FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots have hired former Notre Dame assistant and former Michigan football player Corwin Brown as a defensive coach.

The Patriots announced Brown's appointment Friday. He had spent the past three seasons as defensive coordinator for the Irish, who recently hired new head coach Brian Kelly to turn around a program that has struggled for a decade.

Brown was defensive backs coach for the New York Jets from 2004 to 2006. His units intercepted a total of 56 passes, tied for fifth in the league.

Brown played from 1989-1992 at Michigan, then was a fourth-round pick and played four seasons for the Patriots. He also played for the Jets and Detroit Lions.