The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1516256
26 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2024 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE N ew Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore lost numerous staff mem- bers to the NFL, but he moved quickly to hire replacements. He also promoted from within for several openings, adding to the level of continuity that's there with the longtime assistant coach taking over the program following Jim Harbaugh's departure to the Los Angeles Chargers. BIG CHANGES ON DEFENSE, BUT THE SYSTEM REMAINS Harbaugh brought with him director of strength and conditioning and asso- ciate head coach Ben Herbert, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Steve Clinkscale, defensive line coach Mike Elston, graduate assistant Dylan Roney and analyst Rick Minter. With lineback- ers coach Chris Partridge being fired Nov. 17 and Rick Minter taking over the unit on an interim basis, Moore was tasked with replacing his entire on-field coaching staff on the defensive side. Don "Wink" Martindale is reportedly Michigan's new defensive coordinator, a splash hire. Martindale spent the last 19 seasons in the NFL, including seven as a coordinator. He was in charge of the defense with the Baltimore Ravens from 2018-21, while former U-M de- fensive coordinators Mike Macdonald and Jesse Minter were position coaches, before moving on to the New York Gi- ants the last two years. He's one of the architects of the system that the Ravens made popular and the Wolverines have adopted over the last three years. Martindale was on Ravens head coach John Harbaugh's staff from 2012- 21, coaching linebackers before being promoted to coordinator. He was the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos in 2010, after one season as their linebackers coach. Martindale began his college coach- ing career at Defiance (1986), before moving on to Notre Dame (1994-96), Cincinnati (1996-98) and Western Il- linois (1999). He was then hired by former Michi- gan assistant coach and the father of Jim Harbaugh, Jack Harbaugh, at West- ern Kentucky in 2000. He served as the Hilltoppers' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach until 2003, before jumping to the NFL ranks. Moore has filled out the remainder of his defensive staff with a trio of re- ported hires, plucking defensive line coach Greg Scruggs from Wisconsin, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary from Tennessee and defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan from Louisiana. Scruggs, 33, spent a year mentoring the defensive line at Wisconsin, work- ing under head coach Luke Fickell. He's been a Fickell staffer most of his career, beginning as director of player develop- ment at Cincinnati from 2018-19 before coaching the defensive line from 2020- 21. He moved on to become the New York Jets' assistant defensive line coach in 2022, before coming to Madison prior to last season. Jean-Mary is a familiar name and face. He was Michigan's linebackers coach in 2020, working under Harbaugh and then- defensive coordinator Don Brown, before being hired away by Tennessee, where he's worked the last three seasons. Moore, who was Michigan's tight ends coach in 2020, and Jean-Mary didn't just coach together in Ann Arbor. The two spent time together in Lou- isville from 2010-13, when Jean-Mary was the assistant head coach and line- backers coach and Moore was a graduate assistant (2010-11) and tight ends men- tor (2012-13). Jean-Mary has made numerous other stops, including as the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and line- backers coach at South Florida (2017-19), and linebackers coach and recruiting co- ordinator at Texas (2014-16). There were twists and turns with the ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Sherrone Moore Revamps Coaching Staff Don "Wink" Martindale joined the U-M staff as defensive coordinator in February. He is an NFL veteran, most recently serving as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants (2022-23) and the Baltimore Ravens (2018-2021). PHOTO COURTESY NEW YORK GIANTS