Brian Bratton's rise continues with NFL's Colts; opens up unique opportunity at Furman

Brian Bratton’s continued rise in the coaching ranks – a FootballScoop Minority Watch List member a year ago who’s also participated in prestigious NFL internship programs – continued earlier this week when Bratton joined the Indianapolis Colts’ coaching staff.

Multiple sources told FootballScoop that Bratton, initially announced by the Colts’ franchise earlier this week as a quality control coach, is expected to serve as assistant wide receivers coach to new hire and Colts all-time great Reggie Wayne, in addition to some quality control components.

Bratton’s climb also continues an interesting offseason for Furman and head coach Clay Hendrix, whose program is two-thirds of the way through spring camp.

Hendrix, who’s championed the considerable coaching upside of Bratton, now has last almost exactly half of his 2021 Paladins’ coaching staff, with Bratton surging to the NFL and former associate head coach and offensive coordinator George Quarles taking over at defending Southern Conference champion East Tennessee State University for the retired Randy Sanders.

Coaching changes are an annual rite of passage, and it’s been a particularly volatile couple years in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, an ever-shifting landscape of collegiate conference realignments, the landmark arrival of Name, Image & Likeness opportunities and additional fiscal and competitive changes.

Furman’s and Hendrix’s need for a wide receivers coach – Bratton recently had been promoted to co-offensive coordinator, and had previously earned acclaim for his work as the Paladins’ special teams coordinator – is testament to the Furman coaching staff; it’s been a similar situation for Jason Simpson at UT-Martin, whose staff was significantly raided both by FCS and Football Bowls Subdivision programs after the Skyhawks’ record-setting, Ohio Valley Conference championship season last fall.

And it’s a familiar scene for veteran collegiate coach Bobby Lamb, who’s now assembling a new staff at NCAA Division II Anderson University (S.C.). Lamb’s coaching tree through the years includes the likes of Billy Napier, Tony Elliott, Des Kitchings, double-digit collegiate assistants, some NFL assistants and numerous prep head coaches.

Now, though, Furman has a prime coaching opportunity to join a Paladins program that returns numerous starters from last season’s team that closed on a hot streak and has welcomed new assistants on both sides of the ball, including offensive coordinator Justin Roper – a former University of Oregon and University of Montana quarterback.