Latest coaching carousel developments are good for Michigan Football

Last year, the coaching carousel took a heavy toll on the Wolverines, robbing them of two coordinators and its defensive line coach. And with several assistants linked to head coaching vacancies this year, it looked like Michigan football could be in trouble there, but things are developing quite nicely for the Wolverines. 

Prior to the Wolverines’ Big Ten title run, there was a sense that several Michigan football assistants could be poached for bigger opportunities elsewhere. And while that is certainly still possible, things are trending in a very good direction for the Wolverines.

And we have already seen some of this play out, with Michigan’s top off-field advisor, Biff Poggi, landing the Charlotte head coaching job. However, Poggi did not look to be the only Michigan football assistant in danger of being promoted elsewhere.

It all started with a handful of projected candidate lists done by coaching insiders Bruce Feldman and Chris Vannini, both from The Athletic.

Feldman listed Michigan defensive coordinator and Broyles Award finalist Jesse Minter as a candidate to replace Luke Fickell at Cincinnati, given his ties to the program as a graduate assistant under Brian Kelly.

However, Minter to Cincinnati was not the only Michigan name The Athletic’s duo listed as a possible head coaching candidate, as Feldman also linked Michigan co-offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore to the Stanford opening, and also mentioned linebackers coach George Helow for the Florida Atlantic opening.

And not only Feldman, but Chris Vannini also listed a trio of Michigan assistants as candidates for the Western Michigan opening, listing running backs coach Mike Hart, special teams coordinator/safeties coach Jay Harbaugh, and the aforementioned Sherrone Moore as names to watch.

However, most of the recent developments in the coaching carousel have boded quite well for the Wolverines. Florida Atlantic went ahead and hired former Texas head coach Tom Herman instead of George Helow.

Cincinnati swooped in and pulled away Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield, rather than Jesse Minter. Now, Sherrone Moore did coach at Louisville previously and could be a name to watch there, but the sense is that Louisville would be aiming higher than a second-year co-coordinator, even if his OL has been as successful as Moore’s.

Perhaps former Louisville QB Jeff Brohm, now Big Ten West winning head coach at Purdue, would be a higher candidate for that position.

And as far as the Stanford opening goes, the appears to be mutual interest between the Cardinal program and Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, at least according to NFL insider Ian Rappoport.

The former Jim Harbaugh, current John Harbaugh assistant was at Stanford previously, and his getting the gig would close yet another vacancy that a Michigan assistant appears possible to fill.

The Western Michigan job still looms, and there is always the case that assistants leave for non-head coaching jobs, or even lateral jobs, like Josh Gattis’ ill-advised departure to Miami last offseason, or Shaun Nua’s venture back West to USC.

So Michigan is not out of the clear just yet, but right now, things are looking quite promising for the Wolverines in terms of retaining their assistant coaching staff.