searching for. And you can tell because they start playing fast. That’s a positive.
“Now, like I just told them at the end, it’s stressful. Here you are, away from home, some of these guys (for the) first time, new system. ... We’re a multiple defense. There’s a lot of common denominators, but there’s a lot for the guys to learn. You just don’t want them to get discouraged; you want them to go and do the best they can.”
To that end, Brown operates under the assumption that most freshmen won’t be full-time players right away. He tries to figure out what they’re good at and places them in those roles. If a player is a good inside blitzer, find a blitz for him. If he’s a good edge rusher, have him line up wide and get after the quarterback.
As the players grow, so do their responsibilities.
“Don’t put them in situations where they can fail,” Brown said. “Put them in situations where they succeed. And then what happens to them? The confidence rises and ... it’s a lot easier.”
Extra points
Brown on his coaching style: “As you’ve noticed, I’m fairly verbal on the field. All I’m doing is creating chaos. If they can’t handle the chaos on the practice field – ‘Oh, Coach is yelling at me’ – how are they going to handle playing on Saturday?”
The quarterbacks, collectively, performed better than in the first practice. They were more decisive and produced more touchdowns. Team drills and 7-on-7 work again were limited to the red zone, forcing quick decisions and small-window throws. The QBs were far from perfect, but they made positive strides.
Christian Roland-Wallace and Isaiah Rutherford continue to build on their strong springs. They’re head and shoulders above the rest of the cornerback group.
Receiver Boobie Curry had a productive day. His best play came on a back-shoulder fade to the right side of the end zone. Curry snatched the ball and stayed inbounds despite tight coverage from Rutherford. Will Plummer put the ball in just the right place.
Gunner Cruz‘s best pass came in red-zone work when he unleashed a fastball to Jalen Johnson streaking across the end zone. Jordan McCloud‘s best ball came in 11-on-11 work. With linebacker Anthony Pandy in his face, McCloud lofted a corner route to Stanley Berryhill III for a TD.
Turnovers have been rare so far. Cornerback McKenzie Barnes picked off Plummer during red-zone work, cutting in front of Johnson in the end zone. Tailback Jalen John fumbled during 11-on-11 play but recovered the ball.
Three players are vying for the starting punting job, and second-year freshman Tyler Loop might have gained some early separation. Loop drilled a pair of punts that traveled about 60 yards.
Receiver Jamarye Joiner, linebacker Jabar Triplett, defensive tackle Kyon Barrs and long snapper Seth MacKellar remained limited to side work. Cornerback Treydan Stukes and linebacker Kevon Garcia joined that group Saturday.
The UA has announced its promotional schedule for the 2021 season. Highlights include a pregame concert with country singer Phil Vassar before the Sept. 11 home opener; Family Weekend on Oct. 9; and Homecoming on Nov. 6.
The Wildcats will don pads for the first time Sunday. Practice is slated to start at 7:30 p.m.
