DCC: Mike Macdonald (Current LB Coach for Ravens)
https://twitter.com/mzenitz/status/1347555651283791877?s=20
https://ww
w.baltimoreravens.com/team/coaches-roster/mike-macdonald
MIKE MACDONALD enters his third season as the team's linebackers coach. Now in his seventh year with the Ravens, Macdonald previously spent time as the team's defensive backs coach (2017) and as a defensive assistant (2015-16). In 2019, the Ravens upheld their strong defensive tradition, allowing the NFL's third-fewest points (17.6) and fourth-fewest net yards (300.6) per game. Baltimore also ranked fifth against the run (93.4 ypg) and No. 6 vs. the pass (207.2 ypg) last season, en route to a franchise-best 14-2 record and second-straight AFC North division title. In 2018, the Ravens produced the NFL's No. 1 defense, allowing 292.9 yards per game. Baltimore also permitted the league's second-fewest points per game (17.9), en route to standout LB C.J. Mosley earning his fourth-career Pro Bowl nod. In 2017, alongside secondary coach Chris Hewitt, Macdonald helped guide a defensive backfield that contributed to the NFL's most INTs (22) and forced turnovers (34). In 2016, Macdonald worked with then-secondary coach and current Bills' defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Leslie Frazier, helping guide a unit that finished seventh overall (322.1 ypg) and produced a league-leading (tied, KC & SD) 18 INTs. During the 2015 campaign, Macdonald worked closely with defensive coordinator (then-inside linebackers coach) Don Martindale.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:05 AM ^
Sorry the formatting sucks. Maybe someone can fix it for me.
Anyways, interesting name. Can't hate a DC candidate that has had his hand in the defense Baltimore produces each year. I'm curious if this is John trying to help out Jim here.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:28 AM ^
Ravens defensive coaches have failed elsewhere for pretty much their entire existence and the linebackers are pretty clearly the worst unit on the defense this year. As a Ravens fan this does nothing for me and given we also have no idea if he can recruit at all its just a shot and a prayer, not a good hire.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:41 AM ^
Past results are no guarantee of future performance. Not all OSU QBs will suck in the NFL and not all Ravens coaches will work out poorly in college. Evaluate the person without irrelevant bias.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^
Oh I agree, my point was more that being part of the ravens defensive coaching tree isn't a positive point either. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed for example got a decade of defensive coordinators head coaching jobs, Cincinnati fans can tell you that it doesn't translate to that person being a good coach.
I don't like hiring a guy who you know nothing about recruiting into the role. That is the problem I have with it. But its also not one bad year, the linebackers have been the worst unit on the team for a few years now. They tried to fix it by drafting two new linebackers in the first four rounds to infuse the group with talent and both the rookies haven't progressed all that much. Patrick Queen is still mostly potential and exploding in every direction for example. If there was one position group I wouldn't want the coach from on this team it would likely be the linebackers (well actually wide receiver, the ravens are cursed there, but linebacker would be next).
January 8th, 2021 at 11:36 AM ^
Bengals fan here. Wouldn’t mind fighting for division titles and playoff spots. Marvin Lewis may not be Vince Lombardi, but with the absolute shitshow of a front office he had to deal with, he did as well as anyone could have. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to my off-season tradition of getting excited about the draft, only to see the aforementioned shitshow, fuck it up.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
Not to mention the absolute smoldering bomb crater the Bengals were on the field when Marvin Lewis showed up. Given the organization he worked for, Marvin Lewis did an outstanding job.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:48 AM ^
So a guy who's been the linebackers coach for an NFL team that's gone 10-6, 14-2, and 11-5, won two division titles, and has been among the league leaders in fewest points allowed is a terrible coach. Got it.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:12 PM ^
Well...He's the linebackers coach so idk how great they have been at that position. They also have Lamar Jackson, who, since he doesn't play linebacker...or defense...I'm going to say that MacDonald had no had in developing him. Maybe he's a good coach, maybe he isn't, I honestly do not know and I don't think any of us really will for some time, but I would not equate that the success of the Ravens over the last few years was due to MacDonald. Plenty of position coaches from good teams have gone on to be not great head coaches and coordinators. Personally, this hire doesn't excite me. It's going to be the guy's first time calling defensive plays and I think there is an adjustment from the NFL to college. I would have preferred to have gotten some up and coming coach who is a proven recruiter, but given Harbaugh's rumored (is it even rumored anymore?) contract, I could see how someone like that would not jump at the chance to coach the defense for a year only to then be looking for a new job a year or two from now if Harbaugh leaves. I don't love it, but I can understand it.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:17 PM ^
Yeah, the last guy we pinched from the Ravens turned out to be a bust didn't he?
You think we get bullied by OSU if Mattison didn't go to OSU?
I think this is a way out of the box hire. You can guarantee MacDonald comes with a strong recommendation from John Harbaugh.
Apparently he is cerebral and lives and breathes football and is 31, Could he be our Joe Brady?
He doesn't have recruiting experience but is young enough to relate to players. His development of LB has been outstanding. He's part of a defense that lead the NFL in turnovers.
