Connor Stalions loses 60-0 in high school head coaching debut
Friday night, Connor Stalions made his head coaching debut. He took over as the acting coach at Detroit Mumford after the head coach suffered a mild stroke, and his first game was against Flint Hamady Community.
Suffice to say, it likely didn’t go how Stalions planned. Mumford fell to Hamada 60-0 to drop to 0-2 on the young season.
Stalions – who was at the center of Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal last year – became Mumford’s defensive coordinator under William McMichael last week. But after McMichael went into the hospital, the school turned to Stalions as its acting head coach.
Mumford lost its season opener last week against Redford Lee M. Thurston as the Mustangs allowed 47 points. Next week, they’re set to take on Detroit Cass Technical – which sits at No. 42 in the state, according to the Massey Ratings, a model that combines statistics and ratings such as offensive and defensive power, as well home field advantage and strength of schedule.
Stalions, of course, spent time on Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan before the sign-stealing scandal came to light. He was also the subject of a Netflix documentary on the investigation, for which the Wolverines received a Notice of Allegations in late August.
How Connor Stalions ended up on the Mumford staff
A connection with McMichael helped lead Stalions to the defensive coordinator job at Mumford. He is the father of former Michigan enrollee Jeremiah Beasley – who has since transferred to Missouri after Harbaugh’s departure for the Los Angeles Chargers – and got to know Stalions when the Wolverines were recruiting his son.
“He’s great with the kids, has an outstanding football mind and we’re learning a lot — not just the kids, but the coaching staff,” McMichael said to the Detroit News, which originally reported Stalions’ hiring at Mumford. “He’s a great addition to what we’re doing. He can help prepare the kids for college.
“They are learning the lingo, how they practice college and how they break down film, so it gives the kids an advantage.”
As for whether the NCAA investigation impacted the decision to hire Stalions, McMichael said that wasn’t the case. He said it doesn’t have anything to do with Mumford.
“I’m not worried about it,” McMichael told The News. “What happened with the NCAA doesn’t concern us here at Mumford. He comes here every day and gives 120%, and the kids all love him and we’re all learning from him.”