When Michigan takes the field in the fall, fans will see a retooled offensive attack.
In the offseason, Michigan brought in Josh Gattis as the new wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator from Alabama. Under his leadership, the Wolverines will have a different feel this season.
“I think the biggest difference people will see will be the tempo,” Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday. “The tempo will be uptempo, less huddle.”
While the offense will be different, heading into his fifth year as Michigan's coach, Harbaugh said he doesn't think it will be too different.
"I don't know if it's that big of a philosophical switch and to Josh's credit, he's done a phenomenal job of coming in and looking at our personnel and what we did well with the run and pass game and protections and making it cohesive with his system," he said. "It's blended really good. Coaches have done a great job of making that happen. The tempo is big. That's a huge change. Huddling to not huddling. That's big."
Bringing in the new offensive coordinator has allowed Michigan's head coach to keep learning and improving how he goes about doing things. He’s been energized by the transition.
“We're learning [together] with his style of offense, contributing where we can,” he added. “He's really good at explaining it, showing us how to coach it. For me, it's been really good. Really enjoying it. Really learning a lot.”
Harbaugh reiterated Monday that Gattis will call the plays and be the offensive coordinator.
For many years, he had heard about Gattis and he acted fast to bring him in when the opportunity arose.
"I read an article when he was coaching at Western Michigan, or heard from somebody, maybe Bill Cubit,” he remakred. “When Josh was at Western Michigan, he'd been there a month and Bill was introducing him to his son or somebody and said 'Son, this is coach Josh Gattis. Talk to him and get to know him, he's not going to be here long.’ The players he's developed at each stop — Western Michigan, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Alabama — it was eye-catching."
Harbaugh is expecting the offense to put more pressure on opposing defenses.
“It has more of an attacking feel to the offense in terms of tempo and in terms of going down the field in the passing game," he said. "Some other things. Different personnel groups, that's the same feel we've always done with multiple personnel groups. You're attacking in that way. Attacking in terms of multiple formations. Put in an RPO and it could be a run or a pass. ... I like that there's an attacking feel to it that the defense has to be aware of. And the tempo feels good, too."
On offense, junior fullback Ben Mason will have an expanded role and is playing a three different potions on both sides of the ball. Harbaugh said he would like to see Mason getting 60 to 70 snaps a game and could even play tight end.
“Feel like the fullback will be used is short-yardage and goal-line situations predominantly, and we want to get Ben on the field as much as possible,” Harbaugh said. "He'll be playing defensive line as well as fullback as well as tailback."
While Michigan added Gattis to the coaching staff, the Wolverines lost defensive line coach Greg Mattison to Ohio State as co-defensive coordinator.
Harbaugh talked about losing Mattison Monday.
“But coaching wise, he wanted to be a coordinator again, and doubled his salary," he said. "Not going to send each other Christmas cards, given where he went.”
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