On the process of heading back to Michigan

The first thing was, obviously, being an admirer from afar of what the program has done the last three years. I tell everybody, even after I left, the fond memories I had from the time here. Just watching as a fan and as a college football coach sometimes you don't get a chance to watch other teams because you're so entrenched in your team but when Michigan was on the television, I got a chance to watch them and just admired the way the program, the direction it was going, and, obviously, the end result of what they were able to accomplish last year. It was a tough decision to leave Tennessee but I tell everybody, there's a reason Michigan is Michigan. It's the best of the best and getting an opportunity to come back and coach with Coach Moore who I have so much respect for and the program as a whole was too good of an opportunity to turn down.

On his time at Louisville and what he remembers about Sherrone Moore

The number one thing that Coach Moore brought to the table, even as a GA, was professionalism. You saw the hard work, you saw the ability to relate to the kids on the team but also the coaches that he had to coach with at that time since he was kind of just getting started. You saw the bright future and the ability to get the best out of people. The biggest thing with Coach Moore is he was the same guy every day. It sounds simple but in this profession it could be a hard task. Always walked in with a smile on his face. Was demanding with the players, even as a young coach and they respected him for that and they got the most out of his guys, even when the transition happened, it was such a natural transition just because the players respected him so much even as a graduate assistant.

On what he learned from 2020 in Ann Arbor and how the Tennessee program was impacted by 2020

The biggest thing with 2020, it was a rough time for the entire world, you want to state that first. Athletics, we're so programmed and everybody has got a routine and the whole athletic world, especially football, kind of got knocked out of their routine. You had to learn different ways to accomplish goals. I think the 2020 season here at Michigan I think I heard it put the best, they were able to callous up their bodies and their minds to prepare them for this national championship run. You don't celebrate losing seasons, especially at places like Michigan but I do believe that was the springboard to the championships. There's a high standard here and it made people look in the mirror and try to figure things out on the personal side of what we can do as individuals to make this thing better. I think that was the same — a lot of the lessons that I learned during that 2020 season I carried with me as a coach to my next job and I think that made me a better coach and a better person.

On his to-do list when he took the job at Michigan

The number one thing because I think coaching is coaching. There's always Xs and Os, there's great coaches everywhere you go. The number one thing for myself and I think for the entire defensive staff was getting to know the players. I know after they made such a deep run and ended up winning a national championship, there is a brotherhood camaraderie on this team that's like no other. We wanted to make sure we could dive headfirst into that and make sure we can get to know the players and let them know we're here for them and we want them to continue to have that success as we are a part of it. That was the number one job for us as coaches and myself, personally. I'm not just talking about the linebacker group, I'm talking about everyone on defense, everyone on offense, all the support staff in the building. You name it because it was a group effort. You could see that. Everybody was rowing the boat in the same direction and that's what it takes to have a national championship-level program so we want to jump in and be a part of that. Obviously, putting our own spin on it and being ourselves. If it's not broken, you don't want to fix it.

On whether he knew Wink Martindale personally and the process of getting to know him

He's one of the most respected coaches in all of football. I've been an admirer of his from afar. I've asked several of my good friends that have worked with him at different places and different players I've been able to coach that have played under him, they sing his praises from coast to coast. Not just the football part of it and how great of a defensive coordinator he is but how great of a person he is. It's a pleasure. He's one of the other reasons that made this opportunity such a blessing in my eyes because you get a chance to work with him who I think is one of the best coaches, period, in all of football.

On Ernest Hausmann

Ernest has been great from the first time I've had a chance to sit down and speak with him. Just to learn his background and I try to tell the kids about my background, tell them I'm an open book. Ernest, you could almost look at him like he's the third starter from last year. He played a ton which shows you the respect level and what they thought of him from the previous staff. He's taken a big leadership role so far this season. I think he understands how much Mike Barrett and Junior Colson did here last year and I think he wants to continue that leadership aspect and he also understands how much production we lost. He's been the main guy that has been grabbing some of these younger inexperienced guys and try to get them up to speed on what the standard is to play defense here at Michigan.

