Gregg Brandon
Encyclopedia
Gregg Brandon is the current offensive coordinator
of the University of Wyoming
Cowboys. Brandon recently coached tight ends in the UFL
for the Las Vegas Locomotives
. Brandon previously served as Offensive Coordinator for the Virginia Cavaliers
for the duration of the 2009 season and head coach for the Bowling Green Falcons
, but was fired following the conclusion of the 2008 season
, after six years at the helm, which included three bowl appearances and shares of two division titles. Brandon had previously been an Assistant Coach and Offensive Coordinator for former Bowling Green head coach Urban Meyer
, before Meyer left for the University of Utah
in 2003
. Brandon is married to the former Robyn Mitchell and has two sons, Nicholas and Timothy. Brandon is also uncle to Incarnate Word standout, Paul Townsen.
and current UTEP
coach Mike Price
), where he would coach the next six seasons (1981–86). He coached the tight ends and special teams in his first four seasons, the linebackers in his fifth year and the receivers and tight ends during his final year in Ogden.
In 1987
was then named receivers coach at Wyoming
, where he would work the next four years (1987–90). During his tenure with head coach Paul Roach
, the Cowboys posted a 35-15 record, including a 16-0 run in Western Athletic Conference
play in 1987 and 1988, and played in three bowls ('87
and '88 Holiday
and '90 Copper
). In 1991
, he returned to Utah where he coached the linebackers for one season (1991) at Utah State
.
The following year, Brandon joined the Northwestern
staff as receivers coach. He was also Northwestern's recruiting coordinator for his last two seasons there (1997–98). In his seven seasons at Northwestern, Brandon assembled an extremely talented group of receivers, including D'Wayne Bates
, the second all-time leading receiver in Big Ten history. Bates was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and an All-America candidate. Brandon would return to the West, spending two seasons at Colorado
under Gary Barnett
, where he coached the receivers and kickoff return units both years and was the team's passing-game coordinator in 2000 and recruiting coordinator in 1999.
under head coach Urban Meyer
. Following Meyer's departure to Utah
in 2002
, Gregg Brandon was named the 16th head football coach in Bowling Green's history.
In his first season as Bowling Green's head coach, Brandon lead the Falcons to an 11-3 record, a national ranking and an appearance in the 2003
MAC Championship Game
, eventually losing to Miami (OH)
at Doyt Perry Stadium
. The Falcons would still be invited to a bowl game, defeating Brandon's former Northwestern squad, 28-24 at the Motor City Bowl
at Ford Field
in Detroit, Michigan
.
The following season, Brandon went 9-3 including taking the Falcons to a second consecutive bowl game, defeating Memphis
52-35 at the 2004 GMAC Bowl
in Mobile, Alabama
. The Falcons would finish 6-5 in 2005
after losing a hard fought game against arch rival, Toledo in multiple overtimes, a game if the Falcons had won would've gone to their second MAC Championship and could have gone to a bowl game for the third straight year under Brandon.
Brandon would suffer his first and only losing season in 2006
, finishing 4-8 including losses to rivals Kent State
, Miami (OH), and Toledo, as well as becoming the first team to lose to Temple
in 20-games. Brandon's Falcons would put the prior season behind them as they would post an 8-5 record during their 2007 campaign
earning a share of the MAC East Division title, but missing out on the opportunity to play in the MAC Championship game due to a tiebreaker. Brandon would lead the team to its third bowl under his tenure, losing to Tulsa 63-7 in the GMAC Bowl
.
Coming into the 2008 season
, the Falcons were picked to be the beast of the MAC East and were projected to reach the MAC Championship Game as well as their second straight bowl game. However, the Falcons had a very disappointing campaign, going 6-6 including a 1-4 record at home. Following the Falcons double-overtime loss in their home finale against Buffalo
, Brandon showed irritation with the fans for their poor attendance at the game as it had championship implications. The day after winning their first road contest at arch rival Toledo since 1994
, Brandon was fired by athletic director Greg Christopher after six years as Bowling Green's head coach and posting a 44-30 record.
(son of then current Virginia head coach, Al Groh
), who stepped down a week before Brandon's hiring. Brandon had been named a leading candidate for the position soon after Groh's resignation.
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
of the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
Cowboys. Brandon recently coached tight ends in the UFL
United Football League
United Football League may refer to:*United Football League , an association football league in the Philippines.*United Football League , an American football league which operated from 1961 to 1964...
for the Las Vegas Locomotives
Las Vegas Locomotives
The Las Vegas Locomotives are a professional American football team based in Las Vegas, Nevada who play in the United Football League. The team plays its home games in Sam Boyd Stadium, home field for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jim Fassel is the franchise's head coach, president, and...
