Josh Brown returned to Sacramento State as the team's co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in January of 2025. Brown previously served the Hornets from 2007-08.
A veteran coach with over 20 years of collegiate experience, Brown most recently was the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at McNeese State in 2024. Micah Davey was named second team all-Southland Conferecne after tallying 90 total tackles despite missing four games. Davey finished the year with 11.3 tackles per game and had 10-plus stops in five games, including 17 in the win over Southern.
Brown had two stints at UTEP, spending 2020-21 as the Miners' secondary and safeties coach and then returning in 2023 as the defensive pass game coordinator. In between those years, he was the safeties coach at Hawaii in 2022.
At UTEP, the team's starting safeties, Justin Prince and Broderick Harrell, rated third and fifth respectively on the team in tackles during the 2020 campaign. Prince notched 37 stops, while Harrell added 32. Prince made a successful return to the field after breaking his foot early in the 2019 season, and was an honorable mention All-Conference USA player. Meanwhile, Dy'vonne Inyang flourished at the nickelback spot, contributing 32 tackles, two tackles for losses and a team-high two forced fumbles.
Brown was the safeties coach at Nevada for the Wolf Pack’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl appearance versus Ohio in 2019.
He has been affiliated with two conference championship teams (2011 Great West, 2012 Big Sky), four postseason teams (2006 Hawaii Bowl, 2012 & 2016 NCAA Playoffs, 2019 Potato Bowl), and three teams that finished the season ranked in the top-25 nationally (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016) during his career.
Previously, he was defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Cal Poly from 2012-19. Under Brown’s tutelage, the Mustangs rated among the top-three in the Big Sky in points allowed and total defense in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Cal Poly also ranked in the top-three in the league in rushing defense on four occasions (2012, 2013, 2016, 2017). His 2013 unit was among the national leaders in points allowed (19th) and rushing defense (25th), while his 2017 squad was also top-25 (19th) in red zone defense.
In 2013, Brown coached the Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Year in defensive tackle Sullivan Grosz. He also coached Nick Dzubnar, who shattered the school record for tackles in a season in 2014 and went on to play for the San Diego Chargers. Brown spent the 2010 and 2011 campaigns at Cal Poly as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach, overseeing punt return, kickoff and kickoff return units that rated among the nation’s best.
Brown also spent time at Foothill College as special teams coordinator (2000-05), Arizona State as defensive line graduate assistant (2006), Sacramento State as recruiting coordinator/linebackers coach (2007-08) and Kansas as quality control coach/linebackers (2009).
He earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from San Jose State in 2003, and added a master's in curriculum and education from Arizona State in 2007. Brown and his wife, Kasey, have a son, Ty, and a daughter, Tatum. He played his prep football at San Luis Obispo HS. Brown’s father-in-law is Mike Church, a former assistant coach at UTEP and a member of the staff on the 10-win, 1988 Miners.
Coaching Experience
2024: McNeese State (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties)
2023: UTEP (Defensive Pass Game Coordinator)
2022: Hawai‘i (Safeties)
2020-21: UTEP (Secondary/Safeties)
2019: Nevada (Safeties)
2010-19: Cal Poly (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator
2009: Kansas (Quality Control, Linebackers)
2007-08: Sacramento State (Reruiting Coordinator/Linebackers)
2006: Arizona State (Defensive Line Graduate Assistant)
2000-05: Foothill College (Special Teams Coordinator)
1999: Gavilan College (Assistant)
1998: San Luis Obispo HS (Assistant)
