No need to panic if Michigan Football DC Mike Macdonald leaves for NFL

We don’t know if Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh is going to leave for the NFL but it looks like DC Mike Macdonald could but here’s why you shouldn’t freak out. 

As if the Michigan football offseason get could get any more stressful, the Wolverines now could be in jeopardy of losing one of their hot-shot assistants.

Mike Macdonald, who was hired away from John Harbaugh and the Ravens to run Michigan football’s defense as defensive coordinator, has emerged as a candidate for the same job in Baltimore after the Ravens fired their DC at the end of the regular season.

Macdonald helped transform Michigan’s defense last season and he certainly helped get the most out of Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, and Daxton Hill who could each be first-round picks. Hutchinson finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting and the Wolverines reached the College Football Playoff after holding Ohio State to 27 points and winning a Big Ten title.

The first-year DC wasn’t perfect. He struggled with tempo and was out-coached against Michigan State probably Georgia too although the Bulldogs were just oozing with talent.

It has always felt to me like Macdonald wanted to coach in the NFL over college. This was his chance to prove himself as a DC and now if he wants to go back, Jim Harbaugh shouldn’t stand in his way.

This wouldn’t be John Harbaugh stealing him back either. My guess is that if Mike really wants to go to the NFL, he would have Jim’s full blessing and why not after last season?

Michigan football fans don’t need to freak out

We don’t know if Macdonald is going to get the job but my bet is that he will. He helped build the defense in Baltimore and his future is very bright.

If that happens, then Michigan will need to figure out what to do next and that’s why I’m not that worried because I have complete confidence in Steve Clinkscale.

Clink already earned the co-DC title after helping Michigan football finish in the top 20 in total pass defense last season, so either he can take over as DC or continue his ascension to co-DC and the Wolverines can either bump up Mike Elston or make another outside hire.

I’ve long thought that Clink was ready to be a DC. I thought he was a really good candidate a year ago to be the defensive coordinator and I wouldn’t blink about having him run the show.

Elston is another guy that’s been looking to become a coordinator and the fact that he was passed over by Notre Dame is one reason he was willing to take the job in Ann Arbor.

So he would be another candidate. Harbaugh has always done well with his assistant hires too and if Macdonald does leave, he will find another talented coach to take his place.

Would it be disappointing? Yes. But when you win, you are going to lose talented coaches and players. It’s just the nature of the beast, however, it’s not the end of the world if it happens.