Tyrone Wheatley, Wolverine (again)

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10Jan 2015
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Tyrone Wheatley, Wolverine (again)

Tyrone Wheatley

Former Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley reportedly signed a contract on Friday to become Michigan’s running backs coach, replacing Fred Jackson.

Wheatley is a Michigan legend, both in high school and college. He grew up in Inkster, attended Dearborn Heights (MI) Robichaud, and was a nine-time state champion in high school (1 football state championship, 7 individual championships in track, and 1 track-and-field team state championship). He graduated in 1991 and moved on to the Michigan Wolverines.

In Ann Arbor under Gary Moeller, Wheatley wore #6 and convinced me that all good college running backs should wear that number. Michigan was the Alabama of the 1980’s and early 1990’s with running backs galore, so Wheatley (86 carries, 548 yards, 6.4 yards/carry, 9 touchdowns) backed up Ricky Powers as a freshman. Things got stirred up in 1992 when Wheatley won the starting job and got an increasing number of carries for the next three years, finishing with a career total of 688 carries, 4178 yards, and 47 rushing touchdowns on 6.1 yards/carry. He also caught 51 passes for 510 yards and 6 touchdowns, plus he averaged 21.7 yards/kickoff return with a 99-yard touchdown return against Houston in 1992. He ranks fifth in Michigan history in rushing yardage, second in touchdowns, and fourth in yards per carry (of players with over 100 career carries). He was all-conference his final three years and named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 1992.

Wheatley was also a Big Ten champion in track and field and an All-American in the 110m hurdles while running track for three years in college. Despite being listed at 6’1″ and robust at 215-226 lbs. throughout college, he was a speed demon.

Hit the jump for lots more on Wheatley’s playing and coaching career.

The New York Giants picked Wheatley in the 1st round (#17 overall) in the 1995 NFL Draft, looking at him as an eventual replacement for Rodney Hampton. It’s safe to say that Wheatley lost a little bit of his drive once he hit the NFL, and he was never the same kind of workhorse and outstanding athlete in the NFL. He gained a bit of weight, and his career long run in four years with the Giants was 38 yards. He then moved on to the Oakland Raiders, where had some more success and was their lead back in 1999 and 2000, which included an 80-yard touchdown run. He reached a Super Bowl there and finished out his career in 2004. His final pro stat line was 1,270 carries for 4,962 yards, a 3.9 yards/carry average, and 40 touchdowns. He also caught 125 passes for 900 yards, a 7.2 yards/reception average, and 7 touchdowns.

Wheatley returned to Robichaud to coach football in 2007 (he also coached track) and moved on to Ohio Northern, a D-III school, in 2008. He has been a running backs coach ever since. He jumped to Eastern Michigan in 2009, moved to Syracuse for 2010-2012, and then followed Orangemen head coach Doug Marrone to the Buffalo Bills for 2013-2014. When Marrone chose to leave the Bills after the 2014 season, Wheatley was out of a job and here we are.

I think it’s difficult to judge running backs coaches by raw numbers, because so much depends on raw talent, the offensive line, the play calling, etc. But here we go anyway:

