Eyes in the Sky- 2008

The game notes for the season opener vs. Utah were released last Thursday and, as usual, it is chock-full of information. One noteworthy tidbit of information is who will be the "eyes in the sky" in 2008. The notes list Calvin McGee (Assoc. Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator) and Tony Dews (Wide Receivers) as the two coaches who will be in the booth from the offensive side of the ball. On the defensive side, Scott Shafer (Defensive Coordinator) and Bruce Tall (Defensive Line) will occupy the booth during games. Shafer has stated that he prefers the perch of the booth rather than watching the game from the sidelines because he has a better perspective on the action from the box. This is a change from Ron English (Michigan's previous Def. Coord.) who coached from the sidelines. Go Blue!

Def. Coordinator Scott Shafer: First year excellence?

Michigan has had only four (4) Head Football Coaches since 1969 (i.e., Bo, Gary Moeller, Lloyd Carr, and Rich Rodriguez). During that time, however, the Wolverines have had twice as many Defensive Coordinators. Nevertheless, outstanding defense has been a hallmark of Michigan teams during this era. The Wolverines' philosophy under the previous three head coaches is that defense wins championships. However, new Head Coach Rich Rodriguez is an offensive guru and does not have the defensive mind-set of the previous three regimes. Therefore, it will be especially important for Coach Rod's Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer to take care of that side of the ball. Shafer is the first outside hire to be named DC at Michigan since Jim Young was named the DC in 1969 when he came with Bo from Miami (OH) University. The past six Michigan defensive coordinators had all been on staff as a position coach before being elevated to the post of defensive coordinator. One remarkable fact about the Michigan defensive coordinators is that most of them achieved incredible success in their inaugural season in the post. Following is a coach-by-coach look at the rookie season of the Michigan defensive coordinators since 1969 and the high standards they have set for new DC Scott Shafer:

• Jim Young (Def. Coord.: 1969-1972)

Coach Young came with Bo from Miami (OH) University and inherited a Michigan team that had lost 50-14 to OSU the previous season. After an uneven start to the 1969 season, the defense kicked into high gear by week six. The Wolverines defense only yielded 22 points in 4 games heading into Ohio State week. The contest against the Buckeyes was going to be the big test for Coach Young's defense as Woody Hayes' Buckeyes were on a 22 game winning streak. As everyone knows, the Wolverine defense held the #1 ranked Buckeyes to a mere 12 points and Michigan won the game and went to the Rose Bowl. Bo had a heart attack on the eve of the Rose Bowl game and it was Coach Young who took over the head coaching duties during the 10-3 loss to USC.

• Gary Moeller (Def. Coord.: 1973-1976 & 1982-1986)

Coach Moeller also came over with Bo from Miami (OH) University in 1969. Coach Moeller handled the defensive ends from 1969-1972 and was promoted to Defensive Coordinator when Coach Young left the staff to take the head coaching position at the University of Arizona. Coach Moeller's inaugural season of DC in 1973 was a huge success. The "D" of the 1973 team yielded only 17 points in the season's first two games and then it played three (3) consecutive shutouts (against Navy, Oregon, and Michigan State). This defensive unit only allowed three of their 11 regular season opponents to score in double-digits and a mere 13 points was the most points it yielded in a game. The 1973 team finished the season 10-0-1 mainly on the strength of the performance of the defensive unit. This defense was led by two All-Americans: defensive tackle Dave Gallagher and defensive back David Brown.

• Bill McCartney (Def. Coordinator: 1977-1981)

Coach McCartney (a Riverview Community High School grad) was merely 36-years old when he took over as the DC in 1977 when Coach Moeller left the staff to become the Head Coach at the University of Illinois. Coach McCartney had been on the Michigan staff for the previous three seasons (1974-1976) as the Defensive End coach. Coach McCartney's 1977 defense held 8 of 11 regular season opponents to single-digits as Michigan amassed a 10-1 regular season record and won the Big Ten title to advance to the Rose Bowl.

