Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Michigan fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Michigan has a mostly new coaching staff under head coach Kyle Whittingham, with Whittingham bringing numerous staffers with him from Utah or who have coached under him before.
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Here’s a rundown of what Michigan’s staff now looks like ahead of the 2026 season.
Offensive Staff
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Offensive Coordinator: Jason Beck (from Utah)
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Offensive Line: Jim Harding (from Utah)
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Running Backs: Tony Alford (retained)
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Wide Receivers: Micah Simon (from Utah)
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Assistant Wide Receivers: Marques Simons (from Penn State)
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Tight Ends: Freddie Whittingham (from Utah)
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Quarterbacks: Koy Detmer Jr. (from Utah)
Defensive Staff
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Defensive Coordinator: Jay Hill (from BYU)
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Defensive Backs: Jernaro Gilford (from BYU)
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Defensive Ends/Edges: Lewis Powell (from Utah)
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Linebackers: Alex Whittingham (from Kansas City Chiefs)
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Defensive Line: Lou Esposito (retained)
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Safeties: Tyler Stockton (from Boise State)
Special Teams
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Coordinator: Kerry Coombs (retained)
In this edition of SB Nation Reacts, we want you to grade Michigan’s new look staff.
Michigan’s staff is objectively better heading into next season at head coach and at both coordinator positions.
Quick thoughts on some of the staff
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Kyle Whittingham brings to Michigan a proven track record two decades of success at Utah including Fiesta Bowl and Sugar Bowl wins and two Rose Bowl appearances.
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Jason Beck fielded one of the most potent offenses in college football this season with Utah ranked No. 5 in scoring and No. 2 in rushing.
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Offensive line coach Jim Harding is considered one of the best in the nation and is an objective improvement over Grant Newsome.
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Jay Hill’s defense ranked No. 22 scoring defense this season and brings a much needed change of direction after Wink Martindale’s tenure at DC fizzled out.
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Key retentions were made on both sides of the ball with running backs coach Tony Alford and defensive line coach Lou Esposito sticking around.
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While Kyle Whittingham hired his brother Freddie and his son Alex, Freddie’s work with tight end Dalton Kincaid speaks to his coaching chops and Alex won three Super Bowl rings with the Chiefs as assistant defensive lines coach.
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Kerry Coombs has decades of experience as an assistant coach and will be light years better than fired special teams coordinator J.B. Brown.
Most of Michigan’s new hires have ties to Whittingham and in many ways Michigan is bringing in Utah’s offense and BYU’s defense from a schematic standpoint. It’s not a surprise that Whittingham brought in coaches that he’s familiar with, but sometimes familiarity gets in the way of hiring the best person available for the position. Even so, Whittingham’s staff should be more competent than what Sherrone Moore assembled. But will the results be better? We don’t know yet, but there’s hope.
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How did you vote? Let us know in the comments and come back this weekend when we reveal the results.
