SAN ANTONIO — UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor on Monday announced that he has named Zach Brown as the program's Director of Player Personnel.
Among Brown's many responsibilities are initial identification and evaluation of prospects, managing prospect video and database, oversight of the day-to-day recruiting operations, organization of recruiting events and material and assisting with roster management.
Brown previously served a two-year stint as a defensive analyst for the Roadrunners which included serving as Senior Analyst and Director of Defensive Recruiting in 2021.
During Brown's first two seasons on the UTSA staff, the Roadrunners posted a 19-7 record, won the 2021 Conference USA Championship, were nationally ranked for the first time in program history and made back-to-back bowl appearances. The defense emerged as one of the nation's best at forcing turnovers and earned a combined 21 all-conference and C-USA All-Freshman Team selections in those two seasons.
Brown worked primarily with the nickel/strong side outside linebacker position during his two seasons as an analyst for the defensive staff.
In 2021, Brown helped UTSA post a 12-2 record, earn a national ranking as high as No. 15, capture the C-USA crown with a 49-41 win over WKU and make its second straight and third overall bowl game. The defense recorded the first two shutouts in school history with a 54-0 rout of Lamar and a 45-0 blanking of Rice. The Roadrunners ranked 14th in the country in rushing defense (114.7 ypg) and fourth nationally with 14 fumble recoveries, and they set school standards for sacks (33) and sacks per game (2.4).
Brown was integral in the emergence of Clarence Hicks as one the league's top defenders, as the outside linebacker broke the school record with 10.5 sacks and registered 16.5 tackles for loss, 37 total tackles, six quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, one interception and a forced fumble en route to first-team all-conference and honorable mention All-America accolades. He also helped mentor Dadrian Taylor to a career season with 44 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, a pair of QB pressures and a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Brown joined the UTSA staff prior to the 2020 season and was a defensive analyst before being promoted to interim linebackers coach in November. That year he helped the Roadrunners win seven games, finish second in the C-USA West Division and make the program's first bowl appearance since 2016. The defense led the conference in sacks (25), tackles for loss (85), interceptions (11), takeaways (19) and turnover margin (+7). In fact, the Roadrunners ranked in the top 30 nationally in five categories — 19th in turnovers gained, 23rd in passes intercepted, 25th in fumbles recovered (8), 26th in turnover margin and 29th in tackles for loss per game (7.1).
Prior to coming to San Antonio, Brown spent three seasons at Ole Miss. He was a graduate assistant in 2017 before being promoted to Player Personnel Analyst for the defense for the 2018 and '19 campaigns. The Rebels climbed from 113th in the FBS to 60th in points allowed per game during his tenure. He worked directly with five defensive backs who went on to the NFL including Javien Hamilton, Myles Hartsfield, A.J. Moore, C.J. Moore and Ken Webster.
Brown spent two years at St. Lawrence University, an NCAA Division III member of the Liberty League. He was a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach in 2015 before being elevated to the full-time defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator in 2016.
During his time in Canton, N.Y., the Saints won back-to-back Liberty League Championships. St. Lawrence ranked second nationally in scoring defense and 10th in total defense in 2016 after finishing the previous season sixth in the nation with 23 interceptions and 16th in pass defense (159.6 ypg). Leondre Simmon was named an All-American and first-team all-conference at cornerback, while James Holley-Grisham garnered first-team all-league honors both seasons and was named 2015 Liberty League Special Teams Player of the Year as a punt returner.
He spent the 2013 season at Columbia as a volunteer defensive intern before being promoted to quality control for that side of the ball in 2014. He worked with the outside linebackers and defensive backs during his time with the Lions.
Brown got his coaching start at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, N.Y., for one season before joining the staff at Skaneateles (N.Y.) High School for three years.
Brown earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Syracuse in 2012 and his master's degree in journalism from Columbia in 2014.
-UTSA-