On Jaishawn Barham

The big thing with Jaishawn, obviously, a high-level athlete, a high-level player. Was one of the better linebackers in the country coming out of high school out of the DMV area. We actually recruited him at my previous place. Just the experience coming in. We have actual game tape that shows how high of a level that he can play at. I think the biggest thing with Jaishawn and what you can respect, he does come in with some Big Ten stripes but you wouldn't know that with him walking in the building. He wants to immerse himself in this Michigan culture and wants to be part of the Michigan defense. I think with that mentality, I expect him to have a great year and be even more productive wearing the Maize and Blue.

On how he would characterize the linebacker room in 2024

I think that's what a spring ball special. You always going to miss the production of the guys we talked about in Colson and Barrett. But I think a clean slate in a room full of hungry younger guys makes for a great room. I think those guys, they're great examples of the culture that has been built here where you have to work for everything you get. Everything is earned. They've been unbelievable. I can go through names, we've already talked about Ernest and we talked about Jaishawn, but I think Jimmy Rolder who has got some good snaps, has played in some games last year, I think he's got a chance to be a very, very productive player. Like what I've seen from him. We have another veteran in the room in Jaydon Hood who has patiently waited his time. I think he's got a chance to really help us next year because he does have the experience and he's been in some critical situations in some games, too. Those two guys are some of the older guys that played a little bit last year. Really excited about some of the younger kids. I think Christian Boivin is a high-level special teams guy that I really think he's going to carve his niche in that linebacker room. I know another guy that I think the fans will be excited about, has shown some flashes but has to be more consistent in Micah Pollard. He's a great athlete, still trying to learn the linebacker position but you can see some of the growth just off tape and what I've seen these last couple of weeks watching him run around and being at meetings with him. I'd be remiss to mention some of the guys who haven't played that are kind of newer to the program in Semaj Bridgeman and Jason Hewlett, two young guys who are very, very active. Very athletic. We're going to throw them in the fire and see how they react this spring. We have two midyears that have a chance to be really, really good in Cole Sullivan and Jeremiah Beasley. We have a good group and I always try not to miss anybody. Another kid that's been good that comes up and we're expecting a good spring from is Hayden Moore. I think he's got a chance to do some positive things to see if he can be one of the guys that get on the bus and help us play a high level of defense but also helps us on special teams.

On Junior Colson

He was one of the main reasons I enjoyed watching Michigan football at my previous spot. We had a great relationship but because of NCAA rules, obviously, I wasn't able to stay in touch with him because of how crazy the rules are and everything. We still try to keep in touch through other people, mutual friends and acquaintances that we had. He was the first person that I texted when I took the job and he called me immediately. He's a great kid, we're connected. Both families from the same country, from Haiti, so we had some great conversations there. He has a fan forever in Coach BJ just because of the relationship that we built. There wasn't a happier person to see the type of player that he became in his three years here than me. I think he's a great kid, comes from a great family, think he has a chance to be a high-high level linebacker in the NFL.

On how he's seen recruiting change

The big thing in the recruiting landscape, it's still about relationships. It's still trying to build a relationship with someone, even with the NIL aspect of it and the transfer portal. You still have to be real with kids and their families. You have to be transparent to a point that they understand the good and the band because of a lot times in recruiting we just give them the rosy side of what the program is and that's when the issues happen when they get here or they're trying to make a decision and they feel like you haven't been transparent. I tell people that I'm gonna be the most honest recruiter I can be. Obviously, I am going to tell them about all the positives and I'm also going to tell them about the things we need to work on as a program, as a staff, as a team. I also tell them things that they need help with whether it be as a football player, whether it be on the personal side. We always talk about the 4-year plan but a 40-year plan. We always put the life aspect in it in the recruiting process. The kids, sometimes they don't like to hear it, and the families, but I think they appreciate that and they know we have their best interests at heart.

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