Shaun Nua expected to return
"Defensive line coach Shaun Nua is being retained, sources said..."
January 19th, 2021 at 7:37 PM ^
Yep, because Harbaugh is making these decisions and he's past his use by date as a head coach.
January 19th, 2021 at 7:50 PM ^
Even a rank amateur like myself could tell that Zordich's position group generally had the most improvement, year in and year out.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:08 PM ^
I remember having visions of a constant flow of 350lb Polynesian DTs when he was hired. Mildly disappointed here.
January 19th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
350 pound DTs don’t play 1 gap as Brown wanted. It’s why he preferred SDE with athleticism he could pack pounds onto. Though his NT does do a 2 gap quite a bit.
If Macdonald and company go with an exclusive 2 gap or 3 man DL, those space eaters in the middle become more necessary.
Nua played in a 3 man, 2 gap front with the Steelers. Wonder if that’s what we’ll see from UM in the fall.
January 19th, 2021 at 7:32 PM ^
Ravens ran an odd front base. I’d assume that’s what’s going to be installed here, maybe why villain transferred as he really is exclusively a weak side DE.
January 19th, 2021 at 8:24 PM ^
I reached out to Cody Alexander on twitter and this is what he had to say about the MacDonald hire:
I think it's a good hire.
Will look a lot like the Ravens
3-4 base
Multiple & get exotic on 3rd
A lot of C1 & 5-man pressures
Shaun Nua not only played in a 3-4 with the Steelers, I believe he also coached odd fronts before he got to Michigan.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:11 PM ^
They get rid of zordich ,but keep nau?!
January 19th, 2021 at 6:12 PM ^
I am not thrilled with any of the defensive coaching positions. Where was the supposedly money cannon to be thrown at elite level coaches? Hmm
January 19th, 2021 at 6:26 PM ^
It’s almost as if elite assistants aren’t clamoring to go to a program lead by a 2-4 coach on the hot seat.
This will not be a good season.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:38 PM ^
They shot the cannon at elite coaches, and they missed. So they shot it at Maryland, a DC whose first position coaching season was 2018, and their own program. And they got ‘em!
January 19th, 2021 at 6:14 PM ^
If this is true why did Michigan lose Somerville? Somerville was a guy at a needed position.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:22 PM ^
I assume some was the uncertainty but also it seemed like perhaps the team cooled on him a bit. Not saying that was a smart decision but his drop in the rankings probably wasn't a great sign.
January 19th, 2021 at 7:34 PM ^
Took the words straight out of my mouth.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:19 PM ^
Didn't like the Nua hire. Like keeping him even less.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:20 PM ^
I can see the desire to keep around a guy or two from last year who has some experience in college and can help guide the new guys on the staff. I wouldn't have stuck with Nua but I assume they see something in him. It's also somewhat hard to judge the line last year given the injuries. Maybe this also increases the odds of getting Benny or Rooks?
January 19th, 2021 at 6:25 PM ^
no recruiting no coaching what in the world are they thinking
January 19th, 2021 at 6:29 PM ^
I think we will be looking at a pretty good season. I like the staff shakeup. Things are brewing.
January 19th, 2021 at 6:46 PM ^
I’m cool with this. Still a young coach. Harbaugh’s getting rid of all the old men.
January 19th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^
I just don't understand. Nua made no discernable positive impact on recruiting or player development, so we retain him?
This is Michigan.
January 19th, 2021 at 7:44 PM ^
Sorry, but I have very little faith in this staff. The transfers are piling up and Charbonnet adding to the list, basically killed what little hope I had.
January 19th, 2021 at 8:30 PM ^
Worst coach on the staff. Can’t recruit and can’t coach. Another Harbaugh head scratcher.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:18 PM ^
I love how 3+ years of DL problems get dumped on a guy who has only been at UofM for two years and two days.
Seems to me, Don Brown and his favoritism took control of the DL, which is why Carlo Kemp played 7 years of NT at 285lbs, why Jeter kept getting chance after chance and why Ben Mason played even one snap at DT, plus probably a main reason why Mattison left to OSU.
He might be a terrrible coach but anybody who might have even been taught, even a little by him, has yet to play much.
Seems strange if Nua had much control over what was going on the DL, than he would have found a way to get Paea, the only Polynesian on the team who just so happens to be a 305lb DT, at least ONE play.
January 19th, 2021 at 9:41 PM ^
Welcome to 6-6 with this staff. 7-5 would be overachieving next year.
January 20th, 2021 at 8:07 PM ^
Fake insider with less than STRONG intel, so now he has to act like a biatch. Lmao
January 19th, 2021 at 10:30 PM ^
Nua staying on for 2021 is exactly like getting out of the lifeboat from the Titanic and boarding the new ship named Lusitania
January 19th, 2021 at 10:56 PM ^
This is strange!