The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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4 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2021 On Jim Harbaugh's hiring of former Baltimore Ravens assistant coach Mike Macdonald as defensive coordinator … • That's an impressive coaching tree from the Ravens' defensive side of the ball. Hopefully the trend con- tinues for us with Mike Macdonald. Thaguy49503 • He's going to kill it in recruiting. Play-calling is to be determined, but I like the odds. Recruiting is a slam dunk however. One of my best friends coached with him in Baltimore. He can't say enough good things about Macdon- ald. wolverine3193 • This seems like a pretty big gam- ble, and given the other names that were floated, it's interesting that Har- baugh ended up with a gamble. acs236 • They're all gambles. I like the idea of "gambling" on a young, hungry guy who comes highly rec- ommended from someone that Jim trusts completely. Also, the back- ground with the Ravens defense and culture should be invaluable. Dalemac • Keep in mind, though, that the pros don't have the time limits that college players have, so duplicating the Ravens defense probably isn't possible. You can bring elements or overall philosophy. You can install more and more as the seasons go by. I think if you are someone like [early enrollee] Junior Colson, you should be excited. It will be a line- backer-oriented system. mark78 • Macdonald must have gotten a strong endorsement from Jim's brother [Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh] to come out of nowhere to become our defensive co- ordinator, and had a great interview with Jim. So I'll reserve judgment. sane1 • I agree. I love how folks are say- ing that they're going to call their friends in Georgia and ask about him. I don't care what they say. I care about what John Harbaugh says about him because John's worked with him most recently and John should know Jim as well as anyone does. And I'd like to think that John isn't going to knowingly pawn off a guy he doesn't think can do the job. However, I get it … he's not a household name with experience with one of the two to four programs who have recently played in the na- tional championship so people are just going to complain. I'd like to think that recruits will find the recent NFL experience at- tractive as well. I'm fine with the hire. golfer18us • That's the key in my opinion. John had to tap Jim on the shoulder and say, "I hate to lose this kid, but he's special and he's ready." There's no other way this happens. The good news is that John Harbaugh (as well as Jim) knows his stuff. martyk February 2021 • Vol. 32, No. 7 ISSN 1048-9940 Editor John Borton TheWolverine.com Editor Chris Balas Football Recruiting Writer EJ Holland Staff Writers Austin Fox Clayton Sayfie Drew Hallett Managing Editor Ryan Tice Contributing Editors Steve Downey Chris Riffer Layout And Design Jeanette Blankenship Chris Miller Contributing Photographers Lon Horwedel Per Kjeldsen Cover Photos Courtesy Baltimore Ravens and Indiana University Athletics Publisher Stu Coman Business Manager Linda Autry Marketing/Merchandise Manager Beverly Taylor Director Of Advertising Michelle Delee-Hamilton Customer Service Cathy Jones, Laura Thornton The Wolverine is published monthly. A one- year (12 issues) subscription is $56.99. The Wolverine is printed at The Papers in Milford, Ind. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wolverine, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702. Periodical postage paid at Durham, NC 27702 and additional offices. For advertising or subscription information, call 1-800-421-7751 or write The Wolverine, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702. The Wolverine is a publication of Coman Publishing Company, 905 W. Main St, Suite 24F, Durham, NC 27701. E-Mail Address: thewolverine@comanpub.com Subscription questions: cjones@comanpub.com Website: www.thewolverine.com FROM OUR READERS 60-Day Free Trial, Use Code BLUE60 Be Heard! Send your letters to: Wolverine Letters • P.O. Box 2331 Durham, NC 27702 Or email: ryantice@comanpub.com Letters may be edited for clarity or length. New U-M defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald spent the last seven seasons working under Jim Harbaugh's brother, John (right), with the Baltimore Ravens. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN