Wisconsin 49, Michigan 11

 

This is a shell of a team. Life sucks, at least in a football sense. In addition to starting WR Nico Collins and CB Ambry Thomas, who opted out, Michigan was without DE Kwity Paye, DE Aidan Hutchinson, LT Ryan Hayes, and RT Jalen Mayfield. Basically, every guy who looks like a surefire draft pick (at some point) sat out of this game except S Dax Hill. And if you're counting on a safety to lead your squad to victory, you're going to be disappointed most of the time.

Hit the jump.

Video: Jim Harbaugh press conference at Detroit Tigers game

Video: Jim Harbaugh with Jameis Winston

Hit the jump for the ESPN video.

Video: Bonus clips from Real Sports interview with Jim Harbaugh

Hit the jump for discussion of khakis.

Video: Trailer for Jim Harbaugh's appearance on Real Sports

Video: Jim Harbaugh on "Saved by the Bell"

Just for funsies:

Video: Jim Harbaugh on work ethics

My Take on Michigan's Recent Staff Hires

Erik Campbell (right) worked at Iowa with head coach Kirk Ferentz

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When Jim Harbaugh was negotiating for the job at Michigan, he required permission to expand the football staff. Obviously, athletic director Jim Hackett agreed, which has resulted in a hiring binge. These hires have been well publicized in the last several weeks, and I want to take a look at a few of them.

Erik "Soup" Campbell, unidentified administration job: I have talked about Erik Campbell several times on this blog, and devout Michigan fans are probably already familiar with the name. Campbell was a safety and wide receiver at Michigan in the 1980's, became a GA for the Wolverines in 1988, and then coached the wide receivers for the Wolverines from 1995-2007 under Lloyd Carr. His acolytes include Braylon Edwards, David Terrell, Marquise Walker, Mario Manningham, Tai Streets, Jason Avant, and Steve Breaston, among others. When Rich Rodriguez was hired, he somewhat inexplicably fired Campbell, who went to Iowa and coached Marvin McNutt, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, and tight end Tony Moeaki. He has spent the past two seasons with the Montreal Alouettes. It's unclear what Campbell's job description will be at Michigan, but it's a possibility that he will replace Jedd Fisch at some point. Fisch was hired on a one-year contract and generally changes jobs every couple seasons. Campbell's return to coaching the wide receivers would be welcome.

Hit the jump for discussion of three more staff hires.

Video: First spring practice

Hit the jump for Jim Harbaugh's press conference after practice.

Jay Harbaugh, Wolverine

Jay Harbaugh (right) with his dad, Jim

Jay Harbaugh, the eldest son of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, has been hired as Michigan's tight ends coach. He replaces Dan Ferrigno, who was at Michigan from 2011-2014 and also served as the Wolverines' special teams coach.

Jay was a high school defensive lineman, but knee injuries shortened his career. He attended Oregon State and joined their undergraduate assistant coaching program under Mike Riley. He has been an offensive quality control assistant for the Baltimore Ravens for the past three seasons, obviously working for his uncle John, the Ravens' head coach. It's unclear at this point how much Jay had to do with the tight ends themselves, but the Ravens have had some decent players at the position in the form of Dallas Clark, Owen Daniels, Dennis Pitta, and Ed Dickson.

There's a pretty good article on Jay (LINK) that indicates the apple has not fallen far from the tree as far as work ethic goes. Father Jim is known for his competitiveness and work ethic, and the article mentions that Jay is much the same.

Michigan could have made a more impressive hire than getting a 25-year-old kid with no actual coaching job on his resume. At the same time, I'm not inclined to believe that a competitive guy like Jim Harbaugh is going to give his son a job that isn't deserved. It's not like the kid was sitting on his butt or working in a grocery store. He had a pretty solid job with an NFL team, albeit with another member of the family. But there are worse places to learn (such as Oakland) than Oregon State and with the Ravens, who won the Super Bowl a couple years ago. On top of his NFL experience, Michigan has hired a special teams coach, John Baxter, who has extensive experience as a tight ends coach. If there are struggles or questions, Baxter - and Jim Harbaugh himself - could give him some advice. With the very impressive group of coaches Jim has put together in Ann Arbor, I'll be interested to see how this "gamble" works out for the Wolverines. He has some good pieces to work with in Jake Butt, Khalid Hill, and Ian Bunting, along with some potential incoming players like Chris Clark and Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.

