Kirk Campbell Is Your New Offensive Coordinator, Other Bits
This qualifies as expected news:
Michigan is expected to name Kirk Campbell as its new offensive coordinator, sources tell @247sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 2, 2024
Campbell was Michigan’s QB coach in 2023 and helped JJ McCarthy emerge as a potential first-round pick. Was also interim OC for the team’s win over ECU.https://t.co/dJORJ80Uo5 pic.twitter.com/bnWWEChmBj
My reaction to this is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Campbell's quick ascent from analyst to QB coach to OC is either a sign he's really that dude or sort of a mediocre default hire, and nobody knows which one it is. Two weeks ago people were muttering about Zachary Orr maybe not having enough experience to be the DC at Michigan and now he's the Ravens' DC. Meanwhile it's difficult to evaluate his impact in a single year as a QB coach. Yes, JJ McCarthy was pretty good. He was going to be pretty good no matter who Michigan had at QB coach.
[After THE JUMP: more coachbits]
Michigan still hasn't actually hired anyone to replace the guys who have left; they've announced a couple of internal promotions. That leaves at least four slots open (Harbaugh, Minter, JayBaugh, and Partridge all need to be replaced) in on-field coaching roles.
Moore is also apparently searching for a director of player personnel. This role evidently existed under Harbaugh since there's an article from 2022 naming Tom Gamble the DPP, but this is my first encounter with the name "Tom Gamble" so it's probably safe to say that Moore is going to be placing more emphasis on having a guy who's in charge of scouting/recruiting/all that stuff. Michigan went after Notre Dame's DPP and managed to get that guy a nice contract; Rivals is now reporting that the next guy they're looking at is Iowa State's DPP. That seems like a good idea since ISU has been punching above its weight for a while now.
As far as on-field openings: it seems like Michigan is set on continuing with its Ravens-esque approach, as Sam Webb said on last week's Roundtable, and will attempt to find an external, probably NFL-based replacement for Minter. Jim Leonhard will not be the pick, per Webb. There have not been any names floated for position coaches aside from the usual "hey, this guy went to Michigan and is a coach" shots in the dark.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:04 PM ^
The part of me that wants to see some splash hires isn’t appeased.
At the same time, his play calling vs. ECU was a revelation, and probably my favorite of the year as far as truly complementing the run with the pass, and expediting adjustments to what the defense was doing.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:10 PM ^
Rich Rod was a splash hire. Michigan fans should always be wary of splash hires. Minter and Sherrone hires were the opposite of splash hires...be careful out there
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:40 PM ^
Harbaugh was a splash hire too tho right? So it can go both ways
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:51 PM ^
As was Greg “traitor” Mattison.
February 3rd, 2024 at 10:34 AM ^
Traitor meaning "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
February 4th, 2024 at 5:05 PM ^
Harbaugh on his first contract didn’t work out as well as we hoped. One can argue his second contract was a non-splash hire that did work out
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:08 PM ^
There are different types of splashes: like cannonball splash, or overrotated the dive splash.
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:36 PM ^
Aka belly flop vs. Louganis 10/10
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:19 PM ^
Don't splash the pot...
February 3rd, 2024 at 1:29 PM ^
Een MY club, I splash the pot whenever.....the FACK......I please.....
February 4th, 2024 at 4:07 PM ^
So there is not one coach in america better than anyone we had on staff last year?
Fuck splash hires
There is not ONE external candidate LOW MID OR HIGH level @ another program better than ANYONE we had on staff last year????
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:11 PM ^
Campbell called the plays vs ECU? How doe we know it wasn't Sherrones script?
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
Even if it was coach Moore's script that guy is still in the room.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:26 PM ^
I mean sherrone hasn’t gone anywhere so if Campbell called sherrone’s script well, isn’t that a good thing?
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:28 PM ^
How do we know it wasn’t Harbaugh’s?
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:37 PM ^
I heard Harbaugh was actually using Hoke's script, which was given to him by Lloyd Carr
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:40 PM ^
Everyone knows Phil Martelli is the real coach.
/s
February 3rd, 2024 at 6:00 PM ^
Hoke and Carr were both defensive minds, so they undoubtedly were passing along Moeller’s offense. On second thought, Hoke was definitely not using Moeller’s script based on some of those offenses. Thank goodness for Denard to erase the issues for 1+ season.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:58 PM ^
If there's a "script" no one is calling plays, they're already called, hence the "script."
February 3rd, 2024 at 11:54 AM ^
Coaches don’t script an entire game. Maybe a series or two? Then adjust as the game goes.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:59 PM ^
In that ECU game, Campbell and Moore collaborated to call the most aesthetically pleasing game of the year. In the Penn State game, they collaborated to call the most ruthlessly efficient beatdown delivered by anyone to a legitimately good team. It's like having a four octave range as a singer--and I want to see MOAR of that next year.
