Official Mattison retained!
This is great news!
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011215aah.html
January 12th, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^
(Durkin) - Hey we need to signal in the man-boob jiggly play......where's Matty?!!?
January 12th, 2015 at 6:46 PM ^
And Mattison will help groom him, he'll be Assistant HC, he'll have strong input...just won't call the plays.
Our defensive staff is set up to have great chemistry...and success.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:24 PM ^
Awesome. The one bright spot on the coaching staff for the last four years.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:26 PM ^
Yippee! And the news actually beat the courier service that usually bring me such information on the rails.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^
This is just huge for Michigan. Job titles are there for a reason, and the buck has to stop somewhere. Having said that, I think that Mattison is a great elder statesman, and he will be able to contribute significant helpful perspective on the linebackers and on how the defense works together as a whole. If he is having fun, he could potentially continue for a long time at Michigan. The players seem to relate very well to him.
Reading the presser raises a question that isn't thread worthy, but that I have wondered about. I've been curious about what Jack Harbaugh will be doing with Jim as the head coach. Will Jack relocate to the Ann Arbor area? Will he occasionally give his two cents worth to Jim? It seems that he isn't much of one for golf or fishing or just laying around, and I could see him enjoying spending a bit of time around the program.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:53 PM ^
They had a story about every week they would both send Jack game film to look over.
January 12th, 2015 at 2:53 PM ^
I don't remember where, but I believe I read that Jack is indeed moving back to Ann Arbor.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 1:27 PM ^
Greg is a great recruiter and took our defense from 110th to like 15th in one year. I'd say he'll be an excellent DL coach.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:28 PM ^
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January 12th, 2015 at 1:31 PM ^
Coach Harbough is DEFENITELY putting the band back together....."HIT IT"
January 12th, 2015 at 1:31 PM ^
I feel like there's a part of this story that is missing. I can't help but wonder why a guy who's been a DC at the college and NFL level would stay on as a line coach.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad and think we're better off with him, it just seems odd to me.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:36 PM ^
He's 65 y/o. He gets to continue coaching and working with kids, which is his passion, without as much pressure and responsibility. Plus Michigan's contractually obligated to keep paying him his DC salary, so that definitely helps. Seems like a natural fit.
January 12th, 2015 at 3:03 PM ^
and hubby with grandkid(s) live and own businesses in the A2 area so any Relo is going to take he and (perhaps more importantly) his wife further from family.
January 12th, 2015 at 5:56 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 1:36 PM ^
He has coached here before and likes AA, he moved his whole family here or maybe it was that his daughter and grandkids lived here, he's old, he's got a fat contract, Durkin was his GA once, friend of the Harbaugh family
January 12th, 2015 at 1:38 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 1:39 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^
You are missing a couple things.
- Mattison has a contract, and as such is getting paid regardless. Doesn't hurt to get something out of him. Mutually beneficial.
- Back when he agreed to join Hoke, his daughter said, "We followed you in your career. Now we're here in the area . . . come join us." And he did.
- The implication is his wife is happy (being where her daughter and grandkids are.) They have a home, they have a church, they're well set.
- Greg Mattison is 65 years old. It is appropriate for him to keep working, but it is great for him to slow down a bit and have a bit less on his plate. If he can work 60 hours a week (instead of 80,) he does what he wants, but has a bit more time to rest. Also, he doesn't have to start over again at a different school.
- I also think his wife knows that he would go crazy just to retire. She doesn't want him home all the time, iirc.
Some of these things you'll understand more when you have adult children and also grandchildren. If you have a good relationship, it is nice to be able to spend time together, and not be in a different part of the country.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:41 PM ^
Much like the most sought after NFL Head Coach leaving the league to come coach Michigan?
He knows that JH is going to build a program capable of competing for NC's every year. Being a part of that would be a nice way to top off a very successful career.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^
I have zero insight to the matter, but my guess would be that he is planning on retiring here and doesn't feel the need to search for other opportunities in his career.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:38 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 6:08 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 1:47 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 1:53 PM ^
A lot of things needed to go Michigan's way to get Mattison as a DL coach. Not as many as Harbaugh, but the amount of ifs that led to this (re)hire is pretty high.
Closing in on retirement age, family in the area, new HC is related to a mentor from his formative years as a coach, still on contract and other than MSU there weren't any major DC openings in the upper midwest. If any one of those wasn't the case it's very possible Mattison would be going somewhere else.
January 12th, 2015 at 1:59 PM ^
Obligatory (Credit Zero fellow MGo User)
January 12th, 2015 at 2:11 PM ^
Hopefully this will minimize the learning curve for the defense and help the defensive coaches come up to speed on the strengths and weaknesses of the defensive players.
Coach Mattison - I very glad you were offered and that you decided to stay!
January 12th, 2015 at 2:32 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^
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January 12th, 2015 at 2:55 PM ^
January 12th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
Great for continuity, though the longer he's been away from the NFL and the dimmer the recriuts' knowledge of his career path, I doubt it would've impacted recuiting much if at all had he left. Still, Mattison loves Michigan and has useful knowledge and skills to impart.
January 12th, 2015 at 3:57 PM ^
Happy he's back.
Happier he's coaching the DL and Durkin is coaching the LBs. This is good.
January 12th, 2015 at 7:07 PM ^
The J. Ira and Nicki title again...do they really need to be plugged in every single media reference to the damned football coach?
From the press release on the Michigan site:
"I am very excited that Greg will remain here in Ann Arbor to continue coaching at this outstanding University," said Harbaugh, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach..."
Am I alone in finding this constant plug repellent?
January 12th, 2015 at 9:40 PM ^
Mr. Ross, could you please buy the coaches title back from the Harris family? I think we can all agree that that one just went too far. I'm sure Jim would appreciate it
January 12th, 2015 at 9:33 PM ^
And his recruiting is solid, but sorry, his coaching is nothing to get excited about. DL coach? Not one of the defensive lineman recruited since Mattison has been here has turned into a high quality player, and there have been plenty of busts and very mediocre performers. Not sure why anyone would expect that to change now. As far as loving Michigan and being a cheerleader...well, it didn't help Hoke. Performance on the field is what matters. All that matters.