Former Wisconsin Badgers coach advances to Super Bowl 60

Thomas Brown only coached one season at Wisconsin but developed Melvin Gordon into a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Dec 8, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown stands on the field after calling a timeout against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter at Levi's Stadium. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

There will be no former Wisconsin Badgers player on the field on Super Bowl Sunday for the first time in six years, but that doesn't mean the program won't have some ties to the biggest sporting event of the season.

Former Wisconsin running back coach and current tight ends coach/passing game coordinator Thomas Brown helped his New England Patriots franchise advance to Super Bowl 60 following a 10-7 road victory over the Denver Broncos Sunday afternoon.

The second-seeded Patriots will face the NFC champion Seattle Seahawks on February 8 at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

The Patriots finished the regular season second in the league in scoring (28.8), third in the league in total offense (379.4 ypg), and fourth in passing yards per game (250.5).

Brown joined the Patriots this season after serving as the interim head coach of the Chicago Bears in 2024 when Chicago made a head coaching change after Thanksgiving. Brown began the season as offensive passing game coordinator this season with Chicago, his first with the organization.

He has also worked for the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. Brown was an assistant head coach for the Rams in 2021 the year the franchise won Super Bowl LVI.

Wisconsin fans will remember Brown for the big impact he made on Wisconsin's offense in his one season. Hired away from Marshall for the 2014 season, Brown coached tailback Melvin Gordon in a season where he rushed for 2,587 yards and 32 total touchdowns. He finished runner-up to the Heisman Trophy.

Gordon combined with tailback Corey Clement to rush for 3,536 yards on the year, which broke a single-season FBS record for rushing yards by teammates. Wisconsin's 6.91 yards per rushing attempt average was the fourth-best mark in FBS history.

He left in 2015 to coach at Georgia, his alma mater, and also coached at Miami and South Carolina before going to the NFL.

A former Wisconsin Badger has played in 38 of the 60 Super Bowls, including 15 of the last 17. Twenty-four players have been a part of a championship team, including 16 different Badgers since 2010.

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