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For new Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, this year includes a lot of firsts.
The former Baltimore Ravens linebackers coach is a full-time college position coach, per se, for the first time, and as the defensive coordinator, he’ll call plays for the first time. Equally as important, he is taking a substantial role in recruiting for the first time, though he assuredly had some of those responsibilities as a student assistant and then a grad assistant during his time at Georgia.
As far as recruiting is concerned, he has one big selling point he can offer prospective Wolverines: his NFL experience. But, he’s not approaching this attribute in a disingenuous way, like some might. He makes no promises that players he recruits will become future stars in the professional ranks as much as he shares that he knows what a defensive NFL player looks like, and that he can groom them through the process of what it takes to get there.
“I think that’s powerful, and I don’t think you sell them on the fact of, ‘Hey, we’re gonna do this, and you’re gonna get to the league and I guarantee that,’” Macdonald told Jon Jansen on the “In the Trenches” podcast. “Just like you said, Jon — I know what it takes and what it looks like when you’re there. So I can help you get through the process to achieve your goals. Just like what we say with the team: if you’re not meeting the standard on that sort of trajectory, now I know that doesn’t look like the way it should look — does that make sense? So now you can hold them accountable on that end, knowing where you want to go. So, I think that’s powerful.”
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While that might be his pitch, Macdonald has something of an uphill battle when it comes to actually making the pitch.
Having not been in the recruiting game for at least seven years — the time he was in Baltimore — he not only has to play catch up, but he also has to essentially learn the system anew. That means developing relationships with high school coaches across the country, bonds he didn’t have upon arriving in Ann Arbor.
Macdonald says he’s relying heavily on those on staff who have that experience, while he works to impart his vision of what the defense will be to them.
“That’s the biggest challenge, is the process,” Macdonald said. “You had seven years of not building relationships with those coaches and the people in those areas. That’s something that I’m leaning on our staff, big time, right now. And they’re coaching me up, just like I’m coaching them up on our scheme. So we’re working together and we’re diving in headfirst to try to get ahead of the curve, per se. But that’s definitely a process, there’s definitely a learning curve there — can’t lie to you about that. But, the only way to get through it is to go through it. Take it day-by-day, get what’s important now, what’s the conversation we’re gonna have with the coach? And, hopefully, you develop those relationships and that trust, sooner than later, so you can get caught up to the guys who have been in the game for quite awhile now.”
But the other part for Macdonald will be calling plays on game day.
Sometimes it’s something of an overwrought concern by college fans, the inexperience angle. NFL position coaches becoming coordinators or more is a usual happenstance. The Detroit Lions hired Saints tight ends coach Dan Campbell to be the head coach. He then hired Ravens defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn to be the defensive coordinator. Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer was a defensive backs coach before being elevated to defensive coordinator this past season. New Titans defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was a linebackers coach. You have to get your start somewhere, and having requisite NFL experience is a fantastic starting point,.
As far as how Macdonald anticipates making that jump, he feels the best thing is getting a feel for his players and coaches as much as he can in advance, and advocating his vision to the point where they all understand it before game day. He recalls how much experience he had in helping with the weekly game plan in Baltimore and how that will help inform his ability now that he’s overseeing the charge in Ann Arbor.
“This is why you get into coaching — you want to do it at the highest level, and I believe in our process and our players and our scheme,” Macdonald said. “I’m looking forward to that challenge, honestly. It’s something that I’ve been dreaming about. As you’re a position coach, you have a lot to do with the weekly game plan. The coordinator is the one calling it on game day, but he’s really leaning on the rest of his coaches as well to give him the rest of the information that he needs so that he can digest and understand how he wants to attack. And that’s his job to communicate that to the rest of the defense and the rest of the players what we’re gonna call. So the decision on what to call, that will change on game day a little bit. But we need to do a great job now through the spring and the summer of preparing ourselves with the different situations throughout training camp, so we feel like we’re used to the process of calling a game and the players understand what we’re gonna call and when throughout the week so they can anticipate that. So, that’s something I believe in.
“It is a great challenge and it is a great responsibility, but bring it on, let’s go! This is a dream of mine. And we’re gonna work our tails off to be successful.”
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