CHICAGO — Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is always on the move trying to improve his football program, whether it’s making hires or recruiting. He added a pair of coaches to assist Sean Magee, his Director of Player Personnel.
Harbaugh confirmed the hiring of Arizona’s Matt Dudek and former San Francisco 49ers exec Tom Gamble.
“I’m very excited about the real great personnel that we’ve brought in,” he said. “Talk about Pep Hamilton, Greg Frey, another real shining star. I feel the same way about Matt Dudek, a guy who has really achieved and done it in this type of job. He has an amazing gift of personality, people skills, enthusiasm and energy … really what we’ve been looking for so much.
“Tom Gamble is the same way. We need guys to infuse energy into our program … guys that are hungry to make us better. That’s also been a consistent theme of what we’re looking for, new hires, new people coming into our ball club.”
He’s consolidating positions, he added, with guys doing several tasks after Colonel Jim Minick left for another job with the military.
“Sean Magee is another,” Harbaugh said. “He’s really stepped into that role of managing the administrative side of things, and he’s doing a phenomenal job. They’ll [the news hires] work with Sean … a very good example of someone who has dual tasks and we’re consolidating, because we’re not hiring back a position. It was growing so much, we’ve got to keep it in the realm of being humanly possible.
"Enter Dudek and Gamble, two really great ones.”
Harbaugh Talks Personnel
Harbaugh admitted he probably hasn’t had a team as young as his 2017 Wolverines, but he’s also itching to see how good they are.
“Yeah, it does feel more exciting,” Harbaugh said. “It feels that way, knowing guys have the opportunity in front of them. To see them be hungry and excited about that opportunity is fun to coach, and they’re talented, too. I won’t deviate from that. Young and untalented, bad. Young and talented … good. That’s a good thing.”
Sophomore guard Mike Onwenu is getting his weight down and working hard toward that end, he said, noting, ‘it’s improving.’ He's trying to get down below 350 but was over 370 this spring.
“We’ll see exactly where we are at the end of this week,” Harbaugh said. “We’re going to have a bit of a mini combine. There are still some decisions to make to see who is going to be in the 105 ... the healthiest, best players we have to take to camp to be in the 105.
“Mostly all of the freshmen are going to start on the 31st stay in another week of summer school so their footing is going to be really strong. The 16 guys not starting in the 105 on the first day opens it up to 16 other guys to see who those best are, and we’ll make those decisions at the end of the week.”
NOTES
• Harbaugh said Karan Higdon has taken his work to another level to put himself firmly in the mix to start at running back.
"Karan Higdon a heck of an offseason. He looks like he’s in phenomenal shape,” he said of the junior. “Ty Isaac has worked his way into it, looked a little heavy so we asked him to trim down. Fat is the enemy of speed, and that shows up a lot for running backs. He’s put a lot of effort into it, is a very talented guy, as well.”
Those two and sophomore Chris Evans are the three mainstays, he said.
“We’ll see what the two freshmen can do, and Kareem Walker … who else from that next line steps up?” he said. “[For Walker] it’s a process. He hasn’t unseated the three guys there at the top right now. His opportunity comes July 31, day in, day out to do that.
“He has shown to be a very physical guy between the tackles, maybe our best guy doing that. The process of being a good pass protector is next for him … he’s not as good as the other three.”
He’s got the ability to do it, however, and Harbaugh said he hoped he would.
