Michigan football fires special teams coordinator J.B. Brown

Michigan football is looking for a new special teams coordinator.

J.B. Brown has been let go from his position, the school announced on Wednesday. Brown had coordinated the unit the past two seasons after Jay Harbaugh left to join the staff of the Seattle Seahawks following the 2023 season.

“After thoroughly evaluating our special teams’ performance throughout the season, I made the decision to make a change that was in the best interest of the program," coach Sherrone Moore said in a statement. "I want to thank JB Brown for his unwavering dedication and the positive impact he’s had on our players and program. We are grateful for his commitment, and I wish him nothing but success as he continues his coaching career.”

Brown had been on staff in Ann Arbor for five years in total, after spending three as an analyst (2021-23).

The news does not come as much of a surprise, given the struggles of the unit this past season. Starting out in the return game, Michigan had one kick return for more than 30 yards, a 39-yarder by Marsh against Maryland, and ranked No. 123 out of 134 teams, averaging 15.24 yards per return.

Equally troubling was lack of explosion on punt. The Wolverines did not return a single punt even 15 yards, as Semaj Morgan lost his job to Marsh for the final two weeks. Michigan ranked No. 124 with a 3.82 yards per punt return average.

The punt unit wasn't much better.

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While Hudson Hollenbeck had a better season than predecessor Tommy Doman in 2024, it was still just average, putting up 43 yards per punt, which ranked No. 69 out of 123 qualified punters. His average net (39 yards), which includes punt returns and touchbacks, was ranked No. 109 out of 195 players to attempt at least one punt.

Kicker Dominic Zvada entered the season as a preseason All-American after he put together the best season by a kicker in program history in 2024, but he also had a down season. Zvada was 21-for-22 last year, but went 15-for-22 (68.2%) this season. That was boosted by a 3-for-3 finish vs. OSU, one of just three games in 2025 where Zvada attempted multiple field goals without a miss.

Long snapper was named third team All-Big Ten on Wednesday, Dec. 3 while Zvada was named All-Big Ten honorable mention.

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football fires special teams coordinator J.B. Brown