Former Wisconsin running backs coach Gary Brown died on Sunday at the age of 52. Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram first reported the news.

UW issued a press release on Sunday evening about Brown, who is survived by his wife and three children.

“I am deeply saddened by Gary’s passing,” head coach Paul Chryst said via a statement on Sunday. “Though he was only on our staff for a year he had a profound impact on our players and our program. We are all better people for having known Gary. He was a tremendous person, a terrific coach and a joy to be around. He had great energy and passion for life and that showed every day. My deepest condolences go out to his wife, Kim, his children, Malena and Dorianna and Tre, and his entire family, his friends and everyone who loved him.”

Brown coached Wisconsin’s running backs room for one season and mentored true freshman Braelon Allen and Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi into becoming key contributors on offense. Allen ran for 1,268 yards on 6.8 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns last year, while Mellusi accumulated 815 yards on 4.7 yards per attempt with five touchdowns.

Brown did not coach in the 2021 Las Vegas Bowl due to what UW confirmed was for non-COVID health reasons.

In the same March press release that Wisconsin announced Al Johnson as its new running backs coach, the program also noted that Brown had “stepped away from coaching and assumed an off-field role with the program."

The Star-Telegram reported on Sunday evening that Brown “was hospitalized in last December due to septic shock and ultimately succumbed to liver and kidney failure.” He had faced cancer twice previously, as has been widely reported and discussed.

Prior to his time in Madison, Brown worked for the Dallas Cowboys from 2013-19 as a running backs coach. He helped guide DeMarco Murray and Ezekiel Elliott to NFL rushing titles while with the NFC East organization, and he also assisted in the success of others like Darren McFadden (Dallas) and Peyton Hillis (Cleveland). The Pennsylvania native also coached the position at Rutgers in 2008.

Brown played eight seasons in the NFL, gaining 4,300 yards and recording 21 touchdowns. That included two 1,000-yard seasons in 1993 with the Houston Oilers and 1998 with the New York Giants.

Many Wisconsin players and staff took to social media after the news of Brown’s death. Their words and posts spoke volumes of their impressions of the assistant, as seen in the sampling below:

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