Michigan elevates JB Brown to Special Teams Coordinator
Has been an analyst with the team since 2021. Except for the special teams debacles against Bama, our unit has consistently been one of the best in the country under Jay Harbaugh so let's hope it stays that way!
Go Blue!
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:41 PM ^
oooh just missed it
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:41 PM ^
I mean at some point we can’t just keep hiring guys form within. Experience matters
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:44 PM ^
Definitely hear your point. I think it's just the easy thing to do right now because there's a lot of talent coming back and you don't want to cause a mass exodus since that's what college football is now. Also it's just a weird point in the year where coaches have already settled with their programs, there isn't really anyone out there to hire in February (at least to my knowledge).
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:51 PM ^
Yeah, having to make hires this late in the cycle means you're either pulling guys up from much smaller programs, picking someone who doesn't have a job, or elevating internally. My assumption is that we'll see some staff changes next cycle once they've had a full year.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:54 PM ^
Hard not to be a little underwhelmed with our hires when you see Alabama gets Courtney Morgan and 2 sitting head coaches to be position coaches.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:06 PM ^
What can U of M do? All the best coaching candidates dream of winning the Super Bowl. Michigan can’t compete with that!
/s
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:08 PM ^
Courtney Morgan was already with DeBoer in Washington. He left Michigan specifically to go work with DeBoer.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:24 PM ^
Yeah, Morgan literally flew with DeBoer to Alabama for the intro press conference. He’s hitched his wagon to DeBoer’s (probably enjoys working with him).
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:15 PM ^
Yeah, but then you should stop and consider the context of when those hires happened and how
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:26 PM ^
It shouldn’t matter if we are an elite championship caliber program. We should be able to pull coaches from wherever. Wasn’t thinking about it but kind of concerned with Sherron’s small network.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:21 PM ^
Morgan has been associated with DeBoer, so that hire is no surprise.
As for the others, well, Michigan hasn't exactly been in Alabama's tier for most of this century. They just persuaded the coach of the national runner-up to ditch UW and Seattle for Tuscaloosa. Could we really expect Sherrone to get Linguist to go backward (at least by the perception of most people) to a position slot here?
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:27 PM ^
Yeah but Deboer did, you’re kind of making my point.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:30 PM ^
I don't follow you. DeBoer pulled off those heists at Alabama, not Vanderbilt.
As far as the top tier of college football is concerned, Michigan is a flash in the pan until proven otherwise. Not necessarily my perception, but I'm sure much of college football feels that way. We shouldn't be surprised if Alabama has more pull when it comes to hiring coaches.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:38 PM ^
Yeah pretty simple my point is we shouldn’t be a flash in the pan and id prefer not to be that but if your ok with it that’s up to you. Sounds like you don’t think we are a premier program. I think we should be
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:54 PM ^
Thats not what he said at all and I think you know that.
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:02 PM ^
We don't have Alabama-like dominance in our DNA, and I'm okay with that. Alabama is a football factory with a university attached to it. I would prefer that we remain the opposite.
There's no such thing as a "flash in the pan" national champion. Winning the national championship is HARD. Going 15-0 is HARD. Beating five ranked teams in six games is HARD. Beating Alabama AND Ohio State is HARD. None of that is a fluke. If you're able to sustain that level of dominance week in, week out, then you've earned your stripes.
February 3rd, 2024 at 11:58 AM ^
Three straight years in the CFP culminating in a national championship is not a flash in the pan.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:54 PM ^
I don't know if UM would have been able to grab a guy like Linguist; I do wonder if him bolting before coaching a down at UM burned some bridges. Also, and this needs to be stressed, Alabama had done all of these hires before Harbaugh even left. So even given the relatively few available coaches who would leave a program this late, guys like Linguist already bounced to an equal program.
I don't know if Moore could have swayed a guy like Linguist to come to UM, but he didn't even have the opportunity.
