Jim Harbaugh is back at Michigan after flirting with the NFL. His top two assistants are gone.
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is reportedly leaving the program for the same role at the University of Miami, about a week after defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald left for the same role with the Baltimore Ravens.
Gattis, the Broyles Award winner last season as the top assistant coach in the country, apparently wasn't feeling the love from the higher-ups at Michigan, which led him out the door.
He said in a text to some of his players over the weekend, per ESPN's Tom VanHaaren, "Unfortunately the past few weeks has told a different story to me about the very little appreciation I have here from administration. In life I would never advise anyone to be where they are not wanted."
Hired by Harbaugh in 2019, Gattis signed an extension last offseason that kept him under contract through the 2022 season. He earned a base salary of $900,000 in 2021, with performance bonuses that pushed his total pay to $1.2 million. His salary was set to increase to $1 million in 2022.
That said, 10 offensive coordinators made more than $1 million in 2021, when Gattis ranked outside the 30 highest-paid assistant coaches in the country, per USA Today. It's possible he wanted a bigger raise than the one he was due, especially with Harbaugh looking at a significant raise himself.
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Michigan finished second in the Big Ten and 16th in the nation in scoring offense last season, fueled by a rushing attack that produced over 3,000 yards. It was the team's best offense under Gattis in terms of points per game and yards per game, though it didn't necessarily fit Gattis' visions of 'Speed in Space.' Harbaugh may have had something to do with that.
The administration at Michigan is in flux after the firing of president Mark Schlissel, but it's unclear where, exactly, Gattis felt under-appreciated. Had Harbaugh landed the head coaching job he was pursuing with the Vikings, there was reportedly 'internal support' for the 38-year-old Gattis to replace him.
Now it's a question of how Harbaugh replaces Gattis. If he looks internally, co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Sherrone Moore and quarterbacks coach Matt Weise will likely be the top two candidates for the job.
However Harbaugh proceeds, he's now facing two critical hires after the most successful season of his seven-year tenure at Michigan.