Michigan needed a new face of the defense — new teaching techniques, a new personality, and new energy.
Michigan opted for someone head coach Jim Harbaugh’s brother (Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh) was very familiar with — his linebackers coach, Mike Macdonald.
“My brother John was like, Yeah, this is the guy I would hire and probably would be our next defensive coordinator here in Baltimore after (defensive coordinator) Wink (Martindale),” Harbaugh said. “And what he liked about him, what he told me, when I asked him what he liked about him, he said he’s really smart, he was in on the ground floor of the Ravens when they changed their defense, invented their defense and their scheme.