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.

Tyrone Wheatley, Wolverine (again)

Tyrone Wheatley

Former Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley reportedly signed a contract on Friday to become Michigan's running backs coach, replacing Fred Jackson.

Wheatley is a Michigan legend, both in high school and college. He grew up in Inkster, attended Dearborn Heights (MI) Robichaud, and was a nine-time state champion in high school (1 football state championship, 7 individual championships in track, and 1 track-and-field team state championship). He graduated in 1991 and moved on to the Michigan Wolverines.

In Ann Arbor under Gary Moeller, Wheatley wore #6 and convinced me that all good college running backs should wear that number. Michigan was the Alabama of the 1980's and early 1990's with running backs galore, so Wheatley (86 carries, 548 yards, 6.4 yards/carry, 9 touchdowns) backed up Ricky Powers as a freshman. Things got stirred up in 1992 when Wheatley won the starting job and got an increasing number of carries for the next three years, finishing with a career total of 688 carries, 4178 yards, and 47 rushing touchdowns on 6.1 yards/carry. He also caught 51 passes for 510 yards and 6 touchdowns, plus he averaged 21.7 yards/kickoff return with a 99-yard touchdown return against Houston in 1992. He ranks fifth in Michigan history in rushing yardage, second in touchdowns, and fourth in yards per carry (of players with over 100 career carries). He was all-conference his final three years and named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 1992.

Wheatley was also a Big Ten champion in track and field and an All-American in the 110m hurdles while running track for three years in college. Despite being listed at 6'1" and robust at 215-226 lbs. throughout college, he was a speed demon.

Hit the jump for lots more on Wheatley's playing and coaching career.

Michigan Assistant Coach Rumors (January 9)

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 was announced on Friday as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, so it sounds as if he will be by himself with the offensive line, although he will certainly get some help from a graduate assistant or the like (LINK).

3. Quarterbacks: Former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch looks like the guy here (LINK), and he is expected to be the passing game coordinator as well.

4. Running backs: Former Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley flew into town the other night, and he left Ann Arbor with a job offer. He is expected to accept the role.
Other possibilities: Fred Jackson, Roy Manning

5. Wide receivers: Rumors appeared on New Year's Eve that 49ers wide receiver coach John Morton was expected to join Michigan's staff, but those rumors have disappeared in favor of San Jose State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty. Dougherty has been the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, and he worked for Harbaugh at San Diego.
Other possibilities: Erik Campbell, Ronald Curry, Jeff Hecklinski, John Morton

6. Defensive coordinator/linebackers: 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: Former Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will presumably be the defensive line coach now that Durkin is officially confirmed as the linebackers coach.
Other possibility: Roy Manning

8. Cornerbacks: 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 he does have a year of coaching the position under his belt now.
Other possibility: Greg Jackson

9. Safeties: 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/tight ends: It was reported last night that former Fresno State and USC special teams coach John Baxter will be the guy here (LINK). I also expect Baxter to help out with the tight ends.

11. Strength and conditioning: Stanford strength and conditioning coordinator Shannon Turley apparently agreed to come to Michigan and then reneged. The next most 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. Tolbert is all but officially confirmed, so I will have a post on him soon.
Other possibility: ???

Jedd Fisch, Wolverine

Jedd Fisch

Former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator, who was fired after the season, has taken a job as Michigan's passing game coordinator and will work with the quarterbacks.

Fisch - whose playing career appears either non-existent or too pedestrian to mention anywhere - began his career as a high school coach before moving on to be the New Jersey Red Dogs wide receivers coach in the Arena Football League. After that he became a grad assistant at Florida under Steve Spurrier from 1999-2000. He moved on to the NFL in 2001 for the Houston Texans and coached during their inaugural season in 2002, sticking around under Dom Capers until 2003.

Fisch then moved to the Baltimore Ravens, where he worked in a few different roles on offense under head coach Brian Billick. He helped to coach quarterback Steve McNair, wide receiver Mark Clayton, and wide receiver Derrick Mason, all of whom had solid careers in Baltimore. After spending four years with the Ravens, he moved to the Denver Broncos as their wide receivers coach in 2008, the year when Brandon Marshall had 104 catches, 1265 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Rookie Eddie Royal caught 91 passes for 980 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those numbers aren't bad when considering that Jay Cutler was the quarterback.

