Michigan has found its next defense coordinator.
Jim Harbaugh’s football program announced Sunday that Mike Macdonald, a 35-year-old assistant coach for the Baltimore Ravens, has been appointed.
Macdonald replaces Don Brown, who was sacked at the helm of the Wolverines defense on December 22 after five seasons.
In a statement, Harbaugh praised Macdonald as an “excellent defensive thought” who is “highly respected in the NFL”.
“He was a valuable member of the Baltimore Ravens staff and showed a passion for teaching, coaching and developing his players,” Harbaugh said. “We are excited about everything Mike is bringing to our defense, team and university, and look forward to welcoming him and his fiancée Stephanie to our Michigan Football family.”
Macdonald has spent the past seven seasons in Baltimore, where the coaching profession has made a meteoric rise. The last three were spent as coach of the lineout balance, while he coached defensive rugby in 2017 and served as defensive assistant in 2016 and 2015.
He first arrived in 2014 as an intern in the Ravens organization, after serving three seasons as a graduate assistant at the University of Georgia. Macdonald has no direct coordination experience at the college or pro level, making it an extraordinary hire for Harbaugh.
“It is an honor to join Coach Harbaugh at the University of Michigan,” Macdonald said in a statement. “I firmly believe in his vision and am excited to get to work. Our staff will work tirelessly to develop our young men as well as off the field – I can not wait to meet my players, staff and community and develop relationships!
Macdonald has coached NFL Pro Bowl players over the past five seasons with the Ravens, a wide talent pool that includes Matthew Judon (2019-20), CJ Mosley (2018) and safety Eric Weddle (2017-18). The staff of the Ravens is led by John Harbaugh, the brother of Jim Harbaugh.
In Georgia, Macdonald earned a degree in finance and a master’s degree in sports management, a degree in Georgia. While in college, he was also an assistant coach for nearby Cedar Shoals High School.
Macdonald takes on a largely young and inexperienced defense, a unit created to fit Brown’s fast, aggressive style of play. The Wolverines are set to lose Kwity Paye and junior linebacker Cam McGrone to the NFL, while late Aidan Hutchinson and safety Brad Hawkins, both eligible to leave, have announced their intention to return in 2021.
Contract details for Macdonald were not immediately available, but his arrival could significantly change Michigan’s defense personnel. Two assistant coaches, Shaun Nua (defensive line) and Mike Zordich (corner benches), are working on expired contracts, while safety coach Bob Shoop, who was appointed last year, worked most of 2020 remotely, making a decision from a private matter.