Tyrone Wheatley and Jim Harbaugh (image via Freep)
Running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley, Sr. has reportedly accepted a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where his former boss Doug Marrone has been hired as the head coach. Wheatley coached with Marrone at Syracuse from 2010-2012 and then with the Buffalo Bills in 2013-2014.
Wheatley was an All-American and a former 1st round pick from the University of Michigan, and he went to high school in Dearborn. After playing stints with the Giants and Raiders, he also coached in Dearborn before moving on to college. He was hired at Michigan in 2015 when Jim Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor, and he did a solid job coaching the position. At the time of his departure, he ranks as the #6 recruiter in the country, according to 247 Sports. He was the primary recruiter in the Detroit area and had a big hand in landing Donovan Peoples-Jones and Ambry Thomas. He was also credited with mending some broken fences with Detroit (MI) Martin Luther King, which helped reel in Thomas and 2016 signee Lavert Hill.
Michigan is in somewhat of a bind at this point. With some early enrollees already on campus (including Peoples-Jones and Thomas), nothing can be affected there. However, Michigan continues to recruit running backs, including O’Maury Samuels and Kurt Taylor. The departure could affect their recruitments, and the Wolverines need a difference-maker at running back. With some potential targets already off the board (Eno Benjamin, Najee Harris, Cam Akers, etc.), this shortens the list of potential late additions or replacements.
Hit the jump for some thoughts on his departure.
Some thoughts on a few much discussed replacements:
- Mike Hart: Hart is currently Syracuse’s running backs coach after spending some time coaching at Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan. Hart played at Michigan from 2004-2007 and is Michigan’s all-time leading rusher. He’s also currently the #410 rated recruiter with just one commit in the 2017 class. Hart said some pretty nasty things about Jim Harbaugh during his playing days when Harbaugh took a shot at Michigan’s academics. Hart said Harbaugh’s not a real Michigan man and that he wished Harbaugh never played at Michigan. Of course, grown men can bury the hatchet, but that was pretty harsh. Hart does have some street cred as a Michigan great, but he’s young and hasn’t had a great deal of success.
- Charles Huff: Huff has been Penn State’s running backs coach for the past three years. He played his college ball (RB, FB, TE, and C!) at Hampton and has coached tight ends, special teams, offensive line, and running backs at various levels. He was the assistant running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills in 2012, when he was assisting . . . Tyrone Wheatley. He worked as the running backs coach at Western Michigan in 2013 before heading to Penn State. It would be tough to leave the talented backs at Penn State, but Jim Harbaugh’s coaching tree speaks for itself.
- Thomas Wilcher: Some smoke has been rising around Thomas Wilcher, the Detroit (MI) Cass Tech head coach. Wilcher played running back at Michigan with Jim Harbaugh in the 1980s, and while he wasn’t nearly as accomplished as Hart, he did have a decent career (758 yards, 8 career TDs). He has built a powerhouse at Cass Tech and has funneled many players to Michigan over the years (Jourdan Lewis, Donovan Peoples-Jones, William Campbell, etc.). I don’t think Michigan should push for him to leave Cass Tech because the relationship between the schools has been so fruitful, but if he does want to move into the college coaching ranks, then it might be better to get him on staff at Michigan than, say, Michigan State or Ohio State.
Harbaugh’s running backs coach at Stanford, Willie Taggart, is now Oregon’s head coach. So I’m going out on a limb when I say that I don’t think he’s an option.
Hopefully this development does not affect the status of rising redshirt sophomore tight end Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. Wheatley, Sr. always maintained that he wanted to move up in the coaching ranks and be an NFL head coach, and because of that, he encouraged his son to go to the school of his choice. He didn’t want to be the deciding factor for his son’s future, so I don’t think the younger Wheatley will follow dad to Florida. But you never know.
A few final comments about Wheatley:
- Even when Wheatley was interviewed and hired by Harbaugh, there were some rumblings that their personalities may not mesh extremely well. In fact, it seemed somewhat doubtful at one point that Harbaugh would hire him. Then they famously met at Red Robin for burgers and Wheatley agreed to join the program.
- Wheatley wants to be a head coach, and one way to become a head coach is to become a coordinator. With Tim Drevno entrenched as Michigan’s run game coordinator, there hasn’t been an opportunity for Wheatley to move up at Michigan. The passing game coordinator job did open up when Jedd Fisch went to UCLA recently, but Wheatley’s experience as a running back and running backs coach doesn’t really make him a good candidate to work with quarterbacks, wide receivers, and the passing game. If he did indeed go after that job, he was bound not to get it.
- Wheatley is a good recruiter, partly because he’s a legend in southeastern Michigan. However, I don’t know if he has what it takes to be a head coach at the NFL level or in a big college program. I hope he proves me wrong, because he’s one of my favorite Wolverine football players of all time.
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Is there any chatter out there about TWJr transferring? I noticed on MGoBlog you brought this up
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I don’t think I was the one who brought up the idea of him transferring, but no, I haven’t heard any chatter besides message board people bringing it up.
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Just wanted to say good luck to Ty Wheatley. I really hate to see him go because he has done a wonderful job with the development of the RB’s and arguably our best recruiter outside of Harbaugh. I too echo another post that said he was one of my all-time favorite Wolverines, and was spectacular as a player.
As for his son, I think he stays put because he should see considerable playing time next year particularly with us not bringing in a TE this year. I hope that’s because we are going ALL IN on Mustafa Muhammad next cycle.
I hope we keep both RB recruits this cycle because a great season from Evans, Walker, Issac or Higdon next year could leave a major gap in talent that’s ready to play if guys declare for the NFL or injuries. We certainly don’t need another RB who is not a game changer. Naturally, I’m not as concerned about the RB depth because we have a very promising stable of talent but having someone to teach and develop it is extremely important.
