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Michigan finally has its new defensive coordinator, having hired Mike Macdonald, the now-former Baltimore Ravens linebackers coach.
The Wolverines’ staff is getting continually younger, with Macdonald, 35, joining new running backs coach Mike Hart, 34, who was announced by the program last week.
In the official release announcing the addition of Macdonald, head coach Jim Harbaugh notes how respected his new defensive coordinator is in the NFL while sharing that he’s excited about the development potential he brings to the table.
“Mike is an excellent defensive mind who is highly respected across the NFL,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “He has been a valuable member of the Baltimore Ravens staff, and shown a passion for teaching, coaching and developing his players. We are excited about everything that Mike brings to our defense, team and university, and look forward to welcoming him and his fiancé Stephanie to our Michigan Football family.”
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Macdonald also added a statement in the release, and while he didn’t share anything about his vision for the defense, he did express his excitement to join the team.
“It is an honor to join Coach Harbaugh’s staff at the University of Michigan,” Macdonald said. “I firmly believe in his vision and am excited to get to work. Our staff will work tirelessly to develop our young men both on and off the field – I cannot wait to meet and develop relationships with our players, staff, and community! Stephanie and I are excited to join the Michigan family, and we are very thankful for this opportunity – Go Blue!”
Having coached under Mark Richt and Todd Grantham as a graduate assistant at Georgia before spending seven years in the Ravens organization under John Harbaugh, one would anticipate that Macdonald will bring some tenets of the systems he worked in previously, such as a 3-4 scheme, defensively.
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