After latest hire, resetting Jim Harbaugh’s coaching staff at Michigan
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Michigan director of strength and conditioning Ben Herbert pictured during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022.
Changes to the Michigan coaching staff have become a yearly thing under Jim Harbaugh, and college football in general.
Coaches often leave for better opportunities, a fresh start elsewhere or, in Harbaugh’s case just a few years ago, because of a full-fledged reshuffling.
But for the first time in Harbaugh’s eight-plus years in Ann Arbor, the staff was heading for zero turnover. Interest had arose for various assistants, but nothing concrete had surfaced. That meant Harbaugh, who entertained the NFL for a second straight year before telling the Denver Broncos ‘no,’ would continue with largely the same staff he had in 2022 — an unprecedented move for the 59-year-old coach.
That was until earlier this month, when word got out that assistant coach Matt Weiss was under police investigation for “computer access crimes” at Schembechler Hall, prompting his early termination.
On Friday, Harbaugh promoted analyst Kirk Campbell to the staff as quarterbacks coach, a high-profile role that includes working starter J.J. McCarthy.
With the calendar set to turn over to February and schools just about set across the country, limiting the turnover expected in the coming weeks, we figured now would be a good time to provide a reset of the Michigan coaching staff.
More: Jim Harbaugh reportedly met with Broncos’ owner in Ann Arbor
(Coaching staff listed in alphabetical order.)
Ron Bellamy — receivers coach
Michigan’s wide receivers coach is back for Year No. 3, and the second season on the offensive side of the ball. A former wideout himself, Bellamy has established himself as a familiar face on the recruiting trail and positive, well-liked member of the staff. He began his time on staff at Michigan as the safeties before moving over to the offensive side, where he’s been tasked with coaching up a young, vibrant group of wideouts.
Kirk Campbell — quarterbacks coach
The newest addition to the staff, as mentioned above, Campbell spent the 2022 season as an offensive analyst and a right-hand man to Matt Weiss. Campbell was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Old Dominion in 2020 and 2021, and served as an offensive analyst at Penn State from 2017-19, under James Franklin. Another well-regarded member of the extended staff, Campbell is the second analyst-turned-coach on the Michigan staff in the Harbaugh era.
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Michigan co-offensive coordinator Matt Weiss, left, and tight ends coach Grant Newsome watch from the sideline during Michigan footballs Spring Game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
Related: Michigan football fills open quarterbacks coach position
Steve Clinkscale — defensive backs coach/co-defensive coordinator
“Clink” is back for a third year as defensive backs coach and second as co-defensive coordinator, where he teamed up with Jesse Minter in 2022 and helped produce one of the nation’s best defensive units. Another high-level recruiter with ties to Detroit, the state of Ohio and Kentucky, Clinkscale’s juice and high expectations have helped whip the secondary into shape in just two seasons.
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Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore speaks with players before Michigan faces off against Colorado State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.com
Mike Elston — defensive line coach/ recruiting coordinator
Another former Michigan player, Elston enters his second season on staff as defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. Elston was largely in charge of the interior linemen last year, guiding Mazi Smith to an all-Big Ten tackle and turning freshman Mason Graham into an impact player almost immediately.
Jay Harbaugh — special teams coordinator/ safeties coach
The younger Harbaugh is the longest-tenured member of the staff and has turned into Michigan’s five-tool player, bouncing around from the offensive side to the defensive side while mastering the role as head coach special teams. Under Harbaugh, the Wolverines have continued to excel in the third, often over-looked area of the game, while getting high-level player from the safeties. We keep waiting on Harbaugh to take a bigger role elsewhere, but the 33-year-old continues to return.
Mike Hart — running backs coach/ run-game coordinator
Michigan’s all-time leading rusher has presided over the team’s most productive unit each of the last two seasons, working to get the most out of Hassan Haskins in 2021 and turning Blake Corum into a Heisman Trophy-caliber back in ‘22. Hart is set to return for a third go-around alongside Corum and Donovan Edwards, making the Wolverines another dangerous team on the ground.
George Helow — linebackers coach
Alongside Clinkscale, Helow is the longest-tenured defensive coach on the staff and provided some much-needed continuity at the linebacker position. He’s helped develop Junior Colson and molded Michael Barrett into an impactful middle linebacker set to return for one more year. He’s also been a big help on the recruiting trail, where his ties down south have opened some doors for Michigan.
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Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter talks to the media at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. Michigan plays TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 31 at State Farm Stadium.
Jesse Minter — defensive coordinator
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Michigan linebackers coach George Helow, left, and co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale watch from the sideline during Michigan footballs Spring Game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 2, 2022.
After three coordinators in three years, it appears as if Michigan has found some stability on the defensive side. Jesse Minter is set to return for a second straight season after taking over the job from Mike Macdonald in 2022, running a similar scheme that leaned on a ‘bend, don’t break’ philosophy. Minter, 39, was a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation’s best assistant coach after the Wolverines finished top-10 in the country in the total and scoring defensive categories.
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Jay Harbaugh begins his third season as running backs coach at Michigan.
Sherrone Moore — co-offensive coordinator/ offensive line coach
The one question we have in the wake of the Campbell hire … what happens with offensive play-calling duties? By all accounts, Sherrone Moore shared them with Matt Weiss in an unexplained system during the 2022 season. Does Moore become Michigan’s primary play-caller in ‘23? Could Campbell or others join him? Either way, Moore has quickly risen the ranks at Michigan, from tight ends coach (2018-’20) to offensive line coach and co-coordinator (2021-present). In fact, Jim Harbaugh has said publicly that he believes Moore, 36, is ready to be a head coach.
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Maize team head coach, defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Steve Clinkscale waves to players as they practice before Michigan footballs Spring Game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019.
Grant Newsome — tight ends coach
Newsome enters his second season on staff as tight ends coach, having been elevated from graduate assistant to full-fledged assistant prior to the 2021 season. He coached Luke Schoonmaker during his final season, helped develop freshman Colston Loveland into a starting-caliber player and garners praise from every which way inside Schembechler Hall. He’s viewed as a rising star and could be in line for another promotion in the not-too-distant future.
*Ben Herbert — director of strength and conditioning
While not technically considered an on-field coach, Herbert receives effusive praise from Harbaugh, staff members and players on a near daily basis for his work behind the scenes molding and strengthening members of the roster. He’s been at Michigan since 2018 and become a vital part of the staff, to the point Harbaugh tried nominating him for the Broyles Award this year (he wasn’t allowed to).
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