chris partridge
assistant coaches
chris partridge yabba dabba don't flintstone
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*glass shatters* [Patrick Barron]

Hello, Again: Chris Partridge Comment Count

Brian February 6th, 2023 at 12:14 PM

Chris Partridge got shook loose from his job as DC at Ole Miss and people started doing the eyebrows thing and pointing suggestively and saying things like "hey, you know, what if?" And lo, Rivals is reporting:

There is as of yet little clarity on how exactly Michigan is going to shoehorn him onto the staff, but Henschke has said that neither coordinator is getting bumped (Steve Clinkscale has a co-DC title). George Helow coaches linebackers, which is also Partridge's specialty, and would seem to be under threat. He might make it, though: in the past Michigan has used "spackle some Jay on it" as method of moving guys around. We'll see how everything shakes out.

In Partridge's first go-around at Michigan he was known as a top-tier recruiter, which was the major reason Lane Kiffin picked him off when he went to Oxford. Partridge's tenure as DC didn't go very well—Ole Miss was 50th in the SP+ defensive rankings this season—but if he's coming to be a recruiting coordinator sort of position coach that's a win. We even have a picture of him that looks like he's making a surprise appearance at the Royal Rumble as the announcer screams "OH MY GOD THAT'S CHRIS PARTRIDGE'S MUSIC." That's gotta mean something. 

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Comments

Blue Ballin'

February 7th, 2023 at 1:42 AM ^

This was my first thought. The players love him, so I don't know if moving him out of a hands-on coaching position is the answer to this. I truly believe he's part of this renaissance of players' 'all-in' attitudes these last couple of years, so not sure if this chemistry needs to be tampered with. To be sure, Jay excels wherever he's been moved in the past, so he deserves any kind of upgrade he gets (or wants). I only trust that if JH decides to move him, Jay would be kept in a position where he still has daily contact with players. Clearly, his communications skills with players is a real strength of his. I don't believe JH would do anything to waylay Jay's coaching career path in any way.

As for Chris Partridge, very excited to have him back. He brings a lot to the table and our recruiting, and team, can only benefit from his presence. 

Joined: 03/08/2016

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ex dx dy

February 8th, 2023 at 9:32 AM ^

I have a decent number of friends and family members that are big Michigan fans but don't read MGoBlog, and they all seem to be under the impression that Jay is at best a mediocre nepotism hire. In my experience, it seems that the sizeable "not-online" Michigan crowd doesn't rate Jay very highly. It's actually really interesting how some thoughts on MGoBlog quickly become seen as accepted wisdom, but they never really make it out to the broader Michigan fandom.

Joined: 10/30/2018

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Tom in AnnArbor

February 6th, 2023 at 12:33 PM ^

How was his recruiting at OleMiss?  I hope he wasn't just a few year trick pony with his strong ties to Peppers and Gary.  Is our collective confidence high that he can get back to that level for UM?

I'm also not sure what level that Helow is considered in terms of recruiting.  

This hire does seem like something to be excited about.  Let's F'ing Go.

Joined: 06/12/2018

MGoPoints: 2374

bluebyyou

February 6th, 2023 at 1:06 PM ^

Wecome back coach Partridge!

Howeva...

Even the best recruiter is going to have a problem when program A is offering millions of dollars to recruits and program B says we will pay you well, maybe, after you prove yourself on the field.

I believe Michigan is well acquainted with the benefits of 5* and top 4* talent. Unless we play the same game other programs are doing with NIL, recruiting for the top talent will remain a tough slog.

Joined: 09/07/2009

MGoPoints: 18566

maquih

February 6th, 2023 at 6:01 PM ^

You're like a year behind the plausibly vague complaint of the day.  Did you not see Will Johnson and Mason Graham out there helping us win a conference championship?  Our recruiting is fine, and our depth charts look great.  Stop caring that disney inc recruiting rankings puts Texas and Miami classes higher than ours.

Joined: 11/04/2010

MGoPoints: 1780

AZBlue

February 6th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^

The Peppers-Gary nonsense comes from our "friends" up the road in East Lansing, who will go on to explain that his hiring was essentially under the table pay-for-play so that M would land both players.

Truth be told the man appears to be a VERY good recruiter and a heck of a coach.  He did pretty well with both LBs and S when he coached/recruited them -- (Dax Hill was during his tenure IIRC even if he wasn't lead recruiter.)  I also think he was offered a lateral move to 'Bama the year before he left -- chosen specifically for his recruiting chops. 

Looks like he rose up to DC too quickly when Kiffin offered big $$ but you need to believe in yourself and take the leap I guess.

The only negative I recall with CP in regard to recruiting was that he was so aggressive and successful recruiting to Paramus HS that some other NJ coaches did not like him to the point that we actually had less of a chance on kids from those schools early on.

Joined: 09/14/2008

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AZBlue

February 7th, 2023 at 8:18 AM ^

Yes but the Blue wall had already let Partridge know that they were preparing a position for him if he just pushed Peppers to M.  
 