• Lloyd Carr (Def. Coordinator: 1987-1994)

Coach Carr (a Riverview Community High School grad) became the DC when Coach Moeller ended his second stint as Defensive Coordinator (1982-1986) to become the Offensive Coordinator (1987-1989). Coach Carr had been on staff since 1980 as the secondary coach. Coach Carr's 1987 defense managed consecutive shutouts (Long Beach State & Wisconsin) in weeks 3 & 4 but it was a long season as the Wolverines labored to a 8-4 record and a 4th place finish in the Big Ten. The saving grace for the season was that the Wolverines were able to pull out a 28-24 win over Alabama in the Hall of Fame Bowl. The defense was led by All-American DT Mark Messner.

• Greg Mattison (Def. Coordinator: 1995-1996)

Coach Mattison took over the duties as DC when Coach Carr became interim Head Coach in 1995 as Head Coach Moeller suddenly resigned his position. Coach Mattison had been on the Michigan staff as the defensive line coach from 1992-1994. In 1995 under DC Mattison, Michigan ranked 11th in the nation in total defense (286.3 ypg) and 3rd in rushing defense (90.1 ypg).

• Jim Herrmann (Def. Coordinator: 12/17/96-2005)

Coach Herrmann took over as DC two weeks prior to the January 1, 1996 Outback Bowl. Although the Wolverines lost a close game, Coach Herrmann's defense led Michgan to an undefeated season and a National Championship the following season. For his efforts, Coach Herrmann was named the Frank Broyles Award winner given to the top assistant football coach in the nation. The defense was led by, of course, Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson and All-American defensive tackle Glen Steele. The '97 "D" always came up big at the big moments. Through the first eight (8) games of the season, the "D" did not allow any second-half touchdowns or any 4th quarter points to be scored by its opponents. In fact, the Wolverines defense finished the regular season ranked #1 in the nation in scoring defense having allowed only an average of 8.9 pts./game. The "D" also finished the regular season ranked #1 in the NCAA both in Total Defense and Pass Efficiency Defense.

• Ron English (Def. Coordinator: 2006-2007)

Coach "E" was the secondary coach from 2003-2005 when Head Coach Carr tapped him to replace outgoing DC Jim Herrmann as the new defensive coordinator. Coach "E" brought an exciting and aggressive style of play to the field and the 2006 Wolverines won the first eleven (11) games of his tenure and were ranked #2 in the nation as a team largely because of the play of the defense. DC English's 2006 defense finished the year ranked #1 in the nation in rushing defense (43.4 ypg), #10 in total defense (268.3 ypg) and #15 in scoring defense (15.9 ppg). In recognition of his efforts, Coach English was named by Rivals.com as the 2006 National Defensive Coordinator of the Year.

New Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer has quite a tradition of first year excellence to follow. I hope Donovan Warren and the rest of the defense is up to the task. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Def. Coordinator Scott Shafer (center) giving instructions to his charges during Spring Practice by JOHN T. GREILICK/The Detroit News

The task for the new QB coach Rod Smith

When Spring Practice commences next week, much of the attention will be focused on the quarterback position as Michigan is implementing a new offensive system and is without an experienced quarterback. New quarterbacks coach Rod Smith (who took over for the highly regarded Scot Loeffler) is tasked with the responsibility of bringing Steven Threet, David Cone, and walk-on Nick Sheridan up to speed with the intricacies of the Spread Offense. In the fall, true freshman Justin Feagin (a true dual-threat QB) will arrive and be added to the mix. Coach Smith was the quarterbacks coach at WVU in 2007 after having spent the previous six seasons at the University of South Florida (2001-2006). He served as the Offensive Coordinator/QB coach at USF during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. At Michigan, Coach Smith's first challenge will be to train an inexperienced trio of signal callers whose only previous college coaching has been in a pro-style system. It will also be interesting to see during the Spring if running back Carlos Brown takes snaps at quarterback as he was a dual-threat quarterback in high school. Coach Smith's ability to impart to his charges the intricacies of the spread offense during the course of Spring Practice will be critical in determining whether the team is ready in the Fall. The ability to train someone from within is made all the more critical by the fact that it does not appear right now that there is any immediate help coming from the outside. Not only does it appear that 2008 super recruit Terrelle Pryor will commit elsewhere, but also that 2009 super recruit Russell Shepard [a 5-star dual-threat QB from Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge] will not attend Michigan as well as Shepard just verbally committed to LSU last week. Thus, rather than waiting for a big recruit to come "save" Michigan, it is Coach Smith's job to work with the talent the Wolverines have and prepare them to run Michigan's offense of the future. He has his work cut out for him. Go Blue!

