Michigan football players say Mike Macdonald made the game fun again

Michigan football’s defensive turnaround on the field goes beyond an improvement in schematics. Coordinator Mike Macdonald came into the building and flipped everything, including allowing his players to take ownership of the system.

It paid off. Michigan is the nation’s 12th-ranked total defense (316.7 ypg) and fourth-ranked scoring defense (16.08 ppg) en route to a Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff appearance.

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Macdonald’s work this year is drawing praise from his players ahead of Friday’s Orange Bowl vs. Georgia.

“I think he brings a new version of the game for us to play,” sophomore defensive tackle Mazi Smith said on Tuesday morning. “The way he implements all the things that he’s trying to teach us and get us to do, he does it quickly and efficiently. He doesn’t leave any meat on the bone, and I just think using his personnel to the best of our ability, he’s got packages for everybody, and he’s trying to get the most out of us, and we want to do it.

Fellow sophomore tackle Christopher Hinton gave Macdonald props for adapting the defense to its personnel.

“He does a great job of putting people in great positions to make plays, and he does a great job just relating to his players,” Hinton said. “We understand what he’s thinking, he understands what we’re thinking, and we’re able to bounce off of that, bounce ideas off of that, and I think that’s paid dividends to our success this year. We love Coach Mac.”

Macdonald’s fingerprints are all over Michigan’s defense, but also on an individual level. Third-year cornerback DJ Turner is one of the players most grateful for a chance.

“For me, he did a lot,” Turner said. “Man, he just gave me a chance. We do a whole bunch of different schemes, and it’s just really good when he came, the knowledge of football he brought with him.”

Michigan football is fun again

Macdonald’s leadership helped Michigan football turn a corner from a cultural perspective, as well. Players have said throughout the year they have never had as much enjoyment playing the game. It is less of a knock on former coordinator Don Brown as it is an endorsement of Macdonald’s style.

“Personally for me, he just made the game fun again,” pass rusher David Ojabo said. “As DJ said, he gave me a chance to play loose and have fun doing it.

“It’s just fun. I’m just out there doing my job play-by-play. I don’t know how else to say it.”

Macdonald was one of many Michigan assistants that helped change the outlook this season. Defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale had a big impact on Turner’s performance.

“He changed the mindset and we take the game to the field so confident now, and we just go into the games comfortable,” Turner said. “We know if we have any questions during the game, we just go to the sideline and he’ll have an answer for us. So he’s just been a good major factor in this role and the season that we’ve had in the secondary.”

Head coach Jim Harbaugh has a group that plays for each other. Michigan has a staff that keeps everyone on the same page. It is why they are still playing meaningful football heading into New Year’s Eve.

“They just all came in and did their best to get on the same page. Coach Mac did a real good job bringing everyone together on the defensive side of the ball,” Smith said. “All the players are still behind him, and we always wanted to have success. We were willing to do whatever it took, and so was the coaching staff.”

Michigan football’s College Football Playoff semifinal vs. Georgia kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET from the Orange Bowl in Miami.