In this era of enhanced resumes and questionable coaching candor, Northwestern defensive coordinator Jerry Brown’s promotion to assistant head football coach seems to be a step toward balancing the scales. It was an action taken out of loyalty, belief and deference, a more prestigious title to say “job well done.”

Most of all, this move was made out of trust, a theme Randy Walker nailed into the skulls of anyone associated with the 2000 Wildcats.

And Walker’s trust of Brown is obvious: He retained the veteran assistant even after Brown’s longtime boss, Gary Barnett, went to tap the Rockies.

So when offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Kevin Wilson left NU for Oklahoma in December, Brown seemed like the obvious choice to earn the honorary designation.

There’s only one problem – he doesn’t deserve it.

Is it just me, or wasn’t Brown the man in charge of a defense that coughed up 43 points to that MAC daddy Bowling Green? Didn’t his defense allow 467.5 yards and 34.4 points per game? Those players face-guarding, arm tackling and missing assignments, they were part of Brown’s defense, right?

It seems like the last thing this guy should be receiving is a promotion. We’re not exactly talking about Greg Blache here. And as someone who has witnessed NU’s defensive debauchery for quite a while, I was waiting for quite a different piece of news regarding Brown’s status at NU.

Sure, players and coaches have a strong bond with Brown. His experience is impressive, and his recruiting efforts across the southeast and in Southern California have been fruitful for NU. But don’t those dreary results on the field count for anything?

Here’s a refresher course: The Cats’ defense has struggled for two-and-a-half years, forcing the offense to put up astronomical numbers just to notch a few ‘W’s.’

The effort and talent are there, but when it comes time to execute, NU has misfired again and again.

The responsibility for a defense’s performance lies with its coordinator. But, with Walker as his great protector, Brown was never called out or held responsible. And still there are no consequences for the Cats’ disastrous defense, no burning desire to right the ship.

While Brown’s promotion has little effect on NU’s 2002 campaign, the principle behind it is significantly flawed. Walker’s motive may have been good faith, but the move was laced with hypocrisy.

Let me explain: Just as “trust” was the dictum of 2000, accountability was the overriding theme of 2001. Walker and his depleted troops couldn’t get through a news conference without referencing “thumb pointing,” NU’s homespun habit of players taking personal responsibility for the team’s shortcomings instead of blaming teammates.

As the losses piled up like trash at the town dump, there was plenty of fault to dish out – but Brown’s name was rarely mentioned.

Stellar quarterback Zak Kustok would scold himself for an ill-advised toss or for missing an open man. Damien Anderson would look at the ground like an apologetic 6-year-old caught with his hand in the cookie jar. A flushed Walker would fight back tears and talk about how everything starts at the top.

Things do start at the top, and that’s exactly why Walker should not reward an assistant who has yet to produce an ample product on the gridiron.