After two seasons as the associate head coach and passing game coordinator, Pep Hamilton is leaving the Michigan football team, according to multiple outlets.
There was speculation this move was coming after the Wolverines hired Josh Gattis to be their new offensive coordinator earlier this offseason. Since Michigan didn’t have a specified coordinator last season, Gattis’ hiring and presumed responsibilities — Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Gattis will have full control of the offense — seemed to overlap with Hamilton’s role.
Now, with Hamilton’s departure, that picture is clear.
In addition to the Hamilton news, Sam Webb of 247Sports reported that Ben McDaniels will be taking over as the Wolverines’ quarterbacks coach for 2019.
McDaniels is the brother of New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and he has spent his career bouncing around various NFL and college coaching staffs, including spending the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears.
Harbaugh mentioned in December that he anticipated giving McDaniels a full-time role on the coaching staff, but at the time it was thought to mean he would take over as receivers coach for the departing Jim McElwain. McDaniels coached receivers in the Peach Bowl in an interim role after McElwain was hired at Central Michigan.
After the hiring of Gattis, however, McDaniels’ upcoming role was unclear, as Gattis has extensive experience coaching wide receivers.
With Hamilton gone, McDaniels seems like a natural fit with the quarterbacks, since he has coached the position in stops with Rutgers and the Denver Broncos.
What all this means for Michigan is that the 10 members of its coaching staff, which had been in flux all offseason, are finally settled.
Hamilton, McElwain, defensive line coach Greg Mattison and VIPER coach Al Washington are out. Gattis, McDaniels, former Boston College defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile and former Arizona State defensive line coach Shaun Nua are in.
Now the staff is complete and there are only 207 days until the Wolverines kick off against Middle Tennessee State.