Michigan football spring practice is fast approaching which means that if Sherrone Moore wants to have Mike Hart’s replacement secured by then, he’ll have to act fast.
The Wolverines will start spring practices on March 18. That’s next Monday. Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider reported that Moore wanted to have a hire in place by spring ball.
The latest on the search for Michigan football running backs coach
Webb reported on Tuesday that’s still true. He also teased the potential of a “jaw-dropping” hire. No names are mentioned and that’s been the same tactic used by other insiders.
Frankly, I find it encouraging. If the Michigan football folks are so excited about this potential hire that they won’t share a name for fear of “blowing it up” that has me interested in what’s to come.
Denard Robinson and DeMarco Murray are the names I have mentioned. They both make sense. So does Devon Spalding from Wisconsin, but none of those guys fit the mold of jaw-dropping. Murray would be a huge get if Michigan football was able to lure him away from Oklahoma, his alma mater, to be the RBs coach.
But if the move Webb is referring to happens, it feels bigger than Murray. Maybe it’s a Chip-Kelly-type deal where a head coach decides to join Sherrone’s staff as assistant head coach/running backs coach. I’m sure the money is there and coaches seem willing. Chip wasn’t the only head coach to leave his job for an assistant gig this offseason.
That seems pretty pie-in-the-sky, which is what I called hiring Murray. Still, it seems like some good news could be coming for the Wolverines as Sherrone finalizes his first Michigan football coaching staff.
Update: Sherrone Moore is attempting to poach Ohio State’s running backs coach, Tony Alford, according to Pete Nakos of On3.com. That must be the jaw-dropping hire Webb was alluding to and man, Buckeye fans would be in shambles.
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