Michigan Assistant Coach Rumors (January 7)

Jim Harbaugh (left), Tyrone Wheatley (right), and some guy (middle)

Here are some updated rumors and speculation about the open coaching positions on Michigan's staff.

1. Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach/Quarterbacks: Signed, sealed, and delivered (LINK). Next.

2. Tim Drevno, Offensive Coordinator/Offensive line: Drevno, the USC offensive line coach and run game coordinator, is coming to Michigan (LINK). He might be doing the whole line by himself, although he will probably get some help from a graduate assistant.
Other possibility: Andy Moeller or Todd Washington (offensive line)

3. Running backs: Former Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley flew into town last night and went to dinner with Harbaugh at Red Robin. He was supposed to interview for the running backs job yesterday, but his late arrival postponed the interview to today. No contract is done yet, but it would be quite a surprise if Wheatley didn't get the job.
Other possibilities: Fred Jackson, Roy Manning

4. Wide receivers: Rumors appeared on New Year's Eve that John Morton was expected to join Michigan's staff, although there has been nothing confirmed yet. No, this isn't the former Detroit Lions wide receiver, but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver coach Morton is out of a job. Morton grew up in Michigan and played wide receiver at Western Michigan, so he's a midwest guy and would presumably have some connections in the area. San Francisco's wide receivers weren't spectacular, but he has worked with some pretty big names in Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree.
Other possibilities: Erik Campbell, Ronald Curry, Jeff Hecklinski

5. Tight ends: Vince Marrow decided to stay at Kentucky, and it's been reported that Michigan has offered a job to San Jose State University offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty. Dougherty worked for Harbaugh at San Diego, and he also has experience coaching wide receivers and tight ends. Since it seems like Morton will be coaching the wideouts, Dougherty might find himself coaching tight ends. He may also get a "passing game coordinator" title, pairing with Drevno.
Other possibility: Kevin Koger

6. Defensive coordinator: Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is now Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin (LINK), and he has already started using his connections in the south to send out a couple offers (LINK).

7. Defensive line: Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will be a holdover from the previous staff to this one. Mattison has family in the area, loves the University of Michigan, is a pretty good coach with NFL experience, and is a great recruiter. He also has connections to Harbaugh and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. It's unclear which role Mattison will have, whether it's working with the defensive line or linebackers.
Other possibilities: D.J. Durkin, Roy Manning

8. Linebackers: Michigan cornerbacks coach Roy Manning has been heavily rumored to be staying around on staff, and it was reported that he already interviewed for a job. Whether he gets that job or not remains to be seen, but it seems to make sense that he would work with the linebackers, a position he has previously coached. The cornerback thing didn't go so well last year, but he has been perhaps Michigan's best recruiter.
Other possibility: Peter Hansen, Greg Mattison

9. Defensive backs: San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Greg Jackson reportedly contacted Louisiana defensive end Jalen Bates, a guy with a Michigan offer who committed to Arizona State. Bates's cousin is former Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton. Unless this is like Vince Marrow contacting Chris Clark for no reason at all, it looks like Jackson will be coaching some/all of the defensive backs. Meanwhile, Michigan safeties coach Curt Mallory has been hired at Wyoming (LINK), so he's not going to return.
Other possibility: Roy Manning

10. Special teams: Sam Webb tweeted out that Michigan would probably be getting a guy dedicated to special teams only. That guy could very well be Florida special teams coordinator Coleman Hutzler (LINK), who worked with Durkin last year and coached outside linebackers at New Mexico for a couple seasons before that. Michigan may find themselves splitting the defense up oddly, with a couple guys combining on the DL and a couple more combining on the LB spots. Personally, I don't believe it's wise to have someone who's only devoted to special teams; if that happens, the special teams had better be awesome.
Other possibility: ???

