Mimi Bolden-Morris, first female GA at P5 program, enjoying 'great experience' at Michigan
Quarterbacks assistant Milan (Mimi) Bolden-Morris might be a rookie on the Michigan staff, but she’s no stranger to the game of football.
Her father Mike Morris Sr. is a former Florida State offensive lineman and high school coach who often had Bolden-Morris either soaking up the football culture in Tallahassee or serving as his water girl. Ties were so deep that Michigan senior defensive end Mike Morris had verbally committed to FSU as a high school freshman before rerouting to Ann Arbor late once Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher left for Texas A&M.
Being around Fisher and his staff, along with a number of other chances to engage with coaches across the country, sparked a growth of confidence in Bolden-Morris that eventually led to her knowing she belonged as the first female Power Five graduate assistant. Even so, she’s still navigating the complexities this being her first real taste of college coaching.
“It’s new getting this side because as a coach there are so many moving parts that you don’t know as a player,” Bolden-Morris said. “But in reference to knowing what it takes, for the most part I knew what I was getting myself into which is why I wanted to do it.”
In terms of the response since Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh announced the hire on March 15, Bolden-Morris points to how powerful sports can be as a platform, outlet and space to learn.
“We’re in a new era,” she added. “I think that everyone’s accepting of me around here. Everyone’s been super welcoming, which is something that I love about the game. Sports is just a way for everyone to connect. That’s the saving grace of society, really.”
“Honestly, it’s been a great experience. I love who I work with. They treat me like a little sister. They teach me so much. I’m really, really grateful for the opportunity.”
What is Jim Harbaugh looking for in a Michigan assistant?
Bolden-Morris: “Coach Harbaugh just wants trustworthy and hard-working people around him – a really loyal group of people who are going to bust their behind and make it happen. It doesn’t matter what they look like, where they come from. The interview process was what I expected it to be with any winning organization. For me, it’s what I expected it to be because of the culture. When you think Michigan, you think ‘win’ in all things.”
“When you interview for anything Michigan, whatever it is, you know the expectation is to be great. I knew that coming in, and the questions that Coach Harbaugh asked me were what I thought they would be. I knew that he wants people to win, that he wants hard-working people. So, I guess I made the cut.”
Bolden-Morris: Career goals
We’re in the early stages of this journey, but Bolden-Morris seems aware that the Michigan position could be an invaluable springboard. Her five-year goal is to become a position coach and have her own room. It goes without question she has a love for the college space – developing athletes, and above all else for her, developing young men. Bolden-Morris would prefer to stay at the college level as long as possible, given she has the opportunity to mold people as a whole.
Long term, Bolden-Morris doesn’t hide from her desire to reach the NFL coaching ranks. Is it make or break for her career? Not quite, but she’s wired in a way that wanting to make an impact at all levels is inevitable. In her eyes, it’s something that speaks to the success of an individual and his or her will to win.
Hardest worker in the room
Bolden-Morris: “As a minority in general, being a black woman, it’s something that you grow up with. You kind of grow up with that mentality that you’re going to have to work harder. It’s nothing new to me. I work hard naturally. That’s something that my parents instilled in me. There’s none of this that was really a surprise, and I don’t really feel that pressure considering that it’s something that I’ve done my whole life. No one ever had to tell me to go make it happen. It’s something that I just did.”
On the Michigan QB battle
Bolden-Morris: “We want our guys to work hard. That’s what we do. That’s the Michigan way. That’s all I demand from them, and that’s all I demand from myself. I can only hold a player to what I hold myself to.”