February 2nd, 2024 at 10:21 PM ^
Sherrone was suspended for ECU along with Harbaugh. They watched the game together & Jim discovered YouTube TV!
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:32 PM ^
Why does the article say Michigan still needs to replace Harbaugh? I'm very confused...
(And it says "Harbaugh" AND "JayBaugh" so it's not Jay I'm talking about)
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:25 PM ^
It’s listing the 4 people who have left who have yet to be replaced by someone external, I.e. Sherrone replaced Harbaugh; Newsome replaced Sherone; but no one has yet replaced Newsome, so the opening created by Harbaugh leaving is still available even if his specific job isn’t.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:29 PM ^
"That leaves at least four slots open (Harbaugh, Minter, JayBaugh, and Partridge all need to be replaced)"
Excerpted from the article. I suppose the inclusion of "Harbaugh" is an oversight...
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:45 PM ^
It's not, Michigan lost 4 coaches (those listed), and need to hire 4 coaches. So far they've hired none, they've just moved around existing pieces.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:52 PM ^
Harbaugh has been replaced tho, no?!
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:24 PM ^
4 coaches out, 0 coaches in, need to replace 4 coaches.
February 2nd, 2024 at 10:25 PM ^
His job title has been filled. The spot he opened up on the coaching staff by leaving has not been filled.
You can have 11 on field coaches. Harbaugh, Minter, JayBaugh, and Partidge leaving brought us down to 7 such coaches, asssuming everyone else is staying. Yes, we have a head coach, but as of Brian's post, we hadn't hired anyone to fill those 4 empty spots in our allowed number of coaches. That's what he means by Harbaugh still needs to be replaced.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:29 PM ^
None of the great coaches we've got currently or departing (J-Baugh, Minter) were splash hires. Clinkscale is really the only one where I was like- this guy's got a great resume.
February 3rd, 2024 at 6:23 AM ^
I don't even remember the ECU game.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:07 PM ^
I personally am less worried about this with Moore as HC - I am sure he will have his fingerprints all over the gameplan and look of the offense, much like Harbaugh did. (but it sure would make things easier if Campbell ends up being really good at OCing)
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:09 PM ^
If it ain’t broke, promote the guys who didn’t break it
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:10 PM ^
Though I love the ground and pound run game, I am hopeful that the pass game will be emphasized more.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:25 PM ^
I think that largely depends upon how much everyone is up for an Orji in 2024.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:01 PM ^
If it's Orji, you're gonna see a lot more ground and pound
February 3rd, 2024 at 9:57 AM ^
Instead of us all complaining about Michigan's refusal to lean heavily on play action, we'll all complain about their refusal to lean heavily on QB Oh Noes.
February 2nd, 2024 at 10:23 PM ^
Will it be in the endzone?
Wanna make sure I've got the right address!
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:39 PM ^
Ground and pound is what differentiates us....i hope we keep that identity. There is no more comforting feeling than knowing you can dominate the LOS and pick up 3 or 4 yards basically whenever you want to.
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:32 PM ^
Ground and pound has become the college football differentiator. Teams never see it so they have a hard time preparing for it. Not unlike the triple option or the spread-n-shred in days gone by. Or even the "huddle".
February 2nd, 2024 at 2:15 PM ^
Michigan is the reigning national champion
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:54 PM ^
I don't think they will be able to push the passing game very much, if it all. All the returning offensive talent points towards the run, with maybe *five* capable running backs in Edwards, Mullings, Hall, Cabana and Marshall, no QB with any experience or instant-starter-hype, and little returning wide-receiver passing (Morris and Morgan, with Loveland at TE).
I suspect the passing attack will be complementary to the run game, with more screens, swings, flares, RPOs and the occasional deep shot a la QBOhNoes.
And that's workable - particularly if they can coach up the OL to the standard of the last three years. Getting that right is job 1, because you can win a lot of games by dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.
February 3rd, 2024 at 2:41 AM ^
We don't have a proven passing QB. It may by Orji and the fun run bunch.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:11 PM ^
Brightside: nobody's jumped to the portal, and Grant to USC is the only online rumbling.
Downside: battlefield promoting a young guy means there's not much network to leverage.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:21 PM ^
Hopefully we can make a compelling enough NIL pitch to Grant to stay.
February 2nd, 2024 at 1:28 PM ^
I'm not saying people shouldn't take money into account, but I'd think it would not be enticing to go be part of that horrible defense. Grant will look better playing at Michigan in a loaded defense; a better secondary will give him more time for sacks, etc.
February 3rd, 2024 at 5:21 PM ^
They did get UCLA's defensive coordinator. Don't know if that would matter any.
February 2nd, 2024 at 3:07 PM ^
I did my part and contributed to the Those Who Stay NIL fund, designed to retain our key players.
Granted that what I donated would only pay for one of Kenneth Grant's midday snacks, but still . . .
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