The next year, 2009, was his first college full-time coaching job. He spent it at Minnesota under Tim Brewster, where Fisch was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, working with the Gophers' all-time career passing yardage leader, Adam Weber. Then it was back to the NFL for one season as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks and Matt Hasselbeck.

He returned to college in 2011-2012 to be the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Miami-FL under Al Golden, and then jumped to the Jaguars with head coach Gus Bradley - whom he had worked with in Seattle - prior to the 2013 season.

Hit the jump for the other half of the profile.

Greg Jackson, Wolverine

Michigan's new defensive backs coach

San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach has reportedly taken the secondary job at Michigan, where he will at least replace safeties coach Curt Mallory (gone to Wyoming) and perhaps displace cornerbacks coach Roy Manning (whose fate is unknown at this point).

Jackson was a First Team All-American as a safety at LSU in 1988, making 7 interceptions and totaling 219 yards, an average of over 31 yards/return. He became a 3rd round draft pick by the New York Giants and played twelve seasons with the Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and San Diego Chargers. He totaled 32 interceptions (twice reaching 6 picks in a season) and returned 2 of those for touchdowns.

Jackson has spent most of his coaching career working with defensive backs, and occasionally linebackers and special teams. He started at Idaho and bounced to Louisiana-Monroe, Tulane, and Wisconsin before joining Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco for the 2011 season, where he spent the last four years. With the 49ers he helped to coach some of the best secondaries in the NFL, and he helped safeties Dashon Goldson (twice), Eric Reid, and Donte Whitner get to the Pro Bowl, along with cornerback Carlos Rogers. The 2011 secondary group grabbed 22 interceptions, which was the #2 total in the NFL; both Goldson and Rogers notched 6 picks each that year.

This is a very solid hire for Michigan. Jackson has played and coached in the south, where he could help Michigan recruit. He has already reportedly contacted Louisiana DE Jalen Bates, an Arizona State commit and the cousin of former Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton. Furthermore, he has the accolades (All-American, NFL draft pick, long NFL career, NFL coaching success) to back up what he says on the practice field, in the meeting rooms, and on the recruiting trail.

On Michigan's end, the Wolverines can use all the help they can get. While their overall defensive numbers were decent, the safety play left a lot to be desired, and cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2 interceptions) was the only defensive back to make an interception in all of 2014. Michigan has a lot of talent in the defensive backfield if recruiting rankings are to be trusted, but they were unable to put it together last year. This is a secondary that could be composed of all 5- and 4-stars for the 2015 season opener.

The hiring of Jackson leaves some doubt about Manning, who coached cornerbacks last year. Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin has been announced as the linebackers coach, and former defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is expected to stay on, presumably as the defensive line coach. Manning does have some experience coaching a couple positions on offense, but spots are starting to dwindle. Manning has not proven to be a great coach, but he has been a very good recruiter.

John Baxter, Wolverine

John Baxter's punt block drill

Former USC special teams coach John Baxter will be coaching the special teams at Michigan. Baxter was out of coaching this past season, but he had been at USC under Lane Kiffin and was Pat Hill's special teams guy at Fresno State from 1987-2009.

Baxter went to high school in Chicago and then went to college in Iowa (at Loras and then Iowa State), so he grew up in the midwest. He started off coaching at Loras in 1981, and he has bounced around since then, like most coaches do. His stops include Iowa State, Arizona, Maryland, Tulane, USC, and Fresno State. At one point or another, he has coached every position except quarterbacks and offensive line. But where he has really made a name for himself is on special teams.

Some of his accomplishments as a special teams coach:

• Top 15 in blocking kicks since at least 2008
• Nelson Agholor averaged 19.0 yards/punt return with 2 touchdowns in 2013
• Marqise Lee was Second Team All-Pac 12 and averaged 28.5 yards/kickoff return with 1 touchdown in 2012
• Named Special Teams Coordinator of the Year by Football Scoop in 2011
• Robert Woods was First Team All-Pac 10 with 25.6 yards/return and 1 touchdown in 2010
• Fresno State scored 3 punt return touchdowns by 3 different players in 2008
• A.J. Jefferson led the nation with 35.3 yards/return and 2 touchdowns in 2007 at Fresno State
• Clifton Smith set Fresno State's school record with 5 career punt return touchdowns in 2005
• Bernard Berrian returned 3 punts for touchdowns and averaged 11.2 yards/return in his career at Fresno State

Baxter spent from 1994-2009 coaching tight ends or wide receivers in addition to his special teams duties, and he was the associate head coach at USC. At 51 years old, he's been around the block and obviously has some respect in coaching circles. He landed an interview to be Colorado State's head coach after Jim McElwain lit out for Florida (Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo got the CSU job instead).

