Michigan has had a lot of staff changes over the past two months, but another piece of the puzzle has been locked in.
According to Maize & Blue Review’s Josh Henschke, the Wolverines have hired former UMass offensive coordinator Steve Casula as the tight ends coach.
Michigan has its man for the tight end coaching position and is a familiar name to the U-M program.
Multiple sources have confirmed that UMass offensive coordinator Steve Casula will be named TE coach in Ann Arbor.
Casula worked as an analyst at Michigan from 2019 to 2021 before being hired by former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown to be the offensive coordinator at the University of Massachusetts.
Casula was responsible for a massive turnaround offensively for UMass. In 2022, Casula’s first season, the Minutemen averaged just 12.8 points per game and 265 yards per game. They won just one game and were widely recognized as the worst team in college football. However, once Casula had settled into his role he was able to create a productive unit. In 2023, Casula improved his offense to 28 points and 356 yards per game. Umass still only won three games, but Casula and his unit scored 24 or more points in five of the losses.
Michigan already has a strong tight end room, so Casula will be on board to continue a history of success. Colston Loveland is possibly the best at his position in college football heading into next season, so keeping him involved will be priority number one.
There is some intriguing youth behind Loveland however. Rising sophomores Deakon Tonielli and Zack Marshall offer upside while incoming freshmen Brady Prieskorn and Hogan Hansen are considered top players nationally. In short, Casula needs to simply oversee the smooth operation of an already terrific group as opposed to molding NFL-bound prospects out of sub-par players.
No one knows exactly what the offense will look like next year, but there’s a very high chance that it features Loveland as the top receiving option. His athleticism and ability are rare for someone so young. Look for him to be one of the top players selected should he declare for the 2025 NFL draft.