Brian Gornick, Sports Editor
Winning a national championship is the shining pinnacle of college football. It washes away any worries or fears fans may have had during the season, but that doesn’t matter anymore. The future looks to be bright.Â
Despite winning the national championship, Michigan’s football program has undergone profound changes since they raised the trophy in Houston.Â
A slew of important coaches and staff have left the program, the most notable being head coach Jim Harbaugh, who accepted an offer to become head coach of the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers. Following Harbaugh is Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator, and Ben Herbert, associate head coach/director of strength and conditioning. Herbert’s loss is profoundly impactful, being a major part of the program’s turnaround following the 2020 season.
Jay Harbaugh, special teams coordinator, is also expected to leave the Wolverines. Harbaugh as of today is expected to sign with the Seattle Seahawks to become their special teams coordinator after previously being linked to following his father to Los Angeles with the Chargers.Â
The sidelines aren’t the only part of Michigan that’ll look different next season, as there’ll be plenty of new faces on the field too. A new quarterback will be under center, with J.J. McCarthy leaving for the 2024 NFL Draft. Following him are multiple offensive weapons such as Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, and Cornelius Johnson.Â
The offensive line, the perceived strength of Michigan’s offense, will also be brand new. Six offensive linemen are entering the draft, most of them being seniors or graduate students. All five starters during the season opener against East Carolina have also put their names into the draft. Trente Jones, who stepped up following Zak Zinter’s season-ending injury against Ohio State, will be making his way to the draft as well.
Despite all of these losses both on the field and the sidelines, the structural stability of the program has largely stayed intact.
Many of the coaching positions that were left empty have been taken by coaches who are already on the team. Sherrone Moore, offensive coordinator and line coach, has become the 21st head coach in Michigan history. The former positions Moore held were taken over by Kirk Campbell, quarterback coach, and, Grant Newsome, tight end coach, respectively.Â
Michigan has yet to hire a defensive coordinator, with the program casting a wide net in their search. The same goes for the director of strength and conditioning, with the candidate needing to fill big shoes in the loss of Herbert.Â