Change is not always for the better

In reviewing the bios of the new Defensive Coaching staff, it struck me that change is not always for the better. Although the new staff seems competent enough, each position coach is less accomplished than their 2007 counterpart. Following is a brief look position-by-position:

Defensive Coordinator: Ron English (2007) vs. Scott Shafer (2008)

Ron English (39 years old) has been the dynamic Defensive Coordinator for the Wolverines for the past two seasons. He served as the secondary coach for Michigan for three years prior to taking over the defense in 2006. Coach English became the first coach in NCAA history to have two defensive backs earn consensus All-America honors in the same season, since the organization began incorporating both an offensive and defensive team in 1965, as cornerback Marlin Jackson and safety Ernest Shazor earned the recognition following the 2004 season. Coach English is a highly respected coach and he was hired by Louisville to serve as their Defensive Coordinator next season. Coach English is a fiery motivator who always got the best out of his Wolverine defenders during his five-year stint on the Michigan staff.

Scott Shafer (41 years old) was a first-year Defensive Coordinator for Stanford in 2007. Immediately prior to that, he had served as the Def. Coordinator at Western Michigan for two seasons (2005-2006). He also has served as the Def. Coordinator at Northern Illinois (2000-2003). Shafer seems like a rising star in the coaching ranks but he does not measure up to the superstar status already earned by Coach English. The hiring of Shafer may pass muster with the fans discombulated by the breadth of the regime change that has taken place but there is no way this hire would have been deemed acceptable during the Coach Carr-era. The Wolverines seem to be taking a chance on Shafer when they already had one of the best in the game in Ron English.

Secondary: Vance Bedford (2007) vs. Tony Gibson (2008)

Coach Bedford was Michigan's secondary coach during the National Championship season of 1997 and he rejoined the staff last year as the secondary coach after having served the previous two seasons (2005-2006) as the Defensive Coordinator at Oklahoma State. As a player, Bedford had been a four-year starter at cornerback at the University of Texas. Comparatively, his replacement, Tony Gibson, played football at Glenville State College. Gibson later went on to coach the defensive backs at WVU which he did from 2001-2007. Although Gibson played for Coach Rodriguez in college and has coached with him for many years, Gibson's "experience" pales in comparison to that of Bedford who, it should be noted, also coached the secondary for the Chicago Bears from 1999-2004.

Linebackers: Steve Szabo (2007) vs. Jay Hopson (2008)

Szabo was on the Michigan staff for two seasons and has coached football for 39 years. He joined the Wolverines in 2006 after having spent the previous twelve seasons coaching in the NFL. Szabo coached the linebackers for the New England Patriots in 2003 when they went all the way to the Super Bowl. On the other hand, Jay Hopson spent the past three seasons as the Defensive Coordinator and middle linebackers coach at Southern Mississippi. Hopson may be an up-and-comer (hopefully) but he has nothing on the veteran Szabo.

Defensive Line: Steve Stripling (2007) vs. Bruce Tall (2008)

Stripling was on the Michigan staff for three seasons and he coached in the Big Ten for 22 years. Immediately prior to his joining the Wolverines' staff, Stripling had coached the defensive line at MSU for two seasons. His 2008 counterpart, Bruce Tall, is another of Coach Rodriguez long-time buddies. Tall has spent the past five seasons as the Mountaineers spur and bandit safeties coach (2003-2007). Tall's "experience" is no match for Stripling's vast knowledge of the Big Ten trench warfare.

Change means things are different. It does not necessarily mean things will improve. Sometimes it means things will be worse.

Profiling the Defensive Coaching Staff

With the announcement today that Stanford Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer has been named as Michigan's new Defensive Coordinator, the Wolverines defensive coaching assignments are now complete. Here is a list of the coaches with a brief profile of each one from MGoBlue.com:

• Scott Shafer (Defensive Coordinator)

Quite familiar with the Big Ten and Midwest, Shafer (41 years old) joins the Michigan staff after spending the 2007 season as defensive coordinator at Stanford. Prior to joining the Cardinal program, Shafer was the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at Western Michigan (2005-06). He coached the defensive backs at Illinois in 2004 and began his coaching career as a graduate coach for former U-M assistant coach Bill Mallory at Indiana (1991-92). Shafer spent eight seasons at Northern Illinois, coordinating the defense from 2000-03 and served as the defensive backs mentor his entire stint with the Huskies (1996-2003). In addition, Shafer coached the defensive backs at Rhode Island for three seasons (1993-95). Shafer played quarterback at Ohio University in 1985 and then completed his collegiate career at Baldwin-Wallace. He earned his bachelor's degree in education from Baldwin-Wallace in 1990 and collected his master's degree in education from Indiana in 1993. A native of Painesville, Ohio, Shafer and his wife, Missy, have one son, Wolfgang, and a daughter, Elsa.

