Bowling Green State University Athletics
Loeffler Announces Cornell Brown as Defensive Line Coach
March 11, 2024 | Football
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green head football coach Scot Loeffler announced today (March 11) the hiring of Cornell Brown as defensive line coach. Brown comes to BGSU after spending the 2023 season in the USFL with the New Orleans Breakers, and he was tabbed to coach the Memphis Showboats in the merged UFL in 2024.
Brown replaces Julian Campenni (assistant head coach/defensive run coordinator/defensive line) on staff who left in January for Rutgers where he is the defensive ends coach.
"I had the pleasure of working for three seasons with Cornell on Frank Beamer's staff at Virginia Tech, and I love how he works with his guys," said Loeffler. "Cornell has a tremendous football IQ, and his ability to translate his knowledge into his coaching is one of his best assets. Cornell has been a winner wherever he has been. He was an All-American at Virginia Tech, a Super Bowl champion in the NFL, and his coaching career has produced success at every stop, including coaching one of the best defensive lines last year in the USFL. Cornell will provide an immediate impact to our defensive line, and we won't lose a step from the success we have had of late with our defensive front."
"Bowling Green has been a continually growing and developing a winning program under Coach Loeffler," said Brown. I am flying high to know I can share my knowledge and skills to continue the BGSU winning ways."
Brown comes to BGSU with 19 years of coaching experience after a stellar seven-year NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders, highlighted by Baltimore's Super Bowl XXXV championship.
In 2023 Brown was the defensive line coach for the USFL's New Orleans Breakers. Under his guidance Keonte Shcad (7.0) and Anree Saint-Amour (6.0) finished No. 2 and No. 3 in the USFL in sacks. In 2022 Brown enjoyed his second stint as the defensive line coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. While in Calgary in 2022 the Stampeders led the CFL in sacks (56.0) and Brown coached the Western Defensive Player of the Year, Shawn Lemon. Defensive tackle Mike Rose was a first-team Western All-Star and defensive end Shawn Lemon was a first-team All-CFL.
Prior to his time in the CFL Brown spent one year as the defensive line coach at Tarleton State in 2021. Brown came to Tarleton after four years spent coaching at Marshall, one season as the co-defensive coordinator at Norfolk State University and six seasons on the sidelines of his alma mater, Virginia Tech.
Brown, a Virginia Tech alum and two-time first-team All-American, is considered by many to be the first high-profile recruit of the Frank Beamer era. Brown, a defensive end, started four seasons for the Hokies and helped them to a 37-11 overall record, four-straight bowl games and a pair Big East Conference championships during that span. In 1995, he led the Big East in sacks and led the Hokies to a 10-2 record and their first Big East championship and a Sugar Bowl win over Texas. Football News named him National Defensive Player of the Year. After helping Virginia Tech to a share of the conference title and a berth in the Orange Bowl in 1996, he was named a first-team All-American. Brown's 36 career sacks at Virginia Tech ranks second all-time, behind only Bruce Smith.
In the 1997 NFL draft, Brown was selected in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens where he played linebacker for the duration of his seven-year NFL career (1997-2004). Brown earned a Super Bowl XXXV ring with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. Including time with the Oakland Raiders and a second stint with the Ravens, Brown played seven seasons in the NFL and played in 108 games with 25 starts. He made 147 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles. Brown's Virginia Tech jersey was retired in 2002, and he was later inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Following his playing career, Brown entered the coaching world in 2010 at his alma mater. He was a linebackers coach for Virginia Tech for six seasons before spending one year at Norfolk State and the last four at Marshall, where he coached defensive ends. While at Marshall the Thundering Herd finished No. 1 in the nation in defensive scoring (2020), No. 2 in total defense (2020), No. 3 in red zone defense (2020) and No. 5 (2020) in defense against the rush.
During his time with the Thundering Herd, Brown mentored Ty Tyler and Darius Hodge into two of the best pass rushers in the conference. Tyler was an all-conference second team selection in 2018 with 9.0 sacks. In 2019, Hodge led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. Hodge went on to earn first-team All-Conference honors in 2020.
Brown started his coaching career in 2005 as the director of high school relations for Virginia Tech football. He then moved on to the NFL Europe in 2005 and 2006 as a linebacker coach with the Cologne Centurions (2005) and a defensive line coach with the Frankfurt Galaxy (2006). While with Frankfurt Brown coached All-World League performer Jerome Nichols and the Galaxy won the World Bowl championship in 2006.