11. Strength and conditioning: Stanford strength and conditioning coordinator Shannon Turley apparently agreed to come to Michigan and then rescinded. The next most likely option seems to be Kevin Tolbert, who had been Harbaugh's strength and conditioning coach with the 49ers and for a couple years at Stanford. Tolbert is a Navy grad and former football player, and he also spent eight years working under Mike Gittleson, Michigan's former S&C coach prior to Rich Rodriguez's hiring.
Other possibility: ???

All-Harbaugh Team: Stanford offense, kickers

Andrew Luck was Harbaugh's headliner at Stanford

Jim Harbaugh was the head coach at Stanford from 2007-2010, and that stint culminated with a 12-1 season. He produced several top-notch football players during that time, several of whom arrived when Stanford was still struggling as a program pre-Harbaugh. Here is a look at the best seasons from each position during those four years, regardless of whether Harbaugh or his predecessor recruited them.

QB: Andrew Luck, 2010
Luck - who would eventually be the #1 draft pick - completed 70.7% of his passes for 3,332 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, and he was named Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year. He also ran 55 times for 453 yards (8.2 yards/carry) and 3 touchdowns.

Hit the jump for the rest of the offensive players, a punter, and a placekicker.

Michigan Assistant Coach Rumors (January 5)

D.J. Durkin could be the next domino to fall in Michigan's assistant coaching search.

Here are some updated rumors and speculation about the open coaching positions on Michigan's staff.

1. Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach/Quarterbacks: Signed, sealed, and delivered (LINK). Next.

2. Tim Drevno, Offensive Coordinator: Drevno, the USC offensive line coach and run game coordinator, is coming to Michigan (LINK).

3. Running backs: Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley followed head coach Doug Marrone from Syracuse to Buffalo, and now Marrone has opted out of his contract for 2015. That likely means Wheatley is at least temporarily out of a job. Marrone is expected to interview for other NFL head coaching jobs, so Wheatley could follow him if Marrone gets a head job elsewhere. Wheatley wants to move up the ladder, but I would not expect Drevno and Wheatley to split offensive coordinator duties. The hiring of Drevno seems to dim the hopes of getting Wheatley to coach running backs, but the rumors have been persistent here; also, it would improve Michigan's chances of landing 2015 tight end/defensive end Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.
Other possibilities: Fred Jackson, Roy Manning

4. Wide receivers: Rumors appeared on New Year's Eve that John Morton was expected to join Michigan's staff, although there has been nothing confirmed yet. No, this isn't the former Detroit Lions wide receiver, but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver coach Morton is out of a job. Morton grew up in Michigan and played wide receiver at Western Michigan, so he's a midwest guy and would presumably have some connections in the area. San Francisco's wide receivers weren't spectacular, but he has worked with some pretty big names in Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree.
Other possibilities: Erik Campbell, Ronald Curry, Jeff Hecklinski

5. Tight ends: Kentucky tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow has reportedly turned down Michigan's offer, but he did an odd thing in the meantime - he called 2015 tight end recruit Chris Clark and told him that he could get him to the NFL, that he wanted to coach him, etc. Since Kentucky has no shot at getting Clark, Marrow - who did not mention a school - appeared to have been recruiting on behalf of Michigan. I'm leaving Marrow here, despite reports to the contrary. Also, there aren't a lot of obvious options at this point.
Other possibility: Kevin Koger

6. Offensive line: Nebraska hired Harbaugh's offensive line coach from San Francisco, Reggie Davis, so maybe Harbaugh didn't plan to bring him to Ann Arbor, anyway. Now it would seem that Cleveland Browns offensive line coach Andy Moeller would be a strong possibility. Moeller was an assistant at Michigan under Lloyd Carr, played at Michigan, and is the son of former Michigan head coach Gary Moeller. Unfortunately, Andy has a history of run-ins with the law involving alcohol, so he's not a perfect choice.
Other possibility: Todd Washington

7. Defensive coordinator: Florida defensive coordinator and interim head coach D.J. Durkin has been a popular name floating around for the past few weeks. He worked with Harbaugh at Stanford and has experience working with special teams, defensive ends, and linebackers, so he could help out in any of those areas. Brian at MGoBlog says this is a lock to happen as soon as Florida's bowl game is done this afternoon (LINK). Stanford defensive coordinator Lance Anderson reportedly turned down Michigan's overtures, which is not surprising.
Other possibility: Greg Mattison

