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By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation

Just six years into his college coaching career, Fran Brown has already developed a reputation as one of the top recruiters in the country.

Rivals.com named him the top recruiter in the American Athletic Conference three years ago, when he helped bring in a class at Temple that included highly touted cornerback Sean Chandler.

"I'm just honest with them. I won't sugarcoat anything," said Brown, in his first year as Baylor's assistant head coach and cornerbacks coach. "Some coaches will say, 'You're going to come here and play.' I'm going to tell you the truth. You come play for us, it's going to be extremely hard, but you're going to be successful. We're going to get you closer to Christ, we're going to make sure you get an education, we're going to make sure you compete every day. And you'll have an opportunity to play pro ball, if that's what's in store for you."

Tongue in check, the 34-year-old Brown adds, "Maybe they like my recruiting outfit or something, I don't know."

As a former player himself, Brown also likes just being "one of the guys." He still listens to the same music and even dresses like the players he coaches.

"It makes the guys feel comfortable, and they'll talk to me about anything. I really enjoy that," he said.

Because of that, he's sometime the buffer between head coach Matt Rhule and the players.

"I know what Coach Rhule is saying, and I know what it means," Brown said. "So sometimes, I can talk to that kid and put it into terms where he understands it and sees exactly what Coach Rhule is talking about. I'm saying the same thing, just kind of re-wording it a little bit where a 17- to 22-year-old gets it."

One of Brown's "projects" at Temple was Nate Hairston, a wide receiver that had little to show for his first three seasons with the Owls.

"I was trying to rescind his scholarship and kick him off the team," Rhule said. "I move him from wide receiver to defensive back, because only Fran can save him. Nate drives to Waco to come see me. That's how good Fran is: He took a receiver and turned him into an NFL corner."

A first-year starter for a defense that was ranked No. 3 in the country, Hairston played in the Senior Bowl and was drafted in the fifth round this year by the Indianapolis Colts.

"We got a chance to really save a kid's life, give him an opportunity to go do something he had been wanting to do since he was young," Brown said of Hairston. "Coach Rhule always saw it in the kid, but he had different position coaches that couldn't reach him. I was able to reach him, told him, 'Just open your heart up to me, I guarantee you that you'll have a chance to play pro football, because I see your physical attributes.' And he did it."

Brown's biggest motivation as a coach is to help players the way Rhule helped him more than a decade ago, when they were together at Western Carolina.

"I knew he believed in me, and it was more than football," said Brown, a first-team all-conference cornerback in 2005. "I had some things going on back home, and he was like, 'Fran, just stay, I got you the rest of your life.' And it was true. . . . When my mom passed and things happened with my family, that's where he's always been there for me like a real family member."

True to his word, Rhule got Brown a look with the Cincinnati Bengals and then helped him get his start in coaching, bringing him to Temple in 2011 as assistant director of internal operations. Brown was a grad assistant the next year, then coached cornerbacks the last four seasons, adding the title of associate head coach before the start of the 2016 season.

"I think Fran is the best secondary coach in the country," Rhule said. "No one can coach a person like Fran can. . . . He's a tremendous coach, because he's real. He's not one of those guys who sounds good. He's just a real person, tremendous father, husband, coach. He's real special to have around here."

At Baylor, Brown inherited a young group of cornerbacks that "weren't the best of friends" when he came in January. "Now, we're brothers, we're always texting each other on group texts. You can see them start to come together more," he said.

The projected starters are sophomores Grayland Arnold and Jameson Houston, who have a combined six starts between them.

"(Grayland) is always coming in, trying to get extra work, just really wanting to be a leader," Brown said. "I'm excited about Jameson, a big kid that still doesn't know how good he can play. He plays, and he'll show flashes a lot of how good Jameson can be. . . . He still hasn't gotten over the hump of, 'I gave up a big play, I'm not going to worry about it. Next play, I've got to move on and go through it.'''

Arnold, who made four starts as a true freshman last year, said Brown is a demanding coach.

"He expects greatness," Arnold said. "It's the little things. If we make a play, and the technique is bad, he's going to coach the technique. He coaches football, but outside of that he teaches you to be a man."

Another intriguing prospect at corner is Harrison Hand, a true freshman from Cherry Hill, N.J., who was rated the sixth-best prospect overall in New Jersey and the No. 6 cornerback in the country by Rivals.

"Being able to work with somebody who went to all four of our camps at Temple . . . I saw his love for the game, I saw how he likes to compete," Brown said. "And then, to be able to get a kid to come down here to Texas and get into the (first- and second-team defense) right away, that's pretty big. I'm excited about where he is as a freshman, how he's competing. And I like how when something happens to him, he comes and asks questions, and he's being able to respond right away."

The Bears will wrap up their first full week of camp with a morning practice at McLane Stadium on Saturday.

For season or single-game ticket information, call the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 or go online at www.baylorbears.com/footballtickets.