ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh announced today (Friday, Jan. 16) the hiring of John Baxter as the team's special teams coordinator. Baxter, known nationally for producing extremely-productive special teams play on the field and developing academic success for players off the field, comes to Ann Arbor after spending four years at the University of Southern California (2010-13) as the program's associate head coach and special teams coordinator.
"John Baxter has long been considered one of the premier special teams coordinators in the country and I am thrilled to have him on our staff," said Harbaugh, the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach. "His special teams units have consistently been a force to be reckoned with. In addition to his success on the field, I am confident that John's innovative 'Academic Gameplan' will be a great resource to our young men in the classroom."
"To have an opportunity to coach at this school with this head coach, at this time, might be the greatest opportunity in all of football today," Baxter said. "I am really excited to learn about our players and to answer the challenge that Big Ten football presents in terms of competitive excellence and special teams."
During Baxter's four-year run at USC, the Trojans excelled in a number of special teams categories and a slew of his players collected national accolades. In 2013, USC ranked second in the country in blocked punts (three) and fourth in blocked kicks (six). The Trojans also scored three punt return touchdowns and allowed zero punt return yards in eight of 14 games, while holding two other opponents to five yards or less. Under Baxter's guidance, punt returner Nelson Agholor tied a Pac-12 record with two scoring punt returns at California, and finished the game with a USC-record 168 punt return yards. Baxter also coached USC's tight ends in 2013.
In 2012, the Trojans notched four blocked kicks, including one returned for a touchdown, and posted a scoring kickoff return. USC also ranked fourth in the nation in kickoff returns (26.4 avg.) and punter Kyle Negrete, a finalist for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, helped the Trojans rank 29th in the country in net punting (38.6 avg.).
In 2011, Baxter was named FootballScoop.com Special Teams Coordinator of the Year after overseeing a group that produced seven blocked kicks. The Trojans also had a scoring kickoff return, made a two-point conversion and converted a fake punt for a first down. That season, kicker Andre Heidari earned first-team All-America accolades and All-Pac-12 first-team honors, and his 88.2% field goal percentage was third in the nation among kickers with at least 10 made field goals (and the best among freshmen kickers). Tight end-fullback Rhett Ellison also made the All-Pac-12 first team as a special teams performer.
In 2010, USC's special teams blocked a combined seven kicks and punts, returned a punt and kickoff for a touchdown, scored five times on two-point conversions, had a defensive PAT and made first downs on a fake punt and fake field goal. USC ranked high nationally in punt returns (seventh at 14.6) and kickoff returns (17th at 24.5) with wide receiver Ronald Johnson placing 12th nationally in punt returns (14.2). Wide receiver Robert Woods made the All-Pac-10 first team as a kick returner. Johnson was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 NFL draft.
Baxter joined the USC staff in March of 2010 after spending 13 seasons on the Fresno State coaching staff. In his 13 years (1997-2009) with the Bulldogs, he was the associate head coach and special teams coach in addition to handling either the tight ends (1997-2001, 2003, 2009) or wide receivers (2002, 2004-2008).
Baxter turned the Bulldogs' special teams into one of the top units in the nation annually. During his time, Fresno State blocked 84 kicks and punts (including a national-best 49 from 2002 through 2009) and scored 39 special teams touchdowns (with three safeties). The Bulldogs topped the nation in fewest punt return yards allowed in 2004 and 2005. A.J. Jefferson led the nation in kickoff returns in 2007. Clifton Smith's 189 punt return yards with two touchdowns against Weber State in 2005 were Fresno State game records, while his five career scoring punt returns also was a school mark. Six of Baxter's Bulldog kickers and punters earned All-Western Athletic Conference first team honors.
During his time at Fresno State, the Bulldogs posted a 100-66 record, played in 10 bowls (1999 Las Vegas, 2000-01-02-03 Silicon Valley, 2004 MPC Computers, 2005 AutoZone Liberty, 2007 Roady's Humanitarian and 2008-09 New Mexico) and won the WAC title in 1999.
Along with his coaching duties at Fresno State, Baxter developed the highly-successful and nationally-regarded program, "Academic Gameplan." His innovative and comprehensive study-skills program teaches students the rules, fundamentals, techniques and life skills needed to succeed in the classroom. "Academic Gameplan," which is now being used at schools throughout the country, was a key reason for the academic success of the Fresno State football program, which during Baxter's tenure produced 141 Academic All-WAC players and an NCAA APR score nearly 20 percentage points higher than the national average. He was selected as the Clovis Co-Citizen of the Year in 2006, along with Fresno State head coach Pat Hill.
Baxter, 51, has 32 years of coaching experience. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Loras College, where he served for five seasons (1981-85) as a student assistant (working with the running backs) during his undergraduate time.
He then moved on to Iowa State for two seasons (1986-87) as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line and special teams before the first of two stints at Arizona. He was with the Wildcats in 1988 (as a graduate assistant working with the defensive backs and special teams), went to Maine in 1989 for his first full-time job coaching the outside linebackers and special teams when the Black Bears made it to the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs and returned to Arizona in 1990 and 1991 as the tight ends and special teams coach (the Wildcats played in the 1990 Aloha Bowl). He then was at Maryland for two seasons (1992-93) handling the running backs and special teams and Tulane for three years (1994-96) in charge of the tight ends and special teams before going to Fresno State.
He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Loras in 1985 and then his master's in higher education from Iowa State in 1987. He attended high school at Loyola Academy in Chicago, Illinois.
Baxter was born on June 28, 1963. He and his wife, Jill, have two daughters, Kelly and McKenzie. His father-in-law is former Utah and Weber State head coach Ron McBride.
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