Building his coaching staff presented numerous hurdles for Sherrone Moore. Initially, the first-year head coach sought to retain several defensive coaches, managing to secure commitments from two. Jim Harbaugh‘s NFL offers ultimately swayed them away.

Defensive coordinator prospect Joe Cullen opted to delay his decision until after the Super Bowl, while others remained undecided. However, with the arrival of Wink Martindale, the defensive blueprint gradually fell into place. Notably, the return of multiple former coaches, akin to prodigal sons rejoining the fold, played a pivotal role in this process.

Jean-Mary returns to Michigan

Sherrone Moore set his sights on bolstering the linebacker coaching position, with Tennessee’s Brian Jean-Mary emerging as his top target. Today, Moore’s efforts bore fruit as multiple sources confirmed to The Michigan Insider that Jean-Mary has agreed to return to Michigan as the Wolverines’ defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach.

Three years prior, Jean-Mary was among the coaches Jim Harbaugh aimed to retain for his revamped staff after the 2020 season. However, a series of unforeseen events led to Harbaugh reshuffling his coaching lineup, ultimately resulting in Matt Weiss’s hiring as the new quarterbacks coach, and Jean-Mary’s departure for Knoxville. Despite his brief stint in Ann Arbor, Jean-Mary garnered significant respect from his peers, including Moore.

Warde Manuel was prepared for mass coaching departure 

On Wednesday, Michigan’s athletic director, Warde Manuel, acknowledged that he hired Sherrone Moore intending to maintain program continuity, despite anticipating the possibility of a mass departure. Manuel stated, “I knew it was a possibility that Jim would want to talk to some staff about going there. And obviously he did and they made a decision.” He emphasized his understanding of staff members’ opportunities and decisions, noting that Moore now has the chance to rebuild the staff according to his vision, particularly on the defensive side.

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Regarding Moore’s contract being significantly less than the leaked offer to Harbaugh, Manuel clarified that the difference doesn’t equate to savings. He explained that he had already increased the assistant coach budget prior to Harbaugh’s departure, and those funds would continue to be available for Moore to utilize in assembling his staff. The plan is to maintain investment in talent for the football program’s success in Ann Arbor.

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