Exit: Brian Smith Comment Count

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[Bryan Fuller]

Michigan has lost safeties coach Brian Smith after two years on the coaching staff. ESPN's Ivan Maisel reports that Smith, as rumored, will take the defensive coordinator position at Rice:

New Rice head coach Mike Bloomgren is hiring Michigan secondary coach Brian Smith as his defensive coordinator and North Carolina Central head coach Jerry Mack (31-15, four seasons, three MEAC titles) to run the Owls' offense. Bloomgren worked with Smith at the New York Jets a decade ago, and with Mack at Delta State prior to that.

TMI's Steve Lorenz has confirmed the report.

Smith had a solid track record in his two years as safeties coach, getting excellent seasons out of Delano Hill and Dymonte Thomas in 2016, helping Hill raise his draft stock all the way to third-round pick, and getting an early impact from promising youngsters like Josh Metellus and J'Marick "Ol' Woods" Woods.

His departure gives Jim Harbaugh some flexibility with next year's coaching staff. Mike Zordich has coached the cornerbacks, who have been downright great, for the last three seasons; he's also a former All-American and 12-year NFL veteran as a safety, and spent four years coaching the position with the Philadelphia Eagles before coming to Ann Arbor.

Michigan didn't have a wide receivers coach on the staff last year, allowing a grad assistant to handle much of the position coaching. It'd make a lot of sense for them to give Zordich control of the entire secondary and bring in a WR specialist, especially with so many talented young pass-catchers on the roster.

EDIT: I should clarify. A new NCAA rule means Michigan will have a tenth coaching spot beginning in January, so they have two spots open right now. Hiring a WRs coach is very likely to happen. The question may be whether to bring in another secondary coach or, alternatively, a full-time special teams coach. Zordich has had special teams duties since 2016 and there have been some notable issues in the third phase this season. Either way, both the receivers and Zordich should be getting some help in the near future.

Comments

Lawyer12

December 8th, 2017 at 5:52 PM ^

Demond and Woodson should come on board with Des taking the receivers and returners and Wood helping with returners as well as safeties. This seems obvious AND totally plausible.

SilencedByTheMan

December 9th, 2017 at 1:05 PM ^

not trolling bud. dude above me may have been sarcasm and I missed it, but the number of other posts that say woodson coming in the next week or so won't be sarcasm. people will genuinely start that and run with it like there's a chance. just check out how Greg little was included in the ole miss group. at no point did he express any interest, but one poster made the comment and the next 3 days included everyone hopping on that train. then he said he has no interest. so I'm not trolling, I'm not going to do anything to get banned, I'm just calling it how it is.

stephenrjking

December 8th, 2017 at 5:59 PM ^

I agree with the Zordich/WR Coach shuffle completely. 

One could write off Lavert Hill's development off to him being a great player. That happens. But to have all of Hill, Long, and even castoff BWat turn out to be quite good, suggests that something is going right with the coaching there. They were the personnel group I was most worried about and might have been the strongest part of the roster if we didn't have Godzilla playing D Line.

Meanwhile our receivers have work to do. DPJ clearly grew through the season, and I'm encouraged by that. But he needs to develop better body control for sideline catches and continues to need route refinement, and the other guys surely do as well. Given what an asset that group is, making it even more of an asset seems like a great idea. 

 

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

December 8th, 2017 at 6:44 PM ^

and joes, but X's and O's." DB recruiting is incredibly important because all the technique in the work won't cover for gaps in athleticism.

Plus, we really need to add a strong recruiter to the staff. Maizen positioned verything as doom-and-gloom, but he was right at raise the issue of several coaches not showing recruiting prowess. Mattison is a great recruiter with a limited time horizon. We need to find another great recruiter to close the gap with OSU.

Mongo

December 8th, 2017 at 6:08 PM ^

Promote Z to all DBs and give the man a rai$e plus a grad assistant. He did a great job with the CBs and can ignite the same fire under the safety group.

Michwolve21

December 8th, 2017 at 6:12 PM ^

Bush Sr would recruit his balls off. Get him out on the trail. Next we need to see an Exit Pep Hamilton and we’ll be rolling. But no Dan Enos, that dude is a Sparty and a trash coach

Bigly yuge

December 8th, 2017 at 6:26 PM ^

I wish Smith the best as Rice. As for our staff changes I am looking forward to a full time WR coach (we have too many potentially elite WR no to have a full time WR coach). As far as the other open position, I am both fine with giving the entire secondary to Zordich, and getting a full time special teams coach. Or adding a safeties coach, keeping things the way they are for special teams, and using our new open slot on the WR’s.