  • Eastern Michigan’s Dwayne Priest had 633 yards, 3.6 yards/carry, and 7 touchdowns in 2009. As a backup the previous year, he had 474 yards, 4.8 yards/carry, and 5 touchdowns. EMU fell from #57 to #88 in the country in rushing yards/game.
  • Syracuse’s Delone Carter had 1,233 yards, 5.3 yards/carry, and 9 touchdowns in 2010. As the starter the previous year, he had 1,021 yards, a 4.3 yards/carry average, and 11 touchdowns. Backup Antwon Bailey had 554 yards and averaged 4.9 yards/carry in 2010. Syracuse jumped from #87 to #76.
  • Bailey took over the starting job in 2011 and had 1,051 yards, 4.4 yards/carry, and 6 touchdowns. Backup Jerome Smith averaged 3.6 yards/carry on 37 attempts. Syracuse fell from #76 to #95.
  • Smith took over the starting job in 2012 and had 1,176 yards, 5.2 yards/carry, and 3 touchdowns. Backup Prince Tyson-Gulley had 825 yards, 5.3 yards/carry, and 9 touchdowns. Syracuse jumped from #95 to #40.
  • The Buffalo Bills’ Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller split carries almost exactly evenly in 2013. Jackson ran for 890 yards and Spiller had 933 with averages of 4.3 and 4.6, respectively, plus 9 and 2 touchdowns. Buffalo jumped from #6 to #2 in rushing.
  • Jackson, the starter, had 525 yards, 3.7 yards/carry, and 2 touchdowns. Spiller had 300 yards, 3.8 yards/carry, and 0 scores in an injury-plagued season. Backup Anthony Dixon had 432 yards, 4.1 yards/carry, and 2 touchdowns. Buffalo fell from #2 to #25 in rushing.
What does it all mean? It means jack squat. Some players got better under his tutelage. Some players got worse. Some teams got better at running the ball. Some teams got worse. There are too many factors involved to make any conclusions.
The running back position comes down to talent. There are guys who have it right off the bat (Wheatley himself, Mike Hart, etc.) and there are guys who don’t and never will. Rarely do you see running backs whose “light comes on” in terms of running the ball. This is not a position – like quarterback, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, safety, etc. – where experience means a great deal. The only real aspect of the game where experience matters is in pass protection, which is difficult to make guesses on based on statistics alone. We know Mike Hart and Vincent Smith were good pass protectors because we watched them do it, and we know that Derrick Green was not a great pass protector as a freshman. Time will tell if he can improve, though he did get better as a sophomore.
Fred Jackson was a great, great running backs coach. We know this because he coached Tyrone Wheatley, Tshimanga Biakabutuka, Anthony Thomas, Chris Perry, and Mike Hart. The first four of those guys were 1st or 2nd round NFL draft picks, and the last guy is Michigan’s all-time leading rusher.
Fred Jackson was a terrible, terrible running backs coach. We know this because he coached the 2013 football team, where Fitzgerald Toussaint averaged 3.5 yards/carry and Derrick Green averaged 3.3.
The biggest difference between Great Fred Jackson and Terrible Fred Jackson is that the offensive lines under Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr were awesome, and the offensive line under Brady Hoke was mostly bad. The quarterback play under Moeller and Carr was mostly very good, and the quarterback play under Hoke was mostly bad.
Recruiting talent probably has something to do with Wheatley, since it will be his position. Jim Harbaugh has previously had his coaches recruit their positions, so Wheatley will likely be the point man on guys like Kareem Walker, Kentrail Moran, etc. But overall, scholarship offers are generally sent out after the majority of the staff – including the head coach – evaluates a player’s film or camp performance. Here’s what I would like to see out of Wheatley:
  • Teach players how to identify blitzers, pass protections, etc. This should not be a problem with Wheatley’s extensive experience playing and coaching the position at all levels.
  • Be a good leader. Wheatley has not always been a consummate teammate. He held out for 17 days as a rookie. He was known at different times for getting a little out of shape, falling asleep in meetings, and being surly with coaches. He also struck a photographer and was tangentially involved in the BALCO doping scandal.
  • Recruit well. Regardless of how Michigan splits up recruiting duties or sends out offers, Wheatley needs to use his college and NFL pedigree to convince high school players to come to Michigan.
As for that last point, Wheatley was in charge of recruiting running backs and the midwest during his time at Syracuse. Players he reeled in while coaching for the Orangemen (according to Rivals):
  • Colorado 3-star RB Adonis Ameen-Moore
  • Michigan 2-star DT Eric Crume
  • Michigan 2-star WR Eric Foster
  • Georgia 3-star RB George Morris
  • Michigan 3-star TE Ron Thompson
It’s important to remember that Syracuse’s average star rating was 2.62 in 2012 and 2.46 in 2011, so that’s right on par with where Syracuse is at as a program. Still, it looks like Wheatley did a solid job in the state of Michigan. Ameen-Moore averaged 5.4 yards/carry this season; Crume made 38 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks; Foster left the team; Morris averaged 2.9 yards/carry; Thompson is a defensive end now and made 11 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in 2013. None of his recruits is spectacular, but some have done fairly well there.
Wheatley’s first recruiting job at Michigan will be convincing his son, Tyrone Jr., to play at Michigan. Tyrone the Younger is a 4-star tight end/defensive end finishing out his senior year in New York; he has had an offer from Michigan for a while and has also fielded offers from Alabama, USC, and numerous others. Another son, Terius, is a junior at Orchard Park (NY) Orchard Park; Terius had 5 touchdowns in a game this fall (runs of 83, 72, 52, 48, and 30 yards). I have yet to find highlights of Terius, but he may be joining an Ann Arbor-area team this coming fall after his family moves to Michigan. So far Terius has yet to engender a ton of recruiting hype, from what I can tell.
9Jan 2015
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Michigan Assistant Coach Rumors (January 9)

Jim Harbaugh (left), Tyrone Wheatley (right), and some guy (middle)

Here are some updated rumors and speculation about the open coaching positions on Michigan’s staff.

1. Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach/Quarterbacks: Signed, sealed, and delivered (LINK). Next.

2. Tim Drevno, Offensive Coordinator/Offensive line: Drevno, the USC offensive line coach and run game coordinator, is coming to Michigan (LINK). He was announced on Friday as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, so it sounds as if he will be by himself with the offensive line, although he will certainly get some help from a graduate assistant or the like (LINK).

3. Quarterbacks: Former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch looks like the guy here (LINK), and he is expected to be the passing game coordinator as well.

4. Running backs: Former Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley flew into town the other night, and he left Ann Arbor with a job offer. He is expected to accept the role.
Other possibilities: Fred Jackson, Roy Manning

5. Wide receivers: Rumors appeared on New Year’s Eve that 49ers wide receiver coach John Morton was expected to join Michigan’s staff, but those rumors have disappeared in favor of San Jose State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jimmie Dougherty. Dougherty has been the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the past two seasons, and he worked for Harbaugh at San Diego.
Other possibilities: Erik Campbell, Ronald Curry, Jeff Hecklinski, John Morton

6. Defensive coordinator/linebackers: Florida defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is now Michigan defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin (LINK), and he has already started using his connections in the south to send out a couple offers (LINK).

7. Defensive line: Former Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will presumably be the defensive line coach now that Durkin is officially confirmed as the linebackers coach.
Other possibility: Roy Manning

8. Cornerbacks: Michigan cornerbacks coach Roy Manning has been heavily rumored to be staying around on staff, and it was reported that he already interviewed for a job. Whether he gets that job or not remains to be seen, but he does have a year of coaching the position under his belt now.
Other possibility: Greg Jackson

9. Safeties: San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach Greg Jackson reportedly contacted Louisiana defensive end Jalen Bates, a guy with a Michigan offer who committed to Arizona State. Bates’s cousin is former Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton. Unless this is like Vince Marrow contacting Chris Clark for no reason at all, it looks like Jackson will be coaching some/all of the defensive backs. Meanwhile, Michigan safeties coach Curt Mallory has been hired at Wyoming (LINK), so he’s not going to return.
Other possibility: Roy Manning

10. Special teams/tight ends: It was reported last night that former Fresno State and USC special teams coach John Baxter will be the guy here (LINK). I also expect Baxter to help out with the tight ends.

11. Strength and conditioning: Stanford strength and conditioning coordinator Shannon Turley apparently agreed to come to Michigan and then reneged. The next most option seems to be Kevin Tolbert, who had been Harbaugh’s strength and conditioning coach with the 49ers and for a couple years at Stanford. Tolbert is a Navy grad and former football player, and he also spent eight years working under Mike Gittleson, Michigan’s former S&C coach prior to Rich Rodriguez’s hiring. Tolbert is all but officially confirmed, so I will have a post on him soon.
Other possibility: ???

9Jan 2015
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Jedd Fisch, Wolverine

Jedd Fisch

Former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator, who was fired after the season, has taken a job as Michigan’s passing game coordinator and will work with the quarterbacks.

Fisch – whose playing career appears either non-existent or too pedestrian to mention anywhere – began his career as a high school coach before moving on to be the New Jersey Red Dogs wide receivers coach in the Arena Football League. After that he became a grad assistant at Florida under Steve Spurrier from 1999-2000. He moved on to the NFL in 2001 for the Houston Texans and coached during their inaugural season in 2002, sticking around under Dom Capers until 2003.

Fisch then moved to the Baltimore Ravens, where he worked in a few different roles on offense under head coach Brian Billick. He helped to coach quarterback Steve McNair, wide receiver Mark Clayton, and wide receiver Derrick Mason, all of whom had solid careers in Baltimore. After spending four years with the Ravens, he moved to the Denver Broncos as their wide receivers coach in 2008, the year when Brandon Marshall had 104 catches, 1265 yards, and 6 touchdowns. Rookie Eddie Royal caught 91 passes for 980 yards and 5 touchdowns. Those numbers aren’t bad when considering that Jay Cutler was the quarterback.

