The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2018 J im Harbaugh's weekly "Attack Each Day" podcast with his fa- ther, Jack, has been a hit, allowing fans some insights into his person- ality. In early March, the Michigan head coach said he loved what he'd seen from his team under new strength coach Ben Herbert, who came to Michigan from Arkansas in the offseason. "I'm excited about the work our team has been putting in," Harbaugh said. "It's been fun to watch how in- spired they've been over the past few weeks. We can't wait to get back on to the field and put in work on both sides of the ball. "There are two great days — the first day of spring ball and the first day of fall practice. Those might be my two favorite days." Watching the offensive staff come together has been exciting for him, as well. New hire Jim McElwain, Flori- da's former head coach, will coach wide receivers, but he's also expected to help coordinate the offense with Tim Drevno having moved on to USC. "It's been fascinating," Harbaugh said. "We've got Coach [Pep] Ham- ilton and now Jim McElwain on the staff. [Running backs coach] Jay Har- baugh has been fantastic, and [new tight ends coach] Sherrone Moore has just been great. "Our real star, though, has been [former offensive lineman] Patrick Kugler, who is now a graduate as- sistant for us; [former Michigan wide receiver] Roy Roundtree has also joined us. [Offensive line coach] Ed Warinner has been tremendous. "It's like a fist — the group has re- ally come together, and that's what it's going to take. We're circling the wagons offensively to get it to the same level our defense is at. We've been grinding for 10 hours every day, and it's going to pay dividends." Admitting where you need to im- prove isn't the most comfortable thing, he added, but he noted, "it's the only way to get better." Many people have questioned whether Harbaugh still has the fire in his belly after a disappointing 8-5 season. His answer … an enthusiastic "yes." "People often ask me how I'm do- ing, and I tell them I've never been better," he said. "I'm just like Dad — I'm having a lot of fun, and I can't wait to keep going and keep teaching our players." Michigan opened the first of 15 spring practices March 23 in Ann Ar- bor. The team will embark on another overseas trip in late April, following up last year's Rome visit with a trip to Paris and Normandy in France. — Chris Balas TWO MORE ANALYSTS COME ABOARD, CONTINUING ONGOING STAFF SHUFFLE On March 9, it was announced that Jim Harbaugh had hired former Kansas State head coach Ron Prince to be an offensive analyst on U-M's staff. Harbaugh confirmed just four days later that he had added another analyst in former Tennessee Titans defensive assistant Brandon Blaney. Prince will fill the role previously held by Ed Warinner, who was an- nounced as the team's offensive line coach March 8. The 48-year-old Prince has a long history of coaching, most recently as the Detroit Lions' tight ends coach from 2014-15, and then as their offen- sive line mentor the past two years. He was the team's assistant head coach all four years. Before his stop in Detroit, he was Rutgers' offensive coordinator in 2013, and made appearances with the Indianapolis Colts from 2010-11 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012. Prince is best known, though, for his tenure as the head man at Kansas State from 2006-08, when he posted an overall record of 17-20. Like Prince, Blaney has also made numerous stops throughout his 22- year coaching career, having served on both sides of the ball. He spent the last two seasons at Tennessee as a defensive assistant, and was the offensive line coach at Iowa State in 2014 and 2015. Before his stop in Ames, Iowa, Blaney served as a defensive assis- tant with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2011-13. Prior to Jacksonville, he had spent his entire coaching career in the collegiate ranks, mentoring on staffs at Kansas (2002-09), Ohio State (2001), Oklahoma (1999-2000) and Youngstown State (1995-98). The most notable achievements of Blaney's coaching career came in 1997 and 2000 with Youngstown State and Oklahoma, respectively, where he was part of national title- winning teams, as a student assistant and graduate assistant, respectively. — Austin Fox MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Jim Harbaugh Likes His Staff And Team's Inspired Offseason Effort Harbaugh has a new-look staff featuring four first-year U-M assistants, and some returning staff members find themselves in new roles for 2018. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN 2018 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Sept. 1 at Notre Dame Sept. 8 Western Michigan Sept. 15 SMU Sept. 22 Nebraska Sept. 29 at Northwestern Oct. 6 Maryland Oct. 13 Wisconsin Oct. 20 at Michigan State Nov. 3 Penn State Nov. 10 at Rutgers Nov. 17 Indiana Nov. 24 at Ohio State