Football Staff is Set, Let's React
January 20th was far less than ideal as a date to have your staff settled, but with yesterday’s announcements, the football assistant team for 2021 is locked in.
IN: Cowboys DBs coach Mo Linguist and Ravens LBs coach Mike Macdonald as co-DCs, Maryland LBs coach George Helow as safeties coach, Indiana RBs coach Mike Hart as RBs coach.
OUT: Don Brown (DC), Mike Zordich (cornerbacks), Bob Shoop (safeties), Ben McDaniels (QBs)
STILL HERE: Josh Gattis (OC/receivers), Ed Warinner (OL), Jay Harbaugh (special teams, loses RBs), Sherrone Moore (TEs), Shawn Nua (DL), Brian Jean-Mary (LBs)
MO LINGUIST, CO-DC/CORNERBACKS
Who? Michigan has named Dallas Cowboys DBs coach Mo Linguist as co-DC with Ravens LB coach Mike Macdonald, who was announced last week.
While both are young and first-time coordinators, unlike Macdonald, Linguist does have an extensive collegiate resume.
He has also moved around a lot. Until joining the Cowboys last season Linguist was the cornerbacks coach at Texas A&M for two years (2018-‘19), spent a year coaching the secondary on PJ Fleck’s staff at Minnesota (2017, when Warinner was there) before that, a year as Mississippi State’s safeties coach (2016) before that, the defensive passing game coordinator at Iowa State (2014-‘15) for two years before that, and the same for Buffalo (2012-‘13) for two years before that. He also coached at James Madison, Valdosta State, and Baylor, where he played then became a graduate assistant in 2007. If you’re a little lost, here’s a map:
[After THE JUMP: see-ah what I mean-ah?]
Linguist grew up in Dallas and moved to Mesquite, TX, where he won a state championship the week I graduated from college. Along the way he has developed a reputation as a top defensive backs man, particularly with the cornerbacks. According to the 247 database he seems to be an excellent good recruiter, has strong connections in Texas and Georgia, and offers have been extended already to a number of high-profile Linguist associates.
Like Mac2, Mo2’s preferred defensive style is a mystery. Dallas went to a lot of pattern-matching last year—they’ve been a base four-down, 1-high defense as long as I’ve paid attention to such things. The Ravens, for what it’s worth, have been a base odd (3-4 or 4-3 under) defense on the extreme end of blitziness—the thing it’s like in college is the thing Indiana ran this year with double hybrids.
The one secondary of his that I’ve watched extensively, Minnesota’s in 2017, was so beat up by injury there’s little to glean from it, but Fleck’s Gophers have been coasting with some his guys, who include Rashod Bateman, ever since, despite that being a transition class. Given the resources at Texas A&M his recruiting was bonkers. I believe Michigan should give him the resources he had with the Dallas Cowboys, but I’d settle for A&M-level resources.
GEORGE HELOW, SAFETIES
Who? Maryland linebackers coach.
If you were looking for a Phil Martelli to give this staff some experience, you won’t find it here either. Helow was a safety at Ole Miss in the late 2000s via Hargrave Military Academy. Nick Saban picked him up in 2012, first as a weight room intern, then a defensive intern under Kirby Smart. He got a grad assistant gig at FSU under Jimbo Fisher, then completed his degree as a grad assistant while working with the safeties at Georgia under Mark Richt, whence the overlap with Macdonald. The next two years, 2016-‘17 he was an OLBs grad assistant at Colorado State before getting promoted to safeties coach for 2018 and ‘19. He was at Maryland just a year, serving as special teams coordinator and linebackers coach.
(So yeah, the guy who just signed Brian Jennings, who flipped from Michigan on early signing day because it looked like the coaching staff was wobbly. What a business.)
I like that he has Hargrave in his past; Michigan has very seldom dipped into the prep world, and when they have it’s been for a Brad Hawkins or Chris Perry who had some academic issues pop up that wouldn’t have been an issue at ten other Big Ten schools.
HOW DO WE FEEL ABOUT ALL THIS?
Depends who you ask and which guy you’re talking about. The theme here was obvious: find more Sherrone Moores. That’s a good strategy when your program’s been springing talent issues and an even better one going into a year when it’s all but open season for transfers. Official Signing Day is a few weeks away, but transfer recruitments follow academic schedules, so there’s time to get in with other teams emerging players.
I know the NCAA doesn’t believe this but there are a LOT of young people who don’t realize their true aptitude or desire for learning until they get to college. Harbaugh knows as well as anybody that players with serious pro aspirations who are also serious about using their degrees for something after are Michigan’s niche, and he’s built himself a staff of recruiters with NFL teams on their resumes. It remains to be seen if they can get players, or even their own admissions department, on board.
