Rodney Brown was elevated to Pass Game Coordinator and Defensive Backfield Coach in 2025 ahead of his second season on staff at NAU. Brown coaches the safeties and cornerbacks.

In Brown's first season at NAU, Alex McLaughlin was a unanimous All-Big Sky First Team selection, while DJ VanHook and Zach Lewis were named to the second team. The Lumberjacks ranked 12th in the FCS with 15 interceptions and 18th with 176.7 passing yards allowed, the latter of which led the Big Sky Conference. His unit shined in Week 2 against Arizona when it held an explosive Wildcats offense to 173 passing yards. His defensive backs shut down Tetairoa McMillan, a consensus All-American and eighth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, to a career-low 13 yards receiving.

Brown arrived at NAU from Angelo State, where he served as defensive backs coach under current NAU defensive coordinator Adam Clark. Brown also has served as defensive backs coach at Virginia Union University (2022-23), cornerbacks graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech (2021) and cornerbacks coach at Lamar (2020).

A native of Mayo, Fla., Brown played cornerback at Webber International University. Following his playing career, he started his coaching career at his alma mater as secondary coach from 2017-19.