8. Defensive line: Oklahoma defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has been suggested as a possibility. Montgomery, of course, was at Michigan for the first couple years of Brady Hoke's tenure and then left for a bigger paycheck in Norman. Montgomery was only ever in charge of part of the defensive line at Michigan, so the only real reasons to move back would be another pay raise and/or control over the whole position group.
Other possibilities: D.J. Durkin, Roy Manning, Greg Mattison

9. Linebackers: Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison might be a holdover from the previous staff to this one. Mattison has family in the area, loves the University of Michigan, is a pretty good coach with NFL experience, and is a great recruiter. He also has connections to Harbaugh and potential defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. Brian at MGoBlog says this is a lock, although Mattison can also coach defensive line (LINK).
Other possibility: Lance Anderson, Peter Hansen, Roy Manning

10. Defensive backs: San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Greg Jackson will be looking for a job. He is from Florida and played college football at LSU, so his potential connections in Florida and SEC country could help Michigan's recruiting efforts in difficult locations.
Other possibility: Curt Mallory, Roy Manning

11. Strength and conditioning: Stanford strength and conditioning coordinator Shannon Turley apparently agreed to come to Michigan and then rescinded. The next most likely option seems to be Kevin Tolbert, who had been Harbaugh's strength and conditioning coach with the 49ers and for a couple years at Stanford. Tolbert is a Navy grad and former football player, and he also spent eight years working under Mike Gittleson, Michigan's former S&C coach prior to Rich Rodriguez's hiring.
Other possibility: ???

Michigan Assistant Coaching Rumors (January 2)

D.J. Durkin could be the next domino to fall in Michigan's assistant coaching search.

Here are some updated rumors and speculation about the open coaching positions on Michigan's staff.

1. Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach/Quarterbacks: Signed, sealed, and delivered (LINK). Next.

2. Tim Drevno, Offensive Coordinator: Drevno, the USC offensive line coach and run game coordinator, is coming to Michigan (LINK).

3. Running backs: Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley followed head coach Doug Marrone from Syracuse to Buffalo, and now Marrone has opted out of his contract for 2015. That likely means Wheatley is at least temporarily out of a job. Marrone is expected to interview for other NFL head coaching jobs, so Wheatley could follow him if Marrone gets a head job elsewhere. Wheatley wants to move up the ladder, but I would not expect Drevno and Wheatley to split offensive coordinator duties. The hiring of Drevno seems to dim the hopes of getting Wheatley to coach running backs, but the rumors have been persistent here; also, it would improve Michigan's chances of landing 2015 tight end/defensive end Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.
Other possibilities: Reggie Davis, Fred Jackson, Roy Manning

4. Wide receivers: Rumors appeared on New Year's Eve that John Morton was expected to join Michigan's staff, although there has been nothing confirmed yet. No, this isn't the former Detroit Lions wide receiver, but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver coach Morton is out of a job. Morton grew up in Michigan and played wide receiver at Western Michigan, so he's a midwest guy and would presumably have some connections in the area. San Francisco's wide receivers weren't spectacular, but he has worked with some pretty big names in Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree.
Other possibility: Erik Campbell, Ronald Curry, Jeff Hecklinski

5. Tight ends: Kentucky tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow has been rumored to be a possibility. Harbaugh has reportedly already reached out to Marrow, whose help in recruiting at Kentucky has been pretty impressive. Marrow grew up in Ohio and played football at Toledo, so he's another midwest guy. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has said that he expects Marrow to return to the Wildcats next season. UPDATE: According to the moderators on The Wolverine, Marrow will be meeting soon with his current employers to see if they can match what Michigan is offering.
Other possibility: Reggie Davis, Kevin Koger

6. Offensive line: San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach Reggie Davis was with Harbaugh for each year in San Francisco. He has spent his entire playing (Washington, San Diego Chargers) and coaching (UNLV, Oregon State, San Francisco 49ers) career on the west coast. Maybe he's attached to the lifestyle, family, and friends out there. If he comes with Harbaugh, he'll be a much needed connection on the west coast.
Other possibility: Andy Moeller