People seem annoyed that UM went with the continuity hire with Moore, and I get that even if I disagree with it. But when you do hire a guy who's on staff and then give him extremely limited (realistic) options for filling out his staff, you'll see a lot of internal promotions and maybe a guy or two taken from outside. I do suspect we'll see more staff turnover next cycle.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:38 PM ^
I’m not sure that will work. They will be looking for head coaching job next year. I like our young hungry group of coaches. Jim brought a group young coaches and the program took off.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:41 PM ^
Alabama also bled a ton of players in the transfer portal. The more we go with outside guys the more we risk losing key players. That’s the trade off.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:49 PM ^
They also lost a ton of guys to the portal, and at least part of the reason why they needed to hire Kane Wommack was because DeBoer had no real relationship to SEC recruiting and the state of Alabama and Wommack was the former HC at South Alabama. Also, Mo Linguist was likely going to be fired from Buffalo pretty soon given their relative mediocrity; even the year they went to a bowl was because they went 4-3 in 1-score games and mostly got blasted by the good teams in the MAC. And that was after taking over a good Buffalo team under Lance Leipold. So he might have just seen the writing on the wall.
I'm not ecstatic by any means but this was largely what I expected given the timing of the hire and how few options were reasonably out there. Also, Courtney Morgan going with his former boss to his new place isn't surprising.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:59 PM ^
I think a big goal here is to keep continuity - which makes sense, we're 15-0, return a great defense, a great offensive backfield, are plugging in a line of experienced backups getting their start, and our HC was the OC. We won't really know how to feel about this staff until 2026, unless there's a sudden, noticeable falloff. In 2026 it's Moore's guys and Moore's program. For now though, if we keep the roster together - that is, no starter hits the portal - it was a successful transition.
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:22 PM ^
Hopefully, these coaches are great coaches and they aren't just guys that have been around a long time and deserve a promotion for their loyalty. I think a mixture of internal guys and outside guys is best for the program.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:48 PM ^
If Michigan were coming off of a 9-4 season then I would have more concern however 15-0 alleviates my fears and if Sherron is valuing continuity now seems the right time.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:59 PM ^
I see it the opposite…all the momentum of a 15-0 championship season is dissipated had a few decomits , job offers turned down and no transfers since the end of the season. Still riding hi from this season but I’m a bit underwhelmed by t thinking about next year/beyond. Most championship programs in recent memory have gone on a bit of a multi season tear
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:21 PM ^
Last four teams to win a national title:
1. UGA- Yup, going on a tear.
2. Alabama in 2020- I would sign up for this, but 13-2 (lost CFP final), 11-3, and then this year's semi loss 11-2.. While still really good, not quite the level they've been.
3. LSU in 2019- 5-5, 6-7, 10-4, 10-3 and most definitely haven't gone on a tear.
4. Clemson in 2018- Made it back the following year and lost the semi (10-2) and haven't been back to the CFP since with 10-3, 11-3, 9-4.
I don't think it's as common as your memory suggests. Not faulting any of these teams, it's really hard to go on a run. Eventually though, it has to happen that you will fall off. I don't think Michigan is incapable of doing what Clemson did after their last one, and somewhat close to what Alabama did since their title in 2020. A couple of seasons losing 2-3 games in a season before who knows what. Defense alone this year could win them 10 games I think. 2025 who knows, but too far off to worry.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:29 PM ^
So 3 of the 4 teams LSU being the outlier? I think my point is sustained and I’d add that I wouldn’t want to be LSU I’d rather be the other 3. Also the LSU championship lead to huge recruiting uptick both in Hs and transfer which lead to the success most recently, no such uptick for us. Coaching instability lead to LSU problems…seeing a trend here?
Edit: I’d like to say that I’d be ecstatic with a 10 win season looking at the schedule I’d even be happy with 9 the which I thinks still tough after that most of that defense is gone and who knows recruiting been ranked around 20 past few years.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:23 PM ^
Georgia, Alabama, and …?
