Tag: Grant Newsome

How Grant Newsome is acclimating to new role as OL coach

Excited to see how the room does under his leadership! #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Last year, former Michigan football head coach Jim Harbaugh said that he was grooming then-tight ends coach Grant Newsome to be an offensive line coach for the Wolverines. Telling anyone who would hear, Harbaugh often said that Newsome was soon to be a head coach, and he’s quickly moved up the ladder in his short coaching tenure.

Now Newsome has moved from graduate assistant to tight ends coach to offensive line coach in just a few years — a whirlwind to be sure. So how is he acclimating to his new role?

He shared more on Monday about his ascension.

“Obviously, I’ve been blessed with some incredible opportunities here, it’s something Coach (Harbaugh) and I have talked about — if either Coach Moore were to get a head coaching opportunity here or somewhere else if offensive line coach was something I would be interested in,” Newsome said. “We had those discussions but very happy with how it worked out. Obviously, very excited and fortunate to have the opportunity that I do here.”

We’ve seen positive effects when coaches move to oversee the position they played in college. Newsome may have only had just over a year at the position given his gruesome career-ending injury, but now that he’s at his natural position, he feels like he’s taking off.

It was a similar scenario with Sherrone Moore who was coaching tight ends before moving to offensive line, himself — a position he played at Oklahoma. While Newsome is appreciative of the opportunity, he does miss working with the tight ends — where he got his bona fide start.

“It was bittersweet,” Newsome said. “Even though you’re moving a couple offices down the hall, I built a great relationship with those guys in the tight end room. Love the opportunity to see them practice and still be around them, still be a little bit involved in coaching them on the periphery now. Incredibly fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity, especially to be able to coach the position that I played. It’s an awesome opportunity.”

That said, Newsome knows he’s not reinventing the wheel here. His job is to be a steward of that which has already been built.

“I think the awesome thing that I have the opportunity to do is to come in and continue the standard that’s been set and the coaching style and the mentoring that’s been done by Sherrone,” Newsome said. “It’s not a deal where I have to come in and try to say hey guys, we’re flipping this entirely on its head. What we did didn’t work. It’s more of a, hey, we’re going to come in and we may have to teach something a little different or slow something down just like you do any year-to-year. Obviously, Coach Moore did a heckuva job establishing the standard and foundation amongst the entire offense but especially with the offensive line unit. There hasn’t had to be large-scale changes or a shift in mentality. Mentality has been whatever it’s been for the last so many years. We’re a physical, downhill operation that can protect the passer.”

Michigan football officially announces two hires, promotions on Sherrone Moore’s staff

It’s official! #GoBlue

As expected, Michigan football has promoted two staffers from Jim Harbaugh’s coaching tree under new head coach Sherrone Moore.

As earlier reported, former tight ends coach Grant Newsome was staying in Ann Arbor and is being elevated to offensive line coach — a position Harbaugh had said he was being groomed for — while quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell was expected to be named the new offensive coordinator.

On Friday afternoon, the program made both hires official, announcing the promotions and filling out the first two roles on Moore’s staff. As of yet, no other on-field coaches have been announced as retained, but Mike Elston and Steve Clinkscale have both been actively recruiting for the Wolverines.

Full release

University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore announced Friday (Feb. 2) the promotion of two members of the offensive coaching staff, Kirk Campbell and Grant Newsome. Campbell will add the responsibilities of offensive coordinator to his duties as quarterback coach while Newsome will shift over to coach the offensive line.

“Kirk and Grant are two bright offensive minds,” said Moore. “They have brought a lot to our offensive staff and will make even larger contributions in their new roles. I am excited to have Kirk and Grant take on greater responsibilities in our offense as they continue working with our players to help further their development on and off the field.”

“I want to thank Coach Moore for his confidence and belief in me to serve as the Sanford Robertson Offensive Coordinator and Robert McCollum Family Quarterbacks Coach at the University of Michigan,” said Campbell. “Coaching at Michigan is unique because of the rich football tradition and the commitment to excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community. My family and I feel so blessed to call Ann Arbor home and we cannot wait to go to work with everyone associated with Team 145.”

