Report: West Virginia Hiring Louisville Safeties Coach ShaDon Brown as Co-Defensive Coordinator

He is the fourth assistant coach to depart the Cardinals this offseason.

(Photo of ShaDon Brown: Alton Strupp/Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

MORGANTOWN, W. Va. - With the start of spring practice for Louisville football less than a week away, the program reportedly is losing yet another assistant coach.

Safeties coach ShaDon Brown, who was one of several assistants to join Scott Satterfield’s staff when he took as the head coach of the Cardinals after the 2018 season, has been hired as the co-defensive coordinator for West Virginia, according to a report from Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel.

The Mountaineers operated under three co-defensive coordinators for the 2020 season after then-DC Vic Koenning was fired last summer. It is unclear who Brown will co-defensive coordinator duties with.

After finishing the 2019 season with a defense that ranked outside the top 100 in FBS, that side of the ball for Louisville, and particularly their secondary, showed vast improvement this past season. The Cardinals allowed just 369.1 yards per game, good for 39th in FBS, and surrendered only 189.2 passing yards - a mark that was 17th in the nation and topped the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Brown is the fourth assistant coach to depart the program this offseason, and the first among the defensive staff. Running backs coach Norval McKenzie was hired to the same position at his alma mater of Vanderbilt, quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce took the offensive coordinator job at Appalachian State, and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford accepted the offensive line coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons.

Louisville later hired East Carolina running backs coach De’Rail Sims to replace McKenzie, and promoted quality control coach Pete Thomas to quarterbacks coach. Most recently, it has been reported that Auburn’s Jack Bicknell Jr. has been hired as Louisville’s new offensive line coach, but will not have the offensive coordinator title.

Louisville ended the 2020 season at 4-7 overall and 3-7 in the ACC. Spring practice is scheduled to begin on Monday. Feb. 8.

The Cardinals will kickoff the 2021 season against Ole Miss in the annual Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Monday, Sept. 6.

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI

Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp