The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 27 ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL defensive backs job. Originally, it ap- peared that Clinkscale would remain in Ann Arbor for a fourth season, but he ul- timately decided to move on to Los Ange- les with Harbaugh. Then, Moore courted Stephen Adegoke — a former U-M gradu- ate assistant in 2021 who is currently the safeties coach for the Houston Texans. Adegoke reportedly accepted the job but backed out one day later. The next morn- ing (Feb. 16), Moore reportedly hired Mor- gan, Louisiana's defensive coordinator, to coach the cornerbacks and safeties. The 38-year old just finished up his second season leading the Ragin' Cajun defense. Morgan comes highly recommended from Minter, who left this offseason to lead the defense for the Los Angeles Chargers. Minter and Morgan worked to- gether at Vanderbilt in 2021, when the former was the coordinator and the latter coached the cornerbacks. The new Mich- igan assistant coach was a safety for Loui- siana from 2003-07 and a graduate as- sistant at Vanderbilt (2012-13), defensive backs coach at Western Carolina (2014- 15), safeties coach at Louisiana Monroe (2016-17), safeties coach at Houston (2018) and defensive backs coach at Loui- siana (2019-20), before having the one year as Vanderbilt's cornerbacks coach in 2021 and then returning to his alma mater in 2022. Moore also promoted Justin Tress to become the program's director of strength and conditioning. Tress spent the last six years as a member of the U-M football strength and conditioning staff, includ- ing the 2023 season as the team's associ- ate director. He also spent two years with Herbert at Arkansas before joining the Wolverines' staff in 2018. OFFENSIVE STAFF MOVES Moore, Michigan's offensive coordina- tor last season, moved quickly to promote Kirk Campbell to that post. He will con- tinue to coach quarterbacks, as he did in 2023 after serving as an analyst in 2022. Campbell is slated to earn $3.05 million over the duration of his three-year deal. Campbell has play-calling experience from leading offenses at Old Dominion (2020-21) and Division II Alderson Bro- addus (2012-16). "I truly believe you prepare yourself for the opportunities that are presented to you, and then when they are there, you strike," Campbell said on the "In The Trenches" podcast. "I prepared myself my entire coaching career to be offensive coordinator at Michigan." Moore also had to replace himself as the Wolverines' offensive line coach, a title he held from 2021-23. He had just the guy in-house to do that, as well, with tight ends coach Grant Newsome, a for- mer U-M left tackle, being elevated to that position. Newsome was a graduate assistant working with tight ends, while Moore was the position coach for two seasons from 2019-20, before helping him with the offensive line in 2021. He was then moved to a full-time role as the tight ends coach the last two seasons. "When the move happened and he became the head coach, he said, 'I want you to coach the offensive line,' and I said, 'Perfect,'" recalled Newsome on the "In The Trenches" podcast. "It's been an honor to work for him, and I'm so excited to be able to continue that." Steve Casula replacing Newsome as tight ends coach wasn't an internal hire, but he's also worked at Michigan. He was UMass' offensive coordinator and quar- terbacks coach the last two seasons, after being an analyst at U-M from 2019-21. Casula was the offensive coordinator for Ferris State (2017-18), the interim head coach and offensive coordinator of Dav- enport (2014-16), the tight ends and H- backs coach at Colgate (2013) and graduate assistant (2010-11) and tight ends / full- backs coach (2012) at Western Michigan. Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy and run game coordinator and running backs coach Mike Hart are still on staff. There have been questions about Hart's status going forward, however, with the pos- sibility remaining that he departs for an- other job. With special teams coordinator and safeties coach Jay Harbaugh also mov- ing on to the NFL to handle special teams for the Seattle Seahawks, U-M elevated J.B. Brown from special teams analyst to special teams coordinator. He was in his previous job from 2021-23. He has special teams coordinator experience at Texas Southern from 2019-20. ❑ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL COACHING STAFF CHANGES Coach New Role Previous Role (Previous Team) Sherrone Moore Head Coach Offensive Coordinator/Line Coach Kirk Campbell Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach Quarterbacks Coach Grant Newsome Offensive Line Coach Tight Ends Coach J.B. Brown Special Teams Coordinator Special Teams Analyst Don "Wink" Martindale* Defensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator (New York Giants) Greg Scruggs* Defensive Line Coach Defensive Line Coach (Wisconsin) Brian Jean-Mary* Linebackers Coach Linebackers Coach (Tennessee) LaMar Morgan* Defensive Backs Coach Defensive Coordinator/Safeties Coach (Louisiana) Steve Casula Tight Ends Coach Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach (UMass) Justin Tress Director of Strength & Conditioning Associate Director, Strength & Conditioning * Denotes hires that have been reported but not yet officially announced by U-M Departures New Team Head Coach Jim Harbaugh Los Angeles Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter Los Angeles Chargers Co-Defensive Coordinator/DBs Coach Steve Clinkscale Los Angeles Chargers Defensive Line Coach Mike Elston Los Angeles Chargers Special Teams Coordinator/Safeties Coach Jay Harbaugh Seattle Seahawks Director of Strength & Conditioning Ben Herbert Los Angeles Chargers Kirk Campbell was promoted to offensive coordinator after serving as Michigan's quar- terbacks coach during the 2023 national championship season. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY