BRUTALLY:Evaluating the assistant coaches that Michigan hired as…
Evaluating the assistant coaches that Michigan hired as Sherrone Moore assembles the first coaching team
After considering several aspects such as experience, recruiting skills, continuity, and other considerations, we have assigned first marks to the eight assistant coaches who will be taking on new positions this spring.
Sherrone Moore was entrusted with assembling the rest of his coaching staff even prior to receiving an official offer to take over as the next head coach of the Michigan football team. Jim Harbaugh was keen to add as many championship-winning assistants to his team as possible, even though he was leaving Michigan but not the coaching profession.
Together with him in Los Angeles were Jesse Minter, Mike Elston, and Steve Clinkscale; with the Seattle Seahawks, Jay Harbaugh was paired with Mike Macdonald. Before Michigan started its spring practices, Moore had to make a number of coaching decisions and hires in addition to filling the positions of offensive line coach and linebackers coach.
What was the performance of the new head coach? In actuality, we won’t find out until the 2024 season begins, or at the very least, until spring practices begin. However, after considering experience, recruiting strength, continuity, and other aspects, we have assigned first marks to the eight assistant coaches who will be taking on new positions this spring.
Kirk Campbell — Promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
The quickness with which Moore elevated Campbell to offensive coordinator—the last talks took place the same weekend as Moore’s first news conference—should speak volumes about the program’s faith in Campbell at Michigan.
Despite spending just one season as the quarterbacks coach at Ann Arbor, he was a highly regarded analyst who received strong support from JJ McCarthy to be promoted in the offseason. And it’s simple to understand why McCarthy was such a fan of Campbell after observing how he improved in 2022 in the red zone, on deep passes, and on third downs—basically the three areas where he was lacking. McCarthy is currently on the verge of being Michigan’s highest-drafted quarterback since 1941, when Forest Evashevski was selected 10th overall. McCarthy has said Players praised Campbell’s teaching skills and genuine ability to connect with them until 2023. He is a strong proponent of using players to initiate conversations about schemes or progressions and of film analysis. He did well in one game as Michigan’s acting offensive coordinator, leading the Wolverines to a healthy 402-yard, four-touchdown day against East Carolina with a large focus on the passing game, even though the strength of the opposition must be taken into consideration.
Campbell’s résumé isn’t as strong as it would need to be for an outside applicant to get this position. After a few years of working his way up the Division-II levels at West Virginia Wesleyan, Tiffin, and Alderson-Broadus, he accepted a three-year position as an analyst at Penn State. After that, he was Old for two years.
However, it is beneficial to observe a coach in action before appointing them to a position, both in the working and coaching domains. In the same way that Michigan saw potential in Moore for a head coaching position, Moore also saw potential in Campbell for an offensive coordinator role. Here, we won’t criticize Moore for choosing consistency and trust over a “splash” hire.
Advised to offensive line coach, Grant Newsome
Newsome was most likely overdue for this advancement. Despite being only 26 years old, the former offensive lineman has assisted the Wolverines in some role ever since he had a medical retirement from football in 2018. Having always been regarded as one of the team’s smartest players while he was playing, Newsome excelled as a coach right away, becoming the first player Jim Harbaugh had coached at Michigan to be appointed as an on-field assistant. In addition to coaching tight ends for two years, he was praised for his “genius” defense-diagnosis skills.
