Washington State hires Michigan defensive assistant Roy Manning

Michigan cornerbacks coach Roy Manning has been hired as Washington State’s outside linebackers coach according to a source. A deft and energetic recruiter,

Michigan cornerbacks coach Roy Manning has been hired as Washington State’s outside linebackers coach according to a source.

A deft and energetic recruiter, Manning, 33, is expected to help the Cougars’ current recruiting class that is ranked as highly as 28th nationally by one service. New Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had not retained Manning as one of his assistants.

Manning fills out Washington State coach Mike Leach’s defensive staff and is his second hire in the past four days, joining new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, who had been safeties coach at Missouri. Manning spent this past season coaching cornerbacks at Michigan, his alma mater, and replaces former Cougars outside linebackers coach Paul Volero, who was dismissed in late November.

In 2013, Manning was outside linebackers coach for the Wolverines. He arrived in March 2013 after less than two months coaching running backs at Northern Illinois.

Manning was also running backs coach at Cincinnati in 2012 after spending a year working with the offensive line as a graduate assistant at Michigan. He got his start in coaching as a defensive assistant at Cincinnati in 2010.

A Saginaw, Mich. native, Manning spent three seasons in the NFL as a linebacker after playing at Michigan from 2000-04. He joins a Washington State program that was among the best offensively in the FBS this past season, but also among the worst defensively. Former defensive coordinator Mike Breske was fired in late November.