Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Michigan Tuesday: Jimmy's Assistant Coaches

Whether you love or hate Jim Harbaugh you have to admit the guy can hire strong assistant coaches.  It makes a ton of sense why Saban loses basically his entire coaching staff every year.   There isn't a program in the country that wouldn't want Alabama's high level of success over the last 10 years.   So maybe one of the assistants can replicate it at your favorite University.  Michigan has fished from that lake bringing in 2 offensive coordinators with the latest being Josh Gattis.

What is interesting to me, is that Michigan has had nowhere near the success Alabama has on the field and programs come after Jimmy's assistants every off season.   In college, assistant coaches not only have to develop and coach players on the field, they also have to recruit.   You could be an average coach but an elite recruiter and get a pay raise and a promotion from another program.

What I find interesting is two guys:

Chris Partridge:  Jimmy hired Chris to his staff in 2015 from Paramus Catholic HS to help recruit Rashan Gary. Chris prior college coaching experience was one year at the Citadel.  In 2016, Chris was promoted to an on-field coaching position.  During that time, Chris also became a top tier recruiter and teams started to come after him every year, including Saban.   Last week, Kiffin made an offer he couldn't turn down, Co-DC with another Harbaugh assistant DJ Durkin.  That is a pretty quick rise up the coaching ladder from high school head coach to SEC DC.

Anthony Campanile started his college coaching experience in 2012 when he joined Rutgers the team he played for.   He was there through 2015 coaching on both sides of the ball.   He then moved to BC where his highest position was Co-DC in 2018.  Anthony joined Harbaugh's staff in 2019 and in the past week has had offers from BC as it's DC and Rutgers.   BC has moved on and it now seems to be a Michigan - Rutgers battle for his coaching services this season.   (His brother was the interim head coach at Rutgers after they fired Chris Ash)  There were some suggesting that Anthony was going to be a head coach candidate for Rutgers when the deal initially didn't work out with Greg Schiano.   He has been here one year and his career seems to have sky rocketed.

A guy named Nate Woody was on Harbaugh's defensive staff (not an on-field position) this season and got job as Army's DC last week as well.

So with Jimmy having one and probably more coaching positions open, I'm not worried at all about him finding a quality guy to fill the role.  Though it would be nice if some of these quality coaches equaled more wins on the field.

  • If your concerned about more guys heading to the transfer portal, I would keep an eye on Chuck Filiaga and Donavan Jeter.   Both lines will have open competition this Spring for starting spots.    

  • Michigan is expected to have 10 players enrolling early.  8 are currently enrolled. 

  • Khaleke Hudson has been invited to participate in the Senior Bowl.

3 comments:

Tim said...

Two things Jimmy is good at: (a) hiring assistants that others want to pluck and (b) TV ratings.

As you stated, Bob, I wish he could replicate this into wins on the field.

I am so confused how Jimmy's assistants move on and move up while many of Clemson's stay put.

MichiganMan said...

That is because Clemson, wins every year....with us we never win...only beat up on little guys....embarrassing who wants to stay?

Unknown said...

Two other thing jimmy is good at is not evaluating talent or developing it, and a ego that makes good asst. coaches want to leave after a year or two. i think they see the writing on the wall and want to get out before harbust is fired and takes everyone down with him. Shit greg mattison is twice the defensive coach brown is but harbust had to much of an ego to change, so he left and made ohio states defence the best it has been in years.