The Michigan Wolverines had one of the top defenses in all of college football last season, but it wasn’t enough to win a College Football Playoff game against the TCU Horned Frogs as the team gave up 51 points in the semifinal loss on New Year’s Eve. But it looks like the Wolverines are making a big move to help bolster that side of the ball.
Late Monday morning, On3 reported that Michigan was expected to bring longtime defensive assistant coach Chris Partridge back to the coaching staff after he spent the past three seasons with the Ole Miss Rebels, serving as a safeties coach and then as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2022.
Before heading to Ole Miss, Chris Patridge spent five seasons with the Wolverines from 2015 to 2019, serving as the team’s director of player personnel before coaching special teams as well as linebackers and safeties, each for two seasons.
It’s a pretty massive move, and the college football world had plenty to say about it on Twitter.
This is great news https://t.co/NbPKIJvnYz
— Coach (@JayDSarkar) February 6, 2023
A+ move getting him back on staff https://t.co/bgNuJyZClq
— dusty jenkins (@kushjenkins5) February 6, 2023
Great re-hire by Harbaugh. Partridge should give a shot in the arm of the recruiting efforts. https://t.co/U5Up15C9GB
— MGoFish (@MGoFish) February 6, 2023
Great to bring him back. Will be awesome for recruiting. https://t.co/FYo3bocjeK
— Adam Sager (@AdamGSager) February 6, 2023
Can’t wait to see what he learned in the SEC 🥸🤫 https://t.co/ZODzLmhOjB
— Wings (@MichiganWings) February 6, 2023
It’s not immediately clear what Patridge’s role will be with the Wolverines as the coaching staff is currently full, but he was an elite recruiter during his first stint at Michigan, helping land players like Rashan Gary, Dax Hill, Chris Hinton, and Cesar Ruiz.
[On3]
