The thundering chime of Ben Herbert leaving Michigan reverberated through each alley and room in Michigan. As the former director of Strength and Conditioning, Herbert was the foundation of Wolverines for the past 3 years, with the last season being a defining one as the pinnacle of his career. But when his former head coach, Jim Harbaugh, reached out to him with a new opportunity, he couldn’t refuse, marking his conclusion at Michigan.

When Jim Harbaugh left, it hurt Michigan fans, but the meltdown that came after Herbert left was more intense. But the new head coach, Sherrone Moore, prepared for the worst of days since he put on the cap of Michigan’s Harbaugh and was quick on his feet to announce Justin Tress as Herbert’s replacement. Moore explained his stance on the Pat McAfee Show, he said that Herbert has left his ‘footprints and handprints’ on the program, and it would be a ‘loss’ for them, but he still trusts his choice.

“The guy that we have elevated, Justin Tress, is going to do an unbelievable job. He’s been with him side by side this whole time. So he’s been a top-notch strength coach in his time. So we’re excited about Justin Tress and the opportunity for him to lead the strength program,” said Moore.

Justin Tress has been an important staff member of the strength and conditioning team at the Michigan Wolverines and has learned a lot from Herbert in his past 6 years with UM. He made the transfer to MU from Arkansas with Herbert. Along with Tress, Moore also announced his decision to retain the director of football nutrition, Abigail O’Connor.

However, he has yet to announce replacements for the positions of defensive coach, which were earlier held by Jesse Minter, and special teams coordinator, previously held by Jay Harbaugh.

The top candidates for the position of defensive coach

Moore already has two in-house options: Steve Clinckscale and defensive line coach Mike Elston. However, per Wolverines Wire, Clinkscale would be ‘the safest hire available’ as he has held the co-defensive coordinator title for two seasons. This would mean that Michigan would get to retain the defensive forces on the roster.

Read also: Who Is Ben Herbert’s Successor Justin Tress? Everything You Need to Know About Michigan’s New S&C Coach

Along with them, Georgia’s defensive line coach, Tray Scott, is also another highly probable candidate. Ravens passing game coordinator Chris Hewitt and Ohio’s Spence Nowinsky, who is also a top defensive coordinator across the nation, are other likely choices.

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