Get to know new Michigan Assistant Director of Recruiting Jack Dunaway: 'He's a phenomenal person'

The fire lit under Michigan’s recruiting department during the latter years of Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure through an expanded hire of motivated individuals has stayed constant now that head coach Sherrone Moore holds the keys to the program.

The aggressiveness that Moore is instilling on the trail has trickled down to his support staff, where two assistant recruiting directors will pair with Sam Popper to welcome top targets to campus and ensure that Ann Arbor is a destination. Along with John Collins, who comes from Georgia, a familiar face – Jack Dunaway – has returned to his alma mater.

“(Jack is) a phenomenal person,” former Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice head coach Adam Korzeniewski told The Wolverine. “He’s a very, very conscientious young man. Takes tremendous pride in performance, whether that’s academically or on the field. I mean, really hard working and highly intelligent. Very intelligent young man. Good guy, trustworthy.”

Dunaway is a Michigan legacy. Growing up in Metro Detroit, his father, Craig Dunaway, played tight end for Bo Schembechler in the early 80s, winning two Big Ten Championships. Craig’s son joined U-M’s 2015 class as a preferred walk-on.

“I think in Jack’s mind, he grew up a Wolverine, and that’s what he wanted,” Korzeniewski said. “He worked hard enough, and academically, he was able to achieve it. Then, walked on for four years. I mean, it’s not easy in this world to walk on for four years and actually finish. That’s a testament to him.”

Winning the MLive Detroit Player of the Year on Defense as a senior and a part of the same recruiting class that produced Alex Malzone and Grant Perry, who were teammates of Dunaway at Brother Rice, the latter had opportunities to play in the Ivy League, but turning it down to follow in his father’s footsteps and stay close to home wasn’t a difficult decision.

“Jack was 100 percent of the time 100 percent,” Korzeniewski said. “A big-time motor, athletic. He was dominant in high school. He was a D-end and came off that edge with thunder. He was really intelligent. Again, you could tell him something once, maybe twice, and he would pick up on it very quickly. So, very coachable. He cared about performance, had a lot of pride, and was easy to coach. I mean, he just made your team better.”

Dunaway finished his career with the maize and blue earning Academic All-Big Ten honors twice. He appeared in two games as a senior, including the Peach Bowl, on special teams. Over two seasons, Dunaway was the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Week twice. He would graduate with a degree in sports management.

“I think he always had a really good perspective because he’s very mature, and he’s highly intelligent,” Korzeniewski said. “So, I think he always understood that he was going to work his butt off. The guys who come in on scholarship are probably going to be given the right of first refusal by the coaches to be evaluated for a spot. But I know in his mind, he’s just going to keep working. ‘If I can get on the field in some capacity, special teams, I will.’ He was able to see the field in meaningful snaps. I don’t think for a moment he ever thought, like, ‘No, this isn’t for me. Or I’m not going to make it.’ In his world, he’s a Michigan football player.”

Korzeniewski finds pride in seeing former Brother Rice athletes stay in the sport in a capacity that allows them to teach and nurture the younger generation. For Dunaway, his role as assistant director of recruiting will be his second stint on Michigan’s support staff, having been a coaching intern and graduate assistant from January 2019 to February 2021.

“It’s awesome because coaching is very difficult, right?” Korzeniewski said. “You are impacting. While he doesn’t have an ‘on the field’ role, I know that he’ll be connecting with every young man who ever steps on the University of Michigan’s football field. It’s great because coaching football, in general, is such a great way to have a positive impact on people. As I said, Jack is really trustworthy, and he really cares. He’s going to do great at the University of Michigan. Whatever they ask of him, he will pour his heart and soul into that recruiting role. Then, in terms of his relationship with people and building relationships with players, he’s a really good guy. There’s no arrogance about him.”

If anything, Dunaway’s return to Michigan was based on knowing that the program that developed him as a student and athlete is where he always belonged, and staying involved with the program is his calling.

“I like to believe I’ll get some tickets out of it (laughs),” Korzeniewski said. “I won’t abuse it, I promise you (laughs). What you have to understand is that he loves that school. The national championship, I think, for him, was just pride and happiness. He had been working towards this for a while, for about a year. I think he realized civilian life maybe isn’t really what he wanted to do. It just so happened that he has a great relationship with a number of the guys who are there. Coach Moore, Coach (Grant) Newsome, Coach (Steve) Casula. So, I think U-M was looking for a chance to make it work for Jack.”

The parallel mindsets that Dunaway and other staffers have for enhancing Michigan compare well to Moore’s, whose first year as head coach follows a resume with the Wolverines that’s a laundry list, exactly like Dunaway’s. Responsibilities might differ, but the ultimate goal of capturing another national title rings true for both.

“This is unbelievably high-level football,” Korzeniewski said. “They will get back because it’s Michigan. A phenomenal education, phenomenal revenue streams, tremendous alumni and support, and a national championship that just solidified that they’re capable. In my world, they are the brand. They are who everyone wants to be. I love it. Jack is there for the long run. I’m looking forward to them building relationships and getting it back to where they all want to go.”