Michigan averaged 6.3 yards per punt return last season, and that includes Ben Gedeon's 32-yard return of a blocked punt for a touchdown; on actual return attempts, the number was more like 4.3 yards/return. The last time a Michigan punt returner scored a touchdown was Martavious Odoms against Purdue in 2008, Rich Rodriguez's first year. Kickoff returns have been largely unproductive, too, with Michigan failing to score a touchdown since Darryl Stonum in 2009. Since Stonum's return in 2009, Baxter's kickoff return unit scored three times, and he didn't even coach in 2014.

The other day I spent a fair amount of time perusing defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin's special teams history (LINK), so he and Baxter should make a good combination. One guy who should be happy about this hire is senior Dennis Norfleet, the incumbent punt/kick returner who has yet to score a touchdown of any kind in his college career. Michigan also really struggled to get the right personnel on the field last season, allowing a Utah punt return for a touchdown with only ten men on the field. A dedicated special teams coordinator might rid the Wolverines of most of those issues.

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: ???

D.J. Durkin, Wolverine

D.J. Durkin (image via GatorCountry.com)

Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin will join Michigan's staff in an as-yet-unclear role. He is expected to be the defensive coordinator or at least co-defensive coordinator with Brady Hoke-regime holdover Greg Mattison. Durkin has coached defensive ends and linebackers in the past, so he would also likely take over one of those position groups.

Durkin is a 36-year-old who went to high school at Boardman (OH) Boardman before becoming a two-year captain at Bowling Green State University, playing defensive end and outside linebacker. After finishing his career in 2000, he joined Urban Meyer's staff as a graduate assistant in 2001-2002. He then spent two years at Notre Dame under Tyrone Willingham (and with Greg Mattison), working as a graduate assistant with the defensive line. His first full-time coaching gig came back at BGSU working with the defensive ends in 2005 and then the linebackers and special teams in 2006. When Jim Harbaugh was hired at Stanford in 2007, Durkin joined him as the defensive ends and special teams coach. The year before Harbaugh left, Durkin headed to Florida to be their defensive ends/special teams coach, where he again worked under Meyer (2010) and then under Will Muschamp. Last season he was promoted to defensive coordinator and became the interim head coach for the Birmingham Bowl this season, which Florida won over East Carolina, 28-20.

As a defensive coordinator, Florida has allowed 21.1 points/game each of the last two years (tied for #19 in 2014, #15 in 2013), and they have been #15 in total defense (329.8 yards/game allowed in 2014) and #8 (314.4 yards/game allowed in 2013). This past year Florida was tied for 44th in sacks (32), tied for 29th in tackles for loss (87), and tied for 15th in interceptions (16). It should be noted that he was working with renowned defensive mind Will Muschamp, but there aren't many better mentors to have. As a defensive coach in general, Durkin has coached up Justin Tuck (Notre Dame/New York Giants), Jelani Jenkins (Florida/Miami Dolphins), and Jon Bostic (Florida/Chicago Bears).

Hit the jump for much more on Durkin's special teams and recruiting accomplishments.

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: ???

Shannon Turley, Wolverine

Shannon Turley (image via StanfordDaily.com)

UPDATE: The below information may have been premature. Despite conformations that Turley was going to come, some outlets are now reporting that he will stay at Stanford.

Stanford strength and conditioning coach Shannon Turley has reportedly been hired by Michigan. He replaces Aaron Wellman, whom Brady Hoke brought with him from San Diego State.

Turley graduated from Virginia Tech and has since spent time at Missouri, San Diego, and Stanford. He worked for Jim Harbaugh at San Diego in 2006 and then at Stanford from 2007-2010; Turley stayed in Palo Alto when Harbaugh moved to the 49ers. Turley was Football Scoop's Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 2011, and he won the National Strength and Conditioning Association's award in 2013. The guy knows his stuff.

One thing I have appreciated about watching Stanford is watching them win physical battles, especially up front. They have not been a team to get pushed around. Whether it's the offensive line coach or the players or the head coach or the S&C guy, those linemen get underneath the opponents' pads and set the line of scrimmage pretty consistently.