I like Hart because he too is a Michigan legend who holds rushing records. I think great players make the best teachers because they have insight and perspective that non greats can’t teach as they lack actual experience. I believe in promoting our own whenever possible which is why I was disappointed that Wheatley wasn’t accommodated (if that’s why he left).
Hart is very confident, intelligent, and some may say, possesses a swag that recruits and their parents find attractive. Michigan will sell itself with Harbaugh leading it so he has a fighters chance with nearly every recruit. Plus it gives RB’s a challenge to break his records.
I like Wilcher to stay at Cass or as an analyst but not RB coach just yet. If Jim isn’t as sensitive about Hart defending his alma mater (after saying some dumb stuff himself), Mike Hart could be a great choice for Ty’s replacement. Then there’s always the NFL guys too.
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I have no doubt jimmy will find some1 VERY adept to replace Wheatley.
Sort of late in this years class to find a ‘difference maker’ at RB. Wheatley had 2 years to find one lined up for this class and it didn’t materialize. Maybe thats part of why he’s gone? food for thought.
and whoever replaces him won’t find one now for this year; either.
Personally, I’ld be onboard with Mike Hart. I’m not saying he should get the job but I have no problem with it. As far as his recruitment ability he certainly had to have some influence on Western Mich’s season of this year.
………and I think UM needs to continue to build itself as a Nationally recruitng university while tactfully distancing it self from Detroit – like it or not the demographics say Detroit is more than a dying city and really the only 1 in the Nation that is dying. UM needs to increase its need to be seen as a Nationally Recruiting University.
Back to Hart: He’s young, confident, aggressive, intense and unlike many former NFL running backs the dude has a Brain. He’s Very intelligent as well as having intellectual depth and has some major league coaching aspirations; also he regrets the stupidity of his youth by the ‘little Brother’ comment; not unlike a brash QB in 1986. Maturity at 30. I’m for giving him strong consideration……..
IMHO…………….INTJohn
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We’ve locked down the state of Michigan for the first time in forever… Kareem Walker was (at one time) the #1 RB in the nation… TWSr is the #6 recruiter in the nation…
I don’t think recruiting is why he’s gone. He has aspirations, and they aren’t readily available to him here & now
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I’d either hire Wilcher as a reward or pick up a coach from Cali or Florida. They need to find a way to tap into top, southern RB talent.
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Michigan is one of the few Universities that recruits itself so don’t give too much credit to any 1 particular individual………
UM must recruit on a National level and even International level. I like these guys coming in from Canada who started playing hockey when they were 3 and then Jimmy’s Australian connection is only in the beginnings. They play real football ‘down under’. I love the Australian game way more than here in the US………
The days of recruiting SE Michigan like Bo did are long gone. ITS amazing how many people in Michigan actually think Detroit is still a big city………. In 1970 – 1.5 million today? 675,000…….. Only city in US dying so Michigan must recruit Nationally and have young vibrant former NFL guys to excite high school players from Fla, Ga, Tx, & Cal to go to Mich. Cal is really tough.
……….and To get guys Internationally to come to Michigan thats where the REAL future lies – like Canada & Australia. Need to let go of the past and move to future progressive demographix. I’ld like to see Michigan simply leave the B10 and join the ACC – thats the best conference in America and Michigan should compete where the best is.
But back to a RB coach? Jimmy will find a damn good one! For sure!
IMHO…………….INTJohn
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I got to meet Wilcher briefly at a fundraiser for something. I thought he was an interesting guy, kind of loose and intense all at the same time.
I can’t believe that there would be animosity between Hart and Harbaugh. Harbaugh has expressed his regret over the initial comments on numerous occasions, Hart just stepped up and defended the program.
I don’t know much about potential candidates for the RB coach position, but I’d probably pass on all of the above unless Wilcher put on the full court press and knocked my socks off.
I’d go out and get me a guy with big time recruiting chops.
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http://247sports.com/Season/2017-Football/CompositeCoachRankings
Maybe Clarence Mckinney? Doesn’t hurt to ask.
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I can’t imagine the Hart/Harbaugh comments from 10 years ago are still relevant.
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Among those candidates, I would say Hart is the least attractive. The fan appeal is obvious but that’s not going to help the program get better.
It doesn’t sound like Huff had anything to do with Barkley so I’m not sure what his resume is really doing for you.
What Wilcher has done at Cass is very impressive. Clearly, recruiting is a part of the game there too. The issue is he would be missed in terms of keeping that pipeline to UM going, but then again it has been tapped plenty of times by other schools too (especially OSU). He’s probably the best of the 3 IMO.
The RB coach spot is 80% about recruiting. I won’t pretend to know who the best recruiter is but maybe they can try again to reel in that TE coach from Kentucky that they flirted with when Harbaugh was hired. He sounded like a big miss.
Like most, I have full faith in Harbaugh finding a good replacement.
As for Wheatley, it seems like a smart move for him. It was nice to have him here for a couple years but it’s probably best for him to move on. I don’t know what role he played in recruiting but I’d be kind of surprised if he was missed. If our recruiting class next year is subpar I’ll be happy to admit I was wrong.
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If Wheatley departure means Taylor and Samuels end up elsewere I may get my wish about recruiting fewer RBs. Silver linings!
We’d still return: Evans, Higdon, Isaac, Walker, Davis, and probably Johnson. Still insane depth by the standards of any other position. This doesn’t include Shallman or Hill either, who Michigan could use if they wanted or needed to to fill out depth. Hill already seems to have a role as a goalline runner locked up and could easily team with Poggi to form a jumbo backfield.
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