Wisconsin has hired Gary Brown as the program's new running backs coach, the program announced Thursday.
Brown took the 2020 season off to undergo treatment for cancer in his pancreas. Brown also overcame cancer of the colon and liver around a decade ago.
"Gary is really an impressive person. Everyone I know that has worked with Gary speaks very highly of him and has loved working with him," Chryst said. "I look forward to our staff being able to work with him, and I'm really excited that our players will get to learn from him. He brings great experience at both the collegiate and professional level and is a heck of a good football coach."
He spent 2013-19 as the running backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys, where he coached DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott to First Team All-Pro seasons and Darren McFadden to a 1,000-yard season. As the running backs coach of the Cleveland Browns, Brown produced the best seasons of Peyton Hillis and Trent Richardson's careers.
Brown worked at the college level as Rutgers's running backs coach and spent two years as the offensive coordinator at Division II Susquehanna.
"I'm excited about being part of the Badger family because of the tradition that's been established over the years," Brown said. "They're one of the best programs in the Big Ten, and obviously they like to run the ball and run it very well. As a running backs coach, that certainly appealed to me. They've had a long line of great, great tailbacks and it's an honor for me to contribute to carrying on that tradition."
The Wisconsin running back room has long been one of the best in college football. Four Badger running backs became NFL draft picks in the past eight seasons, and former Badger runners Ron Dayne (7,125 yards) and Jonathan Taylor (6,174) hold the FBS records for most rushing yards over 4- and 3-year careers.
Brown replaces John Settle, who left for the same job at Kentucky earlier this month. Settle earned $425,000 in 2020, making him one of the highest-paid running backs coaches in the country.
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