Miami Gardens, Fla.— Way back in July during Big Ten Media Days, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh laid out the approach to the upcoming season.
Harbaugh, 58, entered his seventh season coming off a brutal 2-4 season. He made big changes, first, firing defensive coordinator Don Brown just more than a year ago, then, with one year left on his contract, signed an extension that slashed his salary in half to $4 million, but laden with incentives. He then overhauled his staff, particularly on the defensive side, bringing in young, bright Mike Macdonald to coordinate the defense, while making changes on offense, including moving Sherrone Moore from tight ends to coaching the offensive line, hiring Mike Hart as running backs coach, replacing Jay Harbaugh, who moved to tight ends while still coordinating special teams.