Brandon Shelby Takes Next Step in Coaching Journey
3/19/2021 12:00:00 PM | Football
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Brandon Shelby coaches for the players. Never forget that. He wouldn't have lasted 10 years as Indiana's cornerbacks coach without making players better individually and in the Hoosier system.
There's no better example of that than All-America cornerback Tiawan Mullen.
Beyond that, Shelby coaches to help elevate Indiana to a championship-caliber program and, beyond that, to improve himself, to reach the heights of his profession.
Landing a college head coaching job is a goal, just as it was for Hoosier head coach Tom Allen 14 years ago when he left high school for college opportunity.
Allen has helped boost Shelby's resume by giving him an extra title -- assistant head coach -- and additional responsibilities.
"When I first met with Coach Allen," Shelby says, "he asked me what my long-term goals were. I told him they were to move up, not just be a corners coach, but maybe have the opportunity to be a defensive coordinator and then ultimately to be a head coach. To have the opportunity to sit in his seat."
Former IU running backs coach Mike Hart had an associate head coach role before moving to Michigan a couple of months ago. That created an opportunity Allen partially filled by hiring Deland McCullough as running backs coach and associate head coach. But there were more duties available, and Allen offered Shelby the chance to take advantage.
For Shelby, it was a no-brainer.
"It was a good opportunity, not just from the coaching side, but the administrative side, to see some of the things (Allen) has to deal with, to get on some of the panels and different boards," Shelby says.
As has been well documented, Allen has worked his way up from the bottom from small-college special teams coach (taking a major salary cut to do so) to Big Ten head coach. He fully understands the drive needed to make it happen, and wants to help prepare staff members for similar success.
Shelby, who completed a Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship with the Houston Texans in 2017, was a logical choice.
"I'm excited for his growth and development," Allen says. "He has a strong personality to be able to address our players. He has a good connection with our players and understands them."
It's the nature of coaches to want more, from themselves, their players and, yes, their administrators. As assistant head coach, Shelby will see the administrative side of things.
"As coaches, sometimes we are greedy. We want this, this and this, but sometimes it does not line up with the administrative side. It is a give-and-take deal, and I am excited for getting this opportunity to go across the hall, to have meetings with associate athletic directors, the people in facilities, and learn."
IU is working on a new image and branding deal, and Shelby has joined that process.
"To sit on these committees and learn will hopefully put me ahead of the curve. When that (head coaching) opportunity comes, hopefully I will jump in and hit the ground running.
"I am thankful (Allen) saw that in me and gave me this opportunity."
More immediate opportunity centers on spring practice and preparation to follow up last season's 6-2 breakthrough with an even better one.
It helps to have a full spring practice schedule. Last year's spring workouts ended after four practices because of the pandemic. The silver lining was it gave promising freshmen cornerbacks Lem Watley-Neely and Christopher Keys a full year to adjust.
"They got a year to develop and get used to the speed of the game," Shelby says. "They also had an opportunity to get used to the classwork and the expectations. Those are the things that can hold young guys back.
"They had an opportunity to catch up and learn the defense. Now they can hit the ground running."
The best example of that is Mullen, who as a true freshman earned national acclaim with his Big Ten-leading 13 pass breakups, plus two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He followed that with an even better sophomore season with 38 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, and one forced fumble.
"When you think about the great ones," Shelby says, "you don't have to push those guys.
"He is self-motivated because his ultimate goal is to win all the awards, to help our team get better, and have an opportunity to play at the next level. The only way to do that is to hone in on the little things technique-wise.
"He needs to push himself in that aspect, watch more film, study the opponent. Those are the ways for him, where athletically he is pretty good, but he can get the mental stuff down a little sharper. Those are the ways I try to push him. We hold him to that standard."
Shelby holds himself to a similar standard, and who knows where that will take him.
Players Mentioned
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FB: Pat Coogan - at Iowa Postgame Press Conference (09/27/25)
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FB: Week 5 (at Iowa) - Curt Cignetti Post Game Press Conference
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