The next year, 2009, was his first college full-time coaching job. He spent it at Minnesota under Tim Brewster, where Fisch was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, working with the Gophers’ all-time career passing yardage leader, Adam Weber. Then it was back to the NFL for one season as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks and Matt Hasselbeck.

He returned to college in 2011-2012 to be the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Miami-FL under Al Golden, and then jumped to the Jaguars with head coach Gus Bradley – whom he had worked with in Seattle – prior to the 2013 season.

Hit the jump for the other half of the profile.

Here are some career highlights from his time as a college coach, since NFL production is largely unrelated:

  • Adam Weber went 191/367 (52%) for 2583 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 2009. The Gophers were #110 in total offense (306.5 yards/game) and #100 in scoring offense (20.9 points/game). The team went 6-7.
  • Jacory Harris went 195/300 (65%) for 2486 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions in 2011. The Hurricanes were #47 in total offense (430.3 yards/game) and #62 in scoring offense (29.2 points/game). The team went 6-6.
  • Stephon Morris went 245/421 (58%) for 3345 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in 2012. The Hurricanes were #36 in total offense (440.2 yards/game) and #49 in scoring offense (31.4 points/game). The team went 7-5.
I did not include rushing statistics, really, since his job as passing game coordinator will largely leave him out of that aspect of the game. However, the rushing numbers were not impressive at Minnesota, whereas the gig at Miami got some pretty good seasons out of Lamar Miller and Duke Johnson.
I am not impressed with this hire, but not every hire on a staff can be a home run. Brewster did a terrible job at Minnesota, but Weber was a multi-year starter and still put up bad numbers. Harris was a multi-year starter, and Fisch did a decent job there. Morris was a mixed bag – lots of yards, low completion percentage, decent touchdown-to-interception ratio. Fisch just got fired from the Jaguars, who are a bad team in general and have been starting lots of young guys and vagabonds. Still, former 2nd round pick Chad Henne got benched in favor of #3 overall pick Blake Bortles, and neither of them could really do much of anything. I did not watch much of Jacksonville these past two years except for highlights, but from what little I saw of them, it seemed like Fisch liked to throw the ball down the field and did not use the short passing game very well.
The bright side is that Jim Harbaugh is not a CEO type and will take a hands-on approach when it comes to play calling, coach the quarterbacks, etc. I think this hire would be cause for alarm if someone like Brady Hoke were still the head coach, but Harbaugh is a different story. With a good run game coordinator (hopefully) in Tim Drevno, some downfield passing might be a good thing once you get the play-action aspect sucking up some linebackers and defensive backs. And with Fisch rarely seeming to spend more than two years anywhere, he’ll probably be gone fairly soon.
9Jan 2015
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Pro Athletes and Their Spawn: 2015 Edition

That’s who you think it is.
(image via Delaware Online)

This is a yearly tradition to look at high school seniors who have famous athletic fathers (or occasionally just a famous father). Below are eleven players whose names – or fathers’ names – you might recognize.

The 2014, 2013, and 2012 versions are available, too, if you’re interested.

Cordell Broadus – WR – Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman: Broadus is a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect who’s ranked as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 wide receiver, and #149 overall. He has a top group that includes Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, LSU, Notre Dame, UCLA, and USC (Michigan has not offered, but he has said that he would be interested in visiting now that Jim Harbaugh has been hired). It seems to be a battle between the two teams in southern California, but I’m leaning toward his father’s favorite schoool, USC. That father is Cordozar Broadus, Jr., who is best known as Snoop Dogg (a.k.a. Snoop Lion). He probably needs no bio, as he is a famous rapper, protege of Dr. Dre, etc. Snoop was known to visit USC practices quite often, at least before Steve Sarkisian was hired as coach.

Hit the jump for the other ten athletes.




Mark Fields II – CB – Cornelius (NC) William Amos Hough: Fields is a 5’11”, 190 lb. prospect with a top group that includes Clemson, LSU, South Carolina, and Texas. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 cornerback, and #97 overall, earning a roster spot in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. His father, Mark Fields, played football at Washington State and became a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker during a career with the New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams, and Carolina Panthers. He was a 1st round draft pick (#13 overall) in 1995 by the Saints and retired after the 2004 season. He finished his career with 769 tackles, 34 sacks, and 5 interceptions. The elder Fields has been battling Hodgkin’s disease over the last several years.


Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Tampa (FL) Plant: Fruhmorgen – a 6’5″, 280 lb. prospect committed to Clemson – is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 offensive tackle, and #90 overall. He had an offer from Michigan and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl this past weekend. His father, John, played for the Alabama Crimson Tide and had a short career with the Miami Dolphins.

Jaire George – RB – Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha:

Alvin Harper, Jr. – WR – Lakeland (FL) Victory Christian Academy: Harper, Jr. is a 6’0″, 180 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Northern Illinois, and Toledo. He’s a Rivals 2-star prospect. As a senior this past season, he caught 69 balls for 1,332 yards and 16 touchdowns. His father, of course, is Alvin Harper, who played for the Tennessee Volunteers and became a first round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he would win two Super Bowls. Harper wasn’t extremely productive (this was before the explosion of passing offenses in the NFL), but he did average 18.2 yards/reception for his career, finishing with 191 catches, 3473 yards, and 21 touchdowns with the Cowboys, Buccaneers, Redskins, and Saints. He retired following the 1999 season.

Beau Hoge – QB – Fort Thomas (KY) Highlands: Hoge is a 6’1″, 205 lb. prospect who is committed to BYU. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #38 dual-threat quarterback, and #1452 overall. Check out this ridiculous run in the Kentucky playoffs (LINK). Hoge is the son of Merril Hoge, now an ESPN football analyst. Merril went to Idaho State and was a three-time all-conference running back, finishing with 5,139 all-purpose yards and 31 rushing touchdowns. He was selected in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would play eight seasons for the Steelers and Chicago Bears before retiring after 1994. Hoge finished his NFL career with 3,139 yards, a 3.8 yards/carry average, and 34 total touchdowns.


Van Jefferson WR – Brentwood (TN) Ravenwood: Jefferson is a 6’2″, 180 lb. prospect who committed to Georgia in August but continues to look around. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 wide receiver, and #134 overall. Prior to transferring to Tennessee, he was attending Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s. This season he had 67 catches for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. His father, Shawn, played football at Central Florida and was a 9th round pick in the 1991 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. Jefferson was a very productive pro receiver and played in two Super Bowls, one with the Chargers and one with the Patriots. He finished his career with 470 receptions, 7023 yards, and 29 touchdowns. He also played for the Falcons and Lions, and he was an assistant coach for the Lions from 2005-2012. He is now the wide receivers coach for the Tennessee Titans.


Manny Miles – QB – Baton Rouge (LA) University Lab: Miles is a 5’11”, 170 lb. prospect with no offers at this point, but he is ranked as a 3-star prospect, the #146 athlete, and the #1736 player overall in the 247 Composite rankings. There was some talk about him potentially walking on at the University of Michigan. That’s because his father is former Wolverines player and coach Les Miles, now the head football coach at LSU. The elder Miles is 131-50 in a head coaching career with Oklahoma State and LSU, and he won a national championship with the Tigers in 2007.


Cassius Peat – LB – Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol: Peat is a 6’4″, 235 lb. prospect who was once committed to UCLA; he has taken official visits to Michigan State, Oklahoma, and USC, and he is also highly interested in Arizona State. He plans to announce his college decision on National Signing Day. Peat is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #27 outside linebacker, and #326 overall. Peat’s father, Todd, is from Illinois, went to Northern Illinois, and played in the NFL for the Phoenix Cardinals and Oakland Raiders between 1987-1993. His eldest son, Todd Jr., was a defensive tackle at Nebraska. Another son, Andrus, is an offensive lineman at Stanford.

Jon Runyan, Jr. – OG – Philadelphia (PA) St. John’s: Runyan is a 6’4″, 276 lb. prospect who is committed to Michigan. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #123 offensive tackle, and #1176 overall. Runyan’s father, Jon, was an All-Big Ten tackle at Michigan in the early to mid-’90’s and a 4th round draft pick by the Houston Oilers in 1996. He still holds the record for most consecutive starts by a right tackle in NFL history, with 213 consecutive games for the Oilers/Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles from 1997-2008. He finished his career with the San Diego Chargers in 2009, having made 1 Pro Bowl in his career. Runyan is currently a Republican congressman in New Jersey’s 3rd congressional district, but he did not run for re-election in 2014 after winning in both 2010 and 2012. (Runyan and his family live in Mount Laurel, NJ, which is roughly half an hour away from Jon Jr.’s private school, in case you’re wondering.)

