This move has been the worst-kept secret in college football for some time now, but it became officially official on Wednesday -- an FBS coordinator left his job to become an analyst on Jim Harbaugh's staff at Michigan.
The coach in question, of course, is Kevin Lempa, whose Hawaii defense faced Michigan to open the 2016 season, a 63-3 Wolverines win. The relationship between the two sides goes much deeper than one game, though. Lempa worked for Wolverines defensive coordinator Don Brown at Boston College and Maryland, and Lempa and his wife still own a home in Maryland.
"Kevin is a great addition to our football program and defensive staff," Harbaugh said in a statement. "He adds a wealth of experience and knowledge on the defensive side of the ball, and Kevin's working relationship with Coach (Don) Brown will be a big asset for our team. I have known and have had a deep, abiding respect for Coach Lempa as a coach and a good man. We are excited to have Kevin, his wife, Sara, and their adult children, Christopher and Tara, join the Michigan football family and university community."
"I am very excited and honored to become part of Coach Harbaugh's staff," said Lempa. "I am also fired up to be working with Coach Brown again."
In another interesting tentacle of this move, Michigan now seemingly has two ideal candidates to slide up and become the team's 10th assistant, assuming the rule passes later this spring. Former Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks coach Scott Turner was named an offensive analyst earlier this week, and now either he or Lempa will remain off-the-field for the 2017 season.
Or, this being Jim Harbaugh's staff after all, perhaps they both will remain in their analyst roles as this guy becomes official Practice Coach.