Speed or Power? …. How #2 Michigan Considers Personnel When Setting Up Their Special Teams Units.

Jul 24, 2023 3:17 pm

Coach ,

The Michigan Wolverines fell short in 2022, but expect them to be back at the top looking to win their first national title since 1997. Coach Kauffman gives us a preview of the season and dives into coverage units highlighting Jay Harbaugh’s presentation at Lauren’s First and Goal.

-Coach Grabowski

Season Preview Capsule

The Wolverines and the Buckeyes have repeatedly put on one of the most anticipated matchups in recent years with the Wolverines getting the best of them on the last two.

The target on the Wolverines back seems to continue to grow and the road to the Big Ten Championship will run through Ann Arbor. JJ McCarthy, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards return to the offense and will be looking to reach Michigan’s first CFB final in what will likely see them leave for the NFL after this season. The running game and offensive line will be the strength of this team and it is no secret. Expect this backfield to put up ridiculous numbers and control the clock this coming season.

The defensive unit has loaded up both on the coaching staff and in the depth chart. This team appears to be taking the Georgia model having one of the best defenses in the nation and a very strong running attack. When you look at this defense depth is the word that comes to you across the board there is potential stardom at all the levels of this defense and consistency and toughness will be the fuel on the fire for this unit.

Expect scores to be hard to come by when watching the Wolverines and prepare for the stout Wolverine defense and explosive Buckeye offense to be the largest contributor of excitement for what is shaping up to be the most anticipated matchup of the season on November 25th at The Big House.

That takes us to insight from Special Teams Coordinator Jay Harbaugh.

Understanding Your Personnel

The idea of understanding your personnel on the special teams unit is no different than on offense and defensem and we have to adapt our scheme to our players. See how Jay Harbaugh evaluates his personnel to adapt his scheme in this video from his clinic presentation.

Video: Coverage Considerations

Two Sides to Every Coin

We talk about evaluating our personnel but, we also have to evaluate our scheme with the personnel attached. Knowledge of a player's skills and aptitude contribute to this. In an instance where we are susceptible to a fake or attack in one area I probably also don’t want to put a speedy guy, who is young and also playing offense for the first time. Inviting something in that direction is going to hurt us.

Checkout out Coach Harbaugh’s thought process on these decisions here in this video:

Video: What Can Our Cover Guys Do?

The Process of Skills

Teach your special teams in a manner like you would an offense or defense. Progress through your drills and the order of importance in the same manner you do the vitals plays and coverages first and the lesser used items secondary to those. Athletes learn best in a process if we are constantly building and stacking days and drills to reach an end goal we are lightly going to achieve a good outcome. The entire second half of Coach Harbaugh's presentation guides you through their progression of coverage.

Video: View of the Ball Carrier

Using Special Teams to Drive Success

I want to make a personal note that the more you research and the more that you dive into the ideologies of special teams coaches and their thoughts and schemes you can find parallels to everything else you do. Utilize this as an opportunity to drive success but also your other ⅔ of the game. Not just in the manner in which you are trying to promote culture and those things but eating the hidden yardage up puts yourself in better field position and all those items.

Use it to sharpen your thought process and the questions that you have about the other team's strategy. In the end, you can usually figure out who a team really is and what they are made of based on their ST’s, take it for what it is worth.

Strive to Succeed!

Coach Kauffman