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Kerry Coombs, Wolverine

In the aftermath of firing special teams coach J.B. Brown (LINK), which was deserved for on-field performance, Michigan hired former Ohio State defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator to be the special teams coordinator.

Coombs is 64 years old and spent time coaching high school in Ohio before going to Cincinnati in 2007 as a defensive backs coach. He would go on to work at Ohio State from 2012-2017 and 2020-2021, with the 2018-2019 seasons spent with the Tennessee Titans coaching the secondary under former Ohio State player Mike Vrabel. Coombs went back to Cincinnati from 2022-2024 and coached cornerbacks and special teams before taking a year off in 2025.

I am not enthused about this hire. I think Coombs has been a solid defensive backs coach and a very good recruiter, and that’s about it. He has not been impressive as a coordinator of defense or special teams. Unfortunately, he will not be coaching defensive backs and I’m not sure how much he’ll be involved in recruiting, so his two biggest strengths seem to be somewhat negated. I do think he’ll be a step up from Brown, but this isn’t the kind of hire that really moves the needle very much.

Coombs was Ohio State’s ace recruiter if they wanted to poach a player from the state of Michigan, which he did when he recruited running back Mikey Weber and offensive linemen Michael Jordan and Joshua Alabi.

Fun fact: Coombs’s son Brayden was the special teams coach for the Detroit Lions in 2020 but was fired for calling a fake punt without authorization from interim head coach Darrell Bevell.

Now I know some Michigan fans will not like the hire because Coombs coached at Ohio State, but I think Coombs is a solid staff addition. I’ve seen him talk before, and this press conference speech is a pretty good one to represent how he handles himself:

Brady Marchese, Wolverine

Cartersville (GA) Cartersville wide receiver Brady Marchese committed to Michigan on Thursday. He flipped from Georgia and also had offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Penn State, South Carolina, and others.

Marchese is listed at 6’1″, 183 lbs. by 247 Sports. As a senior in 2025, he caught 41 passes for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 84 grade, #8 WR, #60 overall
Rivals: 4-star, 94 grade, #13 WR, #101
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #99 WR

Hit the jump for more.

Connor Jones, Ex-Wolverine

Redshirt junior Connor Jones is entering the transfer portal for his final year of eligibility.

Jones played in twelve games throughout his career, including a redshirt in 2022 when he played in just two games. Most of his appearances came on special teams. Listed at 6’6″ and 320 lbs. this season, he played in seven games on specials in 2025.

Here’s what I had to say about Jones when he committed in December 2020 (LINK):

I see a lineman who is somewhat lumbering. He has heavy feet and his base gets too narrow. His turnover is not ideal in the run game. There’s a saying that “pass pro isn’t passive,” and that’s something that comes to mind when watching Jones’s highlights. He’s too passive in his sets and does not punch well or, in general, show as much aggression as I would like. He talks about being a finisher, but I don’t see that on film.

Overall, Jones has good size, but I don’t see him being able to do much more than wall off a side and make someone run around him. His lack of athleticism makes him unlikely to be able to reach a C-gap player without help or do a whole lot to be able to climb to the second level. I think his upside is that of a Juwann Bushell-Beatty, someone who could potentially become a late-career starter but without much of an NFL future.

I gave him a TTB Rating of 65, and he was a 247 Composite 3-star, the #90 offensive tackle, and #1012 overall.

Jones is a veteran lineman who might have been nice to have on the roster as a depth piece next year, but he had been passed by many of the younger players.

J.B. Brown, Ex-Wolverine

Michigan has relieved special teams coordinator J.B. Brown of his duties now that the season is complete.

If you’re a regular reader, you know that I do not make a habit of calling for the jobs of Michigan coaches, but I mentioned this one halfway through the season.

Punter Tommy Doman went from averaging 44.3 yards/punt in 2023 (under Jay Harbaugh) to 42.6 in 2024 under Brown, and then Doman – who had a vise grip on Michigan’s punting job – immediately ditched his home state program to head for Florida, where he averaged 44 yards/punt this year.

Michigan was #125 in kickoff return average (15.2 yards/return) in 2025.

Michigan was #126 in punt return average (3.8 yards/return) in 2025.

Placekicker Dominic Zvada was an All-American in 2024 and should have won the Groza Award after the team ranked #2 in field goal percentage, and by 2025 he constituted the #108 field goal percentage (68.2%).

Gone were the days when Michigan was scheming up kickoff return touchdowns by Giles Jackson and A.J. Henning and Jehu Chesson. Gone were the days when Michigan ran a fake punt from Michael Barrett to Dax Hill or blocked one or two punts per year.

For the past two seasons, the only excitement came from Zvada making almost all his field goals in 2024 . . . and then being jaw-droppingly inconsistent in 2025.

I have no idea who will replace Brown, but Michigan quite literally can’t really do much worse with whomever they hire to coach special teams for 2026.

All-Time Leaders: Top Performances Against Ohio State

On this Thanksgiving weekend, let’s give thanks for all the awesome performances Michigan players have had on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

SINGLE GAME PASSING YARDAGE LEADERS

1. 451 yards – Devin Gardner (2013)
2. 375 yards – Tom Brady (1998)
3. 328 yards – Chad Henne (2004)
4. 305 yards – Shea Patterson (2019)
5. 303 yards – Drew Henson (2000)

Hit the jump for more.