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10 Candidates to replace Mike Macdonald as Michigan Football’s DC

By Kyler Kregel

Jan 1, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive line coach Mike Elston against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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COLUMBIA, SC – NOVEMBER 02: Head coach Derek Mason of the Vanderbilt Commodores during their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SC – NOVEMBER 02: Head coach Derek Mason of the Vanderbilt Commodores during their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 2, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

3. Derek Mason (Oklahoma State Cowboys)

Another Stanford connection Michigan football could explore is former Vanderbilt head coach, Derek Mason, whom Harbaugh hired his final season in Palo Alto as defensive backs coach.

Mason went on to become Stanford’s defensive coordinator, then head coach at Vanderbilt. He was fired after an 0-8 start in 2020 but bounced back as Auburn’s defensive coordinator last year.

Mason did just accept the defensive coordinator job at Oklahoma State under Mike Gundy, but if the recent news of Michigan’s opening piques his interest, it would not be the first time a coach backtracked and took a different job after being announced elsewhere earlier.

4. Jon Heacock (Iowa State Cyclones)

Matt Campbell’s highly regarded defensive coordinator is a name that could interest the Wolverines. He’s known for his innovative schemes that have done an excellent job slowing down the high octane spread offenses of the Big 12, something that would bode well for Michigan’s success against Ohio State.

Heacock actually was a graduate assistant at Michigan from 1988-1989, giving the Wolverines a tie here. He’s been a lifelong Midwesterner, coaching at Youngstown State, Indiana, Kent State, Purdue, Toledo, and now Iowa State. And at 61 years old, it’s likely Heacock would be at Michigan until he retires, or gets an offer to become a head coach.

The one thing to note here, however, is that Heacock recently turned down Notre Dame’s offer of the same role, defensive coordinator. The one thing that may change his mind about Michigan is the fact that in Ann Arbor, it would be his show, while Notre Dame has the defensive-minded Marcus Freeman as head coach, overshadowing him a bit.

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