The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 — 7
Seventy-nine
days
after
watching
the
thorough
dismantlement of his team in the
Peach Bowl against Florida —
anchored by a listless offensive
performance — Michigan coach
Jim Harbaugh finally addressed
the elephant in the metaphorical
room
of
the
offseason:
the
hiring of Josh Gattis as offensive
coordinator.
And in doing so, Harbaugh
offered resounding answers on
the defining questions facing the
program.
“He’s
going
to
coordinate
the offense and call the plays,”
Harbaugh said, uttering 10 simple
words that will read more like
beautiful hymns to some fans.
Gattis was hired to run the
offense after spending a year as the
co-offensive coordinator and wide
receivers coach at Alabama. Prior
to that, Gattis spent four seasons at
Penn State, two at Vanderbilt and
one at both North Carolina and
Western Michigan. It was during
Gattis’ tenure in Kalamazoo — just
over 100 miles west of Ann Arbor
— that Harbaugh first heard about
Gattis and his offensive prowess.
“The first time (I heard about
Gattis) was … I heard from
somebody or (former Western
Michigan coach) Bill Cubit told
me, when Josh was at Western
Michigan. He had been there a
month,” Harbaugh recalled. “Bill
Cubit was introducing him to his
son, or somebody, and said ‘Son,
this is Coach Josh Gattis. Talk
to him, get to know him, he’s not
going to be around here very long.’
“The players he’s developed at
each stop from there — Western
Michigan, Vanderbilt, Penn State,
Alabama — is eye-catching.”
And the list is long. From
Dae’Sean Hamilton to Jordan
Matthews to Jordan White —
an
All-American
at
Western
Michigan in 2011 — to Jerry Jeudy,
and plenty in between, Gattis has
shown a demonstrated ability
to develop wide receivers. That
should provide a boon to Donovan
Peoples-Jones, Tarik Black and
Nico Collins — arguably the most
talented trio of receivers in the Big
Ten. Now, Harbaugh and Michigan
are making a sizeable investment
in Gattis’ ability to translate those
skills to an entire offense.
His hiring comes with the
clear subtext of a sea change in
Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan.
Gattis, touting his mantra “Speed
In Space” at every turn, brings
apparent philosophical differences
to Harbaugh’s traditional West
Coach style. While it remains to
be seen how profoundly different
the offense will look next season,
it’s no small matter that Harbaugh
appears willing to cede the keys.
“I think the biggest difference
that people will see will be the
tempo,” Harbaugh said. “The
tempo is more up-tempo, less
huddle. That’ll be number one.”
Though tempo is inherently
difficult to measure, Michigan
averaged
the
18th
fewest
possessions in 2018 at 12.25 per
game. This, critics would argue,
stems from an offense that was
frequently
too
conservative
with its abundance of weapons
— an offense that was tied with
Vanderbilt for 30th in the nation in
yards per play, at 5.9.
But it seems Gattis will prioritize
aggression from the jump.
“It’s got more of an attacking
feel to the offense in terms of
tempo, in terms of going downfield
in the passing game and some
other things, different personnel
groups,” Harbaugh said. “It has
that same feel that we’ve always
done — multiple personnel groups,
you know you’re attacking in that
way.”
There’s an extent to which
words will remain inherently
hollow until next September. There
are crumbs of evidence to suggest
there is, indeed, substance behind
the talk. For one, Harbaugh — a
staunch advocate for the fullback
— admitted the position “will be
used in short yardage and goal
line situations, predominantly,”
a potential sign of transition
toward more spread looks. Former
quarterback
Wilton
Speight
intoned at Pro Day on Friday that,
based on conversations he had with
people around the program, the
offense was shifting closer to the
spread style Speight ran at UCLA
under Chip Kelly.
“I actually think, after talking
to people around here, they’re kind
of moving in that direction, with
Coach Gattis,” Speight said. “I can’t
wait to watch that.”
The Wolverines return four
starters along the offensive line,
quarterback Shea Patterson and an
array of talented weapons around
them. Black, Collins and Peoples-
Jones, notably, could parlay big
seasons into NFL contracts a year
from now. In all, Michigan boasts
perhaps the highest offensive
potential in several years.
If that potential reaches fruition,
the hire of Josh Gattis could be
seen down the road as a pivot point
in the Harbaugh era.
“We’re all working together,”
Harbaugh said. “… He’s really
good.”
Coming off perhaps the most
efficient season from a Michigan
quarterback in over a decade —
one in which he posted 2,600
yards passing, 22 touchdowns
and 8.0 yards per attempt — Shea
Patterson will return for his senior
season as the presumptive starter.
Any development to the contrary
would be downright stunning.
And yet, don’t expect any such
declaration from Michigan coach
Jim Harbaugh any time soon.
“Right
now,
Shea,
Dylan
(McCaffery), Joe (Milton) are all
getting equal reps, and they’re
all
looking
good,”
Harbaugh
said, diplomatically. “It’s a really
good, talented quarterback room.
Brandon Peters, Cade McNamara
getting in the mix. Mike Sessa is
doing a really good job.”
Still short of breaking from
his core tenant of incessant
competition, Harbaugh offered
rare insight into the quarterback
depth chart as it stands today.
“Depth chart: Shea is No.
