Getting To Know Mo Linguist, Part 2: Why He's A Great Defensive Strategist

Michigan Wolverines football head coach Jim Harbaugh made an outstanding hire this offseason when he brought in Maurice "Mo" Linguist to serve as his new co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

Linguist has quickly built up a reputation as an elite recruiter in his young career (he's only 36 years old), with U-M already seeing the fruits of his labor pay off on the 2022 recruiting trail.

The Dallas native has heavy ties to the state of Texas, having been born and raised there before spending his collegiate days at Baylor and then making coaching stops at Texas A&M (2018-19) and the Dallas Cowboys (2020).

"Ace recruiter" and "one of the best in the business" are a few of the phrases that have been linked to his name since Harbaugh hired him. But why is he viewed as such an excellent defensive strategist, and what can the Wolverines expect to see from him during his time in Ann Arbor in that regard?

To answer these questions, we spoke with five people closely tied to Linguist, including prominent trainers and high school coaches in the state of Texas, and former colleagues of his the coaching ranks.

The panel includes:

• Adam Harvey (the former position coach Cibolo [Tex.] Steele five-star cornerback Jaylon Jones, who Linguist recruited to Texas A&M)

• Mickey Matthews (the former head coach at James Madison University, where Linguist worked from 2009-11)

• Justin Owens (the founder of 'Coach O Recruiting' in Dallas, which helps recruits gain exposure)

• Lou Tepper (the former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Buffalo University, where he worked alongside Linguist from 2012-13).

• Rischad Whitfield (a prominent trainer of high schoolers, college athletes and NFL players in the Houston area)

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*Harvey was five-star cornerback Jaylon Jones' position coach at Steele High School in Cibolo, Tex. Linguist was Jones' primary recruiter when the elite cornerback signed with Texas A&M.

Is Linguist a straight shooter when it comes to his evaluations of players?

“It’s his delivery that separates him from others. Linguist once showed a kid on a laptop who he has the potential to be, as long as he listens to his coach’s coaching. He tells kids what they need to work on and explains some of the challenges they’ll be facing once they get to college.

"He would do that with Jaylon, and then Jaylon would come back to me determined to fix whatever flaws Coach Linguist had pointed out. It was oftentimes flaws I hadn’t seen, and that helped make me a better coach.

"He’s a straight shooter, but also has a genuine mindset behind it.”

What makes him such an effective defensive backs coach?

“There’s a big clinic in College Station every year called The Lone Star Clinic which unfortunately will be virtual this year, but I had always loved going. When Linguist was at A&M, he and I would sit together at the event and he'd explain to me what they all do and why they do it from a schematic standpoint.

"It was a great opportunity to grow and learn from a guy who’s great at what he does. He obviously wouldn’t have been contacted by the Cowboys and then from Coach Harbaugh if he were only a great recruiter — you have to know your stuff to be in the position he’s been in the last few years.

"You better be good at both recruiting and X’s and O’s if you want to coach at a Power Five school. He’s hopped around lately, but each stop he’s made has been a step up. He’s one of the better coaches I’ve seen from a technical standpoint.

"Coaches who can teach technique separate themselves from others, and Coach Linguist is one of those who has done that.”