January 26th, 2022 at 2:36 PM ^
You know how sometimes you let your little brother get a big lead, then you just come back and take it away...
January 26th, 2022 at 7:38 PM ^
This will never be over, it's just getting started!
January 26th, 2022 at 2:00 PM ^
Bummer. I was really hoping we could keep him around for a few years. I'm not sure i'm on board with Elston taking over. OK state just hired Mason, maybe he would reconsider.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:00 PM ^
Good coaching trees mean you lose good coaches. That's the nature of the business unfortunately but I'm sure glad to have the one year of McDonald anyways. FWIW when I saw it reported he wasnt out recruiting I was pretty sure he was gone so this wasnt a surprise to Harbaugh (Jim) that's for sure.
Does it mean anything regarding Jim? Who knows........
January 26th, 2022 at 2:00 PM ^
Clink as the new DC?
January 26th, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
Sucks ass, but Jim seems to have a knack for pulling rabbits out of hats when it comes to replacing unexpected departures. Fingers crossed.
Does this departure significantly impact anyone we're still targeting before signing day, or commits in the '23 class?
January 26th, 2022 at 2:03 PM ^
Thanks, coach, for righting the ship. We appreciate your leadership and vision. Now let's get someone who wants to be here for more than a year.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:03 PM ^
This is what happens when you are damn good. It sucks...but you know what else happens when you are damn good? Damn good coaches want to come to Michigan to kick ass, learn, and grow even more.
Before long you have a pipeline of damn good coaches doing a damn good job and Michigan is even more of a destination gig where champions are made.
The thing that sucks is I do believe he would have grown a ton from year 1 to 2 and we won't get to see that.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:03 PM ^
Perhaps John could lend us another one of his up and coming coaching prospects? D'anton Lynn or Drew Wilkins?
January 26th, 2022 at 3:36 PM ^
It worked it the first time. Can we just outsource defensive coaching hires to John, and be Baltimore’s effective minor league team for up-and-coming NFL coaches?
January 26th, 2022 at 2:04 PM ^
Don't even really know what to say, except this is likely more probative of the fact that JH wants to leave as well.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:09 PM ^
Trolls gonna troll.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:12 PM ^
Just shut up already. A longtime NFL assistant getting the opportunity to DC at for same NFL team he just spent 7 years with has nothing to do with Michigan’s head coach.
Your takes are terrible.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:16 PM ^
Thanks. You don't think JH's planned tenure played a factor in MacDonald's decision or John Harbaugh's decision to take a coordinator back from his brother? You're so short-sited if you don't think that, and you're in denial. P.S. The Wolverine, who broke this story, is also reporting that Harbaugh is extremely ticked off at Warde and looking for any reason to leave. So before you criticize me again for making a reasonable inference, think a bit. And for once, consider the best interests of your school as opposed to a self-centered coach. Just once. You're not entitled to a presumption of legitimacy because you have 29000 points. In fact, the opposite is true. It shows you're willing to opine on almost anything. Stop being so selfish and think about UM here, not Harbaugh. He's been fellated enough. He doesn't need it from you.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:42 PM ^
MacDonald was considered the DC in waiting at Baltimore before he took the job here. Guess what? The Baltimore job is open now, and he’s taking the job he was supposed to get anyway.
It literally has nothing to do with Jim Harbaugh. Since you want to bring up MGoPoints, I have a lot of points because I actually think things through and use logic and actual information in my shared opinions. Unlike you, who just tries to make random assumptions based on nothing so you can shit on Harbaugh. A long time NFL assistant takes the college DC —> NFL DC jump and you try to tie it to the head coach. Just awful on your part.
January 26th, 2022 at 3:13 PM ^
Just to save me the comparative research, do you mind letting us know what Bolivian reincarnation that you might be?
January 26th, 2022 at 2:05 PM ^
Welp.
Elston is probably the guy. And this was probably at least a known possibility.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:20 PM ^
Yeah, that's probably what will happen. Unless JH has been expecting it, and working back channels. We'll see. I hope he has someone else for the job. Elston has been a career position coach, probably for a reason.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
Elston Co-DC/Interior DL
Clink Co-DC/Corners
Oz EDGE
This is one possible outcome from this.
January 26th, 2022 at 3:01 PM ^
Does that put Coach Oz on the D-line? I thought I saw he was next in line after Nua left before Elston came over from ND.
January 26th, 2022 at 3:15 PM ^
And I actually like him as the DC...but it does make you wonder if even Elston thought it is overwhelmingly likely he would be the DC this year or next.
Unless MacDonald bombed next year he was not going to be here more than 2 years...3 max. He doesn't have a heart pull to UM and if he succeeded he was going to be in high demand due to his youth and he does seem from all accounts to be a stand up dude that players respond well to.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:05 PM ^
I think we need someone more recruiting minded anyway. Mac was great at Xs and Os, but for long term success you have to be an elite recruiter. He seemed like an NFL guy for sure. Good for him.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:05 PM ^
Held the best OSU passing offense in memory to 27 points and a victory. This on the heels of Lombardi and Ricky White dismantling our defense. If one year is all we got, it was a year well worth it.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:08 PM ^
Not a surprise - he was never likely to stay long. Good 1st year DC, but honestly... we could probably get someone even better now that we have some momentum.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:08 PM ^
Well, I figured we were only a stop before he went on to something else. Was hoping that stop would last more than a year though...
