Mike Macdonald Named Defensive Coordinator
It’s now official: Jim Harbaugh has hired Ravens LB coach Mike MacDonald to replace Don Brown as Michigan’s defensive coordinator.
OFFICIAL: Mike Macdonald Named Michigan’s Defensive Coordinator
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) January 17, 2021
» https://t.co/7LlqGxnDpJ pic.twitter.com/4xZRiAvqIc
The MacDonald hire was rumored for weeks but couldn’t happen until the Ravens season ended, which it did with their playoff loss to the Bills on Saturday.
MacDonald has never been a coordinator at any level. He got into coaching while a student at Georgia, assisting his former high school coach at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens. Georgia hired MacDonald as a graduate assistant in 2011, and John Harbaugh picked him up as a coaching intern for the Ravens in 2014, working with the secondary and linebackers until earning a coaching position with the latter in 2018.
Michigan still has a number of staff moves to make, and it’s not yet certain which coaches will be retained, but with safeties coach-in-absentia Bob Shoop almost certainly not being invited back, Harbaugh still has at least a secondary coach position to fill, and could look for a more experienced college coordinator to be the Phil Martelli behind the neophyte.
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January 17th, 2021 at 4:41 PM ^
Yes, but it replaced the previous Zilwaukee Bridge built in the 60s
January 17th, 2021 at 5:08 PM ^
See my comment at the top. I remember when they built the big bridge, and also remember the car fights waiting for the old bascule bridge to open.
January 17th, 2021 at 5:21 PM ^
I remember those excruciatingly long waits for that old bridge going to and from skiing in the back of a vista cruiser.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:36 PM ^
Yep, every time I went deer hunting with my Dad and Uncles in the 70s, that damn bridge would be opening causing a 2 hour back up on 75.
January 17th, 2021 at 5:29 PM ^
But was the old bascule bridge still called the Zilwuakee Bridge? I don't think we started calling it Zilwuakee Bridge until the new bridge was complete.
Also, we had I675 that bypassed all that mess with the old bridge.
January 17th, 2021 at 9:40 PM ^
Yeah, we called it that. We have a family tradition of calling each other when we're on the Zilwaukee Bridge that began when my dad had his first car phone and told his friend in Charlevoix we would call as soon as we got across the bridge. That fucking line.
January 17th, 2021 at 3:45 PM ^
Flaming take too hot for Fuegobox: great defenses are about 25% scheme, 25% fundamentals/conditioning, and 50% recruiting and talent. And scheme gets you nowhere these days without talent. So my positive optimistic spin is that this can work if the recruiting works.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
Both this and the Hart hire should help a lot with recruiting. Hart is a proven commodity at RB coach and a great hire for you guys. Mac: interesting and a bit of a risk, but Tressel wasn't a proven at the D1 level either...
btw, I need to borrow the "WELP" dog logo after the bama beat down.....
January 17th, 2021 at 3:57 PM ^
Is there any data/proof he can recruit elite 17-18 year old defensive players? Can he formulate a cohesive game plan to stop explosive college offensives?
None of us know anything about this guy. He was hired based on the recommendation of Jim Harbaugh's brother. It seems underwhelming. I hope he’s a “home run” hire, but that’s yet to be seen.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:36 PM ^
He's never legally been allowed to recruit (GAs don't recruit), so no, there wouldn't be any data about that. That doesn't mean he won't be good at it, we just don't know.
But he's young, has NFL experience and ties to a talent-rich state (Georgia) which can't hurt.
January 17th, 2021 at 7:23 PM ^
Yes, because not being allowed to do something has really stopped Georgia recruiting in the past...
January 17th, 2021 at 4:01 PM ^
I mean he seems ok but hard to believe it's much of an upgrade over the dude we just 86'd
January 17th, 2021 at 4:09 PM ^
And apparently, all of our new coaches need to be named Mike.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:53 PM ^
Better put up a good supply of Life cereal then.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:11 PM ^
I'm alright with this. I think it's better than seeing the same old retreads. He's a young guy and may just kick ass at what he does. Give the guy a chance. I think this program needs young blood like MacDonald and Hart, maybe it will help with a much needed spark.
January 17th, 2021 at 8:58 PM ^
If we're going unproven, would have preferred Partridge. Perhaps that bridge is burned?
January 17th, 2021 at 11:47 PM ^
Who the heck is unproven? Rose to LB coach for a fine franchise. NFL is far harder than college. Before you're there by ng of why can't Jim cut it here, well he had us right there on OSU heels and a bad spot hosed him. Obviously John knows the right leader qualities and is recommending him.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:11 PM ^
This is definitely a leap of faith hire. MacDonald went from GA to DC at Michigan in 9years but never coordinated at any level. Im in the camp of wait and see but this seems like a 50/50 proposition
January 17th, 2021 at 4:18 PM ^
Seth. It’s a lowercase D. It’s weird, I know. But it looks like all the official spellings have a lowercase D.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:22 PM ^
Summa Cum Laude, that's impressive, smart dude, I don't care what university, big or small, you graduate SCL you've got your shit together.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:59 PM ^
At Georgia that basically just means you can do your readin' and writin'. Magna cum laude grads still use an X when they sign their name.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:40 PM ^
Yeah, I was going to mention the Summa Cum Laude thing. Yeah it is Georgia but it is obvious this guy is smart. He’s no stereotypical jock.
