Just a little over two weeks after leaving Temple for Boston College, Steve Addazio has made the two most critical hires for his new coaching staff.
The newly-minted BC head coach announced Wednesday that he has hired Don Brown and Ryan Day as his defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively. Day will also serve as the Eagles’ quarterbacks coach.
Brown spent the past two seasons as UConn’s coordinator, in charge of a unit that is currently 10th in the nation in total defense. Prior to his time with the Huskies, he was coordinator at Maryland for two years.
“We’re very excited to have Don Brown joining our Boston College family,” Addazio said. “Don is a New England guy who has tremendous ties and relationships in the Northeast to go along with a great coaching resume. He’s been a head coach at Northeastern. He’s been a head coach at Plymouth State. He’s been a head coach at the University of Massachusetts. He’s had coordinator experience at Maryland in the ACC and comes to us having most recently served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Connecticut.
“He has tremendous character and is a great family man who is a perfect fit here at Boston College.”
The hiring of Day serves as both a reunion and a return. Day spent 2012 as Addazio’s coordinator with the Owls after spending seven seasons at BC -- five years as wide receivers coach (2007-11) and two as an offensive assistant (2003-04).
“Ryan is one of the bright, young minds in college football,” Addazio said. “He’s so excited to be back and part of the Boston College family. This is home for him. He knows Boston College and he is thrilled to back.”
Day played his college football at New Hampshire. His offensive coordinator? Chip Kelly, who in the midst of a new report on potential trouble for his current school took the time to heap praise on his former player.
“He was a great kid and one of the bright minds as well as one of the best players I have ever coached. I think he is one of the best young coaches in the country and it was just a matter of time before he was running the show, offensively, somewhere.”