• Tony Gibson (Assistant Head Coach/Secondary)

Gibson is the lone member of the staff to play for and coach with Rodriguez. Gibson has worked with the secondary at West Virginia since being hired in 2001, tutoring the cornerbacks and free safeties. He was named recruiting coordinator in January 2007. Prior to coaching at WVU, Gibson coached special teams, defensive backs and served as recruiting coordinator at Cumberland University (1997-98) and was defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at West Virginia Tech (1999-2000). Gibson played for Rodriguez at Glenville State College (1991-1994). He was the defensive backs and kickoff team coach for Rodriguez at Glenville State in 1996. Gibson and his wife, Kerry, have two children, Cody and Ashton.

• Jay Hopson (Linebackers)

Hopson spent the past three seasons as the defensive coordinator and middle linebackers coach at Southern Mississippi. He spent two three-year stints with the Golden Eagles, the first as defensive backs coach (2001-03) and the past three seasons coordinating the defense (2005-07). He was the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at his alma mater, Mississippi, during the 2004 season. Hopson was the defensive backs coach at Marshall University for five seasons (1996-2000) prior to joining the Southern Mississippi staff for the first time. He also worked as a graduate assistant at Florida (1995), Louisiana State (1994) and Tulane (1992) and was the defensive backs coach at Delta State in 1993. Hopson and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters, Virginia and Hannah.

• Bruce Tall (Defensive Line)

A native of Shaker Heights, Ohio, Tall joins the Michigan staff after spending the past five seasons as the Mountaineers spur and bandit safeties coach (2003-07). He is quite familiar with the Midwest and the state of Michigan, having served as defensive line coach at Western Michigan in 2002. From 1998-2001, Tall was defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Harvard. He was also the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Northeastern (1993-97). Tall was an assistant coach at Cornell (1985-86) and worked two stints at his alma mater, Ohio Wesleyan. He is a 1982 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education. He received the 2001 Assistant Coach of the Year award from the Gridiron Club of Greater Boston and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the All-American Football Foundation. Tall and his wife, Karmen, have three children, Braythan, Karsyn and Kallyn.

Go Blue!

Defensive Coordinator named; defensive coaching assignments made

Stanford Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer has been named Michigan's new Defensive Coordinator. With the naming of Schafer as the Defensive Coordinator, Coach Rodriguez was able to make the rest of the defensive coaching assignments which are as follows: Tony Gibson (assistant head coach/secondary); Jay Hopson (linebackers); and Bruce Tall (defensive line). Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of new Defensive Coordinator Scott Shafer from Stanfordphoto.com

New look staff

Coach Rodriguez announced his first coaching staff for the Wolverine football program. Coach Rodriguez has filled eight of the 9 full-time coaching positions on the staff as well as both graduate assistant coaching coaching spots. Six of Coach Rodriguez' assistant coaches and five support staff personnel from West Virginia University have joined him in Ann Arbor. In addition, Rodriguez hired former Southern Mississippi defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jay Hopson as a defensive assistant at a position yet to be determined. Coach Rodriguez expects to finish designating staff assignments by Friday. Rodriguez has yet to hire a defensive coordinator, the ninth and last vacancy on the staff, and also has two defensive assistants for positions that are yet to be determined. Rodriguez said his two defensive assistants could be in the running for the coordinator job or he could go outside the program to find someone else. Once Rodriguez's staff is complete, he will assign each staff member a geographic area in which to recruit. The entire staff plans to recruit a full class of 25 and hit the road Sunday, once the NCAA's "dead period" is over. Also, it is worth noting that Coach Rodriguez retained Michigan's entire video, equipment, medical and clerical staffs. Go Blue!