The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2021 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 41 second-year freshman running back Blake Corum said. "Coach Hart, he brings a spice to the table, not only on the field, but in the classroom. He teaches us some things that he did as a player. And he also brings some new drills to the field that we've been working on. So it's been pretty good. "He just brings some oomph. Drills we do on the field, different types of cutting drills, different drills we didn't do last year and I haven't done as a running back over my short career — that's what I mean by spice." "Working with him is a blessing," added redshirt sophomore Hassan Haskins, who led the team in rushing with 375 yards and six touchdowns last season. "He's one of the greatest, so every day I talk to him, I talk to him like he's a legend. I'm glad he came here and I get a chance to work with him. "He understands the scheme and the X's and O's. He just understands the running backs, because he was one. He sees the vi- sion, eye to eye." Weiss was hired just 24 hours before Michigan's first spring practice, but he was able to get acclimated quickly and begin forging relationships with his signal-callers. "Matt Weiss is doing a great job, and [red- shirt freshman quarterback] Cade [McNa- mara] is a sponge for knowledge, always try- ing to improve and add to what he's doing," Harbaugh said. In addition to technique and skill develop- ment for the quarterbacks, Weiss has a strong background in football analytics, something he'll be bringing to the program as well, with fourth-down decision-making and college football trends being some of the areas in which he can help. While the offense will still look similar to years past, with coordinator Josh Gattis entering his third year on the job, Harbaugh completely overhauled the defense. Mike Macdonald, who was previously with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, is the new co- ordinator, and only defensive line coach Shaun Nua remains, with George Helow (linebackers), Ron Bellamy (safeties) and Steve Clinkscale (defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach) all being new additions. Clinkscale was hired in May following Maurice Linguist's departure to take over the head post at Buffalo. As a group, the new defensive coaches are bringing the energy. "I'm fired up. We've got a young staff," junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson said. "I really love all the coaches that Coach Harbaugh brought in. It's kind of a different energy around Schembechler Hall these days — everyone's excited, everyone's just really fired up to keep working on this defense and get out there and practice it." The scheme is different from what it was under former coordinator Don Brown, who was dismissed after five seasons on the job, but players are embracing the mentality Macdonald is bringing and the transition that comes with it. "I love Coach Mac, man. I think he was a great addition," redshirt junior defensive tackle Donovan Jeter said. "You can tell he's been in the league for the past eight years — he's kinda got that way about him," Hutchinson said. "I like what we're doing with the defense. I like the culture that he's instilling in us. I think he's doing a really good job, and I'm just really fired up to have him as my coach. "He's a really focused guy, and he's all about, 'Whatever happens, happens.' We're going to fight adversity, whether that's pen- alties or whether we're down in the game. We don't care what happened to us; we don't care if there's a [defensive pass interference] on a third-and-10 and it's another first down — we just gotta keep attacking, attacking and attacking. I think that's what Coach Mac is all about." "We're mixing in a lot of different things," sophomore safety Daxton Hill added. "I can't wait to put it out on the field in the fall. Everything's coming together like one big puzzle — piece by piece, every day. We're working hard and I can't wait to show the people how we've been playing so far." Bob Shoop was Michigan's safeties coach in 2020, but he didn't coach his position on the field due to a personal issue. The Wol- verines' safeties are already benefiting from having Bellamy in their corner. "He's a great coach, a guy that we all can relate to — he played here [as a wide receiver from 1999-2002], young coach," fifth-year senior safety Brad Hawkins said. "His experience of being a head coach [at West Bloomfield (Mich.) High for 11 years] and coming over here has been huge for the defensive backs," Hill said. "The safeties room and the corner room, he's been helpful throughout the whole secondary. "That has translated to the field during practice. High intensity. The energy has been on a whole different level. Having him and the other new coaches has been good for us." Part of why the players have said practice is more "fun" is that the staff is now allow- ing music to be played during warm-ups and some drills, which was not permitted in the past. It has even helped get the competitive juices flowing a bit more, redshirt sopho- more corner Gemon Green said, something the Maize and Blue could use after a disap- pointing 2-4 season in 2020. "The music now brings out the dogs and that aggressiveness and energy," Green ex- plained. "The energy has been a big differ- ence from recent years. There's been a lot of smack talk. We talk smack every day when someone gets punched in the mouth — we bring the dog out in each other." "There's just juice flying all around," sophomore wide receiver Mike Sainristil noted. "Guys are out there, yelling, laughing, smiles on everybody's faces. Practice has been really good with the energy we've had. "I'd just say, to the younger culture, music just really gets us going. And before prac- tice, just having the music out there. And then, there's another period during practice where we play music as well. It just brings you to your comfort zone. I feel like, just having that music, you can go out there and be energized the whole time." The real proof of the new coaches' impact will be revealed by the product on the field, but the early returns have been positive head- ing into fall camp. ❑ New defensive coordinator Mike Macdon- ald brings NFL coaching experience from seven years with the Baltimore Ravens. PHOTO COURTESY BALTIMORE RAVENS