I was not impressed with Wellman. There are some guys who seemed to improve physically over the four years he was employed, but not enough. Not enough battles were won up front, and the skill guys just seemed to flat-out lack speed overall. I also thought the number of ACL injuries was abnormally high (Drake Johnson twice, Jake Butt, Jake Ryan, Russell Bellomy, Khalid Hill, etc.), although every team gets ACL injuries at some point or another. It's very tough as an outsider to assign credit or blame to a strength and conditioning guy, but I do not feel Wellman was doing a great job for the Wolverines.

Regardless, Turley seems like a well respected member of his profession, and the results at Stanford over the last eight years suggest he knows what he's doing. Stanford started getting some top-notch recruits a few years ago, but a lot of the guys beating up Pac-10/Pac-12 opponents were little known players coming out of high school. Turley is yet another guy who was a part of that.

Michigan Assistant Coach Rumors (January 3)

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 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. Marrow is a big-time recruiter in Ohio, but the guys at Rivals say his actual coaching acumen might not be terribly impressive (LINK).
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).
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 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

Tim Drevno, Wolverine

Tim Drevno

USC offensive line coach and run game coordinator is headed to Michigan to be the offensive coordinator.

Drevno went to high school in California and then played offensive line at Cal State Fullerton. He then ended up as a graduate assistant there, moved to Montana State as the tight ends coach, coached running backs for a while at Montana State and UNLV, and then settled in as an offensive line coach once he got to San Jose State in 1999. After spending a year with the Spartans, he became Idaho's offensive line coach before becoming the University of San Diego's offensive coordinator/offensive line coach from 2003-2006 under Jim Harbaugh. Drevno followed Harbaugh to Stanford to coach tight ends (2007-2008) and the offensive line (2009-2010). He followed Harbaugh once again to the San Francisco 49ers for the 2011-2013 seasons, finally leaving Harbaugh's side for the job at USC this past year.

Drevno helped produce some studs on the offensive line at Stanford and San Francisco. Center Chase Beeler was a First Team All-American in 2010 at Stanford, and the offensive line was #2 in sacks allowed in both 2009 and 2010. Then in 2012 at San Francisco, all five of the 49ers' offensive linemen were picked for the Pro Bowl. The 2013 season saw left tackle Joe Staley and offensive guard Mike Iupati get picked for the Pro Bowl. Meanwhile, running back Frank Gore had at least 1,128 yards and 8 touchdowns in each of Drevno's three seasons in San Fran. Kendall Hunter also had some pretty decent numbers as Gore's backup, although Gore carried the load each year.

This season USC is #68 in the country with 160 yards/game on the ground, and they're #87 with 3.99 yards/carry. Those numbers are not particularly impressive, but starter Javorius Allen had 1,489 yards, 5.4 yards/carry, and 11 touchdowns, while backup Justin Davis averaged 4.6 yards/carry and scored 4 times. That overall rushing number was dragged down significantly by USC allowing 32 sacks, which was #101 in the nation. The Trojans had the 36th-most pass attempts (460) and a quarterback who's not particularly mobile (Cody Kessler), so those things factor in, but the numbers still aren't great.

On the recruiting end, Drevno had reeled in a couple offensive linemen for USC that had not been offered by Michigan. Another commit is none other than Powder Springs (GA) McEachern offensive tackle Chuma Edoga, who expressed strong interest in Michigan but was never offered. Otherwise, Michigan and USC didn't cross paths very often in the 2015 class. Michigan could use another offensive lineman in this class, and Edoga might be a sensible option.

I think this is a pretty good hire for Michigan. Harbaugh and Drevno know each other well, and they've had success together previously. Drevno can point to his time and accomplishments in the NFL, and he can also use his west coast connections in recruiting. This would seem to eliminate Harbaugh's offensive coordinator in San Francisco, Greg Roman, from contention for a job at Michigan. Roman has been mentioned as an interview candidate for a couple of the open jobs in the NFL.

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.

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.

Coaching Candidate Rumors

Jim Harbaugh

Brady Hoke's firing was publicly announced on December 2, so it has been 17 days since Michigan has had a head coach. Obviously, athletic director Jim Hackett is waiting on Jim Harbaugh, who declined comment about the Michigan job when asked on Thursday afternoon. News leaked - from one side or the other - that Harbaugh had been offered a 6-year, $48 million contract but Bruce Feldman says that figure is inaccurate (LINK).

Rumors persist that Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops would be Michigan's #2 option, but he might be off the table because someone of his coaching stature would not want to play second fiddle to Harbaugh. I say there's no shame in being the backup to an NFL head coach who would potentially be coming back to his alma mater. That's not an insult to Stoops, but hey, the guy has won more championships than Harbaugh.

LSU head coach Les Miles told reporters off the record that he would not be coming to Michigan.

A lot of people have been saying that Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen is not even being considered, but he has yet to sign a rumored contract extension with MSU. He may not be on Michigan's radar, but he seems like a guy who might be waiting for some dominoes to fall in the coaching world before he marries himself to the Bulldogs for too long (or for too big of a buyout).

Meanwhile, potential Plan C option Steve Addazio signed an extension with Boston College through 2020 (LINK). Another potential coach, Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman, has been hired as Houston's head coach for five years and $6.75 million (LINK).

With Pitt head coach Paul Chryst taking the job at Wisconsin, the Panthers are now looking for a head coach. While they probably wouldn't be able to poach an established head coach, they may be able to snag an up-and-coming coordinator or head coach. Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck just signed a contract extension through 2020, but there are still guys like Greg Schiano, Tom Bradley (former Penn State defensive coordinator, current WVU assistant head coach) and Pat Narduzzi hanging around. I could see Schiano or Bradley taking the job, but Narduzzi seems to be holding out for something better than Pitt since he rebuffed UConn last year.

Coaching Candidate Rumors

Tyrone Wheatley, if for not other reason
than bringing back happy memories.

THERE IS NOTHING TO WRITE.
I have a few posts waiting to be completed, and even a few that are already finished. But a lot of them have to do with recruiting, and I don't think anyone cares much about recruiting right now. All Michigan fans care about is who the next coach will be, and I can't say I blame them. As Michigan fans, we can't move forward. (On the other hand, I have been moving forward with catching up on Parks and Recreation.)

Detroit Sports Rag contributor Jeff Moss tweeted out last night that there has been a "sea change" in the reporting on Michigan's head coaching job. Other Twitter feeds have also changed their tune somewhat, based on someone in Michigan's administration supposedly giving info that Jim Harbaugh could be leaning toward returning to Ann Arbor. Moss also said that he will release the source of this information at 9:00 a.m. today, so that ought to be interesting.

Aside from Harbaugh's return, there have also been rumors that:

• Former Michigan running back Tyrone Wheatley, currently the Buffalo Bills running backs coach, will return as co-offensive coordinator
• Former Michigan offensive line coach Andy Moeller, currently the Cleveland Browns offensive line coach, will be Wheatley's co-offensive coordinator
• D.J. Durkin is being considered as the defensive coordinator. Durkin was at Florida under Will Muschamp and is currently their interim head coach; he also worked for Harbaugh at Stanford

I am posting this info not because I necessarily believe it, but because this is all anyone seems to want to discuss. Past coaching searches have taught me not to believe anything (thanks, Kirk Herbstreit), but we all know that Jim Harbaugh is Michigan's #1 choice for the coaching job at this point. Until his situation is resolved with the San Francisco 49ers (whether he resigns, they fire him, they try to trade him, etc.), Michigan's football program and Wolverines fans are in a holding pattern.

In other news, former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden signed a contract extension with ESPN.

The Transition Effect: Carr to Rodriguez

Ryan Mallett

With an upcoming coaching transition, there has been some concern that players will take flight to greener pastures. When Michigan went from a pro-style scheme to a zone read option scheme in the off-season between 2007 and 2008, some offensive players headed out the door. Not much of that can be attributed to the spread. Every team loses players in the off-season. Sometimes players are sick of standing on the sideline, sometimes they get homesick, and sometimes they butt heads with the coaches. Here's a look at what the transition from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez cost Michigan going into 2008 and beyond.

Decommitted due to coaching transition: John Wienke, Christian Wilson
Wienke, a pro-style quarterback, decommitted in favor of Iowa, where he never saw any significant time. Wilson ended up committing to North Carolina due to the fact that Rodriguez's offense didn't leave a ton of room for fullback/H-back types. Wilson played but never made a huge impact for the Tarheels.