Maybe not a home-run, big name, hire I'm cautiously in favour. And why not roll the dice?
January 8th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
So... one bad/mediocre year as a LB coach and that's it? From the description above it sounds like he has found success with both the DBs and LBs the past few years.
I don't follow Baltimore in-depth (since they aren't my team), so you would probably have a better idea than I would.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
Update: Ian Rapoport is reporting it as well now. Saying it's "the plan for him to accept following playoffs".
So this is very real indeed.
The plan is for #Ravens LBs coach Mike Macdonald to accept the #Michigan DC job following the playoffs, source said. Macdonald spent time in college at UGA, now heads back with Michigan. https://t.co/uF0aYRlIrx
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 8, 2021
January 8th, 2021 at 11:48 AM ^
He's only actually coached for like 4 years. A lot of that description is fluff for being a defensive assistant which isn't a coaching position. And its been 2 out of 3 years as a mediocre linebacker coach.
This is who you can get with a lameduck coach
January 8th, 2021 at 10:50 AM ^
Credit where it’s due. You have a brand, and your commitment to it is impressive. Worth mentioning that the last Baltimore coach Michigan hired from under John Harbaugh was also a LB coach and DC. I don’t think anybody would mind having him back right now.
January 8th, 2021 at 1:16 PM ^
His resume shows he has been a coach on very good defenses his entire career He’s young so I would imagine his energetic and a hard worker two qualities this entire program could use
There are some questions with him sure but I think he’s someone who’s shown the time is right for an advancement like this and he could work out to be very good. I guess time will tell but not sure there was a home run hire out there so I see this as a good hire
January 8th, 2021 at 10:07 AM ^
NFL minds are usually good, but they'll need to surround him with high quality recruiters on that side of the ball and I just don't believe that will happen.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
Yes. This hire only makes sense if he's going to be paired as a Co-DC with Tim Banks. I.e. one is the architect and the other is the personnel guy.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:18 AM ^
That’s been the smoke for a while now.
And this dude I bet can recruit.
This hire screams Jeff Hafley to me. Will it turn out that successful? We’ll have to wait and see. I’d be curious how well he’d recruit the south given he’s a Georgia alum.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:25 AM ^
Beat me to the Hafley comparison. +1
January 8th, 2021 at 11:16 AM ^
But we literally can't wait and see, he has to succeed immediately if he wants Harbaugh to be around after next year. What would Michigan need to do next year to save Harbaugh's job? Double digit wins? Beat OSU? Neither of those seems likely
You're giving a guy with zero coordinator experience a mountain to climb, with one year to do it, and with almost zero personnel to do it. Does nobody else see that this is an impossible task?
January 8th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
Yeah I’m optimistic he can recruit. He’s only 32. Biggest thing in recruiting is energy and contact with the recruits. I think he could be hungry and eager to prove himself with recruiting. Now can he call plays? Who knows.
Seems like our options are retread with HCs that have been recently fired (Mason, Strong, Muschamp, Ash) or try to unearth the next young gem (Banks, MacDonald). No right answer but maybe go ultra high risk high reward, throw the Hail Mary and try to fix Michigan football?
January 8th, 2021 at 11:59 AM ^
Kevin Steele would have been a homerun hire.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:08 AM ^
Spent 2011-2013 coaching linebackers at Georgia. Has been with the Ravens since.
If he is coming in as Co-DC with Tim Banks, this could be good. Because Banks is a good recruiter but has questions about his coaching ability. MacDonald could be the opposite, obviously hasn't recruited in 7 years, but maybe better at the coaching side.
Just a theory
January 8th, 2021 at 5:33 PM ^
Smarts are always valuable. This guy graduated summa cum laude from UGA business school in 2010, then gets his Masters in Sports Policy while he's a GA for the football team.
Then appears to take those talents and be consistently successful in the NFL. If Jim and John both think that much of this guy, I'm on board. He's obviously still very green and has a lot to learn, so I agree that a co-DC with someone like Banks should be required.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
I'm not particularly excited about an NFL guy. Recruiting is extremely important, and that's the biggest risk with an NFL guy. Not that it's impossible for an NFL guy to be a good recruiter, it's just a lot less likely because you have no data on if they can do it or not.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:21 AM ^
I hear you but this is similar to Hafley and he is considered an elite recruiter so maybe this guy will be as well. Of course Hafley had the benefit of recruiting to OSU.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
Interesting choice (if true). Young, worked with John so obviously would come with a strong recommendation and has an excellent track record to date.
My only question here is how an Alabama reporter would have insight into who Michigan is targeting given that if true, this would be brother to brother communication that wouldnt involved anyone from the outside world. And both Harbaugh's HATE talking to anyone unless they absolutely have to.