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:36 PM ^
LSU, Clemson shoot even going way back to ohio.
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:19 PM ^
LSU?
And the OSU that won it 9 years ago and that’s it?
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:07 PM ^
Our best measuring stick is Ohio State (and we're theirs). Ohio State didn't go on a tear after their 2014 CFP natty, nor did they go on a tear after their 2002 BCS natty. In fact, Ohio State has exactly the same number of national championships in the last fifty years as we do (two).
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:51 PM ^
Why not if they can do the job?
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:57 PM ^
I think the reality is some percentage of promotions result in a Peter Principle situation, no matter how good they looked at the lower level. When you're building an entire staff by promoting guys up, there's definitely compounding risk there.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:38 PM ^
On the flip side of that, every great person at every job has to start somewhere. Jim Harbaugh himself wasn't a great head coach when he got his first HC job. Promoting talent over experience is a good strategy if you think you've got the talent.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:54 PM ^
Partridge was an analyst before he became a great recruiter and lb coach iirc. Campbell was before he became a good qb coach and recruiter. We had that great OL analyst who we were all sad to see leave and become OL coach at another school.
There are great coaches at the analyst level and our coaches would know who is worth bringing up.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:10 PM ^
Partridge first and foremost was a great recruiter that got everyone tom e play for his HS. It's why Jim hired him but I don't think could hire him as coach with his former players coming in.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:12 PM ^
I think part of the fear is, do we know they're worth bringing up or does Moore have a limited pool of options between being at Michigan since he was 31, and it being late in the cycle.. Had it been Harbaugh who has been around forever, think you could trust that he knows who is worth elevating and who he has to go outside to hire. Not that I have a single clue how this will work out, it could be fine-good!
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:08 PM ^
Ooh, you're gonna be really pissed about our new 36-year-old TE coach!
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:40 PM ^
To be fair dude looks 52
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:24 PM ^
Promoting Campbell to OC and Newsome to OL coach are good moves in my opinion. Capsula as a TE coach at Michigan, and this move are questionable.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:24 PM ^
Promoting Campbell to OC, Tress as S&C coach and Newsome to OL coach are good moves in my opinion. Capsula as a TE coach at Michigan, and this move are questionable.
February 2nd, 2024 at 5:33 PM ^
Cover the name up on the resume, and JB has been second in command of a special teams unit that has ranked second, third, and seventh in special teams SP+ in the last three years. The top guy just went to the nfl.
It's going to be hard to beat that resume. It's just that.. It's us. We are that good the last three years in every phase of the game.
February 2nd, 2024 at 6:05 PM ^
Does this count as one of our full assistants? In the past JayBaugh also coached a position; TE, RB, or Safety. Will be interesting to see how Sherrone organizes the assistants' responsibilities.
February 3rd, 2024 at 10:11 AM ^
It’s not just on field coaching experience that I am worried about. We also need a few proven recruiting studs.
February 3rd, 2024 at 11:54 AM ^
Harbaugh’s decision came late in the coaching carousel so lots of possible candidates had already made a move. 2024 is going to be a season of transition.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:42 PM ^
So what position group coach is that taking from? Jay was special teams and safeties. Looks like this guy is only special teams.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:45 PM ^
Maybe clink takes over the secondary or Bellamy goes to safeties
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:46 PM ^
I don't know if its necessarily taking away from any position group. As an analyst, Brown was probably just floating around. I'm sure Moore will announce the defensive staff here shortly because we really have no idea who's staying, going, etc.
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:51 PM ^
By my count there was 4 openings: Jim, Jay, partridge, minter. I suppose clink can do DBs so one more opening for LB figure that’s Doug Mallory. So If I was a betting man Elston and Clink are the co DCs. (Probably why we were looking at recruiting coordinators to take that off Elstons plate) Hopeful this all works out
February 2nd, 2024 at 4:56 PM ^
Bring back Partridge. Familiar figure plus a nice FU to NCAA.