Exit: Brian Smith
[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.
December 8th, 2017 at 5:54 PM ^
Come on down Devin Bush Sr once we get our 10th assistant? Kovacs takes his analyst role? As long as Zordich stays i'm good with this
December 8th, 2017 at 5:58 PM ^
Yeah this should allow Michigan to add two coaches once the ability to add a 10th assistant coach is official on Jan 9th. So add a dedicated WR coach, and honestly maybe refill Smith's spot. Secondary is important, man.
December 9th, 2017 at 12:11 AM ^
Nothing secondary about the importance of the secondary
December 8th, 2017 at 8:35 PM ^
A very well placed analyst and very high paid member of the staff will get serious consideration for the 10th coaching position.
December 8th, 2017 at 8:49 PM ^
barf no thanks
December 8th, 2017 at 9:03 PM ^
Just passing it along.
December 8th, 2017 at 9:50 PM ^
Dang, don't be like that. What if UMBIG11 is Scott Turner? Did you ever think of that?
/s
December 8th, 2017 at 9:51 PM ^
Double post
December 9th, 2017 at 11:53 AM ^
What’s wrong with Scott Turner?
December 9th, 2017 at 7:03 AM ^
Scott Turner seems like a great addition to me. Only downside is that he may want to move up the ranks quickly being in a football family like that.
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.
December 8th, 2017 at 9:10 PM ^
these comments are what outsiders laugh at. you may as well just say Brady should be the next qb coach. it's not going to happen.
December 8th, 2017 at 9:33 PM ^
How much more does he have to do to spell out for you that he was kidding? Also who gives a shit what outsiders laugh at, they hate us cause they aint us!
December 9th, 2017 at 6:49 AM ^
Poster is quite the shit show. Would not be surprised to see ban hammer by midweek.
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.
December 9th, 2017 at 1:06 PM ^
and lol at poster is quite the shit show. I've had this account for 19 hours. not nearly long enough to "be quite the shit show. "
December 10th, 2017 at 7:19 AM ^
A warm welcome to you and you shit show account. Don't get silenced!
December 8th, 2017 at 5:52 PM ^
what do people think of Roy Roundtree as a WR coach?
December 8th, 2017 at 6:22 PM ^
Since I'm too lazy to jump on the Google; if I remember correctly, he fills that roll at another school now, right?
December 8th, 2017 at 6:27 PM ^
Indiana State
December 8th, 2017 at 5:53 PM ^
WR coach...addition by subtraction.
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.
December 9th, 2017 at 8:52 AM ^
My favorite part of your comment is that the DL is so good that I wasn't sure who "Godzilla" referenced between Gary and Hurst!
December 9th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
Winovich.
December 8th, 2017 at 6:07 PM ^
unfortunately he wasn't a +recruiter so this won't hurt us much
December 8th, 2017 at 6:27 PM ^
Coaches coach too.
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.
December 8th, 2017 at 11:01 PM ^
Frey is a very good recruiter with strong links to the Tampa area.
December 9th, 2017 at 11:50 AM ^
He helped save the Aubrey recruitment and is a natural with the kids and parents.
Not to mention he was a 1st round NFL pick, played in 2 Super Bowls (won 1) and was All-Pro. That has to help!
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.
December 8th, 2017 at 6:09 PM ^
Bush senior for Safeties and Scott Turner (current analyst) for receivers
December 8th, 2017 at 6:11 PM ^
I believe that Patridge and Jay have special teams duties not Zordich
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
December 8th, 2017 at 6:50 PM ^
That's a rather unthinking assessment of Enos -- who's roundly considered an excellent offensive mind.
December 8th, 2017 at 8:20 PM ^
Arkansas' offense was good when he got there under Cheney and regressed every season under Enos. CMU's offense was in the bottom third of the country under Enos. I think "excellent" is probably wrong.
December 9th, 2017 at 8:32 AM ^
Enos sucks and would probably tip plays to Mike D
December 8th, 2017 at 6:15 PM ^
Godspeed, Mr. Smith. Thanks for your contributions to our young men. Here's to the future and hopefully some good replacement hires!
December 8th, 2017 at 6:17 PM ^
What year does Mike Hart become RB coach?
December 8th, 2017 at 7:15 PM ^
Never under Harbaugh unless he becomes widely recognized as the best RB Coach in the business
December 8th, 2017 at 9:51 PM ^
Is the best RB coach in the business?
December 9th, 2017 at 12:15 AM ^
Touché
December 9th, 2017 at 5:28 AM ^
for HateSparty to reply Touche', if he indeed felt as though he was touched by his opponent.
December 12th, 2017 at 7:46 PM ^
Not at all. Coach likes Jay. He doesn't care for Mike Hart. At least so the rumor goes.
December 8th, 2017 at 6:18 PM ^
Would think that Bush Sr would snag that job.
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.
December 8th, 2017 at 6:46 PM ^
I'm sure DB has shaped his perspective and will provide guidance in the future. The Padwan is ready to become a Jedi.
December 8th, 2017 at 6:47 PM ^
anyone? Great coach, great recruiter, Michigan Man.
December 8th, 2017 at 7:41 PM ^
I was thinking the same thing.
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