David Braun (American football)

{{Infobox college coach

| name = David Braun

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_title = Head coach

| current_team = Northwestern

| current_conference = Big Ten

| current_record = 12–13

| contract =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1985|4|2}}

| birth_place = Lake Forest, Illinois, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater = Winona State University

| player_years1 = 2004–2007

| player_team1 = Winona State

| player_positions = Defensive lineman

| coach_years1 = 2008–2009

| coach_team1 = Winona State (GA)

| coach_years2 = 2010

| coach_team2 = Culver–Stockton (DC/LB)

| coach_years3 = 2011–2014

| coach_team3 = Winona State (co-DC/LB)

| coach_years4 = 2015–2016

| coach_team4 = UC Davis (DL)

| coach_years5 = 2017

| coach_team5 = Northern Iowa (RGC/DL)

| coach_years6 = 2018

| coach_team6 = Northern Iowa (STC/OLB)

| coach_years7 = 2019–2022

| coach_team7 = North Dakota State (DC/S)

| coach_years8 = 2023

| coach_team8 = Northwestern (interim HC / DC)

| coach_years9 = 2023–present

| coach_team9 = Northwestern

| overall_record = 12–13

| bowl_record = 1–0

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards = *Big Ten Coach of the Year (2023)

Paul "Bear" Bryant Newcomer Coach of the Year Award (2023)

| coaching_records =

}}

David Braun (born April 2, 1985) is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for Northwestern.

Coaching career

Braun is from Wales, Wisconsin, where he attended Kettle Moraine High School.{{Cite web |title=#93 Dave Braun |url=http://www.winona.edu/athletics/football/1696.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512041811/http://www.winona.edu/athletics/football/1696.htm |archive-date=May 12, 2008 |access-date=July 14, 2023 |website=Winona State Athletics}} Braun began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Winona State University, his alma mater, in 2008. In 2010 he was made the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Culver-Stockton. In 2011 he returned to Winona State{{Cite web |last=Scoggins |first=Chip |date=November 16, 2021 |title=Longtime Winona State football coach Tom Sawyer retires to chase a new set of dreams |url=https://www.startribune.com/winona-state-tom-sawyer-dassel-cokato-litchfield-gophers-justin-jefferson-vikings-chip-scoggins/600117108/ |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=Star Tribune |language=en}} where he worked as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach{{Cite web |date=January 28, 2014 |title=West's Radloff heading to Winona State |url=https://usatodayhss.com/2014/wests-radloff-heading-to-winona-state |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=USA Today High School Sports |language=en-US}} until the end of the 2014 season. In 2015 he became the defensive line coach at UC Davis{{Cite web |date=August 18, 2015 |title=Aggie D-line has brains and Braun |url=https://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/d-line-has-brains-and-braun/ |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=Davis Enterprise |language=en-US}} where he stayed until the end of the 2016 season. In 2017 he was made the defensive line coach and run game coordinator at Northern Iowa.{{Cite web |last=Southard |first=Dargan |title=UNI football: 'There are no egos' on overhauled coaching staff |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/northern-iowa/uni-panthers/2017/08/03/uni-football-there-no-egos-overhauled-coaching-staff/534733001/ |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=The Des Moines Register |language=en-US}} In 2018 he was made the outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. He was named the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at North Dakota State University in January 2019.{{Cite web |date=January 10, 2019 |title=North Dakota State names Braun as defensive coordinator |url=https://apnews.com/article/9964f4a6c53d488f8689e9a18e863620 |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=The Associated Press |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=North Dakota State names Braun as defensive coordinator |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2019/01/10/north-dakota-state-names-braun-as-defensive-coordinator/38876489/ |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=January 11, 2019 |title=NDSU Introduces Football Coaching Staff |url=https://www.kvrr.com/2019/01/10/ndsu-introduces-football-coaching-staff/ |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=KVRR Local News |language=en-US}}

=Northwestern=

=2023 Season=

Braun was hired by head coach Pat Fitzgerald as defensive coordinator at Northwestern in January 2023.{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2023 |title=WildcatReport – Report: Northwestern to hire NDSU's David Braun as defensive coordinator |url=https://northwestern.rivals.com/news/report-northwestern-to-hire-david-braun-as-defensive-coordinator |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=northwestern.rivals.com}}{{Cite web |date=January 9, 2023 |title=Sources: Northwestern set to hire Braun as DC |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/35412825/sources-northwestern-hire-north-dakota-state-david-braun-dc |access-date=January 15, 2023 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}} After Fitzgerald was fired amid allegations of widespread hazing within the football program, Braun was named Northwestern's interim head coach.{{Cite news |last=Thamel |first=Pete |date=July 10, 2023 |title=Northwestern fires Fitzgerald amid hazing claims |language=en |work=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/37991452/northwestern-fires-football-coach-pat-fitzgerald |access-date=July 10, 2023}} The week after Northwestern broke its 14-game road losing streak by defeating Wisconsin, Braun was made Northwestern's permanent head coach.{{Cite news|author=Chicago Tribune staff|title=David Braun named Northwestern's permanent head football coach midway through interim season|language=en |work=The Chicago Tribune |url=https://theathletic.com/5066786/2023/11/15/northwestern-david-braun-permanent-coach/|date=November 15, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}} Northwestern finished the regular season with a 7–5 record—the most wins for any first-year Northwestern football coach since 1903—and qualified for a Bowl game for the first time since 2020.{{Cite news|first=Lawrence|last=Price|title= Football: David Braun named Big Ten Coach of the Year|language=en |work=The Daily Northwestern |url=https://theathletic.com/5066786/2023/11/15/northwestern-david-braun-permanent-coach/|date=November 28, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}} Braun was named the 2023 Big Ten Coach of the Year for his turnaround of the program.{{Cite news|first=Alex|last=Ortiz|title=Northwestern's David Braun named Big Ten Coach of the Year|language=en |work=CBS |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/northwestern-braun-coach-of-year/|date=November 28, 2023|access-date=November 28, 2023}} He led his team to a victory with the Wildcats at the Las Vegas Bowl—against the Utah Utes—on December 23, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Kern |first=Kirk |date=December 24, 2023 |title=Ben Bryant leads Northwestern past Utah 14-7 in Las Vegas Bowl |url=https://apnews.com/article/las-vegas-bowl-northwestern-utah-ffdd209c613b878a5b26c1c8fe966627 |access-date=December 24, 2023 |website=AP News |language=en}} Braun is the first Northwestern head coach to lead a team to a bowl in his opening season.