“I’m humbled and excited by the opportunity presented to me by Coach Moore to lead the offensive line at Michigan,” said Newsome. “I want to thank Coach Moore for his trust in me and in his development of me as a coach. I also want to thank Coach Harbaugh for everything he has done for me in my playing and coaching career. I cannot wait to continue the work that has been done building the offensive line into the best unit in college football.”

Campbell is in his second season as a full-time assistant coach for the Wolverines. After serving as the Robert McCollum Family Quarterbacks Coach in 2023, he will also become the Sanford Robertson Offensive Coordinator starting with the 2024 season. Campbell served as the team’s offensive coordinator during the 2023 season opener, a 30-3 victory for the Wolverines against East Carolina on Sept. 2.

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy flourished under Campbell’s guidance during the 2023 season. He was the Big Ten’s Quarterback of the Year, earned first-team all-conference honors and was voted the Bo Schembechler Team MVP after finishing sixth nationally in completion percentage (72.3%) and ninth in pass efficiency rating (167.4). McCarthy completed 240-of-332 passes for 2,991 yards and 22 TDs with just four interceptions. He led Michigan to the National Championship after winning Rose Bowl Offensive Player of the Game honors after completing 17-of-27 passes for 221 yards and three TDs while also rushing for 25 yards against Alabama.

Campbell joined the Michigan staff after spending the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Old Dominion University. ODU averaged 12 more points and 112 more offensive yards per game after Campbell’s arrival. Prior to his time with the Monarchs, Campbell was an offensive analyst at Penn State for three seasons (2017-19). He worked with the quarterbacks, scouted future opponents, and helped with game planning.

Newsome takes over for Moore as the Donald C. Graham Offensive Line Coach, leading a room where he spent two seasons (2020-21) as a graduate assistant before coaching the tight ends (2022-23) for the Wolverines. The tight end corps accounted for 70 receptions totaling 925 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 and was led by first-team All-Big Ten performer Colston Loveland who was second on the team with 649 receiving yards and four touchdowns while listing third in receptions with 45.

The tight corps caught 62 passes for 790 yards and five touchdowns during Newsome’s first season mentoring the unit (2022). Newsome spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as a graduate assistant coach working with the offensive line. He was named as 247Sports’ Top 30 Under 30 in 2021 and was also named to the Class of 2023 American Football Coaches Association 35 Under 35. Newsome was also a finalist for the 2023 Football Scoop Tight End Coach of the Year award.

Newsome was an immediate factor for an offensive line that yielded just 22 sacks and 61 tackles for loss in 1,354 offensive plays across two seasons (2020-21). In 2021, the Wolverines led the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed per contest (2.43 avg.) and ranked fifth in fewest sacks allowed (1.0 avg.). Michigan listed 17th in the NCAA in tackles for loss allowed (4.5 avg.) and was 18th nationally in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.5 avg.) during the 2020 season. Newsome was key in helping the unit win the 2021 Joe Moore Award as the nation’s most outstanding offensive line.

Report: Sherrone Moore makes first Michigan football staff hire

This is big! #GoBlue

It’s been more than 48 hours since Sherrone Moore was elevated from Michigan football offensive coordinator to the 21st head coach in school history, but it’s been unclear as to which staff members intend to remain in Ann Arbor rather than follow Jim Harbaugh to the NFL.

But it appears one is destined to remain, and it’s one Harbaugh almost certainly wanted to join him in Los Angeles.

According to Maize & Blue Review’s Josh Henschke, Moore was able to retain Grant Newsome, the tight ends coach of the past two years, and has elevated him to offensive line coach.

With Michigan expecting a handful of departures on its staff, new head coach Sherrone Moore was able to get one win on the staff.

Multiple sources have confirmed that tight ends coach Grant Newsome is expected to be elevated to offensive line coach under Moore’s staff.

It’s the first known confirmation of a concrete position in the Moore era in Ann Arbor.

Newsome came aboard in 2015 as the left tackle of the future for the Wolverines before having suffered a career-ending injury in early 2016 against Wisconsin. Since, he’s served as a grad assistant and then as the tight ends coach, starting in the 2022 season. Former head coach Jim Harbaugh has often praised Newsome as an eventual head coach, proclaiming that he’s wise beyond his years. Taking over the offensive line duties was the planned next step in his trajectory, Harbaugh once said in a radio interview.