Schematically nobody has any idea, and that might include the staff themselves. I’ve got a lot of Ravens film downloading; I don’t even know where to start with Linquist because he’s bounced around so much. The one thing they all seem to be good at—with the exception of Macdonald since he hasn’t done it—is recruiting, which is good long-term news for the program whether or not they can revive the Harbaugh experiment.
There are some bad but not fatal tea leaves with some of the guys they retained. The recruiting issues at defensive tackle started before Nua, continued during Nua, and weren’t made any better by spending the last few months making it look like they weren’t keeping Nua. Line development has been fine, but that was such a comedown from the excellence of Mattison (and Hoke) that it feels like a net downgrade. The linebacker issues last year coincide with Don Brown handing over the keys to Jean-Mary, but BJM came in with a very strong track record at that, and those again can be traced back to the issues up front.
As for the guys they jettisoned, Ben McDaniels was an internal hire who never proved himself worthy of it, and Bob Shoop was just a huge mistake. They did lose a lot of experience in Brown and Zordich that wasn’t replaced. The recruiting issues at cornerback might have been resolving anyways, but the choice to recruit slower guys who turned out to be too slow falls on either him or Brown. The Linguist hire should pay dividends; we’ll see if it came too late to stay in the race for Will Johnson, let alone Domani Jackson. Sam Webb hinted on WTKA this morning that recruiting 300-pound DTs just to plug gaps is probably going to be green-lit now that Brown is gone, and that may change Nua’s success rate.
Given Harbaugh’s precarious position it was going to be hard to do much better. Any of these guys could turn out to be lightning in a bottle, and they’re all guys who are young enough and have been mobile enough to land somewhere if this turns out to be a one-year gig. Mike Hart is the kind of guy who could survive a few regime changes at Michigan. Macdonald is a cipher; ask again later. Helow looks like a recruiting hire; as a guy who's been up and down the Saban tree he certainly knows how the Saban system works. Yes I mean pattern-matching coverage; what did you think I was talking about? Linquist looks like the best bet to pay off, both with a much-needed recruiting haul and as a position coach.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
A little surprised that there wasn't any other changes on the offensive side of things to be honest.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:12 AM ^
There is one more wait for it on Sunday or Monday.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:30 AM ^
do we need to wait or you can give us a hint now?
January 21st, 2021 at 11:36 AM ^
So, someone is out? Staff is full now with these hires right?
January 21st, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
I'm guessing (if true) that it'll be some big name coming in as an "analyst".
Wouldn't make sense to replace anyone currently on staff, based on anything logical.
Also, Moore and Jay have been our best recruiters. Gattis has been very good recruiter, as well. Wariner is our best coach, over all.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
hmmm... interesting. I guess we'll see then
January 21st, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
Greg Roman and Joe Moorhead are coming to be co-OC's?
January 21st, 2021 at 11:20 AM ^
I've never been one to follow the Xs and Os discussion on schemes, etc but seems to make a certain amount of sense given the changes in OC over 6 years from Fisch to Pep to Gattis simply for continuity. Problems with O this past season seem more transitory with early departures, brand new O-line and QB issues. D is another story. But I'm totally outside my element.
January 21st, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
The change in schemes and graduations certainly messed with the offense over the last couple of years to a degree, but it's not all because of that. Last year against MSU they had their starting 5 which included Mayfield (top 2 round guy), Hayes (their prototype LT), and then 3 upperclassmen including Stueber and they still couldn't run the ball for 3 yards to save their lives. That's scheme/play calling.
We've seen the offense go from bad, to good, to horrendous in 2 seasons with 5 different levels of experience and talent. At this point it's not personnel so much as its incoherent scheme and random spurts of thoughtful tactics surrounded by milquetoast play calling. RPOs appear against MSU in 2019 and then disappear for weeks. Bubble against PSU and then never again. Harbaugh-esque downhill running against ND and then stretch outside garbage directly into Indiana's CB blitzes. It makes little to no sense from a schematic point of view and we don't know if it's Gattis being incapable of doing the job or Harbaugh doing things he's never done before.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:13 AM ^
That's a photo of a former Michigan player & coach. Not Sherrone Moore.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
So we added 2 fairly obscure co-coordinators, neither of whom has actually coordinated a college defense.
Yeah, that’s a good sign.
January 21st, 2021 at 12:04 PM ^
Meh. Sometimes you have to try to get guys on the rise and after these recent years, I've just happy to try something new rather than spin the tires. Either it works and we get better, or it flops and everyone is fired. Still better than trying the same thing yet again vs OSU.
