Update: Offensive Coaching Staff Overhaul

Submitted by MichiganSports3 on

Reading more and more that Dan Enos and Greg Roman will likely be the newest additions to the Michigan coaching staff, replacing Drevno, Pep, and Frey (all of which rumored to have accepted jobs elsewhere). This basically confirms what our "insider" MGoBlog accounts have been posting throughout the day with regards to the coaching changes. In bringing in Greg Roman, it appears that Harbaugh is planning on switching to the pistol offense that he ran with Colin Kaepernick in SF. He's got the QB's for it in Patterson, McCaffrey, and Milton, as well as athletic WR's in DPJ, Black, and Collins. Let's hope it revitalizes the offense for next season.

Note* Nothing is confirmed but I highly doubt that every UM Insider who's been tracking these moves is wrong 

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Bo4President

January 3rd, 2018 at 7:43 AM ^

I am not cool with Enos. He is a Spartan and always will be.

Roman, I don’t have a opinion on.

I suggest we do a search like we did with Don Brown. We need to get this hire right it’s a critical year.

Joined: 02/13/2013

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mgobaran

January 3rd, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^

Harbaugh tried to go that way this season, adding Frey(outside zone running) and Pep Hamilton(5-wide passing scheme). It didn't work. Now, according to the OP, he is looking at installing the pistol, brought in a 100% spread QB from Ole Miss, has athletic QBs on the roster in McCaffery and Milton, etc. Harbaugh and Roman basically installed the best read option offense at San Fransisco. He is a lot more flexible than you are giving him credit for. 

Joined: 09/12/2012

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stephenrjking

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:00 AM ^

If this is true it's an indication that Harbaugh sees the issues with the offense as more than a one-year / youth thing. And it's a repudiation against people who grow impatient during the season; you don't rush through this. Harbaugh has already demonstrated, repeatedly, his willingness to assess challenges and make changes. We have ample evidence of that this year from the hiring of Frey, to the OL scheme change (which told us that there was something not working with that hire, even though he faithfully did his job all year) to the overlooked move of Drevno to field level. Losing Partridge would be a blow. It sounds like it's time for other guys to move on. I'm not concerned about the gameplan for the Outback Bowl, since the real priority for those practices is continuing the team's development going forward. If it is Roman, BTW, the pistol component is not the big reason, even if they use it. Roman is a good offensive coach that Harbaugh has had success with before. The pistol was one tool they used with Colin Kaepernck to great effect at a time when the NFL wasn't prepared for it, that's all.

Joined: 03/15/2012

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NateVolk

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:11 AM ^

And you don't have to have a running quarterback to utilize the instrinsic advantages of the pistol. 

But if you have a guy who can keep defenses honest with his feet, it moves the game back to 11 on 11. Much harder to defend. Even Bama has caught onto that aspect of offense in college the last few years.

Maturation is going to solve a lot of the issues we saw this season. Clearly not all. Which is why the changes. And it's a good time to do it. All the weapons on this offense are going to be around for 2 more seasons save the running backs.

The other aspect of the pistol is it greatly opens up the prospects at QB. It's widely used in some form in high schools now. Less lag time in development.

Joined: 07/19/2010

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wildbackdunesman

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:20 AM ^

The way I look at it is this.  If our defense can maintain itself as a great unit - all we need is an average offense to make a significant jump.

If our offense were an average unit, not ranked 86th per S&P everything would get better.

Our defense would get better, as they wouldn't be out so quick after so many three and outs and wouldn't have so many short fields to defend after a turnover.

Our special teams would get better as we'd have shorter field goals to attempt when we are forced to attempt them (as well as less of them as we score more TDs).

 

If we had just an average performing offense in 2017 we are likely 10-2 at worst.  We likely beat MSU and OSU, have a shot against Wisconsin...and probably still lose to Penn State.

We of course want an elite offense and defense, but just an average offense would do wonders for this team's record.

Joined: 07/16/2008

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Rufus X

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:30 AM ^

I think even with the same offensive staff, OL, and WR issues, if we had even an average QB against MSU and OSU we win one or both of those games.  Which still falls on coaching, of course, but damn - we were within striking distance of a pretty good season if not for Speight's injury...

Joined: 10/29/2010

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wayneandgarth

January 3rd, 2018 at 1:41 PM ^

I'm a Vikings fan (for 50 years).  The reason I'm confident in that team now is not only do they have a top ranked defense (loaded with pro bowl caliber players), much like Michigan, but they also have a better than average offense.  Sometimes a really good offense. 

I think its important for 2018 for Michigan to have a better than average offense to make you feel like you know they are going to beat good teams.  We've seen Michigan's great 2017 defense kind of unravel at times once momentum swings (for sure Wisconsin and S. Carolina games).  We need a offense that can come back with some fire.

More importantly, like we've now build on defense where we know we can likely reload and have a great defense, we need to build the offense to the point where, year in, year out, we have a very competent offense. 

So we need to look beyond 2018 (where we may be able to beat good teams with an average offense) and put the bricks in place (coaching, recruiting, etc.) where we have a very good offense every damn year.