Brown graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor of science in housing, interior design and resource management in 2000 and a master's degree in academics in 2006.
Brown replaces Julian Campenni (assistant head coach/defensive run coordinator/defensive line) on staff who left in January for Rutgers where he is the defensive ends coach.
"I had the pleasure of working for three seasons with Cornell on Frank Beamer's staff at Virginia Tech, and I love how he works with his guys," said Loeffler. "Cornell has a tremendous football IQ, and his ability to translate his knowledge into his coaching is one of his best assets. Cornell has been a winner wherever he has been. He was an All-American at Virginia Tech, a Super Bowl champion in the NFL, and his coaching career has produced success at every stop, including coaching one of the best defensive lines last year in the USFL. Cornell will provide an immediate impact to our defensive line, and we won't lose a step from the success we have had of late with our defensive front."
"Bowling Green has been a continually growing and developing a winning program under Coach Loeffler," said Brown. I am flying high to know I can share my knowledge and skills to continue the BGSU winning ways."
Brown comes to BGSU with 19 years of coaching experience after a stellar seven-year NFL career with the Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders, highlighted by Baltimore's Super Bowl XXXV championship.
In 2023 Brown was the defensive line coach for the USFL's New Orleans Breakers. Under his guidance Keonte Shcad (7.0) and Anree Saint-Amour (6.0) finished No. 2 and No. 3 in the USFL in sacks. In 2022 Brown enjoyed his second stint as the defensive line coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL. While in Calgary in 2022 the Stampeders led the CFL in sacks (56.0) and Brown coached the Western Defensive Player of the Year, Shawn Lemon. Defensive tackle Mike Rose was a first-team Western All-Star and defensive end Shawn Lemon was a first-team All-CFL.
Prior to his time in the CFL Brown spent one year as the defensive line coach at Tarleton State in 2021. Brown came to Tarleton after four years spent coaching at Marshall, one season as the co-defensive coordinator at Norfolk State University and six seasons on the sidelines of his alma mater, Virginia Tech.
Brown, a Virginia Tech alum and two-time first-team All-American, is considered by many to be the first high-profile recruit of the Frank Beamer era. Brown, a defensive end, started four seasons for the Hokies and helped them to a 37-11 overall record, four-straight bowl games and a pair Big East Conference championships during that span. In 1995, he led the Big East in sacks and led the Hokies to a 10-2 record and their first Big East championship and a Sugar Bowl win over Texas. Football News named him National Defensive Player of the Year. After helping Virginia Tech to a share of the conference title and a berth in the Orange Bowl in 1996, he was named a first-team All-American. Brown's 36 career sacks at Virginia Tech ranks second all-time, behind only Bruce Smith.
In the 1997 NFL draft, Brown was selected in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens where he played linebacker for the duration of his seven-year NFL career (1997-2004). Brown earned a Super Bowl XXXV ring with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000. Including time with the Oakland Raiders and a second stint with the Ravens, Brown played seven seasons in the NFL and played in 108 games with 25 starts. He made 147 tackles, seven sacks and three forced fumbles. Brown's Virginia Tech jersey was retired in 2002, and he was later inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
Following his playing career, Brown entered the coaching world in 2010 at his alma mater. He was a linebackers coach for Virginia Tech for six seasons before spending one year at Norfolk State and the last four at Marshall, where he coached defensive ends. While at Marshall the Thundering Herd finished No. 1 in the nation in defensive scoring (2020), No. 2 in total defense (2020), No. 3 in red zone defense (2020) and No. 5 (2020) in defense against the rush.
During his time with the Thundering Herd, Brown mentored Ty Tyler and Darius Hodge into two of the best pass rushers in the conference. Tyler was an all-conference second team selection in 2018 with 9.0 sacks. In 2019, Hodge led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. Hodge went on to earn first-team All-Conference honors in 2020.
Brown started his coaching career in 2005 as the director of high school relations for Virginia Tech football. He then moved on to the NFL Europe in 2005 and 2006 as a linebacker coach with the Cologne Centurions (2005) and a defensive line coach with the Frankfurt Galaxy (2006). While with Frankfurt Brown coached All-World League performer Jerome Nichols and the Galaxy won the World Bowl championship in 2006.
Brown graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor of science in housing, interior design and resource management in 2000 and a master's degree in academics in 2006.
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