Menu
  • Land of 10 Home
  • Football
    • Football News
    • 2017 Schedule
  • Recruiting
    • 2018 Recruits
    • Recruiting Articles
  • Basketball
    • Basketball Articles
    • 2017 Basketball Schedule
  • Big Ten West
    • Illinois
    • Iowa
    • Minnesota
    • Nebraska
    • Northwestern
    • Purdue
    • Wisconsin
  • Big Ten East
    • Indiana
    • Maryland
    • Michigan
    • Michigan State
    • Ohio State
    • Penn State
    • Rutgers
  • Big Ten News
  • Big Ten
    • All Big Ten News
    • Illinois Fighting Illini
    • Indiana Hoosiers
    • Iowa Hawkeyes
    • Maryland Terrapins
    • Michigan Wolverines
    • Michigan State Spartans
    • Minnesota Golden Gophers
    • Nebraska Cornhuskers
    • Northwestern Wildcats
    • Ohio State Buckeyes
    • Penn State Nittany Lions
    • Purdue Boilermakers
    • Rutgers Scarlet Knights
    • Wisconsin Badgers
  • ACC
    • All ACC News
    • Boston College Eagles
    • Clemson Tigers
    • Duke Blue Devils
    • Florida State Seminoles
    • Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
    • Louisville Cardinals
    • Miami Hurricanes
    • NC State Wolfpack
    • North Carolina Tar Heels
    • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
    • Pitt Panthers
    • Syracuse Orange
    • Virginia Cavaliers
    • Virginia Tech Hokies
    • Wake Forest Demon Deacons
  • Big 12
    • All Big 12 News
    • Baylor Bears
    • Iowa State Cyclones
    • Kansas Jayhawks
    • Kansas State Wildcats
    • Oklahoma Sooners
    • Oklahoma State Cowboys
    • TCU Horned Frogs
    • Texas Longhorns
    • Texas Tech Red Raiders
    • West Virginia Mountaineers
  • Pac-12
    • All Pac-12 News
    • Arizona Wildcats
    • Arizona State Sun Devils
    • Cal Golden Bears
    • Colorado Buffaloes
    • Oregon Ducks
    • Oregon State Beavers
    • Stanford Cardinal
    • UCLA Bruins
    • USC Trojans
    • Utah Utes
    • Washington Huskies
    • Washington State Cougars
  • SEC
    • All SEC News
    • Alabama Crimson Tide
    • Arkansas Razorbacks
    • Auburn Tigers
    • Florida Gators
    • Georgia Bulldogs
    • Kentucky Wildcats
    • LSU Tigers
    • Ole Miss Rebels
    • Mississippi State Bulldogs
    • Missouri Tigers
    • South Carolina Gamecocks
    • Tennessee Volunteers
    • Texas A&M Aggies
    • Vanderbilt Commodores

Michigan football: Coaching changes kick off overhaul to offense

Michigan finished ninth in the Big Ten in total offense (348.9 yards a game) in 2017. The lack of production has already resulted in at least two coaching moves on the Wolverines offensive staff.
Dave Reginek/Getty Images
Rachel Lenzi
Rachel Lenzi
@rlenziCMG
Posted 4 months ago

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh remained stone-faced in the wake of a 26-19 loss to South Carolina in the Outback Bowl.

“There will be things to build on,” said Harbaugh, whose team squandered a 16-point lead in the second half on New Year’s Day. “I thought our guys played extremely hard. I thought they really played their guts out, and so did South Carolina. But yeah, we’ll … another year of the pursuit of excellence. That’s the way we’ll be looking at it.”

Pursuing excellence means making changes following an 8-5 season. Less than a week into the new year, Michigan’s offensive coaching staff is already taking on a different look.

FOX Sport’s Bruce Feldman reported that Dan Enos will join Michigan’s coaching staff in an offensive role, while Greg Frey is expected to join Florida State as its offensive line coach after less than a year at Michigan.

Michigan’s passing yardage plummeted from 2,756 yards in 2016 to 2,226 yards in 2017. The Wolverines surrendered 36 sacks (second to last in the 14-team Big Ten Conference), and lost two starting quarterbacks to injuries. Michigan’s top wide receiver registered only 307 yards, 555 less than its leading receiver in 2016.