Chris Warren – RB – Rockwall (TX) Rockwall: Warren is a 6’2″, 232 lb. prospect who’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 running back, and #73 overall. He rushed for 2,329 yards and 34 touchdowns as a senior this past season, and his top four schools are Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, and Washington. Washington might seem like a natural landing spot for him, because Seattle was where his father – Chris Warren – played running back for the Seahawks from 1990-1997. The elder Warren started his college career at Virginia and ended up at Ferrum (a D-III school), after which he was a 4th round pick by the Seahawks in 1990. For a short time, he was one of the premier running backs in the NFL, peaking with 1,545 yards in 1994 and topping 1,000 yards a total of four times. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and also played with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, from whom he retired after the 2000 season.


Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. – DE – Canisius (NY) Manlius: Wheatley is a 6’6″, 265 lb. prospect with a top group that includes Alabama, Oregon, UCLA, and USC. Michigan might also be in the mix for family reasons. The younger Wheatley is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 tight end, and #235 overall, but the father is a football legend in Ann Arbor lore. Having attended nearby Dearborn (MI) Robichaud, Tyrone Sr. was Big Ten Player of the Year for Michigan in 1992 and All-Big Ten from 1992-1994, among other football accomplishments; he was also a college All-American in track. He was a 1st round draft pick (#17 overall) by the New York Giants in 1995 and played through 2004 with both the Giants and Oakland Raiders. He finished his NFL career with 4,962 yards and 40 touchdowns on the ground, plus 900 yards and 7 touchdowns through the air. Wheatley has since coached at, among other programs, Eastern Michigan and Syracuse, plus he had been the Buffalo Bills running backs coach from 2013 through last week.

8Jan 2015
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Greg Jackson, Wolverine

Michigan’s new defensive backs coach

San Francisco 49ers defensive backs coach has reportedly taken the secondary job at Michigan, where he will at least replace safeties coach Curt Mallory (gone to Wyoming) and perhaps displace cornerbacks coach Roy Manning (whose fate is unknown at this point).

Jackson was a First Team All-American as a safety at LSU in 1988, making 7 interceptions and totaling 219 yards, an average of over 31 yards/return. He became a 3rd round draft pick by the New York Giants and played twelve seasons with the Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, and San Diego Chargers. He totaled 32 interceptions (twice reaching 6 picks in a season) and returned 2 of those for touchdowns.

Jackson has spent most of his coaching career working with defensive backs, and occasionally linebackers and special teams. He started at Idaho and bounced to Louisiana-Monroe, Tulane, and Wisconsin before joining Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco for the 2011 season, where he spent the last four years. With the 49ers he helped to coach some of the best secondaries in the NFL, and he helped safeties Dashon Goldson (twice), Eric Reid, and Donte Whitner get to the Pro Bowl, along with cornerback Carlos Rogers. The 2011 secondary group grabbed 22 interceptions, which was the #2 total in the NFL; both Goldson and Rogers notched 6 picks each that year.

This is a very solid hire for Michigan. Jackson has played and coached in the south, where he could help Michigan recruit. He has already reportedly contacted Louisiana DE Jalen Bates, an Arizona State commit and the cousin of former Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton. Furthermore, he has the accolades (All-American, NFL draft pick, long NFL career, NFL coaching success) to back up what he says on the practice field, in the meeting rooms, and on the recruiting trail.

On Michigan’s end, the Wolverines can use all the help they can get. While their overall defensive numbers were decent, the safety play left a lot to be desired, and cornerback Jourdan Lewis (2 interceptions) was the only defensive back to make an interception in all of 2014. Michigan has a lot of talent in the defensive backfield if recruiting rankings are to be trusted, but they were unable to put it together last year. This is a secondary that could be composed of all 5- and 4-stars for the 2015 season opener.

The hiring of Jackson leaves some doubt about Manning, who coached cornerbacks last year. Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin has been announced as the linebackers coach, and former defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is expected to stay on, presumably as the defensive line coach. Manning does have some experience coaching a couple positions on offense, but spots are starting to dwindle. Manning has not proven to be a great coach, but he has been a very good recruiter.