My guess is this is his guess. Nothing more.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:13 AM ^
Sam Webb is reporting that the news is legit but by no means is it the sole name being considered for the DC spot
January 8th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
I don't hate the idea but like others have stated previously, we need elite recruiters. If there's a CO-DC that fills that role, I'm good with it.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:11 AM ^
Sounds like they should be going after Frazier, the DC and asst HC.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
Frazier was the DC in Buffalo when MacDonald was there. Don Martindale is Baltimore's DC
January 8th, 2021 at 10:15 AM ^
A combo of Macdonald and someone like Tim Banks would be a HOME RUN. A 32 year old with energy that can relate to players and has worked under one of the best defense in the NFL for 5+ years. Faces Lamar Jackson in practice every day - not like he's never seen a mobile QB.
Combining him with Banks, they could be killer in recruiting. Their combined age is almost the same age as Don Brown.
This staff needs ENERGY and these guys would bring it. I compared it to when OSU hired Brian Hartlines - NFL WR, had never recruited before, etc. What has he done? Recruits nothing but 5* WRs and coaches them up to the NFL.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:51 PM ^
Same with someone like Juwan. Sometimes guys who have never done it before but have a magnetism about them can come in and be awesome at it
January 8th, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^
Hartline was a GA at OSU for multiple years before becoming the WR coach. He didn't come straight from the NFL to be the Buckeyes' OC.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:15 AM ^
For more info, I guess the dude's on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhmacdonald/
Former Caddy. We all know what that means (/s)
Google also provided a write up from his college fraternity site:
https://sigep.org/sigepjournal/georgias-mike-macdonald-follows-his-heart-to-the-nfl/
Otherwise there's not a ton with a cursory search. Experience with a Harbaugh can't be a bad thing, at least he'd know what he's getting into.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:18 AM ^
Hopefully he doesn't take our QB room out for field trips to the golf course.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
I disagree that we need an elite recruiter. We really don't at all. You could be a trash recruiter with absolutely zero personality and still get the best recruits at a place like Michigan if you just start winning.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:48 AM ^
Winning absolutely makes recruiting easier.
Recruiting is widely considered the lifeblood of a program, but what about player development?
That is where I think Michigan has been lacking - yes, roster management issues are rampant but look at our past recruiting classes and in general they're very good. Not everyone pans out but we seem to have a higher miss rate on a lot of the higher rated guys (see: Rashan Gary). That says it's more of a development issue than a recruiting issue.
Michigan has managed to bring in five top 15 classes in Harbaugh's six full years (not counting the 2015 class) three of which were top 10 classes. We are not Alabama, Clemson or OSU. And we never will be. Yes, more 5-stars would be great, but it's not like we recruit poorly right now. Could it be better? Sure, but it's not like we're bringing in only 3-stars and below. Plenty of Harbaugh's guys are playing on Sundays now, or will be soon.
I think the lack of recruiting experience for an incoming DC candidate is being overblown. Yes, it is absolutely important but if you can develop and coach the guys you do get that will help get the wins rolling in and that will help more talent come in as well.
If Tim Banks is a name that seems to keep popping up then I'm fine, as most here seem to be, with pairing him with a guy who may not be great at recruiting or has little experience with it.
For my money, I want a guy who can coach and develop the players he has. Show kids that you can get the most out of your players and put them in the NFL, and the 5-stars will come. That's what Alabama does, that's what Clemson does and that's what those fuckers in Columbus do.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:16 AM ^
Been hearing a LOT from DMV sources that Jim was either going to be OC for Ravens, or that he was going to be taking defensive personnel from Ravens to Michigan. This move jives with that and makes sense. Like it
January 8th, 2021 at 10:35 AM ^
OC for the Ravens? That would look bad and the media would have field day with it, that his older brother had to save him. This is an odd one.. unless John looking to retire and Jim take over. I don't believe this one at all.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:46 AM ^
From my personal interactions with Ravens fans I can tell you they would be livid if the OC thing had any semblance of truth to it. A) Most of them don’t like John and B) View Roman as the key to their success.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^
Of course he can recruit, thinking otherwise will be What a Fool Believes. He will be Takin it to the Streets to get the best players. Maybe, I'm On My Own with this opinion; but, I Keep Forgettin' what it was like to have a great defense. Perhaps everyone needs to take a minute to Listen to the Music or maybe Find it in Your Heart to give him a chance. Our performance this season was a disappointment, but there Ain't No Mountain High Enough to keep him from restoring our defense to it's former glory. I Gotta Try to stay positive here, because the negativity around these parts can make anyone want to take a dive into some nasty Black Water.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:23 AM ^
Sweet Freedom. Great song!
January 8th, 2021 at 11:16 AM ^
Glad I’m not the only one who started singing Doobie Brother songs when I saw this name!
January 8th, 2021 at 11:31 AM ^
You all beat me to it.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:22 AM ^
If he can stop 3rd and 30 and doesn't use teddy bears to motivate, I'm okay with this hire.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:55 AM ^
doesn't use teddy bears to motivate
If I remember right it was actually a beaver. Feels like a lifetime ago so I might be wrong.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:25 AM ^
Need confirmation from the man himself. A simple Yah Mo Be There would suffice.
January 8th, 2021 at 10:25 AM ^
THAT guy? No way. If I have to hear "Yah Mo B There" one more time, I'm gonna "Yah Mo" burn this place to the ground.