The ensuing changes will be a reflection of the dissatisfaction with the current status quo of the offense.

The Enos effect

Michigan hasn’t designated Enos’ responsibilities yet, but his offensive background will certainly serve the Wolverines. Enos’ forte is quarterbacks. He is a former Michigan State quarterback who grew up in Dearborn, Mich., and was Central Michigan’s head coach from 2010 to 2014. He was also Cincinnati’s quarterbacks coach and Michigan State’s quarterbacks coach, and was Arkansas’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the last three seasons.

Arkansas finished seventh in the SEC in passing yardage per game in 2017 (205.42 yards); Michigan finished 11th in the Big Ten in passing yardage per game this season (171.2 yards). If Enos is to work directly with the quarterbacks, and if the NCAA approves Shea Patterson’s transfer waiver, Enos will have the opportunity to work with Patterson, Peters, redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey and incoming freshmen Joe Milton and Kevin Doyle.

Michigan’s offensive staff, as of Friday afternoon, includes Enos, Tim Drevno, offensive coordinator/offensive line coach; Pep Hamilton, assistant head coach/passing game coordinator and Jay Harbaugh, running backs coach/co-special teams coordinator. Jay Harbaugh’s contract expires Jan. 10.

What’s next for the offensive line

Whoever replaces Frey as Michigan’s tackles coach/tight ends coach/run game coordinator may have his title or his role simplified. But whoever takes over the offensive line will have his work cut out for him.

The Wolverines offensive line was inconsistent in 12 regular-season games. Michigan allowed 22 sacks, and 86 tackles for a loss of 306 yards.

“We’ve got to block better,” Michigan center Patrick Kugler said after a 14-10 loss to Michigan State on Oct. 7. “We’ve got to do a lot of things better. I don’t know how many times (John O’Korn) was sacked, but we’ve got to protect better.”

Two injured starting quarterbacks is a poor reflection on the offensive line, and on the people who coach the offensive line. Michigan needs an offensive line coach who can instill discipline and who can meld it into an effective — and an efficient — unit.

NEXT Al Washington officially added to Michigan football coaching staff
More from:
Rachel Lenzi
  • ‘The sky’s the limit’ for Michigan’s tight ends in 2018
  • Michigan’s 5 breakout performers in spring: QB Shea Patterson brings ‘positive energy’
  • Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, not Pep Hamilton, has final say on offense
  • Michigan play calling continues as collaborative effort in 2018
  • Michigan LBs coach Al Washington puts defensive coordinator Don Brown on Mount Rushmore

Share

Get the latest Michigan News

Don't miss breaking news!
Sign up for the Land of 10 Michigan Newsletter!

Michigan Wolverines Nike/Jordan Brand gear at Fanatics.com

Official Partners
Get Breaking News Fast!
Download the new Land of 10 app.
Get it on the AppStore
Get it on Google Play

Latest Big Ten News

  • Ohio State
    Keyshawn Woods commits to Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes la...
  • Big Ten
    2018 NFL mock draft: Projections for all rounds, 32 teams (4...
  • Big Ten
    NFL mock draft 2018: First-round projections, top players, o...
  • 41 mins ago
    Michigan
    Michigan recruiting: Rylie Mills recaps visit, Karsen Barnha...
  • 60 mins ago
    Nebraska
    Nebraska AD Bill Moos: Urban Meyer, Jim Harbaugh are ‘...
  • 1 hour ago
    Nebraska
    Nebraska recruiting: Florida contingent enjoys spring game v...
  • 1 hour ago
    Nebraska
    National media members believe in 2018 being ‘a transi...
  • 1 hour ago
    Penn State
    Penn State recruiting: 5-star OL Devontae Dobbs talks Lions,...
  • 1 hour ago
    Wisconsin
    Wisconsin recruiting: WR Nolan Groulx earns another MVP hono...
  • 2 hours ago
    Ohio State
    Ohio State recruiting: Jake Wray works to bring in more tale...

Follow Us

  • © 2018 Cox Media Group
    • About DieHards
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Visitor Agreement
    • SEC Country
    • DawgNation
    • DieHards
  • Feedback
SportsRadar logo
The Diehards Network