Jan. 8, 2003
Steve Brown and Michael Gray, who have a combined 25 years experience in playing and coaching professional football, are the first assistant coaches hired by new Kentucky head coach Rich Brooks. Brown will coach the defensive backfield and Gray will lead the defensive line.
Here is information on the new Wildcat assistants:—
Steve Brown
“Having played and coached at the highest level, Steve Brown understands the mental and physical skills needed to play in the defensive secondary,” Brooks said. “He is a bright, articulate coach who can communicate his knowledge to the people he coaches.”
Brooks and Brown first became acquainted during the recruiting process, when Brown went to Oregon to play for the Ducks. He was a four-year letterman from 1979-82 as a defensive back and kick returner. He was a four-year choice as All-Pacific 10, first team as a senior, second team as a junior, and honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore. He played in the Hula Bowl following his senior year.
Brown was a third-round draft pick by the Houston Oilers in 1983. He played eight years for the Oilers (1983-90) as a cornerback and kick returner. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team by Pro Football Weekly in 1983 and was chosen the AFC Defensive Player of the Week in the ’85 season. Houston advanced to the playoffs in each of his final four seasons. He joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1991 but retired because of injury.
After three years in private business, Brown returned to football when Brooks hired him for the coaching staff of the St. Louis Rams. Brown was a defensive assistant in 1995. He was promoted to cornerbacks coach in 1996-97, then was given responsibility for the entire secondary from 1998-2000.
In the 1999 season, the Rams intercepted 29 passes, the fourth-highest total in franchise history, and Todd Lyght became the first Rams defensive back to earn a Pro Bowl berth in 10 years. The season was capped with a 23-16 win over Tennessee in the 2000 Super Bowl. St. Louis also qualified for the playoffs following the 2000 season.
When Brooks called again to join his coaching staff at Kentucky, Brown was eager to rejoin his former coach.
“First and foremost, (my reason for coming to Kentucky) is Rich Brooks,” Brown said. “He’s a fine man. I met him when I was 18. Everything he told me then was the truth and everything he told me would happen came true. Since then he’s had a dear spot in my heart.
“When I played pro ball and coached, there was a lot of bragging about which was the best conference. The SEC players always talked about how good their league is. The SEC is, without a doubt, one of the strongest conferences and I wanted to come here and experience what they were talking about.”
Brown and his wife, Michele, have two sons, Cole and Jared. Brown graduated from Oregon with a degree in English literature.
Brown Coaching and Professional Playing Experience
1983-90 Houston Oilers (NFL) Cornerback, four playoffs1995 St. Louis Rams (NFL) Assistant Coach, Defensive Assistant1996-97 St. Louis Rams (NFL) Assistant Coach, Cornerbacks1998-2000 St. Louis Rams (NFL) Assistant Coach, Secondary, two playoffs, one Super Bowl championship
Michael Gray
Michael Gray comes to Kentucky from Oregon State, where he has coached the defensive line for the last six years under head coaches Mike Riley and Dennis Erickson. OSU has gone to bowl games in three of the last four seasons, the most successful stretch in school history. Included were trips to the Oahu Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, and Insight.com Bowl. The 2000 team won the most games in OSU history, with an 11-1 record capped by a 41-9 thrashing of Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
While at OSU, Gray coached defensive end DeLawrence Grant, a third-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2000; LaDairis Jackson, a free-agent signee with Seattle in 2001; and defensive tackle Eric Manning, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection in 2001 and 2002.
“Michael’s defensive lines at Oregon State have been outstanding,” Brooks said. “He has the ability to recruit, teach, and communicate. As a player, he was dedicated and hard-working, always a student of the game. I have followed him throughout his career and become more and more impressed.”
Gray and Brooks first met in 1981 when Gray signed with Oregon. A native of Baltimore, Md., Gray was a junior college All-American at West Hills College in Coalinga, Calif. He was a two-year letterman as a defensive tackle for Oregon in 1981-82.
Gray went on to an eight-year playing career in the Canadian Football League. He was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 1985 and played on three Grey Cup championship teams, 1985 with British Columbia, and 1988 and 1990 with Winnipeg. He was the defensive MVP of the ’88 championship game. He was a two-year pick on the CFL all-conference teams.
Following his playing career, Gray went into coaching immediately. He spent 1993-94 with British Columbia, coaching the defensive line as the squad captured the ’94 Grey Cup title, his fourth as either a player or coach. He broke into the collegiate ranks as the D-Line coach at Weber State in 1995. Gray rejoined Brooks as a defensive assistant coach in 1996 with the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.
Gray and his wife, Susan, have a son, Parker.
“I’m coming to Kentucky because of Rich Brooks and Mitch Barnhart,” said Gray. “With those two, I know the kind of people I’ll be working with and I know that it will be a quality situation.
“Plus, it’s a chance to move closer to my family on the east coast and I’m excited about getting to coach in the Southeastern Conference.”
Gray Coaching and Professional Playing Experience
1985-86 British Columbia (CFL) Defensive Lineman, one Grey Cup championship1987-92 Winnipeg (CFL) Defensive Lineman, two Grey Cup championships1993-94 British Columbia (CFL) Assistant Coach, Defensive Line1995 Weber State Assistant Coach, Defensive Line1996 St. Louis Rams (NFL) Assistant Coach, Defensive Assistant1997-2002 Oregon State Assistant Coach, Defensive Line
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