Breaking down Michigan options for defensive coordinator with Jesse Minter leaving with Jim Harbaugh

Now that Sherrone Moore has been named the new Michigan head coach, the task of filling out his staff quickly becomes paramount. Much of it will likely remain the same, but there are already some positions open that need filling, like defensive coordinator.

That job was vacated by Jesse Minter going to the Los Angeles Chargers with Jim Harbaugh.

There are a few places Moore can turn, but Michigan has built a lot of consistency into the program by working the extensive Harbaugh pipeline. It’s been a good developmental training ground for coaches.

“I think he’s going to probably look at some people with Ravens ties, surprise, surprise, and just kind of keep that pipeline going,” said The Wolverine’s Clayton Sayfie on the Andy Staples On3 show. “It’s kind of funny too, because now that Jim Harbaugh wants to make Los Angeles ‘Michigan West’ with kind of a pipeline there, Sherrone said they have two pipelines to the NFL now.”

The thinking is straightforward. Both Harbaughs and Moore can benefit from using lower-level staff spots to develop coaches, then as bigger positions open up, like Minter’s defensive coordinator spot, coaches from those staffs can be promoted.

“So people with Ravens ties to look for, Zach Orr is one name that people are kind of circling as well,” Sayfie said. “Then Clint Hurtt, a guy who was the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, that staff obviously getting revamped there with a new head coach coming in at some point, and Sherrone Moore worked with him at Louisville.

“But I do think they want to keep the system pretty similar regardless of whether or not they get somebody who has worked with Minter or (Mike) Macdonald with the Ravens. So that’s going to be interesting as they move forward here.”

That’s one of the obvious advantages of tapping a pipeline with a similar coaching philosophy: It’s a lot easier to plug and play with coaches who are familiar with the systems on both sides of the ball, even a defensive coordinator.

Bottom line is that Michigan will have some quality options when it comes to filling out Moore’s coaching staff.

“You mentioned Clint Hurtt, the interesting thing about him, you don’t have to worry about can this guy recruit,” Staples said of one of Sayfie’s names to watch. “Long-time college assistant before he went to the Seahawks, with Louisville and Miami. That’s a guy who has some very good recruiting ties as well.”