“(Grant Newsome) is the tight ends coach now, but already grooming him to be the offensive line coach,” Harbaugh said. “And then, once he has maybe a year or two under his belt as offensive line coach, just like Sherrone Moore, he’ll be the coordinator. And then, at that point, when we can’t give him any more money or any more titles, somebody will snatch him up to be a head coach. Mark my words, and mark them well. That will happen.”

For Moore, it’s a big win to keep Harbaugh from taking him with him to the Chargers and it further cements the stability needed for the program with increasing departures in the past week.

Grant Newsome shares where the young Michigan football tight ends stand

#Michigan has a lot of ballers at the position. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There’s no doubt, for fans or opposing teams, who Michigan football is going to trot out at tight end.

At the position, the Wolverines have what they consider to be three co-starters in sophomore Colston Loveland, junior Max Bredeson, and grad transfer AJ Barner. Senior Matthew Hibner has waited his turn, but through two weeks, he’s been listed on the injury report and is still working back to full health.

There are a few players, Hibner included, that tight ends coach Grant Newsome would like to see in the coming weeks. He shares who he’d like to see on the field more should the game plan give the maize and blue the opportunity.

“Yeah, all the young guys are really doing well,” Newsome said. “Need to get Marlin more reps here and showcase his ability some. He’s had a great camp, as did Josh Beetham. Excited to have Matt Hibner getting back healthy and in starting to fully build a role.”

While there has been talent, like the above, waiting in the wings, Michigan has a couple of younger tight ends who may have to wait a little longer for their turn.

Zack Marshall, who Jim Harbaugh gave an ‘enthusiasm unknown to mankind’ award via a helmet sticker, arrived as an early enrollee, while four-star TE Deakon Tonielli arrived later, getting his first taste of college football in summer conditioning and fall camp.

While their path to the field may be a little longer, Newsome is pleased with their progress and also is hoping they’ll get an opportunity to showcase what they can do in real live action.

“The freshmen have all done a really good job,” Newsome said. “From Deakon, Zack Marshall, Jalen Hoffman — who was one of our freshmen walk-ons we brought in — they’re all doing a great job. And I’m excited for those guys to hopefully start to get more reps and more reps throughout practices and if the opportunity presents itself in-game. But I’ve been really happy with how those guys have played and obviously, we’ve been a position so far this year where we haven’t had to play any of those guys. But they’ve all acquitted themselves well.”

Another opportunity comes this Saturday night when Michigan football hosts Bowling Green at The Big House. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT and the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

What coaches have observed in Michigan transfer tight end A.J. Barner

Can’t wait to see this guy in action! #GoBlue

Michigan football will have something of a new-look tight end group compared to the last two years when it’s entered the season with Erick All and Luke Schoonmaker being the primary weapons on the ends of the offensive line. Schoonmaker was drafted and All transferred, and while Colston Loveland asserted himself late in the season last year, the Wolverines needed at least one more player to step up.

They could have stayed in-house and depended on senior Matthew Hibner, who was a former four-star from Burke, Virginia. However, the maize and blue brought in a player they think is a ringer in former Indiana tight end A.J. Barner.

Barner wasn’t necessarily a high-profile transfer, but he is well-thought-of. The coaches in Bloomington had verbalized that they anticipated he’d become the best ever Hooseir tight end, but then didn’t throw the ball to him much. Still, he asserted himself as a team captain before deciding to come to Ann Arbor.

In the spring game in April, we caught a glimpse of how dominant he can be, and his position coach, Grant Newsome said that it’s a testament to his character and work ethic.

“He’s just worked, which is amazing,” Newsome said. “The best compliment you can give someone who would come in — and especially, like you said, a guy whose was a two-year captain there, two or three-year starter, played a ton of football in the Big Ten. I mean, shoot — he caught an impressive touchdown against Ohio State.

“So a guy who’s kind of been there and done that, for him to come in and there was never any arrogance or cockiness. Or, ‘Oh, hey, it’s my room now.’ He just kind of put his head down and worked and learned and it’s just a guy who’s always asking what more he can do, how he can improve. And he’s meshed extremely well with it with the team and the room.”

Of course, the big question is: can he block?

It’s the same thing being asked of Loveland, who arrived in Ann Arbor as more of a receiver than a blocker. IU wasn’t necessarily running a ton until late in the year, but Newsome says that Barner has a lot of capability in both being able to catch the ball as well as blocking when called upon.