7. Defensive coordinator: Florida defensive coordinator and interim head coach D.J. Durkin has been a popular name floating around for the past few weeks. He worked with Harbaugh at Stanford and has experience working with special teams, defensive ends, and linebackers, so he could help out in any of those areas. Brian at MGoBlog says this is a lock to happen as soon as Florida's bowl game is done tomorrow (LINK).
Other possibilities: Lance Anderson, Greg Mattison

8. Defensive line: Oklahoma defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has been suggested as a possibility. Montgomery, of course, was at Michigan for the first couple years of Brady Hoke's tenure and then left for a bigger paycheck in Norman. Montgomery was only ever in charge of part of the defensive line at Michigan, so the only real reasons to move back would be another pay raise and/or control over the whole position group.
Other possibilities: D.J. Durkin, Roy Manning, Greg Mattison

9. Linebackers: Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison might be a holdover from the previous staff to this one. Mattison has family in the area, loves the University of Michigan, is a pretty good coach with NFL experience, and is a great recruiter. He also has connections to Harbaugh and potential defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin. Brian at MGoBlog says this is a lock, although Mattison can also coach defensive line (LINK).
Other possibility: Lance Anderson, Peter Hansen, Roy Manning

10. Defensive backs: San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Greg Jackson will be looking for a job. He is from Florida and played college football at LSU, so his potential connections in Florida and SEC country could help Michigan's recruiting efforts in difficult locations.
Other possibility: Curt Mallory, Roy Manning

11. Strength and conditioning: Stanford strength and conditioning coordinator Shannon Turley was hired by Harbaugh at San Diego, moved with him to Stanford, and has remained at Stanford while Harbaugh was with the 49ers. This might give him a chance to move up to a larger, more storied program.
Other possibility: Kevin Tolbert

Michigan Assistant Coach Rumors (January 1)

D.J. Durkin could be the next domino to fall in Michigan's assistant coaching search.

Here are some updated rumors and speculation about the open coaching positions on Michigan's staff.

1. Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach/Quarterbacks: Signed, sealed, and delivered (LINK). Next.

2. Tim Drevno, Offensive Coordinator: Drevno, the USC offensive line coach and run game coordinator, is coming to Michigan (LINK).

3. Running backs: Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley followed head coach Doug Marrone from Syracuse to Buffalo, and now Marrone has opted out of his contract for 2015. That likely means Wheatley is at least temporarily out of a job. Marrone is expected to interview for other NFL head coaching jobs, so Wheatley could follow him if Marrone gets a head job elsewhere. Wheatley wants to move up the ladder, but I would not expect Drevno and Wheatley to split offensive coordinator duties. The hiring of Drevno seems to dim the hopes of getting Wheatley to coach running backs.
Other possibilities: Reggie Davis, Fred Jackson, Roy Manning

4. Wide receivers: Rumors appeared on New Year's Eve that John Morton was expected to join Michigan's staff, although there has been nothing confirmed yet. No, this isn't the former Detroit Lions wide receiver, but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver coach Morton is out of a job. Morton grew up in Michigan and played wide receiver at Western Michigan, so he's a midwest guy and would presumably have some connections in the area. San Francisco's wide receivers weren't spectacular, but he has worked with some pretty big names in Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree.
Other possibility: Erik Campbell, Ronald Curry, Jeff Hecklinski

5. Tight ends: Kentucky tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow has been rumored to be a possibility. Harbaugh has reportedly already reached out to Marrow, whose help in recruiting at Kentucky has been pretty impressive. Marrow grew up in Ohio and played football at Toledo, so he's another midwest guy. Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has said that he expects Marrow to return to the Wildcats next season.
Other possibility: Reggie Davis, Kevin Koger

6. Offensive line: San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach Reggie Davis was with Harbaugh for each year in San Francisco. He has spent his entire playing (Washington, San Diego Chargers) and coaching (UNLV, Oregon State, San Francisco 49ers) career on the west coast. Maybe he's attached to the lifestyle, family, and friends out there. If he comes with Harbaugh, he'll be a much needed connection on the west coast.
Other possibility: Andy Moeller

7. Defensive coordinator: Florida defensive coordinator and interim head coach D.J. Durkin has been a popular name floating around for the past few weeks. He worked with Harbaugh at Stanford and has experience working with special teams, defensive ends, and linebackers, so he could help out in any of those areas.
Other possibility: Lance Anderson, Greg Mattison

8. Defensive line: Oklahoma defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has been suggested as a possibility. Montgomery, of course, was at Michigan for the first couple years of Brady Hoke's tenure and then left for a bigger paycheck in Norman. Montgomery was only ever in charge of part of the defensive line at Michigan, so the only real reasons to move back would be another pay raise and/or control over the whole position group.
Other possibilities: D.J. Durkin, Roy Manning, Greg Mattison

9. Linebackers: Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison might be a holdover from the previous staff to this one. Mattison has family in the area, loves the University of Michigan, is a pretty good coach with NFL experience, and is a great recruiter. He also has connections to Harbaugh and potential defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin.
Other possibility: Lance Anderson, Peter Hansen, Roy Manning

10. Defensive backs: San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Greg Jackson will be looking for a job. He is from Florida and played college football at LSU, so his potential connections in Florida and SEC country could help Michigan's recruiting efforts in difficult locations.
Other possibility: Curt Mallory, Roy Manning

11. Strength and conditioning: Stanford strength and conditioning coordinator Shannon Turley was hired by Harbaugh at San Diego, moved with him to Stanford, and has remained at Stanford while Harbaugh was with the 49ers. This might give him a chance to move up to a larger, more storied program.
Other possibility: Kevin Tolbert

Michigan Assistant Coach Rumors

Greg Roman could be Michigan's next offensive coordinator

We as fans are never happy. We just got our dream coach, and now we'll be concerned about who his assistants will be. When Jim Harbaugh was asked about filling his staff, he said, "Measure twice. Cut once." So he wants to be careful about who he brings on as assistant coaches. Here is a look at some potential coaches to fill out the ten offensive and defensive staff jobs:

1. Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach: Signed, sealed, and delivered. Next.

2. Offensive coordinator: San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman has been with Harbaugh since the Stanford days, and some reports - as well as common sense - suggest that he will follow Harbaugh to Michigan. Roman is from New Jersey and has spent most of his time in the NFL, except for two years in Palo Alto. Roman has mostly worked with the offensive line and tight ends throughout his career, so I would expect him to help out with one of those positions.
Other possibilities: Andy Moeller, Tyrone Wheatley

3. Running backs: Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley has not been promised a return in 2015, and being a Michigan legend, he might feel a desire to return to Ann Arbor to help resurrect the program. Harbaugh might also float the idea of being a co-offensive coordinator, which would make a little more sense from Wheatley's perspective. He has a desire to be a head coach someday, so one would expect him to be looking for some kind of promotion up the ladder.
Other possibilities: Reggie Davis, Fred Jackson, Roy Manning

4. Wide receivers: No, this isn't the former Detroit Lions wide receiver, but San Francisco 49ers wide receiver coach John Morton is out of a job. Morton grew up in Michigan and played wide receiver at Western Michigan, so he's a midwest guy and would presumably have some connections in the area. San Francisco's wide receivers weren't spectacular, but he has worked with some pretty big names in Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree.
Other possibility: Ronald Curry

5. Tight ends: Kentucky tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow has been rumored to be a possibility. Harbaugh has reportedly already reached out to Marrow, whose help in recruiting at Kentucky has been pretty impressive. Marrow grew up in Ohio and played football at Toledo, so he's another midwest guy.
Other possibility: Reggie Davis

6. Offensive line: San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach Reggie Davis was with Harbaugh for each year in San Francisco. He has spent his entire playing (Washington, San Diego Chargers) and coaching (UNLV, Oregon State, San Francisco 49ers) career on the west coast. Maybe he's attached to the lifestyle, family, and friends out there. If he comes with Harbaugh, he'll be a much needed connection on the west coast.
Other possibilities: Tim Drevno, Andy Moeller

