Former Michigan Assistants Teaming Up In NFL
Heading into the 2021 season, Jim Harbaugh hired a young, up-and-coming coach to be his defensive coordinator and at first, Michigan fans were skeptical. At the time, the 33-year old Mike Macdonald had never been a coordinator before and it honestly felt like big brother John was just throwing Jim a bone at a time of need. Macdonald ended up being one of the best coordinators in the country and turned the Wolverine defense into a top ten unit. His stint in Ann Arbor was short as he was then hired back by John Harbaugh to be his new DC with the Ravens. Now, Macdonald is the youngest head coach in the NFL as the new bossman of the Seattle Seahawks.
Joining Macdonald in Seattle as his special teams coordinator, will be Jay Harbaugh. Most assumed that Jay would be joining his father in Los Angeles, but it turns out he'll be a bit further north in the state of Washington. Jay and Macdonald spent just one year together in Ann Arbor, but obviously the two developed a rapport and Macdonald saw enough in the younger Harbaugh to give him a very important job in Seattle.
It also stands to note that Jim Harbaugh's current special teams coordinator is a very good one in Ryan Ficken. The 43-year old assistant has the Chargers operating at a high level and his unit is considered one of the best in the NFL.
