Everything Grant Newsome said on Inside Michigan Football pre-UConn
On what it's been like going from player to coach
It's been a whirlwind. I was joking with the guys that it feels like yesterday when we were playing Hawaii back in 2016 and that was the first game I started, really. It's been a whirlwind experience but, obviously, a huge honor and really appreciative of Coach Harbaugh for giving me the opportunity and showing the trust in me to lead my own room.
On the transition from Brady Hoke to Jim Harbaugh and how it impacts recruiting
First of all, I was extremely fortunate. I have a lot of respect for Coach Hoke and was not happy that he was fired by any means. Selfishly, I was very fortunate that Coach Harbaugh got the job and he's changed my life. In terms of my recruiting, it's pretty easy. I said this the other day to the media, there's really no selling when it comes to Michigan. You have the world-class football. You have the world-class academics and you have the opportunity to play for the best head coach in America. It's easy for me, especially, with Coach Hart, Coach Bellamy and Coach Elston, et cetera who played here. It's something we lived. I just talk about my experiences. There's no, oh, I'm here but if the job down the street opens up, maybe I won't be. This is where I want to be. Obviously, the dream is to be the head coach here someday. I'm going to be here as long as Coach Harbaugh will have me.
On getting information across to his players
It's definitely a lot of responsibility but I've been super lucky and super fortunate to not only have a great staff in Coach Harbaugh but also Coach Moore, Coach Weiss. The rest of our offensive staff as well as Coach Jay Harbaugh who has a ton of knowledge not just about offensive football but tight end position. That's been a huge help. Also, just the guys in the room. To have two six-year guys in Joel Honigford and Carter Selzer, obviously, Schoonie and Erick are two seasoned veterans. It makes it great and the guys are all just kind of responsible and they're great guys who are about their business.
On learning from Sherrone Moore and Matt Weiss
I think that's the one thing, like I said, to take pieces from Gatt, from Sherrone, from Matt and also from Coach and all the experience that he has. Not just in the West Coast passing game but also the tight end position. A guy who has coached Vernon Davis, Delaney Walker, Colby Fleener, Zach Ertz. Really produced a whole lot of household names. I think I've been a sponge and try to soak it all in and take things and learn a little bit from each person I've been fortunate enough to work with.
On why he chose coaching
Football is hard to walk away from. Not to say this lightly, it's kind of addicting a little bit. There's something about being a player and just the sport itself. It's hard to leave. For me, I had a lot of coaches, Coach Harbaugh at the top of the list, who really impacted my life. When I got the position to stay in football and Coach gave me the opportunity to be a student coach and move my way up, it felt like it was not just an awesome opportunity but my responsibility, also, to try to pay that forward. Even if that's just a tiny bit.
On what last year meant to him
It meant a lot. It meant everything. It's been a long time coming. Not just in the time I've been here but since 2004, really. To be able to give that to not just the current players but also the former players. The guys I've played with who were never fortunate enough to win a Big Ten championship. To be able to put those demons aside and do it for all of Michigan. More importantly, I was more happy for the guys, the players. Those are the ones that worked day in and day out to get there and for Coach, all the crap he has to deal with and hearing it day in and day out. He can't win big games and all that kind of stuff he has to deal with and he bears to burden of it on his shoulders. I was just happy for all the guys.
On the feeling of beating Ohio State after the game
It was a lot of fun. Obviously, incredible experience. I was up in the box with Gatt and some of the other staff members. The four minutes it took for us to get down after Rod's tackle, we actually left after Ojabo's sack. It was like pandemonium had happened on the field. Just a sea of 100,000 people. I'm looking for players and then I was worried that people were already upstairs. It was a whirlwind. I kind of enjoyed it and came back here and got work. We didn't really leave the building, actually. We just got to work on Iowa. It was a lot of fun but I think it was a good reminder for myself, personally, and Steve Casula and all the other coaches we were with, that it's not the end goal. It was a huge mountain to climb for us as a program, that's not the end goal. Just like we tell the guys. Last year was great but we're not satisfied. We can't be satisfied with that. The goal is Georgia, the goal is Alabama. The goal is to beat Ohio State again.