“We’re very fortunate that he’s got all the physical tools to do it, he’s got the strength,” Newsome said. “And beyond that, he’s got the experience, even though they didn’t do a ton of (throwing to him) in Indiana. He knows what it’s like cutting off a backside defensive end of this conference. It’s a lot easier said than done. Or, we joke as coaches, it’s one of those things that looks really easy when you’re drawing them up on the board. But when you actually do it, it’s a lot harder. So we’re fortunate.

“He’s got that experience and obviously still planning stuff he’s got to improve on and he works at that, but we’re very fortunate to have him.”

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Coaches excited about Colston Loveland’s potential in 2023

They’re saying he’ll leave Ann Arbor as #Michigan’s best-ever tight end. #GoBlue

Like Will Johnson at cornerback last year for Michigan football, Colston Loveland started showing signs late that he may be among the nation’s best.

Though Loveland made some plays starting in the 2022 spring game, it wasn’t until the Nebraska game in November that he started putting his mark on the game. Then, against Ohio State, he had a big touchdown, and he followed up by splitting two defenders for a score the next week in the Big Ten Championship game.

This year, with both Luke Schoonmaker and Erick All gone, the onus is on Loveland to take the mantle and become the next great Michigan tight end. And he has the capability to do just that, Grant Newsome, the Wolverines tight ends coach, told Jon Jansen on the ‘In the Trenches’ podcast this week.

“He’s on the right track. I mean, it’s impressive,” Newsome said. “And the cool thing for him is, I don’t think he realizes quite yet just how good he is and how good he can be. And that’s great for us because he works every day like he isn’t one of the best tight ends in the country. He works every day like he isn’t one of the most talented guys we’ve ever had come through here. So there’s no arrogance, there’s no cockiness, he just puts his head down and grinds and is so humble so mature about it.

“But yeah, I mean he’s got an immense amount of ability. I was joking with Jake Butt it was the best tight end I’ve ever seen come through here in my nine years here and he watched a practice. And afterwards he and I sat down and talked and he said, ‘Yeah, he’s gonna be better than I am. He may already be better than I am.'”

What fans have seen is an electric playmaker, a tight end that has the capability of being a dominant pass catcher. Newsome says that coaches plan to put him in as many advantageous positions this year to take advantage of his playmaking ability.

“I think we’re very fortunate because of his height, because of his length,” Newsome said. “Because he’s already pretty strong. He’s got to keep getting stronger. But for a young guy, he’s very strong. Yet he’s athletic, yet he’s comfortable putting his hand in the dirt in the backfield and being that second puller, I mean, you saw that the touchdown versus Purdue in the Big Ten Championship game — he’s lined up in the backfield. He’s comfortable doing kind of everything so we can kind of manipulate him and move him around, by gameplan or by matchup, to get what we’re looking for.”

The one question entering 2023 is how will Loveland do as a blocker? Because, after all, that’s one of the tight ends’ main duties.

He was hit-or-miss in 2022, which is why we saw him more in a receiver-type of role. But it’s not because he isn’t capable blocking, Newsome says. In fact, the sophomore from Gooding, Idaho has everything he needs to be a dominant blocker, he just needed to gain the requisite amount of strength to be able to contend with the conference’s best edge rushers and linebackers.

And now he has just that.

“So he is very natural, especially for a guy who, playing out in Idaho, playing a little bit smaller football, he was the best player in the field every single week. So they used him all over the place,” Newsome said. “His coaching staff had him at quarterback, they had him at receiver. I said basically outside of snapping the ball, he played everywhere on the field at some point. As you should. I mean, he’s the best player in the state for a reason.

“But for a guy who didn’t really have a background in blocking, that’s not what he did a lot of in high school, to come in — just a lot of things that we know with former offensive lineman are sometimes tough for guys to get used to and perfect. Playing with tight hands, playing with a great base, like getting his cleats in the ground. All the things that are tough for offensive linemen who’ve been doing it their entire lives or at least their high school careers to do came pretty natural to him. And the more you watch the last year’s film — there were times if he would lose a block it’s, ‘Oh, he’s not quite strong enough yet,’ or improving little technique things. But the foundation was very, very, very good, especially for a guy who that was not his background.”

