The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2021 THE WOLVERINE 25 ordinator and cornerbacks coach is considered a recruiting ace, leading the effort to land elite safety Jaylon Jones at A&M — the first-ever five- star defensive back to sign with the program — and Big Ten Wide Re- ceiver of the Year Rashod Bateman at Minnesota. "He's considered to do well in the South," Karsch said. "He helped bring Rashod Bateman to Minnesota … can they reestablish [recruiting] in the talent-rich state of Texas? "I wouldn't mind seeing a hire that can help with kids in Ohio and Penn- sylvania as well — Big Ten kids, Big Ten territory, who understand what Big Ten football is all about." RUNNING BACKS COACH MIKE HART Hart's hiring drew a strong reac- tion from Michigan fans, given his prowess in The Big House and be- yond. The way he went about his business — with ultimate competi- tiveness and an attitudinal edge — hasn't appeared to diminish in his coaching career. He became a Broyles Award nomi- nee for best assistant coach in the na- tion in 2018. Rivals.com recognized him as a top 25 recruiter during the 2019 cycle, along with Linguist. "I am excited about the addition of Mike Hart to our offensive coaching staff," Harbaugh assured. "Mike is a great coach and Michigan Man who has shown the ability to develop and elevate the performance of the run- ning backs that he has mentored. We look forward to welcoming Mike, Monique and their children to the Michigan football family." Hart noted: "Michigan has always held a special place in my heart. It is a place that always believed in me and a place that I have always be- lieved in. I am excited to join Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan staff, and can't wait to get to work with a talented running back group." Hart certainly enhanced his ré- sumé over the past four seasons at Indiana. He coached second-team All-Big Ten runner Stevie Scott, who set an Indiana freshman record with 1,137 rushing yards and 10 touch- downs in 2018. He previously made coaching stops at Syracuse (2016), Western Michigan (2014-15) and Eastern Michigan (2011-13), and produced Harbaugh's D-Coordinators Enjoy Hot Starts If history foretells the fall, Michigan's defense should be on the rise in 2021. That's true for a number of reasons, including getting healthier and more ex- perienced. But for new defensive co-coordinators Mike Macdonald and Maurice Linguist, it's living up to the Harbaugh DC debuts. When Harbaugh arrived in Ann Arbor in 2015, he selected DJ Durkin as his first defensive boss. Michigan enjoyed a 10-win season, pounding Florida 41-7 in the Citrus Bowl. Durkin's defense proved no small part of that effort. U-M opponents averaged only 16.4 points per game that year, with the Wolverines picking off 10 passes and holding foes to only 28 percent on third-down conversions. Michigan finished seventh in the nation in total defense, allowing an average of 311.3 yards per game, and ranked No. 15 in the country for rushing defense, yielding an average of 117.7 yards per contest. Durkin departed following that initial Harbaugh campaign in Ann Arbor, and the head coach went out and got veteran Don Brown from Boston College. Brown produced in 2016 arguably the best defense to date in the Harbaugh era. Michigan wound up fourth in the nation in total defense, giving up only 280.7 yards per game. Foes converted on a mere 27.6 percent of their third-down situations, good for third in the nation. As for the bottom line, U-M wound up No. 6 nationally in scoring defense (16.4), throwing a huge scare into Ohio State in Columbus before losing by three in double overtime. In other words, Harbaugh defensive coordinators get out of the gate quickly. Granted, those rosters featured future NFL talent such as Jabrill Peppers, Jourdan Lewis, Taco Charlton, Chris Wormley and Ryan Glasgow, among others, but the 2021 roster isn't devoid of players. Executing a beginning like their predecessors did would go a long way toward making Macdonald and Linguist household names in Michigan households. — John Borton Mike Hart returns to U-M after having coached Indiana's running backs for the past four sea- sons. He held the title of associate head coach at IU last year. PHOTO COURTESY INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS