Wolverine TV podcast: Farewell to Mike Macdonald, D-coordinator search, Jim Harbaugh watch, more
TheWolverine.com’s Chris Balas, Clayton Sayfie and Anthony Broome discuss Michigan defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald returning to the Baltimore Ravens to serve as John Harbaugh‘s D-coordinator, who the Wolverines might replace him with, the latest with Jim Harbaugh and NFL rumors, basketball’s upcoming game at Michigan State and more.
Balas began the podcast by laying out his thoughts on Macdonald’s departure, his legacy at U-M and more.
“Let me ask you this question, guys, if you could get a defensive coordinator to come in here for one year, beat Ohio State, hold them to 27 points, win a Big Ten championship, would you do it knowing you had to give him back at the end of the year?” Balas asked Sayfie and Broome. “100 percent. Yeah.
“And it’s not ideal, obviously, but Jim Harbaugh makes pretty good hires on the defensive side of the ball. Don Brown had his great moments here. Obviously, Ohio State not withstanding; he did not have his better games against them.
“At the same time, what Mike Macdonald accomplished here, I wouldn’t call it a trial run for the Ravens, but as Jim Harbaugh said when he was hired, ‘John always told me he was going to be the next guy after Wink Martindale. And when Wink Martindale gets the ziggy, then you’re like, ‘OK, what’s going on? What’s next?’
“And we had an idea, we put up the article about ‘how long can Michigan to Mike Macdonald,’ because it became pretty clear at that point that Mike Macdonald had his eyes on the Baltimore job, and I think Baltimore had an idea that they wanted to hire him, as well.
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“I think he wanted to go back to the NFL. I don’t think he embraced recruiting, and I don’t say that in a negative way, but I think he sees himself as an NFL guy and he has a long and bright future there.
“When you’re talking about time invested between the college game and the NFL game, I’m not saying it’s not hard in an NFL job — it’s crazy hours, too — but there is an offseason. Your phone’s not ringing all the time.”
For more Michigan football and basketball talk, watch or listen to the episode below.
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