Jay Harbaugh talks 'special' secondary, Tommy Doman's development, being head coach in Michigan spring game

Michigan Wolverines football special teams coordinator and safeties coach Jay Harbaugh joined Jon Jansen on the In The Trenches podcast and concluded with a big “Go blue!” That phrase has a different meaning to Harbaugh this week, since he’s the head coach of the ‘Blue Team’ for Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage. Running backs coach and run game coordinator Mike Hart is at the helm of the ‘Maize Team.’

Harbaugh and Hart drafted players over the weekend and have been preparing for the game with their respective staffs.

“Looking at building our team, we felt like trying to follow the model of how the Michigan team was built,” Harbaugh said. “We felt that would make a lot of sense, and do what we could to be able to be strong in the middle of the offense and defense, try to control the line of scrimmage, be able to run the ball, stop the run.

“When you look back at previous spring games, usually the team that runs the ball well early gets in control of the game. They don’t always win, but it definitely has a big impact. A lot of times, the offensive production will tail off toward the end of the game a little bit, in terms of just the average yards per play and all that. You tend to see a little bit more explosive plays as calls get busted and that kind of thing on defense. But we really felt like, tried to build up front, control the trenches and play well early in the game.”

Harbaugh said his leadership style as a head coach is to “have really good people, let them do their thing and be there to support them, however you can.”

Michigan’s ‘Blue Team’ is looking to win Saturday’s game, which will earn them a steak dinner (as opposed to hot dogs). The competition will be fierce.

“Huge,” Harbaugh said of the Michigan spring game’s importance. “We are in this thing to win it. We built the roster with the intention to win. We’re trying to win the week of preparation, the six days before the game, be able to invest each day — the details, the preparation, the meetings, the walkthrough — and be able to cash out on Saturday and make it a really fun day, and have that beautiful steak dinner.”

Jay Harbaugh on ‘special’ Michigan secondary

Harbaugh is entering his second season as Michigan’s safeties coach. He returns three players with starting experience in junior Rod Moore, senior R.J. Moten and senior Makari Paige. That trio is working in concert with the nickel backs and cornerbacks, and Harbaugh is excited about the entire defensive backfield.

“It is a really, really good group,” the Michigan assistant stated. “They play really well together, for one, and you see a bond off the field, in the meetings, in the practice environment — pre-practice, post-practice. That’s pretty strong.

“That group of positions — there are nickels, corners and safeties — it really is [co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach] Coach [Steve] Clink[scale], is tremendous in the way he sees the game. It’s so fascinating, and he says all the time how the O-line and the DBs are really like the two most similar positions on the team. Through time, I’ve learned I really believe that’s true, in terms of, you’re only being as strong as the weakest member, the emphasis of communication, the togetherness that you have to have to be able to be on the same page with how you handle different things.

“Those are the things that come to mind that make this team special and really fun to be around.”

Tommy Doman may be the next man up for Michigan

Michigan lost two longtime special teamers in kicker Jake Moody and punter Brad Robbins. Junior Tommy Doman has been waiting his turn, and can kick off, place kick and punt, but that’s a lot of responsibility. Freshman kicker Adam Samaha will enroll this summer. Harbaugh said things have been going according to plan in spring ball.

“We’re probably about where we expected to be. We have a guy who’s experience in terms of age and reps in our system and physical maturity, in Tommy Doman,” the Michigan special teams coordinator said. “He’s been here. He’s a guy who has tons of talent, and we expect him to be a very good player.

“Currently on the team, we don’t have a ton of depth after that. We have a couple guys that have developed themselves into good role players and have potential to have the roles expand beyond that, and we have good players coming in, in the fall.

“We’re building the depth. Those guys are getting more comfortable, now that they are sort of the featured guy. But I would say we are about where we expected [to be] in March, is OK. We hope in June to be a little bit better, in July to be better and be ready to go in September.”

Harbaugh said Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and the coordinators do a good job of simulating pressure situations in practice, too, and that the spring game is another opportunity to do that.

“There are going to be a lot of people there, and you might get some wind, and it’s a good exposure to a little bit of that sort of game day energy,” he noted.