Not everyone is Alabama where you can just get a former NFL head coach to be your OL coach
January 21st, 2021 at 1:17 PM ^
Look, it doesn't take a genius to know that every organization thrives when it has two leaders. Go ahead, name a country that doesn't have two presidents. A boat that sets sail without two captains. Where would Catholicism be without the popes?
January 21st, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
January 21st, 2021 at 11:21 AM ^
Thanks for the explanation. Something to chew on while we wait to see...
January 21st, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
Watch the recruiting take off just in time for Campbell's arrival.
Well played, Warde.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:41 AM ^
McDaniels is still on the Michigan website as QB coach. Gattis is doing WRs? Our d-line is garbage and need help that I'm not seeing from Nua.
January 21st, 2021 at 12:11 PM ^
I don't think the official website is the quickest on the draw. I checked it out just last week and Nua still had his ASU headshot.
January 21st, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
Let me fix the title for you: "Football Staff is Set, Let's OverReact"
Also assuming you meant Branden Jennings (https://247sports.com/player/branden-jennings-46049721/) not Brian.
January 21st, 2021 at 12:06 PM ^
Odd that Somerville didn't sign given I was under the assumption he was tied to Nua. Maybe Nua didn't know if he was staying and that's why Somerville went elsewhere, but still a weird timeline of events.
Banks not coming over is also weird.
January 21st, 2021 at 12:14 PM ^
Lol....so, we lost our highly rated LB to Maryland, because of coaching questions. We immediately hire the guy that flipped him, but still lose the recruit.
We lose another highly rated D-Line recruit, because everyone expected the D-Line coach (that he had a connection with) was going to be fired. We don't fire that guy, but still lose the recruit.
????
It's so much fun being a Michigan fan.
January 21st, 2021 at 12:15 PM ^
Cautiously optimistic, but certainly not blow away. It does not look like a can't miss staff on defense; there is not enough change on offense to feel confident that the issues there will be fixed.
That said, adding Hart, the youth movement and recruiting chops on defense, and Harbaugh clearly understanding that can not throw away his shot this year...it could all add-up to the bottled lightning Brian referenced.
There is hope. There is no certainty. Sometimes that is the best situation for people to thrive. LFG...GO BLUE!
January 21st, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
Yeah, seems better than I expected. These are guys with potential to be better and some proven abilities at least as recruiters (save McDonald, who we don't know anything about). Nua and BJM as holdovers feels like the best of that lot, even if it underwhelmed. I would have been really happy had they kept Zordich because I think the corners actually improved as the year went on (lots of opinions of that unit seem sealed in an MSU-tinged amber), but I can see moving on. I'm also on record that Jaybaugh's performance at RB was perfectly fine and I don't expect Hart to demonstrably improve on the coaching front, but as a recruiter he should help.
Still, I prefer Harbaugh take big swings than try to bring in Al Borges-level retreads with no real upside.
January 21st, 2021 at 1:20 PM ^
Here's a little comparison with age/experience vs OSU. This is not a criticism just an observation. Clearly Harbaugh is rolling the dice on smart and young over old and experienced.
Kerry Coombs DC 60 yo. Coaching exp. 37yr Sal 1.4 mil
Larry Johnson Co HC DL 69 yo Coaching exp. 46yr Sal 1.13 mil
Greg Mattison Co DC DL 71 yo Coaching exp. 50yr Sal 1.13 mil
Matt Barns safeties SP’s 35 yo Coaching exp. 11yr Sal $450,000
Al Washington LB’s 37 yo Coaching exp. 14yr Sal $515,000
________________________________________________________________
TOTALS Age 272 (ave. 54.4) Yrs. C exp. 158yr (ave. 31.6) Sal $5,025000
Mike MacDonald DC 33 yo. Coaching exp. 12yr Sal N/A mil
Maurice Linguist Co DC DB 36 yo Coaching exp. 10yr Sal. N/A mil
George Helow Safeties 33 yo Coaching exp. 10yr Sal. N/A mil
Shaun Nua DL’s 39 yo Coaching exp. 10yr Sal $410,000
Brian Jean-Mary LB’s 45yo Coaching exp. 18yr Sal $450,000
________________________________________________________________
TOTALS Age 186 (ave. 37.2) Yrs. C exp. 60yr (ave. 12) Sal. N/A
*Some of the ages and experience are close estimates.
MacDonald, Linguist, Helow, Nua all have Master's degrees. As far as I can tell no one on OSU's staff has a post secondary degree.
January 21st, 2021 at 3:44 PM ^
I believe OSU's youth is more on the offensive side of the ball but do not have the time to look it all up.
January 21st, 2021 at 2:12 PM ^
I like the youth. Who is responsible for Ohio recruiting now?
January 21st, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
You all really wanted a new coach... It just seeps through every article that is written. Harbaugh can do nothing right in the eyes of the staff.
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