Joined: 10/10/2012

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mfan92

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:30 AM ^

I know nothing about Enos so I won't comment on him. But I'm a 49ers fan and roman was there throughout harbaughs tenure there and at times the offense looked great. They could do many different things. They were ground and pound and that opened up the passing game for Alex smith who at the time was the worse QB in the history of NFL. But then when kap got there, harbaugh hand picked him in the draft, he change the offense to fit his skill set. The first 2 year with kap they were good going to Super Bowl and the NFC championship game back to back. Harbaughs last year the team was hit with every injury you can think of. But the offense was good with a better defense. Kinda like how Michigan is built right now. But my biggest problem with roman was there were multiple games just like the bowl game. When the niners would have a lead, the second half they would close the playbook and try to coast to the end of the game. They sometimes became predictable and would have a bunch of 3 and outs or drives ending in punts and times would lose the game. On top of that there were so many drives that finished in FGs which got annoying. But points are points. But ya as long as they don't take their foot off the gas in second half this would be good. Obviously better than what we got this year.

Joined: 12/06/2016

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1VaBlue1

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:45 AM ^

Removing the foot from a neck is what bothers me.  Bo did it.  Moeller did it.  Carr did it.  And we've seen Harbaugh do it in each of his three years.  It's something I've learned to expect, yet loath.  I don't necessarily want to see 65-3 blowouts when the starters are left in and we keep throwing the ball.  But I do want to see 45-10 drubbings when the game is over midway through the 3rd.  Why must Michigan coaches feel so comfortable just shutting down and playing a 4-corner offense?

(You'll notice I didn't include RR and Hoke.  Yeah...)

Joined: 01/31/2016

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michfan23

January 3rd, 2018 at 9:01 AM ^

I’m not sure you could argue that Harbaugh is in this camp until this year when he didn’t have the confidence to keep slinging it around the field. You aren’t going to try to run up scores with O Korn or Peters because you don’t want to risk turnovers, make the opposition drive the field on your defense. Personally, that’s what I think Harbaugh wanted to do against SC, his team is up 19-3, the defense was dominant, there was roughly 22 minutes of game time left, don’t take too many chances. His game plan didn’t account for 4 turnovers, no coach would expect that.

2016 was the year of the Michigan blowouts leading up to November. Absolute annihilation of Hawaii, UCF, Rutgers, Maryland, etc.

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Naked Bootlegger

January 3rd, 2018 at 10:54 AM ^

Not only up 19-3, but driving for a dagger TD before an unfortunate fumble.    So I don't accuse Harbaugh of "letting up" against SC.  We were driving in a semi-effective manner for a probable game-clinching TD when Higdon fumbled.   The cascade of calamities that followed exacerbated the situation, but the Higdon fumble was unfortunately the lead domino.   

Joined: 01/28/2011

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Rico

January 3rd, 2018 at 5:16 PM ^

It went Furbush interception, then Higdon fumble, then the defense forced a (short) punt with SC backed up that gave Michigan the ball already in FG range, the offense went 3 and out but Nordin made the kick to go up 19-3. So the fumble kinda still helped lead to points in a way by pinning SC inside their own 5. Then they scored on the ensuing drive and yeah...  

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michfan23

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:52 AM ^

Here’s my take on this: Did the knowledge of a shake up affect the players and practices leading up to the Bowl game? These are young men who had to feel that something was going to happen and that may have been a distraction to them which resulted in disorganization and confusion. I get that this is an excuse, but the argument that they were just young was an excuse that didn’t help explain everything, maybe this sheds more light on why the extra practices for the Bowl game were not clearly evident in the product on the field.

Now, as far as changing up the style of the offense. I’m all for it, I think we have some of the pieces to help make it work, but when we change styles so much doesn’t this affect the continuity of the growth? I’m not arguing we keep it the same, but we go from spread (previous coaches) to manball, to prostyle, and finally the Cleveland Browns offense (thanks Pep- you may find the exit at any time). At what point do you stick with something and try to grow on it through consistency? If we make this style change than we better stick with it for a while and be prepared for the bumps in the road that inevitably come when you built the personnel for something you don’t want to do anymore. The nfl is different in the fact you can trade and go to free agency, college relies on bringing in 18 year olds. We have some pieces, but not the whole offense, the transition phase will be back, I will need to tell myself to be patient, after this season that has become hard to do.

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Pepto Bismol

January 3rd, 2018 at 8:59 AM ^

I don't think any of us truly care about 8-5 vs. 9-4. Or the prestige of an Outback Bowl victory. The biggest source of angst was that our offense looked worse than ever when we are all hoping for major improvement over the break leading into the 2018 gauntlet. If they were distracted by impending coaching changes, bummer, but at least we're not all crazy and Jim Harbaugh is trying to right the ship.

Joined: 02/03/2015

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michfan23

January 3rd, 2018 at 9:03 AM ^

I’m not arguing that I care about that victory either, but if the coaches know they are getting shown he door or they are out shopping for jobs that might explain why there wasn’t growth. I may be wrong, but I think it helps to explain the abysmal play.

Joined: 11/06/2015

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golfer

January 3rd, 2018 at 9:08 AM ^

Just read some of the comments that North Carolina Players said they knew exactly what plays we were gonna run because we are so predictable we need change if not we will be doing the same stuff over and over and over

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