Michigan has its new defensive coordinator – again.
The Wolverines and Jim Harbaugh are hiring Jesse Minter away from Clark Lea’s Vanderbilt University program, sources confirmed to FootballScoop Tuesday afternoon. The news was first reported by Pete Thamel.
It’s the second consecutive year that Harbaugh has faced a need to replace his defensive play-caller, after parting with Don Brown a year ago and then hiring Mike MacDonald away from the Baltimore Ravens and his brother, John Harbaugh. MacDonald just weeks ago returned to the Ravens in the top defensive role.
The move comes also as Harbaugh is seeking to find a new offensive coordinator, after seeing Josh Gattis accept the Miami Hurricanes’ offensive play-caller job and blasting Michigan officials on his way out the door.
In Minter, the Wolverines get a coach with six previous years of defensive coordinator experience at the Football Championship Subdivision as well as Group of 5, plus his most recent season running the Vanderbilt defense after a four-year stint with those same John Harbaugh-coached Baltimore Ravens.