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Grant Newsome discusses Colston Loveland’s emergence, Michigan football adding AJ Barner

The position group is going to continue to be loaded. #GoBlue

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — Michigan football not only has high expectations for the rest of the 2022 season, but also for the future.

The offense has long been predicated on running back and tight end play. Though the Wolverines have lost tight ends and will lose more, the future is still bright in Ann Arbor. Certainly, that’s how tight ends coach Grant Newsome looks at it.

The maize and blue lost Erick All, first to injury and then to the transfer portal. Luke Schoonmaker is graduating, as is Joel Honigford. But in the past three games, Colston Loveland, a freshman from Gooding, Idaho, has stood out, reeling in two touchdowns in the two biggest games of the season.

Newsome shared his thoughts about why Loveland has caught on, and how important he is to this offense now.

“The crazy thing is like we saw this with Colston in the springtime you got here we knew a pretty special player,” Newsome said. “And, obviously, Erick going down and then Schoony coming in and out of some games, were banged up a little bit in the middle of the season, he really never missed a beat. He capitalized on those opportunities and really kind of carved out a role for himself as a true freshman. He’s worked incredibly hard.”

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On third-year tight end Matthew Hibner

One player we still haven’t seen a lot of is third-year tight end Matthew Hibner.

Hibner’s claim to fame this season was recovering the fumble on the opening kick against Maryland, but he’s been biding his time until he can be a factor in the offense itself. The former four-star from Burke, Virginia, certainly has the skills, we just haven’t seen them yet.

Newsome shared more about what he’s seen from Hibner in practice, as well as his overall outlook on what he brings to the table.

“Yeah, he’s playing really, really well right now. And again, it’s kind of a unique situation where we’ve got an NFL tight end who’s a fifth-year guy, and he’s starting a lot of reps. Colston’s come on, and kind of done some real good stuff as well. But Matt’s doing an incredible job. I really, really think highly of him. He’s obviously showing up on special teams, recovered a fumble against Maryland, three tackles this year on special teams, including that big hit against Purdue. So he’s playing his tail off right now. And I’m excited to see throughout this playoff and into the next season how that kind of translates more to tight end.”

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On former Indiana tight end AJ Barner joining the team

Hibner will still fight for playing time in his fourth year, however, since Loveland will be back and the Wolverines added a big piece via the transfer portal in December.

AJ Barner was a leader for the Indiana Hoosiers team, and even represented IU at Big Ten media days this year. He committed to Michigan and could have an inside track for a starting role.

Newsome explained why the Wolverines decided to go out and get another tight end, despite the current roster and recruiting additions of Deakon Tonielli and Zack Marshall. He said it was a no-brainer to bring in a player of Barner’s caliber to Ann Arbor.

“We’re super excited about obviously,” Newsome said. “Losing Schoony, losing Joel, you’re kind of losing that inline, wide tight body. Gonna bring in a guy who not just can fill that role, but has excelled at that role. And has started in our conference. It just made all the sense in the world to bring a guy like that who can come in and contribute immediately and fight for a starting spot.”

But what did he and the staff see in him that made them interested?

Newsome mentions his ability not just to be able to catch the ball, but also his prowess in blocking — the combination of which is precisely what will get you on the field in Ann Arbor.

“First, just physically very imposing, extremely well-built, very tall and athletic, physical, can do all the kind of inline blocking that we ask our guys to do, which is not the case across the country,” Newsome said. “It’s tough to and he’s (done) it not just in college, but in this conference, which is tough. And then, obviously, you watch the Ohio State game they played last year and he goes up and catches a fade on one of their corners. So he really kind of fits all that we do, he can handle the inline stuff and the running game and also be able to go out and flex out and catch passes.”

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Why Erick All will be a force to be reckoned with in 2022

The national media needs to start paying attention now or be behind the curve. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — If you listen to what Michigan football coaches say about the tight ends on campus, there’s something of an extreme disconnect compared to the national perception.

Across college football media, the expectation is that the nation’s top tight end resides in Athens, Georgia or Iowa City or South Bend, Indiana. But the Michigan coaches insist that either Erick All or Luke Schoonmaker are deserving of the Mackey Award this upcoming season.

