U-M Assistant Coach Named as Favorite for NFL Opening
While most of the attention in Ann Arbor is focused on Jim Harbaugh's next move, one of his top assistants has now been named as a favorite for a vacant NFL position.
According to Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun, Macdonald is one of two favorites for the current defensive coordinator position with the Baltimore Ravens. It certainly doesn't seem out of the relm of possibility, particularly given Macdonald's long history with the Ravens franchise.
Baltimore Ravens
Here's a detailed look at Macdonald's coaching history with Baltimore, via Mgoblue.com:
Macdonald coached the linebackers in Baltimore for the past three seasons (2018-20) and mentored the defensive backs during the 2017 season. He spent two seasons as a defensive assistant (2015-16) after beginning his tenure with the team as a coaching intern on defense (2014).
Baltimore was a top 10 scoring defense in six of Macdonald's seven years, including ranking second in the league (2018 and 2020). The Ravens defense allowed the fewest yards in the NFL during the 2018 season finished in the top 8 in six of his seven seasons. In 2017, he helped coach a secondary that led the NFL in turnovers (34). His unit also led the league in interceptions (22) for the second year in a row (18 in 2016).
Macdonald has coached at least one Pro Bowl performer in five consecutive seasons with the Ravens, with linebackers Matthew Judon (2019-20) and C.J. Mosley (2018) and safety Eric Weddle (2016-17) receiving the recognition.