January 26th, 2022 at 2:11 PM ^
Crap, didn't see that coming.
Can't blame a guy for taking a promotion like that though.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:16 PM ^
Couple things
1. When Harbaugh sticks to his principles he hires good assistants. He obviously did a terrific job last year. This is simply the reality of having a good head coach. So if we want continuity, then we'd also have to live with a Brady Hoke type.
2. I guess there was only one thing.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:24 PM ^
Disagree completely. I think it's just a fact of life when hiring young, up and coming coaches. If you want someone to stay long term, it's probably more likely when hiring someone older.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:18 PM ^
Today's college football sucks. There is no loyalty from coaches, players, fans, mascots, you name it. me Me ME ME ME.....That is all it's about, usually wrapped around hundred dollar bills.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:26 PM ^
I have never met anyone in my life who would pass up a 100% - 200% pay raise, because of loyalty, to do the same job.
January 26th, 2022 at 3:17 PM ^
Yeah - to be clear it is NOT the same job. Its a better job unless you went to Michigan or have some affinity for it.
January 27th, 2022 at 8:01 AM ^
Really? His name was Bo Schembechler, when he turned Texas A&M down.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
Hope the kids are staying off your lawn.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:34 PM ^
Hope the kids are staying off your lawn.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:47 PM ^
I hope you’ve turned down higher paying jobs at every turn. Especially if it’s to do the same job.
January 26th, 2022 at 4:08 PM ^
Isn’t his loyalty to the Ravens? His entire career is tied to Georgia and the ravens. Why would he be more loyal to a school he’s been at for less than a year? Shouldn’t you be mad that Harbaugh didn’t stay loyal to Stanford by that logic?
January 26th, 2022 at 2:19 PM ^
To think, yesterday i was annoyed about an oklahoma qb transferring to wisky. Puts disappointment in perspective. hooray.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:21 PM ^
Damn I really thought this would be a next year problem. I really don't want to just promote Elston, but given where they are in the coaching search to preserve staff overall it feels like its going to be an internal promotion.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:21 PM ^
Have to imagine that John wanted to give Macdonald some experience, and most likely let Jim know that, thinking it would be closer to 3 - 5 years instead of 1 year. I believe that Clinkscale or Elston get a serious look if, in fact, this turns out to be true.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:22 PM ^
Ouch that one hurts - he brought a great Defense to the team and I hope we find a great replacement. I would assume Clink gets a shot to run the show? Elston basically getting fired as the interim DC during NDs last game doesnt give me the warm and fuzzies
January 26th, 2022 at 2:23 PM ^
Obviously a bummer and clearly he will be missed.
That said, it won't effect recruiting much.
I wrote off much of our issues with tempo to growing pains but at the very least we'll probably run a system that gets us lined up in a hurry and doesn't get as gashed by no huddle offenses.
How many big plays did we give up where half our D was looking over at the sideline making the "huh" gesture?
Not to disparage a great coach who helped us to a B1G championship, he will be missed. But given the choice of losing JH or losing MM I'm willing to live with the latter.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
itll hurt us in recruiting if osu puts up 60 on us next year. im not predicting it. just saying, we havent even been competitive defensively in a few years... i hope it was the sum of the parts, and not just him. can we hire the guy osu hired from ok state? give him double? a reverse-mattison. i dont even know if he's any good, but it would be fun.
January 26th, 2022 at 3:31 PM ^
From what I’ve heard about him, he’s basically Don Brown. So… yeah I’ll pass
January 26th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
Damn.... and FL just hired Sean Spencer as Co-DC after the Giants cleaned house. That would have been a GREAT get for the program.... Coach Chaos!
January 26th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
psych!
January 26th, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
Well, this is not ideal. But JH (our JH) has really only hired top DCs at Michigan. Yes, Brown couldn't beat OSU and fell off at the end, but he was mostly very successful. And I have to believe that Harbaugh has learned his lesson about having a DC who can switch coverages...Anyway, this is not great, but Michigan should be okay.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
Not optimal but not a huge surprise once Baltimore had to change DCs. I have no idea who they'll go after but I'm not sold there's a guy on the staff I'd bump up right now. Wish him luck and it's a good sign for the program, I guess, that this one-year DC run led to him getting an NFL job at his age
January 26th, 2022 at 2:29 PM ^
The thing about it isn't so much changing DC's every year, it's changing defensive philosophy every year. MacDonald runs Baltimore's defense, which is still pretty new and unique as far as the NFL is concerned - so it's damn near a one-off in college. Who is available to continue teaching this defense so we get the 'year 2 bounce' because everyone now knows the scheme and can improve on it? Nobody... If you think Wink himself is/will be available, you're a fool. Too many NFL vacancies.
There's no way Mike Elston can teach/coordinate the Amoeba defense. And it seems unlikely that anyone else on staff has enough general and detailed understanding to continue it. So, a new scheme it is, along with its first year growing pains. And probably another change in recruiting target types based on whatever skillset the new scheme demands.
Sure, there's probably something similar that can be ported over. But is that what you want? A morphed scheme imitating something else?