Michigan football: 5 candidates to replace Don Brown as defensive coordinator
Now that Don Brown is out as defensive coordinator, who succeeds him?
It’s a tricky question because of the awkward situation related to head coach Jim Harbaugh’s contract.
Harbaugh has one year left on his deal, and even a token extension would conceivably reduce the pool of candidates.
Industry insiders have differing opinions on how attractive this job will be to the most desirable prospects.
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One source believes the position will be coveted because Michigan still has a reputation as a top program.
Another isn’t so sure, speculating that coaches in a stable situation right now won’t risk jumping for a job where the head coach’s long-term status is unclear.
In that context, we take a look at the five men who Michigan could target as Brown’s successor:
Derek Mason, former Vanderbilt head coach
Mason would be a strong hire and a good fit. Prior to the 2010 season, Harbaugh hired Mason to be the Cardinal’s defensive backs coach. He then was promoted to coordinator, and in his last season at Stanford the academic power finished 10th in the nation in scoring defense. His strong performance in that role landed him the job at SEC doormat Vanderbilt, where the Commodores struggled to stay afloat during his tenure before he was fired last month.
If Mason chooses to find work elsewhere, Big Ten country wouldn’t be foreign to him. He has ties to this region, having worked as an assistant at Ohio University before moving on to a job with the Minnesota Vikings.
Tim Banks, Penn State co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach
Banks grew up in Detroit and played at Martin Luther King. He’s well-liked among coaches in and around the city, where the Wolverines have lost some of their clout. Penn State’s current signing class is stocked with Michigan recruits, including three from Detroit and one from Belleville. Banks could help keep talent home.
But he struggled when he called the shots on defense at Illinois before his role was reduced and he left the program. Whether he’d fare better in Ann Arbor than Champaign is uncertain. His connections to the area may not be enough to land Banks a big job like this one.
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Marcus Freeman, Cincinnati defensive coordinator and linebackers coach
Freeman is viewed as a rising star in the profession. Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel came after him last offseason to oversee the team’s linebackers. The Bearcats responded by giving him a raise. This past season, Cincinnati finished tied for seventh in the country in scoring defense as the undefeated Bearcats garnered consideration for the College Football Playoff.
Freeman, who played for the Buckeyes, could help Michigan rebuild a recruiting pipeline to Ohio and augment the talent on the roster.
Chris Partridge, Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach
Would Partridge return to Michigan one year after leaving for an expanded role in the SEC? It’s worth checking. Partridge is a strong recruiter and told reporters he enjoyed interacting with high school players and selling them on the Wolverines. Michigan could use an upgrade in talent and a person who connects well with young athletes.
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Since October 2019, Michigan has seen 14 scholarship players enter the NCAA transfer portal. The question is whether Partridge is ready to run his own defense. As DJ Durkin’s wing man at Ole Miss, Partridge has helped supervise a unit that has conceded 41.3 points per game. Only five teams have yielded more.
Charlie Strong, Alabama defensive analyst
Before he was ousted as the head coach at Texas and South Florida, Strong burnished his reputation as a defensive coordinator with Florida and was a prominent figure on Urban Meyer’s staff during a run that netted the Gators two national titles. Strong also has direct ties to Michigan’s defensive coaches. His former longtime assistant, Brian Jean-Mary, supervises the Wolverines’ linebackers and has one more year left on his contract.
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Having spent the last year working at Alabama, Strong would be able to take some of the knowledge he picked up at one of college football’s best programs and apply it in Ann Arbor. The question is whether Strong would be interested or if he has his sights set on becoming a head coach again.
Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Big Ten newsletter.