UTEP announces offensive coordinator Jake Brown to football staff
(Courtesy: UTEP Athletics)
EL PASO, Texas - UTEP Football Head Coach Scotty Walden has continued to build his staff as he announced the hiring of Jake Brown, the Miners’ new offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach on Thursday.
Brown joins the UTEP staff and will stay in the friendly confines of Conference USA after being Louisiana Tech’s co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach the last two seasons under head coach Sonny Cumbie.
“I am so excited to welcome Jake and his beautiful family to El Paso! I have known Jake for years and he has always been surrounded by explosive offenses. He can coach really any position on offense due to his football IQ,” Walden said. “He is a renowned recruiter in the state of Texas and will help the Miner football program recruit top talent in the state. Most of all, Jake is a great leader and impacts everyone he is around. He is going to do big things leading the ‘Blue Blaze’ offense to becoming one of the most explosive offenses in the nation!”
In 2023, with Brown serving as co-offensive coordinator, the Bulldogs ranked fifth in CUSA with 384.7 yards of total offense per game while rating third in first downs gained with 243.
The LA Tech offense was among the conference leaders in passing plays over 10 yards (second, 123), 20 yards (second, 46) and 30 yards (third, 22).
The Bulldogs eclipsed 300 yards passing four times during the ’23 season, highlighted by a 419-yard passing performance against Sam Houston. On the ground, LA Tech rushed for 100 yards seven times, including a 357-yard outburst in a win over Northwestern State.
The LA Tech wide receivers saw continued success in 2023.
The Bulldogs were one of 24 programs to have two receivers eclipse the 700-yard mark in receiving with Smoke Harris (796) and Cyrus Allen (778).
Harris had three of the four most receptions in a single game in CUSA play in 2023 and recorded 70 or more receiving yards in six games. According to Pro Football Focus he caught 91.1 percent of his catchable targets, which was the best mark among all CUSA receivers and ninth-best nationally.
Allen topped 100 yards receiving in three contests, highlighted by a career-high 170-yard performance against Sam Houston, the most by a LA Tech player since 2019.
As a result of Brown’s tutelage and their individual efforts, Harris earned All-CUSA first team honors while Allen garnered honorable mention distinction in 2023.
While serving as co-coordinator in 2022, the Bulldogs’ offense accumulated 392 yards per game while ranking 32nd nationally and fourth in CUSA in passing offense, accumulating 267.2 yards a contest through the air.
While passing, LA Tech was fourth nationally in scrimmage plays over 60 yards (five), sixth in scrimmage plays over 50 yards (eight) and eighth in scrimmage plays over 40 yards (15).
The Bulldogs eclipsed the 300-yard mark in passing four times during the 2022 season, including a campaign-high 424 yards from the right arm of quarterback Parker McNeil at North Texas (Oct. 15).
On the ground Tech topped the century mark in rushing in eight of its 12 games, including a season-best 300-yard performance in a 52-17 win over SFA on Sept. 10.
The 300 yards were the most in a single game by a Tech squad since 2019.
Under Brown’s tutelage the Bulldogs receivers saw tremendous success in 2022.
Tre Harris was named a Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist and First-Team All-CUSA. Harris’s 10 receiving touchdowns were second among all CUSA players and 11th nationally.
Allen was one of the top freshman wide receivers in the country in 2022. Allen averaged 22.73 yards per catch which was the second most nationally, while ranking sixth in the country among all true freshmen in receiving yards with 500.
Allen also led all CUSA true freshmen in receiving touchdowns with four.
The New Orleans product also paced all FBS freshmen in scrimmage plays over 30 yards with 10.
On the recruiting trail, Brown played a pivotal role as the Bulldogs' 21-member signing class.
It was the highest-rated class in CUSA and rated fifth among all Group of Five schools.
Tech ranked 70th nationally in the Rivals 2023 Team Recruiting Rankings, edging out its 2020 signing class by a spot for the best slot in program history.
Brown started the 2021 season in Lubbock as an offensive quality control coach before being elevated to a full-time assistant when Cumbie was promoted to interim head coach.
Brown spent the 2020 season as the offensive quality control coach for Dave Aranda and the Baylor Bears.
Brown spent one season as offensive coordinator at West Texas A&M in Canyon in 2019. He helped the Buffaloes to an 8-3 mark after guided the offense to an increase of almost 10 points per game and over 100 yards per game.
He served as an analyst at TCU in 2018, following two seasons as running backs coach at Stephen F. Austin (2016-17). During his second season at SFA, he coached running back Kijana Amous, who totaled 983 all-purpose yards, marking the most for a Lumberjack in a single campaign since 2014.
Brown spent three previous seasons at TCU from 2014-16, serving as the Horned Frogs’ director of high school relations in 2016 after working as a graduate assistant for the 2014 and 2015 campaigns.
Brown primarily served as an inside wide receivers coach as a graduate assistant where the Horned Frogs’ posted a record of 23-3, capturing the 2014 Big 12 Championship and earning victories in both the 2014 Peach Bowl and the 2016 Alamo Bowl.
During his time in Fort Worth, Brown helped coach seven players who made NFL rosters following their collegiate careers as TCU ranked in the top five in the nation in offense.
Before arriving at TCU, Brown coached on the high school level in Texas at Arlington Martin, Lake Travis and Midlothian where he worked with a number of Division I players, including a pair of No. 1 overall draft picks in Myles Garrett and 2017 Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.
The Ennis, Texas, native graduated with his bachelor’s degree from North Texas in 2009. He is married to the former Brittany Bunnell. The couple has a daughter, Harper.
BROWN’S COACHING CAREER
2022-23 – LA Tech (co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers)
2021 – Texas Tech (offensive quality control/assistant coach)
2020 – Baylor (offensive quality control)
2019 – West Texas A&M (offensive coordinator)
2018 – TCU (offensive analyst)
2016-17 – SFA (running backs coach)
2014-16 – TCU (director of high school relations)
