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Brown Announces Matt O’Donnell ‘12 as New Assistant Coach
4/13/2022 4:15:00 PM | Football
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown head football coach James Perry has announced the hiring of Brown alum Matt O'Donnell '12 as the team's new assistant coach. O'Donnell will serve as the team's cornerbacks coach.
"It is an unbelievable opportunity to return to my alma mater, a place that has meant so much to me and my family," O'Donnell said. "It feels as if it's a homecoming for me being around so many people that have impacted my life. I'm very excited to return to Brown and have the opportunity to impact these young men as Ivy League football players and help turn them into grown men and become contributing members of society as they go off into their professional careers. I'd like to thank Dr. Calhoun and Coach Perry for the opportunity and I'm excited to hit the ground running."
O'Donnell returns to Brown after most recently serving as the Defensive/Special Teams Analyst at Duke, where he was responsible for opponent breakdowns, and producing weekly game plan reports. He also assisted the safeties and special teams coaches, helping the Blue Devils ranks as the No. 2 special teams unit in the ACC in 2021. O'Donnell previously had a separate two-season stint with Duke as a defensive assistant, working with the team's defensive backs and assisting with recruiting, as well as the offensive and defensive scout teams.
Between his two stints at Duke, O'Donnell spent three seasons on staff in the NFL with the Houston Texans from 2018-20 as Defensive Quality Control, Defensive Assistant and the Coordinator of Football Research. During his tenure in Houston, he assisted with the linebackers and defensive lines, helped with weekly run game planning, protections and cadences, as well assisting with practice planning, as well as the offensive and defensive scout teams, which helped the team produce the NFL's No. 1 rush defense in 2018.
Previously, O'Donnell held the position of Defensive Assistant at Southern Miss from 2014-15, and worked on the football strength and conditioning staff at the University of Iowa for two seasons starting in 2012.
As a four-year member of the Bears football team, O'Donnell was a member of Brown's Ivy League championship team as a freshman in 2008. He earned All-Ivy honors as a linebacker during his senior season in 2011 and served on the team's Leadership Committee. As a senior, he was named the team's winner of the Charles E. Young – Hillhouse LTD "Unsung Hero" Award.
O'Donnell earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Brown in May 2012. He later earned a master's in sport's management from Southern Miss in 2015.
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.
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For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownAthletics on Twitter, @BrownAthletics on Instagram, like /BrownAthletics on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.
"It is an unbelievable opportunity to return to my alma mater, a place that has meant so much to me and my family," O'Donnell said. "It feels as if it's a homecoming for me being around so many people that have impacted my life. I'm very excited to return to Brown and have the opportunity to impact these young men as Ivy League football players and help turn them into grown men and become contributing members of society as they go off into their professional careers. I'd like to thank Dr. Calhoun and Coach Perry for the opportunity and I'm excited to hit the ground running."
O'Donnell returns to Brown after most recently serving as the Defensive/Special Teams Analyst at Duke, where he was responsible for opponent breakdowns, and producing weekly game plan reports. He also assisted the safeties and special teams coaches, helping the Blue Devils ranks as the No. 2 special teams unit in the ACC in 2021. O'Donnell previously had a separate two-season stint with Duke as a defensive assistant, working with the team's defensive backs and assisting with recruiting, as well as the offensive and defensive scout teams.
Between his two stints at Duke, O'Donnell spent three seasons on staff in the NFL with the Houston Texans from 2018-20 as Defensive Quality Control, Defensive Assistant and the Coordinator of Football Research. During his tenure in Houston, he assisted with the linebackers and defensive lines, helped with weekly run game planning, protections and cadences, as well assisting with practice planning, as well as the offensive and defensive scout teams, which helped the team produce the NFL's No. 1 rush defense in 2018.
Previously, O'Donnell held the position of Defensive Assistant at Southern Miss from 2014-15, and worked on the football strength and conditioning staff at the University of Iowa for two seasons starting in 2012.
As a four-year member of the Bears football team, O'Donnell was a member of Brown's Ivy League championship team as a freshman in 2008. He earned All-Ivy honors as a linebacker during his senior season in 2011 and served on the team's Leadership Committee. As a senior, he was named the team's winner of the Charles E. Young – Hillhouse LTD "Unsung Hero" Award.
O'Donnell earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Brown in May 2012. He later earned a master's in sport's management from Southern Miss in 2015.
BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownAthletics on Twitter, @BrownAthletics on Instagram, like /BrownAthletics on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.
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