. Brandon previously served as Offensive Coordinator for the Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
for the duration of the 2009 season and head coach for the Bowling Green Falcons
Bowling Green Falcons football
The Bowling Green Falcons football team is the interscholastic football team at Bowling Green State University. Bowling Green competes as a member of the Mid-American Conference in the East Division. The Falcons have won ten conference championships....
, but was fired following the conclusion of the 2008 season
2008 Bowling Green Falcons football team
The 2008 Bowling Green Falcons football team represents Bowling Green State University, which will celebrate its 90th season of collegiate football in the 2008 season. The team's head football coach is Gregg Brandon...
, after six years at the helm, which included three bowl appearances and shares of two division titles. Brandon had previously been an Assistant Coach and Offensive Coordinator for former Bowling Green head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
, before Meyer left for the University of Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
in 2003
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
. Brandon is married to the former Robyn Mitchell and has two sons, Nicholas and Timothy. Brandon is also uncle to Incarnate Word standout, Paul Townsen.
Education
Brandon played football at Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs and then played collegiately as both a defensive back and wide receiver at Mesa State (1974) and Northern Colorado (1975–77). He graduated from Northern Colorado in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in education.Early career
Brandon began his coaching career as head football coach at Ellicott (Colo.) High School. He spent three seasons there (1978–80) before joining the college ranks at Weber State (under former Washington StateWashington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
and current UTEP
UTEP Miners football
The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl...
coach Mike Price
Mike Price
Mike Price is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso , a position he has held since 2004...
), where he would coach the next six seasons (1981–86). He coached the tight ends and special teams in his first four seasons, the linebackers in his fifth year and the receivers and tight ends during his final year in Ogden.
In 1987
1987 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its second national championship during the 80s in an Orange Bowl match-up featuring a rare #1 vs...
was then named receivers coach at Wyoming
Wyoming Cowboys football
The Wyoming Cowboys are a college football team that represents the University of Wyoming. They compete in the Mountain West Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I. The team has won 15 conference titles...
, where he would work the next four years (1987–90). During his tenure with head coach Paul Roach
Paul Roach (coach)
Paul Roach was the head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1987 to 1990. While there, he compiled a 35-15 record, had a .700 winning percentage, highest in school history, and two seasons of ten or more wins . During that time he also served as the school's athletic director, and won...
, the Cowboys posted a 35-15 record, including a 16-0 run in Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
play in 1987 and 1988, and played in three bowls ('87
1987 Holiday Bowl
The 1987 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 1987 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the 18th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, and the 10-2 Wyoming Cowboys....
and '88 Holiday
1988 Holiday Bowl
The 1988 Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 30, 1988 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. It featured the 12th ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, and the 15th ranked Wyoming Cowboys....
and '90 Copper
1990 Copper Bowl
The 1990 edition to the Copper Bowl featured the , and the Wyoming Cowboys.After a scoreless first quarer, Cal quarterback Mike Pawlawski threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Brian Treggs giving Cal a 7-0 lead. A 26 yard Wyoming field goal cut the margin to 7-3 at halftime. In the third quarter, Cal...
). In 1991
1991 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll...
, he returned to Utah where he coached the linebackers for one season (1991) at Utah State
Utah State Aggies football
The Utah State Aggies are a college football team that competes in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I, representing Utah State University. The Utah State college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Romney Stadium since 1968...
.
The following year, Brandon joined the Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
staff as receivers coach. He was also Northwestern's recruiting coordinator for his last two seasons there (1997–98). In his seven seasons at Northwestern, Brandon assembled an extremely talented group of receivers, including D'Wayne Bates
D'Wayne Bates
D'Wayne L. Bates is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Bates played three seasons with the Chicago Bears and two with the Minnesota Vikings...
, the second all-time leading receiver in Big Ten history. Bates was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and an All-America candidate. Brandon would return to the West, spending two seasons at Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
under Gary Barnett
Gary Barnett
Gary Barnett is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Fort Lewis College , Northwestern University , and the University of Colorado at Boulder , compiling a career college football record of 92–94–2...
, where he coached the receivers and kickoff return units both years and was the team's passing-game coordinator in 2000 and recruiting coordinator in 1999.
Bowling Green
He joined the Falcons as an assistant head coach and offensive coordinator following the 2000 season2000 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer....
under head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
. Following Meyer's departure to Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
in 2002
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
, Gregg Brandon was named the 16th head football coach in Bowling Green's history.
