Sources: Tennessee Vols assistant Brian Jean-Mary emerges as top target at Michigan
Less than a week after losing arguably its top offensive assistant, Josh Heupel's Tennessee football program could be poised to lose a top defensive assistant.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Vols linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary has emerged as a top target for the linebackers job at Michigan.
Sound familiar? Jean-Mary was hired away from Michigan by Heupel & Co. two years ago.
But the Wolverines are retooling their staff on both sides of the ball after losing former head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers.
Moore since has hired Don "Wink" Martindale, an long-tenured, esteemed NFL defensive coordinator, to run the Michigan defense, and sources told FootballScoop Tuesday that Moore and Martindale have engaged Jean-Mary in discussions to return to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Last Friday, FootballScoop and Matt Zenitz of 247Sports were first to report that the Vols were on the verge of losing outstanding running backs coach Jerry Mack to the NFL.
Mack has since accepted a role with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Long considered a rising star in defensive coaching circles, Jean-Mary has done strong work with Tennessee's linebackers the past three seasons, had a year before that at Michigan and also served in an assistant head coach/defensive coordinator role for three years prior to that at USF.
Jean-Mary was awarded a contract extension with Tennessee last year in a move that extended his deal through Jan. 31, 2025, at a salary of approximately $665,000 between base and supplemental pay.
If Jean-Mary departs Tennessee, he or his new employer would be responsible for a 50-percent buyout of the remaining salary on his contract term.
Michigan promoted Moore, a former Broyles Award-winning offensive coordinator, to its head coach's post last month after Harbaugh departed for the NFL; Moore then hired Martindale last week after Martindale had spent the past six seasons as a defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants.
Much of Michigan's revamped staff under Moore has been finalized, but the defensive side of the ball still has openings for the aforementioned linebackers job and a position working with the secondary.
