UConn Football Names Matt Brock New Defensive Coordinator
STORRS, Conn. – UConn head football coach Jim Mora announced the hiring of Matt Brock as the Huskies new defensive coordinator. Brock comes to Storrs after spending the past four seasons at Mississippi State. He will join the Huskies pending the successful completion of the university employee onboarding process.
"Matt is an excellent football coach and one of the best young defensive coordinators in our profession," commented Mora. "Matt comes to us with a great track record having made a tremendous impact on the Mississippi State defense the past four years in one of the toughest college football conferences in the country. We are excited to have him joining our program and I'm looking forward to working with him."
"I am grateful to be joining the UConn football family and want to thank Coach Mora for this opportunity," said Brock. "I am really excited to get to work with the rest of our coaching staff and am looking forward to working with our student-athletes as we strive to keep improving our football team every day."
Brock was elevated to defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs for the 2023 season after handling defensive play calling duties in MSU's bowl win over Illinois in the ReliaQuest Bowl. He was hired by MSU in 2020 as special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach, and rose to coach the full linebacker group in 2022.
In his first season as the team's coordinator in 2023, the Bulldogs ranked sixth in the SEC in total defense (350.6) in total defense and were fifth in passing defense (204.7). The Bulldog defense featured the two top tacklers in the SEC in linebackers Nathanial Watson (137 tkls) and Jett Johnson (130 tkls).
In 2022, the duo of Watson and Johnson anchored the defense as well, finishing 1-2 in total tackles in the SEC while the team ranked fifth in the SEC in total defense (344.5), fifth in rushing defense (134.2) and second in turnovers gained (23). The 2021 Bulldogs ranked third in total defense (352.3) and led the SEC in fewest first downs allowed (219), while ranking fifth in the league total defense (389.7), fifth in yards per play allowed (5.5) and third in rushing touchdowns allowed (11) in 2020.
Prior to his stint at MSU, Brock spent two seasons at Washington State as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach.
He was in the same role as a special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at Bowling Green in 2016 and 2017. After the 2017 season, Brock was a nominee for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in the country after his special teams units ranked among the nation's top 20 in net punting average (4th), kickoff return defense (3rd) and punt return defense (20th). In his first season at Bowling Green, Brock's special teams unit led the nation in kickoff defense, ranked third in net punting average and finished 28th in punt return defense.
He spent three seasons (2013-15) at Texas Tech where he served as a defensive quality control coach as well as stints coaching the defensive line and linebackers. Brock arrived in Lubbock following two seasons at his alma mater Baker University (2011-12), where he served as a graduate assistant coach, oversaw the team's linebackers and assisted defensive coordinator Jason Thoren in the coaches' booth on game day.
Brock was a linebacker during his collegiate playing career at Baker. He tallied 277 career tackles and seven interceptions while leading the league in total tackles and tackles per game in 2010.
A 2009 and 2010 all-conference selection, Brock was a two-time Academic All-American and earned several team most valuable player awards.
He graduated from Baker in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He and his wife, Alyssa have one daughter, Emma, and one son, Carter.
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