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Michigan has found its next defensive coordinator.
On Sunday, Jim Harbaugh’s football schedule announced the hiring of Mike Macdonald, a 35-year-old Baltimore Ravens assistant coach.
Macdonald replaces Don Brown, who was fired on Dec. 22 after five seasons at the helm of the Wolverines defense.
In a statement, Harbaugh hailed Macdonald as an “excellent defensive spirit” who is “highly respected in the NFL”.
“He has been a valued member of the Baltimore Ravens staff and has shown a passion for teaching, coaching and developing his players,” said Harbaugh. “We are thrilled with all that Mike brings to our defense, our team and our university, and we look forward to welcoming him and his fiancee Stephanie to our Michigan Football family.
Macdonald has spent the past seven seasons in Baltimore, where he has made a meteoric rise in the coaching profession. The last three have been moved on as a linebacker coach, while he was a defensive back coach in 2017 and was a defensive assistant in 2016 and 2015.
He first came to the Ravens organization in 2014 as an intern, after being a graduate assistant at the University of Georgia for three seasons. Macdonald has no direct co-ordination experience at the college or professional level, which makes this an exceptional hire for Harbaugh.
“It’s an honor to join Coach Harbaugh’s staff at the University of Michigan,” Macdonald said in a statement. “I firmly believe in his vision and can’t wait to get to work. Our staff will work tirelessly to develop our young men on and off the pitch – I look forward to meeting and developing relationships with our players, staff and community!
Macdonald has coached NFL Pro Bowl players for the past five seasons with the Ravens, a vast talent pool that includes Matthew Judon (2019-20), CJ Mosley (2018) and safety Eric Weddle (2017-18) . The Ravens staff are headed by John Harbaugh, brother of Jim Harbaugh.
In Georgia, Macdonald graduated summa cum laude from Georgia with a degree in finance and a master’s degree in sports management. While in college he was also an assistant coach at nearby Cedar Shoals High School.
Macdonald takes over from a largely young and inexperienced defense, a unit molded to fit Brown’s quick and aggressive style of play. Wolverines are set to lose star defensive end Kwity Paye and junior linebacker Cam McGrone to the NFL, while winger Aidan Hutchinson and goaltender Brad Hawkins, both eligible at the start, have announced their intention to return in 2021 .
Details of the contract for Macdonald were not immediately available, but his arrival could bring substantial changes to Michigan’s defensive staff. Two assistant coaches, Shaun Nua (defensive line) and Mike Zordich (cornerback), work on expired contracts while safety coach Bob Shoop, hired last year, spent most of 2020 working at distance, a decision taken as a result of a private matter.
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