For All, he’s just been ticking up since he arrived. An early enrollee in the spring of 2019, he was spoke of as a future superstar, but his production didn’t match the hype. In 2020, when he finally got a chance to shine, the man who was known to catch everything in practice was dropping seemingly every ball thrown his way.

That’s a bit hyperbolic, to be sure, but 2021 finally saw the Ohio native break out, showcasing a mixture of athleticism and grit. Whether it was his game-winning touchdown at Penn State or the devastating downfield block he threw on Michigan’s first touchdown against Ohio State, All was out there making plays, one after the other.

He has a new position coach this year in Grant Newsome, the former Wolverines left tackle. What he’s seen from his star senior is someone who approaches the game like a kid in a candy store.

“He’s awesome. He’s still got that enjoyment and freshness for the game,” Newsome said. “He’s got that enthusiasm, I guess, that you normally see with really, really young guys, where it’s just every day, it’s his first time out there. He just wants to do everything. He wants to catch every ball, make every block. But, at the same time, he’s just matured so much. The way he’s taken a leadership role, not only in the tight end room with Marlin and Colston, but also amongst the whole team. It’s been awesome to see.”

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When All arrived in Ann Arbor, he may have been eager, but he didn’t have the body to match what was needed to play the tight end position. He was something of a string bean, coming in at 6-foot-4, 225-pounds — hardly the size necessary to compete in the Big Ten. Fast forward to now, and All is officially listed at 255-pounds, 10 pounds heavier than last season.

Yet, he can still move like a wide receiver when going out for a pass, while hunkering down on the end of the line when he needs to stay in and block for a run.

“He’s still playing athletic, he’s still moving really, really well,” Newsome said. “So I think it’s still going to help him — his in-line blocking, adding a little more weight. It’s crazy, he just looks bigger. He’s still really, really cut. You wouldn’t know that he put on weight and looking at the scale. He told me how much he weighed the other day and I couldn’t believe it. I made him go back on the scale to verify it. But he looks great. Coach Herb and the staff have done an amazing job developing all those guys, but especially Erick. He looks great, as does Schoony.”

Of course, getting to this point takes a lot of work, behind-the-scenes things that fans will never see. Whether it’s morning lifts, nutrition, sleep — you name it — All has put in the work to amass positive gains.

The most important thing for a player that showcased the type of talent he has was to bulk while not losing those skills — like receiving — that make him great. According to Newsome, he hasn’t lost a beat in terms of speed. In fact, he’s maybe gotten faster.

“When he got here, he was probably 220 pounds, so to now be 252, 257 — whatever it is right now — and still be fast, still have all the athleticism,” Newsome said. “He’s probably even gotten faster than he was when he got here. Again, it’s a credit to coach Herb and his staff and the work that they’ve done and the work that Abigail O’Connor has done to continue to develop him, not only from an athletic perspective, but to be able to put that weight on and still maintain all that athleticism.”

Michigan is very high on what it has in the tight end room, and it might be the deepest group in the country, with All, Schoonmaker, Joel Honigford, Carter Selzer, former four-stars Matthew Hibner, Louis Hansen, Colston Loveland, and former three-star Marlin Klein, who originally hails from Germany. This isn’t even to mention legacy walk-on Max Bredeson, younger brother of Ben Bredeson, the former left guard, and Jack Bredeson, the former Michigan pitcher.

Most are intriguing options, but All has the possibility to be a superstar, as we’ve seen in games like Penn State, MSU, and assuredly many more to come.

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Why Jay Harbaugh is going to be a head coach ‘sooner than later’

He’s finally getting some of the credit he deserves. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — When it comes to assistant coaches on the Michigan football staff, no one has been more polarizing than Jay Harbaugh. At least that’s how it used to be.

Blasted as a nepotism hire when he first arrived, since he’s the son of head coach Jim Harbaugh, the younger Harbaugh has been on staff since 2015, first coaching tight ends in 2015-16, running backs from 2017-20, tight ends again in 2021, and now safeties in 2022. He also went from working on special teams along with former safeties coach Chris Partridge (who departed the program for Ole Miss after the 2019 season) to becoming the bona fide special teams coordinator in 2020. In 2021, Michigan football boasted the best special teams unit in the country.

