On fourth-and-five from the 10, Michigan badly needed a touchdown to pull within a touchdown of Oregon in the fourth quarter. Kirk Campbell dialed up a trick play for Semaj Morgan (a wide receiver) to throw the ball to Alex Orji (a quarterback). Too cute by half, drive over, game over. It’s one play, but it’s indicative of Campbell’s seeming inability to trust his best players to run effective plays. It was not built as a counter to something previously put on tape. It was spaghetti thrown at the wall to see if it’d stick.
In terms of Net Success Rate, Michigan did its best to keep pace with the Ducks. And yet, Oregon was probably always going to win. What stings most is how unprepared and poorly coached the Wolverines looked. What stings even more is that they looked so lost nine weeks into the season.
They were bound to take a step backward. They lost all but four starters from a national championship team. You’d hope to see good coaching mitigate the backslide, but that hasn’t happened. This space has stressed that it has to be ok for Sherrone Moore to make mistakes. He’s a first-year head coach. It’s not a position that’s conducive to immediate, unfettered success.
That said, it does not excuse the mix of stubborn play-calling and lack of discipline in all three phases of the game. We’ve made excuses for Kirk Campbell and Wink Martindale. Now, the team is in a lost season without guaranteed bowl eligibility. It’s worth discussing some viable coaching alternatives if and when Moore decides to improve his staff.
Intrigue At Offensive Coordinator
There’s been a massive shift from Moore’s play-calling during the championship run. Michigan had an established run-first identity, a few key base plays, and evolving wrinkles added to those plays as the season progressed. He and Jim Harbaugh built a purposeful offense by anticipating opponent counters with proactive alterations to those counters.
So, if Campbell can’t produce that, who could? Let’s rule out coaches who are well-set at their current programs and probably not leaving anytime soon, like Oregon’s Will Stein. Ditto for coaches whose offensive systems would require a complete philosophical overhaul, like Clemson’s Garrett Riley. Program culture flips can be enticing, but they can also throw teams into crisis when it goes awry. Look at Phil Longo’s Air Raid trying to find purchase in Wisconsin, where 1,000-yard running backs were once a foregone conclusion.
Who, then, could Moore bring in to help run a productive, balanced, modern offense? Ideally, someone who has both a proven track record and some upside to explore. Brennan Marion has done some incredible work at UNLV with his innovative ‘Go-Go’ Offense. You’d have to at least give Indiana’s Mike Shanahan a call, given the amazing one-year turnaround he’s pulled off for the Hoosiers. Alabama has interesting co-coordinators in Nick Sheridan and JaMarcus Shephard, the former of which played ball at Michigan. Collin Klein has been successful at both Kansas State and now Texas A&M.
This is a wish list, of sorts, and an incomplete one at that. There are intriguing offenses to explore at Syracuse, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Boise State, etc. The modern game has no shortage of innovative offensive minds on the rise. It comes down to Sherrone Moore picking the right one to mesh with his desired offensive vision.
A Difficult Proposition For Defensive Coordinator
This side of the ball is a bit harder, if only because it comes with a larger buyout to move on from Martindale. Michigan nonetheless has the money to make that happen. We’ve certainly seen enough blown third-and-longs and Cover-Zero blitzes to make it worthwhile to look elsewhere. As with the offense, it’s not worth discussing unrealistic options – SEC stalwarts like Pete Kwiatkowski (Texas) and Glenn Schumann (Georgia) are not moving to Ann Arbor.
The key here is complimentary football. Michigan built success from 2021 through 2023 with an offense that sustained drives and wore down opponents opposite a defense that got off the field on third down. Last year their opponent’s third-down conversion percentage was 29%. This year, it’s 44%. Perusing through this year’s leaders in that category, there are interesting options Michigan could pursue.
USC’s D’Anton Lynn has taken the Trojans in the reverse direction from Michigan’s numbers above. Yes, USC’s been a pretty major disappointment this year, but that feels more squarely like a Lincoln Riley problem. Lynn’s done his part to make the defense respectable and comes from a familiar lineage for Michigan’s recent defensive hires (namely, former Ravens staffers). Northern Illinois’ Nick Benedetto has the Huskies in the top 10 in opponent yards per game, plus a major Notre Dame upset under his belt. Syracuse’s Elijah Robinson, Houston’s Shiel Wood, and Indiana’s Bryant Haines are all worth asking.
The team could also look within. Defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan was previous coordinator Jesse Minter’s recommendation for the role after he vacated it. Morgan coached under Minter at Vanderbilt and has an upside to explore despite Michigan’s uninspired secondary play this year.
Tidying The House
Coaching changes should be inevitable amidst this season’s disappointments. Exceptions include defensive line coach Lou Esposito, who has acquitted himself and his charges well, and offensive line coach Grant Newsome, whose youth and team ambassadorship will be crucial to helping Moore maintain continuity. Tony Alford (running backs) and Steve Casula (tight ends) are also worth keeping around.
Otherwise, there will be movement, especially if new coordinators are in the office. Special teams coach J.B. Brown has put himself in a tough spot with numerous miscues this year in his phase of the game. We’ve seen fake punt conversions, and a penalty against Oregon off an odd formation, and punter Tommy Doman’s performance has been erratic at best. It’s easy to forget about special teams during the good times, but this year they’re impossible to overlook.
Recruiting is another thing to keep in mind through the process if and when it begins. Despite their struggles, Michigan is putting together a very good 2025 class that ought to see additional strength added to the portal as well. Top recruiting coaches include Morgan, Newsome, and wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy. As much as Moore needs tactical help, he’ll need to be mindful of bringing in coaches who can pound the pavement on the recruiting trail as well.
The goal in the meantime is bowl eligibility, which is unlikely to be gained this weekend against Indiana.