7. Defensive coordinator: Florida defensive coordinator and interim head coach D.J. Durkin has been a popular name floating around for the past few weeks. He worked with Harbaugh at Stanford and has experience working with special teams, defensive ends, and linebackers, so he could help out in any of those areas.
Other possibility: Greg Mattison

8. Defensive line: Oklahoma defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery has been suggested as a possibility. Montgomery, of course, was at Michigan for the first couple years of Brady Hoke's tenure and then left for a bigger paycheck in Norman. Montgomery was only ever in charge of part of the defensive line at Michigan, so the only real reasons to move back would be another pay raise and/or control over the whole position group.
Other possibilities: D.J. Durkin, Roy Manning, Greg Mattison

9. Linebackers: Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison might be a holdover from the previous staff to this one. Mattison has family in the area, loves the University of Michigan, is a pretty good coach with NFL experience, and is a great recruiter. He also has connections to Harbaugh and potential defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin.
Other possibility: Roy Manning

10. Defensive backs: San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Greg Jackson will be looking for a job. He is from Florida and played college football at LSU, so his potential connections in Florida and SEC country could help Michigan's recruiting efforts in difficult locations.
Other possibility: Roy Manning

OVERALL
It would be unlikely that so many 49ers guys would follow Harbaugh to a college to which they have no connections, and other guys coming to Ann Arbor from the NFL (Wheatley, Moeller) would also be a bit of a stretch. Will all of those guys end up standing on the sidelines of Michigan Stadium? Probably not. But I would expect at least a couple of them, particularly Roman. Otherwise, some likely possibilities seem to include Vince Marrow and D.J. Durkin.

Otherwise, Michigan has a couple ace recruiters in its pocket with Mattison and Manning if they so choose to keep them. Manning is supposedly still in Ann Arbor and hoping to catch on with the new staff. I didn't list him as option #1 at any positions above, but that's partly because he has coached running backs, linebackers, and cornerbacks, and he played a hybrid defensive end position. Harbaugh could put him in a variety of spots, although Michigan's cornerbacks performed questionably this past season under his tutelage. I would not want Manning to be in charge of all the defensive back positions by himself, but maybe a year of honing his skills with the cornerbacks could help him improve in year two of coaching the position.

Details on Jim Harbaugh contract

(image via U of M Diehards)

Here are the major details about Jim Harbaugh's contract with Michigan:

• 7 years, $5 million per year; 10% increases after year three and year five
• $125,000 for team playing in Big Ten Championship Game or $250,000 for team winning Big Ten Championship Game
• $200,000 for team playing in bowl game selected by College Football Playoff Selection Committee or $300,000 for team playing in four-team College Football Playoff
• $500,000 for team winning national championship
• $50,000 for winning Big Ten Coach of the Year (voted on by coaches)
• $75,000 for winning various other media-chosen Big Ten Coach of the Year awards (only one per year)
• Up to $150,000 per year for Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 960 or higher
• $2,000,000 signing bonus

Video: Jim Harbaugh introductory press conference

Jim Harbaugh, Wolverine (again)

Jim Harbaugh

Today Michigan is expected to announce that they have signed Jim Harbaugh to be the next head coach. After finishing up his tenure as the San Francisco 49ers head coach with a win on Sunday, he and the 49ers "mutually agreed" to part ways. Harbaugh hopped on a plane on Monday to head to Ann Arbor, and he reportedly signed the contract last night. Several NFL teams were reported to be interested, including the across-the-bay Oakland Raiders, who made overtures to Harbaugh but were turned down.

I already posted a somewhat in-depth summary of Harbaugh's career and accomplishments (LINK), so I won't rehash most of that info.  Harbaugh played for Bo Schembechler at Michigan in the 1980's, went on to a successful but unspectacular NFL career, turned around programs at San Diego and Stanford as a head coach, and then had a good four-year run with the 49ers. Despite making it to three straight NFC championship games - and one Super Bowl - the wheels came off during the 2014 season, when Harbaugh's clashes with the front office became public and the team fell to 8-8, missing the playoffs. It had been understood for half the season that Harbaugh would not return, regardless of how the season turned out.

