Anthony Campanile (image via NJ.com)
Boston College co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Anthony Campanile has been hired to Michigan’s staff. He ostensibly replaces linebackers coach Al Washington, who went to Ohio State, though it’s not clear what exact position group Campanile will coach in Ann Arbor.
Hit the jump for more on Campanile.
Campanile, a New Jersey native, started his career as a safety/outside linebacker at Rutgers. He then went on to coach at Fair Lawn High School and Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey before moving on to Rutgers and then Boston College. In case you’re wondering, there was no overlap with Don Brown at Boston College, as Campanile’s first year was 2016, when Brown moved to Michigan. Campanile was the defensive backs coach in 2016 and 2017, adding the co-defensive coordinator title last off-season.
He personally coached two third round NFL draft picks (John Johnson, Isaac Yiadom) and a sixth rounder (Kamrin Moore) at Boston College, and Lukas Denis made 7 interceptions and was a Second Team All-American in 2017. Meanwhile, Hamp Cheevers made 7 picks in 2018. (Side note: Denis attended the same high school as newly signed athlete Mike Sainristil.) The Eagles made 18 interceptions each of the past two seasons, which have been good enough to tie for #5 and #12 nationally in that time.
Campanile is known as a solid recruiter, and he has some connections, considering he used to coach at powerhouse Don Bosco. The combination of Campanile and former Paramus Catholic head coach Chris Partridge should help Michigan greatly in the New Jersey area (and if it doesn’t, why are they both around?). I believe New Jersey has a little more talent in 2020 than they did in the 2019 or 2018 classes, when Michigan wasn’t very active in the Garden State; the only signee from New Jersey is a project defensive end David Ojabo. New Jersey only had eight 4-star or higher players in 2019 and 2018, but there are currently ten in 2020.
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A very welcomed addition. Though we don’t know exactly where he’ll coach, recruiting should always be a huge priority
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Ok sounds like we’ve locked down NJ and/or Northeast. Now what about the rest of the country?
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Gattis has some connections lower on the east coast, so there’s that.
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Partridge is good. Pulling talent out of Georgia means a lot
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