Michigan Football: Top 5 Candidates to replace Josh Gattis

Michigan QB coach Matt Weiss

Perhaps the most natural response would be for Michigan football to promote internally. OL coach Sherrone Moore already has a co-offensive coordinator title on his resume and was a big factor in the Wolverines offensive turnaround.

However, having an OL coach as the sole offensive coordinator is quite rare in the FBS ranks. Thus, promoting QB coach Matt Weiss to either offensive coordinator, or formally splitting the duties with a co-offensive coordinator, could be a way to promote this rising star.

Weiss joined the Wolverines last offseason, coming over to Jim Harbaugh’s staff from the Baltimore Ravens, where he served as the RB coach. He played a major role in Cade McNamara’s development, and certainly had a hand in the run game as well, given his background there.

Weiss was considered highly likely to join Harbaugh if Jim had gotten an NFL job, but now with him remaining in Michigan football, it could mean a promotion for Weiss.

And one additional benefit here, if Gattis does depart and the Wolverines go with Weiss, they could easily slide safeties coach Ron Bellamy to WR coach, and then replace him with a defensive-backs minded defensive coordinator, someone like Vanderbilt’s Jesse Minter, who has been heavily rumored as a top choice.

Andrew Sowder (Kent State offensive coordinator)

Sowder has been the offensive coordinator of the Golden Flashes for four seasons now, and the results under him and Sean Lewis have been terrific, thanks to the exceptional offensive output they have experienced.

Sowder works with quarterbacks and tight ends, and has helped mold Dustin Crum into a star at QB, throwing 56 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions since Sowder took over.

Sowder’s a young coach as well, just 37-years old, and with a variety of experience in the Midwest, working at Kent State and Bowling Green, and also some ties out West from his time at San Jose State as well.

He’d bring a dynamic passing attack to Michigan, something the Wolverines have not had in recent years.