Then we just had to continue to poison the Harbaugh-Niners relationship and wait for the right time to hire a rogue opponent to concuss our QB for the evil master plan to fall into place….. if the payment to the “JD was short” ref hadn’t been delayed due to a clerical error, M would be celebrating it’s 5th straight NC right now……..

Joined: 09/14/2008

MGoPoints: 16806

UWSBlue

February 6th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^

I am 100% a CP fan. My 9 year old son was on the rope line near the team buses after the 2016 Rutger massacre and CP directed several players over for photos and autographs. My kid committed to Michigan that evening for class of '25. #CoolStoryBro

Joined: 08/11/2012

MGoPoints: 6882

bronxblue

February 6th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^

A huge pickup as a recruiter and this staff needs that.  I'm not sure what's happening with Helow but I think he's been a solid coach at LB and despite that one random thread I don't think we've heard much negativity around him.

Joined: 11/22/2008

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BTB grad

February 6th, 2023 at 12:43 PM ^

Based on the eye test and Seth’s UFR grading, LB play & development has been the weakest part of the defense. The recruiting has also fallen off: we went from Jabrill to Devin Bush to Cam McGrone to Junior Colson but now haven’t recruited an athlete of that caliber to the position since Helow came on staff. Replacing Helow with Partridge seems at least replacement level in terms of onfield coaching but would be a huge net positive when it comes to recruiting not only the LB position but the ability to put Partridge as the primary or secondary recruiter to close on a high level recruit at another position (Dax Hill, Chris Hinton, Ambry Thomas)

Joined: 12/01/2015

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Mich1993

February 6th, 2023 at 1:10 PM ^

I see Helow as the only non A+ coach on the staff currently.  He seemed to be a win when we hired him but seems to be just ok.  Big crop of LBs brought in the last few years hasn't turned into much.  LB recruiting has gotten worse not better since he came on board.  Colson is athletic but making mistakes.  Barrett in year 5 does seem to have turned into a good LB.  Helow is probably ok but not the same caliber as the rest of the staff.

Rest of the position coaches are developing players at or well above their recruiting profiles.  Only other coach that could be argued to be below excellent is Newsome, and everyone is raving about him so I am sold.  

Tough brake for Helow but having an experienced LB coach who is an A+ recruiter fall in our lap seems perfect.

Joined: 12/08/2010

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bronxblue

February 6th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^

Helow's only been on the job for two recruiting seasons but Rolder looks like a solid starter (he got snaps as a true freshman and graded out fine and was in the rotation by the end).  We'll see what happens with Bridgeman this year.  As for on-the-field performance, not having NHG hurt the linebackers.  Barrett is a solid coverage LB but he wasn't brought in for the defense they're running and it sort of shows; he's perfectly fine but his limitations were known.  Colson was a true sophomore and has some development to go; that's sometimes the deal with young guys.  

And as a coach I'm not sold Partridge is any better and may well be a bit worse.  I noted this in another thread but special teams under Partridge were middling (in the 30s/40s) until Jaybaugh took over and they went up to top-5.  And were the linebackers during his run particularly great?  Bush was shot out of a cannon but that felt like a guy destined to be great and I'm not sure Partridge did a ton there.

I like Partridge as a recruitment-focused coach but as an on-field one I don't think he'd be an upgrade over Helow and might be a downgrade.

 

Joined: 11/22/2008

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michengin87

February 7th, 2023 at 6:37 AM ^

FWIW, Helow was very tight with Mike MacDonald which is why he was offered and accepted almost immediately after Mike.

https://mgoblue.com/news/2021/3/17/football-in-the-trenches-connection-with-macdonald-helped-helow-land-in-ann-arbor

I'm not down on the guy, but I haven't seen anything that says he's a heck of a coach or recruiter for that matter.  If he's that tight with McDonald, he might be headed to Baltimore soon.

Joined: 07/14/2009

MGoPoints: 4096

MaizeBlueA2

February 6th, 2023 at 1:33 PM ^

Huge hire!! 

I'll say it. I've been very vocal about the LB play (while you were freaking out about the WRs). Colson should be an All-American. Full stop. He just be a first round draft pick in the '24 NFL Draft.

He's gets tackles, but he's lost in zone and grades out in every game with a +9 / -6.5 = +2.5 type of a grade.

Barrett got better under Helow, no question. Everyone else has been a more or less "decent."

If Helow stays...now he has a guy to get him more DUDES to work with - and Helow's territory is the SE, so now he has help there as well (and one less competitor).

If Helow goes to the NFL, which some have said is imminent. Partridge will fill in as just as good of a coach/developer, and a better recruiter...which should hopefully result in better LB play.

Partridge is also well liked, from what I can tell...so it should be good to have someone else that is going to get the most out of our guys.

PLUS, another DC caliber coach for game planning. And someone who has watched UGA closely for the past 3 years.

Love this hire!

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