Today’s game is so complex, maybe that is what we need. Will he recruit? Will he relate with the guys? Dunno, but hopefully his brainpower will mean he is super flexible to adapting the D on the fly to counter stuff. I don’t think any defense can expect to just run “their stuff” and shut down everyone anymore.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:41 PM ^
Interesting move. It could be a risk, with his lack of experience, but I don't mind taking a chance on a guy who's spent time at the next level. You'd think that would be a plus from a recruiting standpoint, at least.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
Went from two DCs, each with a lifetime of experience, to a "kid" with comparatively little experience. He's probably good enough - otherwise he wouldn't have been recommended - but it is quite a change.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:50 PM ^
Brown was experienced, but Durkin had only been a DC for a couple of years when we hired him.
January 18th, 2021 at 12:17 AM ^
Forgot about Durkin (he was only here a year anyway) and wasn't including him. Still... let's see how this goes.
January 17th, 2021 at 4:55 PM ^
I see his fiancee Stephanie is mentioned several times. Has anybody seen a picture of her to confirm that James Franklin would believe he could recruit? Frames may be on to something, Jay Harbaugh's wife was a flight attendant on a flight I took and his recruiting ability checks out.
January 17th, 2021 at 5:01 PM ^
I’m just excited about this because we got a whole lot younger on the staff. Which will help with recruiting ...but that’s about all the excitement i have at the moment
get lucky ?
January 17th, 2021 at 5:02 PM ^
Seth, it isn't a foregone conclusion that Shoop is gone, since nobody knows why he sat out. If it were due to rumor his coaching philosophy didn't jive with the Brown defense, then as far as we know he is staying. Unless you know something we don't.
January 17th, 2021 at 5:08 PM ^
So what story to tell? Option A: sage experience vs. callow youth lost in the big time? Option B: weary old soul vs. fresh energy and great new ideas?
Actually, it's unlikely to be either. Those are stories we tell ourselves to give shape to the messy uncertainty of human experience. More likely, it'll be somewhere in between.
Whatever the story, here's hoping it's a happy one.
January 17th, 2021 at 5:19 PM ^
Any relation to Norm?
January 17th, 2021 at 5:19 PM ^
It's a gamble, but when you fire Don Brown it's going to be hard to find a replacement at that level, and so might as well take a shot at a guy with someone seemingly vouching for him in John Harbaugh. If he can simply make sure UM doesn't lose a half-dozen starters on defense for parts of the year and has a full offseason and camp to practice, chances are the defense will be better next season.
January 17th, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
I want to be optimistic about this hire but that sentence "MacDonald has never been a coordinator at any level. " is causing my BPONE to flare up.
January 17th, 2021 at 7:48 PM ^
It just feels like the easy way out. Call your brother, ask if he knows a guy, hire said guy.
It might be a great hire. It might not. But the process is a microcosm of the program--stale, lacking focus, and grabbing at anything shiny--and doesn't bode well for the future.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:06 PM ^
But the process is a microcosm of the program--stale, lacking focus, and grabbing at anything shiny--and doesn't bode well for the future.
Or, Jim consulted someone whose football experience he trusts and asked his opinion, and the advice was, “this guy is going to be a star, you should give him a shot.”
Have we not been hearing the “young up and comer” drum being beaten incessantly? Well, here you go.
He’s young, smart, and obviously got coaching skills to be in the NFL. I’ll bet he’s going to bring a lot of fresh insight that will, along with Hart, break up the “stale” feeling of the program. It’s always amazing to me how many Michigan bitch, get what they bitched for, then STILL BITCH after they get it. The program needed a shot in the arm, shot of youth, well, we got it. Let’s see what they can do before assume the worst, shall we?
January 18th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
Because there is a significant amount of people, in many things, not just fan-dome, that can't tell the difference between insightful commentary and petty bitching.
January 17th, 2021 at 11:01 PM ^
I think the one thing we will get that many on here were pissed about is proper teaching of the secondary and linebacker play as far as passing situations are concerned. A good D line coach will be a must but our weakness has been the secondary and short passes that turn into long gains. I think it is a good sign that John recommended him to Jim and bodes well for us. I personally will miss Brown's enthusiasm for the game and can only hope MacDonald is truly a very hungry new hire. I know from working at Georgia he has a sound understanding of the college game and with the Ravens a stingy defense game plan.
As usual I only hope for the best. I am not looking for a national title. I just want to be very good within the Big Ten and give OSU a run for their money and keep things close and win now and again over the next 5 years against them.
We are putting together a young staff along with a young team. Let the magic unfold.
This is a huge moment for this guy and he knows it. He knows he has to get this done.
January 18th, 2021 at 11:09 AM ^
Welcome aboard Coach Macdonald!! Good luck!!
January 18th, 2021 at 3:51 PM ^
The process to hire Gattis was underwhelming and at best the jury is still out. The process to hire this guy is hardly different.
One question nobody has yet asked, how is he at playing Madden? Maybe he and Hart can get the offense and the defense up to where the average teen Madden player doesn’t surprise them with tempo. Maybe clock management improves?
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