Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has made it official, announcing Josh Gattis as the Offensive Coordinator and an assistant offensive coach.
“The offense and passing games under Josh’s direction have achieved at a very high level throughout his coaching career,” Harbaugh said in a statement. “Josh will provide leadership to our offense while being a great mentor to our student-athletes and an outstanding addition to our coaching staff. Michigan football looks forward to having Josh, Tesa, and their children, Jace and Reece, join our University family.”
Gattis, rumored for over a month to be headed to Maryland in the same position, called it the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
“It is an honor and a privilege to join the University of Michigan football family under Coach Harbaugh, one of the most successful head coaches in all of football,” Gattis said. “I am deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve as your Offensive Coordinator. This is the leadership challenge I’ve coveted. The football tradition at the University of Michigan is among the very best in college athletics. My family and I couldn’t be more excited to arrive in Ann Arbor.”
Gattis, 34, worked last season as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Alabama. He helped the Crimson Tide reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and mentored All-American receiver Jerry Jeudy, the 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner, who caught 68 passes for 1,315 yards (19.3 avg.) and 14 touchdowns.
Gattis also developed true freshman Jaylen Waddle, who earned first-team All-American honors by Pro Football Focus. The Crimson Tide had four receivers and a tight end surpass 500 yards receiving on the year.
Prior to his position with the Crimson Tide, Gattis spent four seasons as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Penn State (2014-17). He also led the program’s offensive recruiting efforts, helping the Nittany Lions ink four straight top-25 recruiting classes, including a pair of top-15 classes. On the field, he tutored All-Big Ten receivers DaeSean Hamilton (2014, ’17) and Chris Godwin (2015-16).
Gattis spent two years as wide receivers coach at the University of Vanderbilt staff (2012-13) before migrating north to the Big Ten Conference. During his time with the Commodores, Gattis coached Jordan Matthews to All-America honors twice. Matthews ended his career as the SEC’s leader in receptions and receiving yards while also setting the single-season mark receptions with 107 in 2013.
He spent the 2011 season at Western Michigan as the wide receivers coach, mentoring Jordan White to consensus All-American honors. White led the NCAA in receptions with 140 for 1,911 yards during the 2011 season and broke numerous Mid-American Conference receiving marks. Gattis began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant coach at North Carolina in 2010.
Gattis played collegiately at Wake Forest University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2006. He was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference safety in 2005 and 2006. Gattis was a fifth-round pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent part of the 2007 season with Jacksonville before moving on to play for the Chicago Bears during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Gattis and his wife, Tesa, have one son, Jace, and a daughter, Reece.
About Coach Josh Gattis
Hometown: Durham, North Carolina
High School: Northern
College: Wake Forest (2006)
Wife: Tesa
Children: Jace, Reece
Bowl Experience
Alabama: 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, 2018 Capital One Orange Bowl
Penn State: 2014 Pinstripe Bowl, 2015 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, 2016 Rose Bowl, 2017 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Vanderbilt: 2012 Music City Bowl, 2014 BBVA Compass Bowl
Western Michigan: 2011 Little Caesars Bowl
Josh Gattis’ Coaching Experience
Year Team Position
2010 North Carolina Offensive Graduate Assistant
2011 Western Michigan Wide Receivers
2012-13 Vanderbilt Wide Receivers
2014-17 Penn State Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers
2018 Alabama Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers
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