Jay Harbaugh on a Michigan coaching ‘guru,’ most improved DBs, more
Michigan assistant Jay Harbaugh has been a jack-of-all-trades of the coaching staff, having coached several different positions since he arrived in Ann Arbor. He’s put together elite special teams, and his position groups have generally fared extremely well, too.
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Harbaugh is now working with the safeties, and he’s got two mentors in secondary coach/co-DC Steve Clinkscale and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Both have worked extensively with defensive backs over the years and are outstanding at what they do.
That’s made his transition from tight ends to safeties easy, Harbaugh said on Monday night’s Inside Michigan radio show.
“It’s been phenomenal. It’s an amazing thing when you’re coaching the same game and you change positions, whether it’s on the same side of the ball, opposite sides, or on special teams,” he said. “There are so many different perspectives to this game …
“I’m incredibly thankful for Coach Clinkscale, Clink and coach Minter being so welcoming. They’re the best. Clink is the best in the country at what he does. He’s just a guru back there with the corners, with the safeties, the nickels. Being able to learn from him day in and day out, and to be in a scheme that’s very back end friendly with coach Minter, has been a fantastic thing.”
Watching the players grow has been a daily joy, Harbaugh added. One in particular — grad student Gemon Green. The fifth-year Wolverine showed flashes in 2020, his first year starting at corner. He’s since become one of the Big Ten’s better players in pass coverage.
One man has a lot to do with that (in addition to Green, of course), Harbaugh said.
“Really from when Coach Clink got here, you saw him get better and better and better,” Harbaugh said of Green. “There was a point, I don’t remember the specific game, but somewhere through the middle of last season, he really took off. He’s [laying with his length. He’s a tall guy, very, very long arms, and when he plays with good technique, it’s really difficult for a receiver to get off the line of scrimmage. When he plays square, it’s just hard for guys to operate. He’s grown a lot technique wise, confidence wise.
“Coach Clink done a phenomenal job coaching him. And Gemon, he’s so mature. He’s really on top of it mentally. He works his butt off. He has learned the defense and then taken it a step further in calling things out that a typically shouldn’t notice. The splits, the backfield sets, the tight end alignments … he’s really a step ahead now of the offense. I think you’re seeing that mental preparation show up in the confidence and speed he is playing with.”
Michigan safeties are playing with an edge
On the back end, Harbaugh has his group playing fast and furious. It helps that junior Makari Paige has turned a corner, and fellow junior RJ Moten has had his moments.
But sophomore Rod Moore is playing as well as anyone back there. He had a big pick at Indiana last week, and he always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
“Rod is an ascending player,” Harbaugh said. “He had a great season last year, has come back bigger, heavier, a little bit sturdier. All the same things he was last year, but just taking it to another level. He can cover, play off coverages, play man. He can tackle. He’s an unusually good tackler for a guy who is not particularly bulky.
“He’s a little more of a wiry build but he’s very, very strong and he tackles with good technique. He’s a very well-rounded safety.”
With Paige and Moten assisting him, they have a nice trio of players that can “do everything,” Harbaugh added.
“If you have that, it gives you so much flexibility and keeps you out of bad spots when each guy can kind of cover for the other one,” he said. “Some guy can go to the post; another guy can go down to the box. You have a lot more flexibility. You’re not covering up for weaknesses. Rod’s a big part of that.”
And a big reason the Michigan pass defense has been so stout through six games. They’ll be tested against Penn State, but Harbaugh is confident in his group, and the rest of the defense, to rise to the occasion.
