Source: Corwin Brown 'Just Wasn't a Good Coach'

Source: Corwin Brown ‘Just Wasn’t a Good Coach’

by Jeff Howe on Wed, Feb 9, 2011 at 3:12PM

Patriots players were frustrated and annoyed by defensive backs coach Corwin Brown, who was relieved of his duties Tuesday, according to a source.

“He just wasn’t a good coach,” the source said. “It’s not that he wasn’t smart. Some guys just don’t know how to coach.”

Brown was responsible for the safeties during the 2010 season, which was his only year with the Patriots. When he was hired last offseason, many in the New England secondary were excited to work with him because he had experience as a player in Bill Belichick‘s system.

Brown appeared to be popular — he dove through the water hose with the rest of the rookies in training camp — but his ability to coach was questioned almost regularly. He knew the system, but he couldn’t teach it.

New England’s safeties didn’t have a poor year in 2010. Patrick Chung really progressed during his second season, and James Sanders again rose above expectations. Despite the fact that Brandon Meriweather didn’t make the leap many had hoped he would, he still earned his second Pro Bowl invitation.

But after hearing from a source, it sounds like Belichick deserves more praise for that progress than Brown.