Michigan Football Defensive Coordinator Candidates

Nov 28, 2015; Syracuse, NY, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Scott Shafer is carried off the field by two of his players after winning his final game 20-17 against the Boston College Eagles at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Scott Shafer

You probably remember Scott Shafer from Rich Rodriguez’s first season at Michigan in 2008. Shafer was his defensive coordinator. That year, the Wolverines ranked 68th in total defense, 87th in pass defense and 80th in scoring defense.

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Shafer resigned at the end of the season and went to Syracuse as the defensive coordinator. This is where things get promising.

The Orange went from being 101st in the country in 2008 to being a top-20 unit in 2009 under Shafer. Every major defensive category saw incredible improvement.

Shafer was named the head coach at Syracuse in 2013 but was fired before the end of this season. His team carried him off the field after his final game.

As for his defensive philosophy, this is what Shafer told MLive.com after he accepted the coordinator job at Michigan in ’08:

"Scheme is overrated, I’ve always believed that. What’s not overrated is getting your kids to play with great effort, great attitude and great enthusiasm. Those are things we can control on a daily basis, and that will be my primary goal. … The philosophy of our defense is attack-oriented, attack and react. We want to be a defense this is multiple, that is always putting pressure and forcing the hand of the offense. We want to be a penetrating defense. If you’re going to (ask) what our objectives are? The one thing we want to do is stop the run, force them to throw the ball on first down, create negative plays on first down … and get ourselves in position to force them to throw the ball. Get them one-dimensional. We don’t want to be a defense that sits back. We want to be a defense that creates turnovers and scores touchdowns. Lead the conference in sacks, interceptions and defensive scores. That’s how it’s always been everywhere I’ve coached and how it will be at Michigan."

So there’s that.

Next: Vic Fangio