In my ranking of viable coach options, Harbaugh was #1 on my list for numerous reasons. First and foremost, I guess, is that Harbaugh embodies what Michigan's administration, fans, and alumni want. He is demanding and intense, and for a program that deifies Bo Schembechler, that intensity pairs nicely. Harbaugh's competitiveness showed during his career. He was never the fastest guy or the most accurate or the one with the strongest arm, but he was a Heisman contender as a senior and scrapped as a pro football player and coach to try to get to the highest levels.

Another somewhat nice thing about Harbaugh is that his desired personnel and systems are already mostly in place. He had to rebuild at San Diego and Stanford, while the 49ers job had some decent talent already in place. Either way, he wants to run the ball, pass efficiently, and play good defense. Michigan has recruited and developed the roster to do just those things. There are a couple highly touted running backs on the roster, some big-time recruits on the offensive line, some solid tight ends, and good defensive players at every level returning in 2015. The question marks are at quarterback and wide receiver, but a commitment to running the ball should take some of the pressure off of whoever wins the QB job. Harbaugh will regularly send out multiple tight ends, and with the current quarterback situation, he'll probably use a fullback quite a bit instead of the read option that he used with San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

There are a few drawbacks with Harbaugh, as there are with any coach. Most immediately, he is a different breed of coach than Brady Hoke; Harbaugh is still a good leader, but he may turn off some players with his intensity. Hoke is a fatherly type and a great guy, by all accounts; Harbaugh is an in-your-face task master. Secondly, Harbaugh probably can't be described as controversial, but he will be outspoken at times. Some of his antics, comments, and behaviors will be dissected by local and national media, such as his post-game handshake with the Lions' Jim Schwartz a few years ago or his negative comments about Michigan's academics when he was at Stanford. Lloyd Carr kept everything behind closed doors and was mostly tight-lipped with the media, and Brady Hoke was the same. In between, Rich Rodriguez was an outsider who ruffled some feathers by having a West Virginia accent and screwing up some Michigan traditions. Harbaugh will be given some leeway because of his local roots, but the spotlight will be bright.

Lastly, I do not believe Harbaugh is a long-term answer at Michigan. Unfortunately, virtually everyone agrees that he wants a Super Bowl ring. He might fall in love with being Michigan's coach, but I think there's a good chance that in, I don't know, four years, he might want to head back to the NFL. However, if he can get Michigan back on the right track and develop a coaching tree like he did at Stanford, then Michigan might be okay post-Harbaugh. The Wolverines might be looking for a new coach in 2018 or 2019, but he set Stanford up for success (they won double-digit games for the first three years after he left) and could do the same in Ann Arbor.

Regardless, I'm happy Harbaugh is back at Michigan. This was the ideal choice at this juncture, and interim athletic director Jim Hackett somehow made it happen. Harbaugh will be welcomed back with open arms, Michigan is getting some positive publicity, and we should see some improvement on the field next year. Hoke did a good job of recruiting a roster full of talent. Now we can watch as Harbaugh molds that talent into a quality football program once again.

Current FBS Coaches Coaching at Their Alma Maters

Kliff Kingsbury, the most photogenic coach in college football, coaches where he played college football.

In the midst of a coaching search that has a lot of "insiders" believing Jim Harbaugh will return to Michigan as its head football after playing in Ann Arbor in the 1980's, I thought I would take a look at current college coaches who are at their alma mater. Harbaugh could be the first Michigan player to return as head coach since Bump Elliott, who played at Michigan in the 1946-1947 and then compiled a 51-42-2 record as the head coach from 1959-1968.

Troy Calhoun, Air Force (59-44 since 2007): Calhoun was a Falcon quarterback from 1983-1986. After a career as an assistant in both college (Air Force, Ohio, Wake Forest) and the NFL (Broncos, Texans), he returned to Air Force in 2007. The Falcons made an impressive turnaround from a 2-10 season in 2013 to completing a 10-3 year with a win over Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl a few days ago.

Hit the jump for the ten other coaches on the list.