Transferred to other FBS teams between regimes: Justin Boren, Ryan Mallett
Offensive guard Justin Boren would have been a junior starter in Rich Rodriguez's first season, but some alleged frictions between Rodriguez and Boren's family led to his departure. Boren transferred to his home state Ohio State Buckeyes program, where he eventually started and became an undrafted free agent; he never played in an NFL game despite making the practice squad with a couple teams. Meanwhile, his right guard position was taken by David Moosman, who turned out to be a decent but forgettable piece up front for the Wolverines. Theories differ on Mallett, a touted quarterback who transferred closer to home at Arkansas. Some say he was already on his way out the door because of butting heads with Carr; others say he realized he wouldn't fit into Rich Rodriguez's offense. Either way, he was replaced by walk-on Nick Sheridan and Georgia Tech transfer Steve Threet, both of whom were subpar passers and poor fits for Rodriguez's scheme. After the 2008 season,

Left early for the NFL Draft: Adrian Arrington, Mario Manningham
Arrington blew up in his final game, a bowl win over Florida, which might have sealed the deal. His 882 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in 2007 as the #2 option behind Manningham were impressive, although he slipped into the Draft in just the 7th round, making just 9 receptions in a short NFL career. Manningham had some issues following rules/laws and seemed to be headed for the door after a stellar three-year career; he possibly would have been a 1st round pick if not for a marijuana charge, and instead fell to the 3rd round. He was picked by the Giants and has had a solid but injury-marred career with 2,849 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.

Transferred to other FBS teams after giving Rodriguez a chance:* Toney Clemons, Vince Helmuth, Dann O'Neill, Steve Threet
Clemons spent a year trying to wedge himself into the slot receiver role for Rodriguez, a role he was ill suited for because he was not very quick or elusive. Clemons had been recruited by Lloyd Carr as an outside wide receiver, and he transferred to Colorado for that reason. He had a decent career for the Buffaloes and managed to get drafted. Helmuth was brought in as a Lloyd Carr fullback, eventually moved to defensive tackle under Rodriguez, and then transferred to Miami-OH, where he never played, either. O'Neill spent a year redshirting and then transferred to Western Michigan, where his lack of lateral mobility was less of a hindrance; he started for several years for the Broncos. Threet got kind of a raw deal. After enrolling early at Georgia Tech in January 2007, he transferred to Michigan over the summer and redshirted during the season, hoping to follow Chad Henne as the starter for the Wolverines. Then when Rodriguez got hired, Threet and walk-on Nick Sheridan split playing time before Threet lit out for his third school, Arizona State. He had to sit out the 2009 season to transfer, and then concussions caused him to end his football career early.

Left early for the NFL Draft after giving Rodriguez a chance:* Carson Butler, Donovan Warren
Butler was unhappy with his role as a tight end in Rodriguez's offense, so he made a mid-season switch to defensive end, finishing with 2 catches, 17 yards, and 5 tackles. He tested the waters of the NFL but was ultimately unsuccessful.  Warren left after his third season in Ann Arbor, hanging around through 2009. It's unclear whether a different coach could have kept him around for a fourth season, but Warren was All-Big Ten and made 4 picks in 2009, after which he made an ill-advised attempt at making it in the NFL. He was not drafted and spent a few years bouncing around practice squads.

CONCLUSIONS
If Michigan changes systems to a spread or, say, a triple option, some transfers can naturally be expected. That change seems unlikely based on what we have been hearing, but anything is possible. The one guy who seemed like a possible early entrant into the draft (Devin Funchess) is gone already. The quarterbacks are mostly pro-style guys, so that would present a challenge if Michigan wanted to run any kind of option-type stuff. Michigan has been running a lot of zone schemes, so a loss of linemen would not seem to be a huge risk, regardless of the coach. The receivers are mostly big, pro-style guys who could get squeezed out if the new coach wanted to put tiny slot guys out there in spades. Michigan's stable of tight ends would likely not be happy with a move to a spread, though A.J. Williams will be a senior and Jake Butt could be just a year away from heading to the NFL; the biggest flight risks there would probably be the young guys, Ian Bunting and Khalid Hill, who would still have time to redshirt for a year and make an impact elsewhere.

*There were some other transfers (Sam McGuffie, Marell Evans, Kurt Wermers, etc.) that seemed to have less to do with Rodriguez and more to do with homesickness, academic difficulties, etc.