When he oversaw running backs for the four years, that’s when he was mostly derided, even though he produced the first 1,000-yard rusher from the tailback position in nearly a decade when Karan Higdon toppled that mark in 2018. In 2016, he had a Mackey Award-winner in Jake Butt. In 2021, he had the Lou Groza-winner in Jake Moody.

In other words, Jay Harbaugh keeps cranking out hits.

This past year was perhaps the first since he arrived in Ann Arbor that he wasn’t seen as a weak link on the field by the more vocal element of the fan base. He never deserved the derision he received, but now he’s starting to get outright recognition.

Now Michigan has a first-year on-field assistant in Grant Newsome, who is taking over the tight end duties. When it comes to who he leans on, yes, he goes to Sherrone Moore, who he worked with last year with the offensive line, Newsome’s native position. But when it comes to Jay Harbaugh, Newsome recognizes that he might be the best assistant when it comes to pure football acumen.

“Obviously, having Sherrone, who’s been a mentor in this profession has been huge for me. Especially the fact that he’s coached the position. But also Jay Harbaugh is huge,” Newsome said. “I tell it to anybody who will listen that Jay is incredibly smart. I’d say he’s the smartest coach in the building, which is not a knock to anyone else, I think there’s a lot of really incredible coaches in the building, but I think the world of Jay. Having him a couple doors down, being able to bounce ideas off of him — I think everybody goes to Jay for one thing or another just because of how smart he is, how talented he is and just being a great person as well.”

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Thus far, we’ve seen Harbaugh coach two field-specific positions as well as special teams. While his production at running back wasn’t as emphatic as what he’s been able to do with the tight ends, the fact that Jim Harbaugh is confident enough to move him to safeties — the other side of the ball — speaks to his track record.

Newsome envisions a situation where Jay Harbaugh continues to accumulate knowledge before a team finally recognizes that he could lead the charge entirely.

“I think it’s the combination of he connects with players really well, he’s extremely, extremely smart. There’s really not a lot of things he can’t do,” Newsome said. “I think he’s going to end up coaching all 11 positions before he’s done. But he’s awesome. He’s an incredible coordinator and I think he’s going to be and incredible head coach sooner, rather than later.”

To listen to Jay Harbaugh speak during media availabilities, it’s no surprise he’s so well-thought of inside of the building. He’s a tactician, fully aware of what has transpired on the field as well as what needs to happen to increase production. He speaks matter-of-factly, yet heavy in jargon, but he does so in a way that makes even the most intricate of football concepts easily digestible.

A student of the game at-large, Jay Harbaugh is often looking to the NFL for ideas, as he also does across the sport. In 2016, when Michigan lined up in an odd ‘train’ formation, with 10 players initially all behind center before fanning out, Jim Harbaugh relayed that it was Jay Harbaugh’s idea, one he got from scouring older games.

For Newsome, Jay Harbaugh’s trajectory is one to aspire to — not just with the positions he’s coached, but more so what he’s learned and how he imparts that to those he’s coaching.

“He’s crazy, crazy smart in terms of Xs and Os, scheme. Just to be able to go between different worlds, I think he’s extremely smart on the offensive side of the ball, and he can also be, in my opinion, the best special teams coordinator in the nation,” Newsome said. “Then also to be able to go over to defense and contribute on that side, you’ve gotta be Xs and Os smart, especially to do it at such a high level. But also, he does an amazing job of recognizing what connects with the players and what clicks with the players and putting it in terms they understand and using methods and teaching tools that may seem outside the box. But when you actually think about it, see it in action, you go, ‘Wow, that’s really, really, really smart.’ I cannot say enough good things about Jay.”

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What tight ends coach Grant Newsome said about Michigan football in fall camp

Really, really good stuff here, going outside the scope of just tight ends. #GoBlue

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While he may be entering his first year as an on-field coach, Grant Newsome appears as something of a seasoned vet.

The former Wolverines left tackle has long been working as an assistant coach, but this year, he was promoted to oversee the tight ends. He spent last year working with Sherrone Moore and the offensive line, but he’s got something of a holistic view of the offensive side of the ball to this point. And, obviously, he knows this team very well, having been on campus since 2015, when he arrived as a fresh-faced recruit.

On Tuesday, he updated his unit’s progress, but he delved into other topics, including why Jay Harbaugh is an underrated coach, how he relates to players, and how big freshman defensive tackle Kenneth Grant is. Here is everything he had to say.