Michigan Football: 3 takeaways from Jim Harbaugh’s new hires

Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh finalized his coaching staff and announced Bob Shoop and Brian Jean-Mary. Here are three takeaways.

Over the years, it has been pretty easy for Michigan football fans and well, just about anyone to criticize head coach Jim Harbaugh.

Harbaugh has won a lot of games, about 9.5 per year and he has made Michigan football relevant again, because, even in the Big Ten, it wasn’t before his arrival. It couldn’t beat Michigan State, Penn State, Iowa or Wisconsin.

This past season, it beat two of those teams and over the last four years, it has beaten all of those programs multiple times except for Iowa, which Michigan has only played twice during that time.

Another indication of success is that Michigan players are often going to the NFL, while coaches are being poached for other staff. D.J. Durkin left to be a head coach. This offseason, Anthony Campanile left for the NFL and Chris Partridge went to Ole Miss to help Durkin coordinate the defense under Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin.

Some want to make that about Harbaugh, just like with players leaving to transfer and play elsewhere. It’s just part of what happens in college football and on the positive side of things, hiring assistant coaches is one area where Harbaugh has excelled.

It was a surprise when Michigan football announced Brian Jean-Mary as the new linebackers coach along with Bob Shoop, as many expected Tenarius “Tank” Wright to get that job. He may still have gotten some kind of promotion but Jean-Mary is taking Campanile’s old job. The same goes for Shoop and Partridge.

And with that in mind, here are three takeaways.