Sherrone Moore says Michigan football coaching staff should be finalized in next week

There's been a lot of chatter about what the Michigan football coaching staff will look like under Sherrone Moore, but there has only been one hire announced up to this point and that was Grant Newsome, who moved from tight ends coach to offensive line.

The Wolverines still need an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator, plus Michigan football is working hard to retain Steve Clinkscale, the secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator, as well as defensive line coach Mike Elston.

Both of those guys are vital to the on-field coaching. They are vital to recruiting as well. It's hard to know if Jim Harbaugh is trying to take those guys with him, but it was announced that Jay Harbaugh would be joining the Chargers. We don't have any word on Mike Hart, but he hasn't been out recruiting which could be a hint he is headed elsewhere.

"We’ve got a few names and people in the boat to do that," Moore said to Pat McAfee about the defensive coordinator vacancy. "And we’ve got a great staff, we’ve got great people here on the staff that we’re trying to keep, we’re going to try to retain. So the staff is starting to shape out, bit by bit every day, and I think by next week or so we’ll have that in place."

Latest Michigan football coaching staff rumblings

Having a coaching staff announced next week would be huge. Some DC targets such as Zachary Orr of the Ravens and Jim Leonhard are off the board according to Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider. Orr was hired by the Seahawks, but Leonhard is going to pursue NFL interests.

Kirk Campbell still seems like the guy as the offensive coordinator. But that would leave Moore needing to hire a running backs coach (if Hart is gone), a linebackers coach, and a tight ends coach, as well as a defensive coordinator and a special teams coordinator. That's also assuming no other departures and we should have some clarity on that front soon.

Regardless of how the staff is finalized, Moore told McAfee that he was "going to run the program his way" and that there are more "blue-collar players out there and we're gonna find them."

Sherrone Moore has plenty of work to do, especially as he tries to build a stronger recruiting operation, a mission that took a hit on Thursday, but overall, Michigan football is in very good hands with Sherrone and once a staff is finalized, the Wolverines can focus on player retention even more.