Michigan Football may have to start its 2023 campaign without its head coach and two key assistants.

READ: Jim Harbaugh and NCAA working toward 4 game suspension

If Jim Harbaugh is ultimately suspended 4 games, Sherrone Moore and Grant Newsome 1 game, that will put unique pressure on the rest of the coaching staff at the start of the season. While the out of conference schedule isn’t a concern in terms of wins and losses, something like this still disrupts what the team wants to accomplish early in the season. Creating routines, getting better each day and week, something Harbaugh preaches.

So much of Michigan’s success the last two seasons comes from the incredible staff Harbaugh has built. That staff will have to step up during these suspensions, but Harbaugh has the guys to do it.

If it was only Harbaugh involved the assumption would be that Sherrone Moore would serve as an interim head coach of sorts, but if he is also suspended for the first game, you’ll have to look elsewhere. With so much on Moore’s plate as OC and OL coach, maybe that’s not a bad idea anyway?

Running backs coach Mike Hart would have to get strong consideration. Hart, a former Michigan player is loved and respected by this team in a way where he is already viewed in the lights of a head coach. The respect he commands makes this choice easy. It’s not hard to imagine Hart on the sidelines as HC.

On the defensive of the ball, throw a dart, you can’t go wrong. Players love Steve Clinkscale, and signup me up for his sideline swagger as an HC on gameday. Mike Elston is a coach with lots of experience, including multiple times as assistant head coach. The newest arrival, Chris Partridge knows Harbaugh and this program well. Before making the leap to college he was one of the best high school head coaches at Paramus in New Jersey. Hardly the same as coaching Michigan, but hey.

What about the other Harbaugh on staff, Jay Harbaugh? Jay has been on his fathers staff at Michigan since day 1 and if his last name wasn’t Harbaugh he’d get the respect he deserves. Jay has coached on both sides of the ball, and has led one of the best special teams units the country. Let Jay prove the haters wrong again.

This is where things get interesting. If Sherrone Moore is to miss the first game, that’s hardly the start you want for Moore in his first season as sole OC. Michigan as always used a full staff approach to game planning, something that would pay off in a major way here.

You’d have to imagine Mike Hart would take on a bigger role as the run game coordinator, potentially calling run plays or more. For the reasons I mentioned Hart as an HC option, you give him the keys as a play caller

The sleeper here is Kirk Campbell. I have already said I believe Campbell will have a big role in game planning the pass game. Campbell was a big piece of game planning at Penn State before spending two seasons as offensive coordinator at Old Dominion. So with his experience as play caller, paired with Hart, that gets you through week 1.

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