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Former Cowboys RB coach and 8-year NFL vet Gary Brown dies at 52

liz roscher
Staff writer
·3 min read

Gary Brown, an eight-year NFL veteran and former running backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys, died on Sunday at age 52. Brown had been dealing with health problems due to cancer and had been in hospice care for several weeks.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released a statement about Brown on Sunday night.

"Gary Brown had a big heart partnered with a big smile and a big personality. His energy and spirit were infectious. He lit up every room he walked into and touched the lives of those who knew him in such a positive way. Everyone who knew him, loved him. He meant so much to the players he coached and the coaches he coached with. His love for family, football and life was evident each day. He continued to fight, and he never gave up. My family and the Dallas Cowboys family are heartbroken, and our love and support are with his wife, Kim, his daughters, Malena and Dorianna, and his son, Tre."

Brown, a running back, first made his way to the NFL as an 8th-round pick out of Penn State. He spent eight years in the NFL, first with the Houston Oilers for four seasons, then with the San Diego Chargers and New York Giants. He retired after the 1999 season and jumped right into coaching. He spent three years at Williamsport High School, his alma mater, before moving on to positions at Lycoming College, Susquehanna University, and Rutgers.

PITTSBURGH, PA - NOVEMBER 13: Running backs coach Gary Brown of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sideline before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on November 13, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cowboys defeated the Steelers 35-30. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Gary Brown, who served as running backs coach for the Cowboys from 2013-19, has died of cancer at age 52. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

In 2009, 10 years after his final season in the NFL, Brown returned to pro football as running backs coach for the Cleveland Browns. Four seasons later, he was hired by the Cowboys, where his running backs flourished. DeMarco Murray turned in a record-setting 2014 in which he rushed for 1,845 yards and was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Ezekiel Elloitt rushed for over 1,000 yards three times during Brown's tenure and led the league in rushing yards twice.

Brown and the Cowboys parted ways after head coach Jason Garrett was fired in 2020. He joined Paul Chryst's staff at Wisconsin in 2021, serving as running backs coach.

"I am deeply saddened by Gary's passing," Chryst said in a statement. "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."

Brown was first diagnosed with colon and liver cancer when he was with the Browns. According to ESPN, he made it back to the sidelines after surgery and chemotherapy. After he departed the Cowboys, doctors found a malignant tumor near his pancreas, which led him to take 2020 off. He was able to coach at Wisconsin for all of 2021, but was unable to attend the Las Vegas Bowl in December due to health problems.

After the Cowboys announced Brown's passing, several current and former players tweeted about Brown, including Murray, who is now the running backs coach at Oklahoma University, and Braelon Allen, current running back at Wisconsin.