Brown Building Bond with Cornerbacks During Spring Practice

When Allen Brown was hired to coach cornerbacks for Will Stein’s first Kentucky team, Brown knew that he had work to do to gain the trust of his players. And he knew exactly how to go about doing that.

“It all starts with relationships,” Brown said following Thursday’s practice. “The first thing I did when I got here is, I met with every single dude, 20 minutes, with my iPad and I wanted to know who they were as human beings, some of the adversity that they went through, mom, dad, high school, middle school, all of that stuff. Because ultimately, they’re not going to trust me if we don’t have that bond.”

How would Brown describe himself as a coach?

“I’m a players’ coach,” he said. “That’s the reason why I got into it. I’m going to lead, I’m going to mentor, I’m going to teach, in my mind, at a really high level. “

Brown is not hesitant to get in the middle of a drill. In fact, he broke one of his fingers in week one of practice. But he wants to feel what his players are feeling, and vice versa.

“When you see me out there on the grass, I’m 10 toes down,” Brown said. “I’ve got my cleats on. I’m in the mix. When they make a play, I feel like I make a play. When they get beat, I feel like I got beat.”

The Cats are past the midway point of spring drills. What has Brown learned about his unit during the spring sessions?

“I’ve learned that they are still green,” Brown said. “They’re still green to the game. And, again, a lot of times, that comes with experience. So, I’ve got to start from the ground up. And that’s not a bad thing by any means.”

Brown doesn’t mind the inexperience of his unit because they continue to put in the work to improve.

“The best part about it is they are willing,” Brown said. “I’ve seen so much progression throughout the days. When I turn on a tape of a practice from week one or week two, then us making it right down the road. That’s a big deal when they see that. It’s huge.”

Brown will continue to develop relationships with his players and will continue to gain their trust. He knows that’s the best possible scenario for everyone involved.