In his first season as Bowling Green's head coach, Brandon lead the Falcons to an 11-3 record, a national ranking and an appearance in the 2003
2003 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate....
MAC Championship Game
MAC Championship Game
The Marathon MAC Football Championship is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been...
, eventually losing to Miami (OH)
Miami RedHawks football
The Miami University RedHawks, known as the Miami Redskins before 1996, are a NCAA Division I FBS college football program that competes in the Mid-American Conference...
at Doyt Perry Stadium
Doyt Perry Stadium
Doyt L. Perry Stadium is a stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Bowling Green State University Falcons. It opened in 1966 and originally held 23,232 people. Recent renovations and new NCAA seating regulations have...
. The Falcons would still be invited to a bowl game, defeating Brandon's former Northwestern squad, 28-24 at the Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl
The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played annually since 1997. The first five games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Starting in 2002, the game was moved to 65,000-seat Ford Field in downtown...
at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
The following season, Brandon went 9-3 including taking the Falcons to a second consecutive bowl game, defeating Memphis
Memphis Tigers football
The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA...
52-35 at the 2004 GMAC Bowl
2004 GMAC Bowl
The 2004 GMAC Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season, and was the 7th edition. It was played in December 2004, and featured the , and the ....
in Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. The Falcons would finish 6-5 in 2005
2005 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football...
after losing a hard fought game against arch rival, Toledo in multiple overtimes, a game if the Falcons had won would've gone to their second MAC Championship and could have gone to a bowl game for the third straight year under Brandon.
Brandon would suffer his first and only losing season in 2006
2006 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 31, 2006 and, aside from all-star exhibition games that followed, concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game on January 8, 2007 in Glendale, Arizona, where the #2 Florida...
, finishing 4-8 including losses to rivals Kent State
Kent State Golden Flashes football
The Kent State Golden Flashes football team is a varsity intercollegiate athletic team of Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. The team is a member of the Mid-American Conference East division, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Football Bowl Subdivision...
, Miami (OH), and Toledo, as well as becoming the first team to lose to Temple
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...
in 20-games. Brandon's Falcons would put the prior season behind them as they would post an 8-5 record during their 2007 campaign
2007 Bowling Green Falcons football team
The 2007 Bowling Green Falcons football team represented Bowling Green State University in the 2007 NCAA football season. The team was coached by Gregg Brandon and played their home games in Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio. It was the 89th season of play for the Falcons. Bowling Green...
earning a share of the MAC East Division title, but missing out on the opportunity to play in the MAC Championship game due to a tiebreaker. Brandon would lead the team to its third bowl under his tenure, losing to Tulsa 63-7 in the GMAC Bowl
2007 GMAC Bowl
The 2007 GMAC Bowl was an American college football bowl game. It was part of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season, and was the 9th edition. It was played in January 2007, and featured the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, and the Ohio Bobcats....
.
Coming into the 2008 season
2008 Bowling Green Falcons football team
The 2008 Bowling Green Falcons football team represents Bowling Green State University, which will celebrate its 90th season of collegiate football in the 2008 season. The team's head football coach is Gregg Brandon...
, the Falcons were picked to be the beast of the MAC East and were projected to reach the MAC Championship Game as well as their second straight bowl game. However, the Falcons had a very disappointing campaign, going 6-6 including a 1-4 record at home. Following the Falcons double-overtime loss in their home finale against Buffalo
2008 Buffalo Bulls football team
The 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. 2008 was a season of firsts for the Bulls. With a 40-34 double overtime win over Bowling Green on November 21, the Bulls won the MAC East division and gained a berth...
, Brandon showed irritation with the fans for their poor attendance at the game as it had championship implications. The day after winning their first road contest at arch rival Toledo since 1994
1994 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some...
, Brandon was fired by athletic director Greg Christopher after six years as Bowling Green's head coach and posting a 44-30 record.
Virginia
On December 18, 2008, Brandon accepted the position of offensive coordinator at the University of Virginia, replacing Mike GrohMike Groh
Mike Groh is an American college football coach and former player, currently the wide receiver's coach at the University of Alabama...
(son of then current Virginia head coach, Al Groh
Al Groh
Al Groh is the defensive coordinator of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team. He is also a former head coach of the University of Virginia football team, a former head coach of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team and the former head coach of the New York Jets of the NFL...
), who stepped down a week before Brandon's hiring. Brandon had been named a leading candidate for the position soon after Groh's resignation.