On what he learned from winning the Big Ten and having a playoff experience
I think the big thing is it's just experience. I think experience is a good teacher, the best teacher for us as coaches, for the players to know what's good enough to get you there is not going to be good enough to win it all. We came out and played a pretty good game against Ohio State, a really good game versus against Ohio State. Then we came out against Georgia and we were flat. At that level, the margins are so small that you can't afford to have a bad quarter because then you're down 17-0, 24-0, whatever it was and that game is out of reach. It shows us what separates a good team, maybe a great team, from an elite, national championship-winning team is that margin and that's what we have to go out and get this year.
On figuring out Erick All's availability vs. Colorado State
It was interesting obviously with Erick and his girlfriend were due early that week. I think it was Monday or Tuesday so were like, perfect, I don't have any kids so apparently the first one comes later. So, alright, maybe Wednesday or Thursday, maybe Friday, before the game. Obviously, the birth of his child is way more important than the game. We thought it would probably work itself out and then she goes into labor Friday and we were like, alright, and we just kind of had to prepare. Obviously, Erick's a really, really talented guy so we were kind of like, alright, we'll script the opener both ways. We'll get guys ready for if he's there or if he's not there. Obviously, he got there about two hours before game time and had a catch.
On the depth in the TE room
We like to joke and call it rich people problems. We feel like, obviously, we have two guys who, in my opinion, are All-American-type tight ends in Schoonie and Erick. We've got Joel and Carter who have both played a lot of snaps in games. Beyond that, hopefully, people got to see on Saturday that we've got a whole bunch of guys who maybe haven't played as much football but can go out and win games for us, not just get us out of a game but can go out and win a game in Matt Hibner, Max Bredeson, Colston Loveland is doing a really good job as well.
On getting Honigford a touchdown
It's gotta happen at some point. There's no doubt. We've gotta get Joel a touchdown this year.
On watching Honigford going through the transition
It was super impressive and it's a credit to Joel and how much he cares. Not just about the team but, also, being able to contribute. To lose all that weight, it's a tough thing to do. Any offensive linemen would know. The crazy thing is, as of right now, he's lighter than both Schoonie and Erick. To go from a guy that was 310-315 pounds who is now in the 250's and lighter than two guys who have been tight ends their entire careers, it's impressive.
On what Schoonmaker and All's best asset
I think it's being complete tight ends. Something that we talk about and the joke is that if you want the ball, you have the able to block for the ball. I think you watch the tape, you watch a couple of those big runs and, obviously, the offensive line is doing a heckuva job as well but Schoonie is at the point of attack, Erick is at the point of attack. Having these guys who can go out and make the catches that everyone saw Erick make against Colorado State or the one-handed catch that Schoonie made in the Big Ten championship, or Erick made in the Big Ten championship at the same time. You click on the film and those guys are at the point of attack. Those guys aren't just being stashed off the field and we're running inside zones away from them. They're at the point of attack and they're expected to be able to do every block in the offense.
On how he brings the young TEs along
I think it's a couple of things. First of all, Coach Harbaugh does a great job of our schedule and our practice, getting those guys reps. They're not just, during training camp or spring ball, but throughout the week. Also, it's a credit to the older guys in the room. I said this before but I'll never forget how impactful it was to be in the tight end room in 18 and 19 under Sherrone as his assistant and see Erick come in a freshman and see him be that young kid who is finding his way. Now, we go to spring and Colston Loveland gets here as an early enrollee and the person who is sitting right next to him in his first meeting is Erick All. To see how he's come full circle as the young man who was mentored by Sean McKeon and Nick Eubanks, two guys who are now in the NFL, now he's paying it forward as he's on the way out the door. Same thing with Schoonie, with Joel and with Carter. Those guys do a heckuva job being a mentor with those young tight ends.
On what it's like coaching with Sherrone Moore
I'm super blessed to come to work every day. Not just with Sherrone but the entire staff. It is, it's super nice to have the positions work hand-in-hand and to have somebody who I have an immense amount of trust and belief in, someone I've worked closely with for six years now. It just makes it really easy to be able to know that. I trust him completely.