Michigan Coaching Staff: One thing I like, one thing I don’t, one thing to watch

The Wolverines had to replace the entirety of their defensive coaching staff, but new head coach Sherrone Moore brought in several intriguing new faces…

Matt Lounsberry | Jul 19, 2024

Dec 4, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines offensive line coach Sherrone Moore against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Conference championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Michigan Wolverines

Less than a week away from Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, excitement builds for the 2024 college football season. Fall camps across the country are just around the corner, and we are now less than 50 days away from Michigan Football’s season-opener against Fresno State on Aug. 31.

Coming off arguably its best season in program history, the Wolverines bring another loaded roster into 2024 in the form of “Team 145”. In preparation for the upcoming year, it’s a good time to break down each position group for the Wolverines with “one thing I like”, “one thing I don’t” and “one thing to watch”. Today we conclude our series with a look at the guys driving home the X’s and O’s this season — Coaching Staff

One Thing I Like

I’ve got to be honest — part of me questioned the wisdom of simply promoting Sherrone Moore from offensive coordinator to head coach. Michigan is one of the premier coaching jobs in the country, and handing the keys over to a first-time head coach gave me some apprehension. My initial prognosis was that Michigan should at least gauge interest nationally and see what names popped up. However, in the months since Moore’s promotion, he’s already started to ease most of my concerns. The 38-year-old did an outstanding job keeping the Wolverines’ roster intact when several outside programs attempted to poach some of U-M’s top players. Moore also expanded Michigan’s recruiting staff, and it’s paying big dividends with the Wolverines’ 2025 class currently ranked inside the nation’s Top 10. There’s still more to prove on Saturday’s this fall, but Moore has seemingly pushed all the right buttons this offseason.

As a bonus, I also like the fact that Michigan was able to retain quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell (promoted to offensive coordinator), moved tight ends coach Grant Newsome over to O-line and held on to wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy. There was not as much staff continuity as I expected when Moore was hired as head coach, but I like all the guys he was able to hang on to following Jim Harbaugh’s departure.

One Thing I Don’t

To this day, the loss of strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert still pains me. That’s nothing against Justin Tress, who was Herbert’s second-in-command over the past six years. He could step right in and do an outstanding job. However, it’s hard to be the guy who replaces “the guy”. Herbert was so vitally important in Michigan’s turnaround over these past three seasons, and I’m still concerned about the impact the loss of his presence could have on the program. The Wolverines have leaned heavily into a blue-collar, hard-nosed mentality and mindset, and it’s Tress’ job to make sure that does not slip under his watch.

One Thing To Watch

As mentioned in the teaser above, Moore had to replace the entirety of Michigan’s defensive staff this offseason, and that’s another cause for trepidation. There are two things that set my mind at ease regarding all that turnover, however. First of all, the Wolverines bring back a ton of defensive players who played huge roles the last two seasons. Those guys — like Will Johnson, Makari Paige, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant — have enough experience and talent that makes it easy to believe U-M will be fine on that side of the ball. Secondly, Moore hired Wink Martindale to continue running the same defensive system brought in by Mike Macdonald in 2021 and continued by Jesse Minter in 2022 and ‘23. Martindale referred to himself as “the O.G.” of this system, and I love the fact that Baltimore Ravens-style of defense will continue on in Ann Arbor.

After that long-winded opening, the thing to watch is how the new defensive staff — D-line coach Lou Esposito, linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary and defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan — operate within Martindale’s system. Particularly early in the season, Michigan’s defense might have to win them some games while an offense filled with new pieces build some chemistry. It will be vital for the defensive staff to hit the ground running, particularly with Texas coming to town in Week 2.

In Case You Missed It

This article is the final part of a series examining every position group on Michigan Football’s 2024 roster. You can find the other position groups that Michigan Wolverines On SI has already covered here: (Quarterback, Running Back, Offensive Line, Tight End, Defensive Line, Edge Rusher, Linebacker, Cornerback, Safety, Special Teams)