3 Replacement Candidates For MSU D-Line Coach Marco Coleman
Surprising news hit the Michigan State football staff on Wednesday afternoon, when defensive line coach Marco Coleman left the program after one season in East Lansing.
Coleman is headed back to his alma mater, Georgia Tech, for his second stint as an assistant for the Yellow Jackets, this time under new head man Brent Key. While unplanned, the Spartans are now in the market for a defensive line coach.
MSU head coach Mel Tucker was a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator for years, and he has many connections to find a sufficient replacement. The Spartans also have two coaches on staff that could be great replacements as well. Here are three candidates to replace the defensive line vacancy.
1.) Kevin Vickerson
Currently a defensive analyst on staff, Kevin Vickerson checks lots of boxes. Next season will be his third on the coaching staff, so he already knows the personnel that Michigan State has at defensive line. He played his college ball at MSU before playing eight seasons in the NFL. Vickerson is also from Detroit and can help with recruiting the city, which is an important battleground for the Spartans.
Additionally, Vickerson already being on staff allows him to continue recruiting the same players already on Michigan State’s board before Coleman left. This leaves little to no disconnect for these recruits.
The only drawback for Vickerson is the fact he’s never been a full-on college defensive line coach before. Tucker may want someone with more experience.
2.) Brandon T. Jordan
While already one of Michigan State’s on-field coaches as the “pass rush specialist”, Brandon Jordan is another candidate currently on staff to take on the defensive line coach position. In his first season on staff, Jordan helped improve the Spartans’ pass rushing technique for both the defensive line and linebackers.
Jordan doesn’t have the NFL experience that Vickerson does, but offers a lot with recruiting, having made a name for himself as a personal trainer for several NFL players.
Since he was hired by Tucker, Jordan has only worked with NFL players. Prior to coming to MSU, he trained many high school and college players as well. He still has ties with high school players and coaches from all around the country.
If Jordan took on the full job as Michigan State’s defensive line coach, he would likely have to give up his offseason training programs or, at a minimum, take on fewer clients. To that end, this would be a personal decision for Jordan, who is a valued coach on staff regardless of what he would ultimately choose to do.
Like Vickerson, Jordan does not have position coach experience at the college level.
3.) Jimmy Brumbaugh
While he may be an unfamiliar name to many, Jimmy Brumbaugh was the defensive line coach for Tucker during his lone season at Colorado. With nearly 20 years of experience, Brumbaugh has more coaching experience than Coleman does.
A native of Florida who played at Auburn, Brumbaugh brings southern ties to the table as a potential candidate, which would be a bonus in recruiting.
Brumbaugh has been at many different stops during his coaching career. Most recently, he was the defensive line coach at Auburn in 2022. He has been a coordinator or position coach at Louisiana Tech, Syracuse, Kentucky, Maryland and Tennessee. Brumbaugh has won recruiting battles for multiple four-star prospects, and has found success recruiting from the junior college rank as well.
Final Thoughts
All three of these coaches bring something different to the table. Tucker and defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton have diversity in their coaching search. From playing experience, to recruiting ties, to coaching experience, all directions are intriguing. These aren’t the three finalists, but other candidates will have similar resumes.
There is no time table yet for when Tucker will make a new hire to replace Coleman. Michigan State has already signed the four defensive line prospects from their 2023 class, so there is no risk in losing any potential recruits over Coleman’s departure. With that said, there’s no doubt that Tucker will name Coleman’s replacement prior to the start of spring practice.
