Eddie George has been swift in building his coaching staff at Bowling Green, and his defensive coordinator hire is a familiar face from his HBCU journey. Per a report by Zach McKinnell of FCSCentral, former Tennessee State defensive coordinator Brandon Fisher will be joining George as he takes over the Falcons.
Fisher, son of former Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher, joined Tennessee State University in 2021 during Eddie George’s first season leading the Tigers. Under Fisher’s guidance, TSU’s defenses became the backbone of the team, contributing to a 9-4 record in the 2023 season, a share of the Big South/Ohio Valley Conference championship, and a berth in the 2024 FCS playoffs.
In 2020, Fisher served as a defensive analyst at Auburn University, where he worked closely with defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. He stepped into an on-field coaching role during Auburn’s appearance in the 2021 Citrus Bowl after Steele was named Interim Head Coach.
Before his time at Auburn, Fisher was the defensive coordinator at Southern Utah University in 2019. During his tenure, the defense improved significantly, jumping from 13th to 7th in the Big Sky Conference and allowing over 100 fewer yards per game. The team’s pass defense also improved dramatically, moving from 13th to 2nd in the conference.
Fisher’s collegiate coaching career followed an eight-year stint in the NFL. From 2015 to 2017, he was the secondary coach for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams, where his secondary ranked 10th in passing yards allowed during the 2016 season. Fisher began his coaching journey in 2010 as an offensive assistant with the Tennessee Titans, transitioning into a defensive role soon after.
The hire by Eddie George signals that he looks to bring instant success to Bowling Green, using the blueprint that led Tennessee State to prominence. In his introductory press conference, George made plain his desire to win the MAC Championship.
“I have every aspiration and intention of winning the MAC this year,” George said. “That is the goal. And to continue the success of this program that Coach Loeffler left here — the success, the sustainability. He left it in a great, great condition. Now it’s time for me to go from good to excellent to elite. We’re gonna dig in, we’re gonna get stronger, we’re gonna get faster, we’re gonna find out who we are, and we’re gonna commit to excellence every day.”
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