James Ross III Joins Michigan Coaching Staff
Defensive graduate assistant coach
Thankful and excited for the opportunity to join The University of Michigan football program to begin my coaching career. 〽️#ThoseWhoStayWillBeChampions
— James Ross III (@jross_iii) February 5, 2018
#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/G8ubwodo3B
February 5th, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^
he could have been a heck of an LB in a tampa-two system. Always liked him, and I love adding another former player to the staff.
February 5th, 2018 at 12:52 PM ^
I feel like we've had more than usual (3-4?) former players from the recent past join the coaching staff lately (Ross, Roundtree, Gant). I wonder why so many?
February 5th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Because they'll be less likely to leave for a job at another school in a week.
/s...kind of.
February 5th, 2018 at 1:13 PM ^
good point wheaties... My friend also said it may help in recruiting. I imagine if you are recruiting to your alma mater, not only will you have more loyalty, but you will probably recruit more passionately.
February 5th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
Grad assistants are not allowed to recruit - only the 10 actual assistants.
February 5th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
February 5th, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
They just cant see them off campus.
Of course, you don't expect support staff to be lead recruiters for anyone, but they can build relationships. Partridge did before he was made a full assistant, so has Bush and I doubt they're alone in that.
February 5th, 2018 at 5:55 PM ^
February 5th, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^
Hail yeah, one of my favorite players!
February 5th, 2018 at 12:28 PM ^
wheatley sr. left in Detroit recruiting.
February 5th, 2018 at 12:38 PM ^
February 5th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
I love the addition and more assistants we have that don't count towards the number is aweomse. But do we have any idea who will be the 10th coach may be, or who they are even considering?
February 5th, 2018 at 1:26 PM ^
If we are looking to poach someone from another school, they aren't going to leave this close to it. They won't want rumors about it out either. Now that the NFL season is over, there's going to be more movement there too.
February 5th, 2018 at 1:24 PM ^
...but he can't be "an assistant coach," right?
Doesn't he have to be a quality control assistant, or a staff assistant, or something like that? "Coaching assistant" is how I think they like to phrase it.
Otherwise he counts against our limit on the total number of coaches, right?
So guys like Kovacs and Gant and now Ross can say that they are 'beginning their coaching careers,' as long as we all understand that they aren't doing any coaching that violates the allowable number of assistants.
Sorry to have had to do this, but...
February 5th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
His words, not mine
February 5th, 2018 at 2:41 PM ^
And I don't suppose that it is even a secondary violation to express a title like that. But what he is, is a "graduate assistant." LIke we've had in every program like Michigan's, for 50 or 60 years or more.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/30/sports/ncaafootball/alabama-college-football-coaches.html
He's calling himself "coach" I think because that is now his career goal. He wants to coach. He is going to learn coaching, at Michigan now.
But one thing he can't do, is coach Michigan football players. He can assist coaches.
I wonder if Ross' Twitter page is approved by Michigan compliance.
February 5th, 2018 at 2:54 PM ^
Defensive graduate assistant coach at The University of Michigan.
February 6th, 2018 at 9:43 AM ^
If he is a graduate assistant then that is exactly what he is going to do, coach Michigan football players. GA's can coach on the practice field.
February 5th, 2018 at 1:58 PM ^
February 5th, 2018 at 4:24 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^
And a good response, too. Upvoted.
February 5th, 2018 at 4:59 PM ^
I was just signing on to ask why he would be a coach and not a GA. You don't get to be a coach at Michigan when you're 25 unless you're the coaches son (and have grown up in a coaching family and have your 10,000 hours already.)
Welcome James Ross III.
February 5th, 2018 at 5:42 PM ^
Most likely, Ross will be an intern like Kovacs and Gant.
Kugler and Roundtree were announced as new GAs.
February 5th, 2018 at 5:27 PM ^
February 5th, 2018 at 7:53 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
February 5th, 2018 at 6:58 PM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 11:01 AM ^
Formerly Bob Lopez, no?
February 5th, 2018 at 7:12 PM ^
February 5th, 2018 at 10:13 PM ^
CONGRATS TO BIGGS!!!!! Its a great opportunity to get a graduate degree from one of the top universities in the world and learn from one of the great coach's in the game today. Perhaps after some years of hard work and being a student of the game he loves soooo much, he might become a super coach from the Harbaugh tree and earn Don Brown/Tim Drevno or even Harbaugh kind of money.
Its a great plan as many kids don't make it in the NFL because of injury and other variables that we dont consider nor appreciate. Big-time coaches make as much as big-time players and he truly bleeds Blue. This a great day for a Michigan Man and U of M.
February 5th, 2018 at 11:10 PM ^
The more former players doing coaching, the better for our program in the long term. If Harbaugh can develope a program that also develop young coaches with Michigan tie. It will bode very well for Michigan's future.
February 6th, 2018 at 2:22 AM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 8:48 AM ^
February 6th, 2018 at 9:00 AM ^