1, Dylan’s No. 2, Joe’s No. 3,”
Harbaugh said, “and there’s no
possible
way
Shea
Patterson
will be able to put his feet up, in
my opinion. They’ve got serious
competition there with Dylan and
Joe right now.”
“We’re not going to send each
other Christmas cards”
Harbaugh’s media availability
Monday also provided his first
chance to publicly express his
sentiment toward the surprising
departure of defensive line coach
Greg Mattison to rival Ohio
State. The 69-year-old Mattison
joined the staff of new Ohio State
coach Ryan Day as the Buckeyes’
new defensive coordinator after
spending nine seasons on staff at
Michigan.
Still cordial, Harbaugh didn’t
hide his personal displeasure with
the move.
“I wouldn’t say shocked — I was
surprised, yeah. But he wanted to
be a coordinator again. They darn
near doubled his salary. I’m not
going to hold that against him,”
Harbaugh said. “We’re not going
to send each other Christmas
cards, based on where he went, but
that’s how I feel and understand
it.”
Mattison and linebackers coach
Al Washington both bolted for
Columbus in early January, each
leaving behind sizeable holes to fill
on the defensive staff. In his time
at Michigan, Mattison regularly
produced
high-caliber
college
players and NFL prospects. The
list of elite players he’s developed
includes five first- or second-team
All-Big Ten selections along the
defensive line, in Taco Charlton,
Rashan Gary, Maurice Hurst,
Chase
Winovich
and
Chris
Wormley. Shaun Nua and Anthony
Campanile were hired as the
defensive line and linebackers’
coaches, respectively, shortly after
their departures. Washington’s
departure
will
be
felt
most
strongly on the recruiting trail,
where Harbaugh credited him
with making a serious impact in
his year with the program.
Still, it’s Mattison’s move that
will sting most, both for on and off-
field reasons. With Mattison gone,
Jay Harbaugh is now the only
coach to be on staff for the entirety
of Harbaugh’s tenure at Michigan.
“Still a good man,” Harbaugh
said. “Still a ton of respect for him.
We’ll be friends again some day,
when we’re both done coaching.”
New players in new spots
Among the array of changes for
Michigan this spring, there will be
some new faces in new places on
the field.
Harbaugh ran down a list of
players trying out new positions
in spring camp, including players
operating at multiple positions.
Freshman Ben VanSumeran
will transition from fullback to
running back and linebacker,
perpetuating
the
notion
that
the old-school fullback position
will be de-emphasized with new
offensive coordinator Josh Gattis
calling plays. Freshman Hassan
Haskins, who operated at both
running back and VIPER this
past season, will focus strictly at
running back.
Full spring ahead
Spring practice opens: Jim Harbaugh gives Josh Gattis keys to offense, Shea Patterson at top of quarterback depth chart
MAX MARCOVITCH
Managing Sports Editor
Beaubien becoming reliable reliever
About a month ago, Meghan
Beaubien looked more out of
character
than
ever
before.
In Michigan’s ACC/Big Ten
Challenge
matchup
against
North Carolina on Feb. 15, the
sophomore left-hander took the
circle during the bottom of the
fifth.
With the score tied 3-3,
Beaubien collapsed, giving up
three hits, two walks and five
earned runs. Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins pulled her out in
the same inning but the damage
had already been done. The
Wolverines proceeded to lose,
8-3.
“My
biggest
takeaway
is
definitely to let go of the results
and the outcome and just focus
on the process, just relaxing and
playing our game,” Beaubien said
two days after that performance.
Exactly
one
week
later,
Michigan trailed 2-1 against
a formidable Stanford team.
During
the
bottom
of
the
sixth, Hutchins wanted to give
the Cardinal a different look,
substituting
freshman
right-
hander Alex Storako out for the
opposite-handed Beaubien.
The result: two hits, two
walks, four earned runs, five
batters faced in .1 innings
pitched.
However,
when
Beaubien
started, it was much of the
opposite. In her 12 starts so far,
she has allowed more than two
runs only twice.
Though Beaubien claimed that
these multi-run innings were a
result of mentally struggling in
the circle, Hutchins thought it
to be an issue with the speeds of
her different pitches.
“We need to have a better
off-speed
pitch
right
now,”
Hutchins said on Mar. 9. “That’s
because when you’re a pitcher
of (Beaubien’s) caliber, that’s a
pitch that can really make you
great. It’s been a pitch that’s
been great for her. It’s been
inconsistent this season.”
In the final non-conference
series of the season against
Kent State this past weekend,
Beaubien
had
phenomenal
outings as the starting pitcher
for the first two games, allowing
four hits without a walk or
earned run in eight total innings.
But
Beaubien’s
biggest
challenge
of
the
weekend
came toward the tail end of the
weekend.
Holding a 3-1 lead in the top
of the sixth during Sunday’s
second game, Storako began to
struggle. With two outs and two
runners on base, she hit a batter
which ended her night.
Hutchins, rather than turning
to a fresher pitcher in sophomore
right-hander
Sarah
Schaefer,
turned to Beaubien with the
bases loaded, trusting her to
finish off the inning without
letting the Golden Flashes inch
back.
Beaubien
attacked
Kent
State’s
Brenna
Brownfield,
striking her out as she watched
the ball hit senior catcher Katie
Alexander’s glove – exactly what
Hutchins had been asking for
the entire season – ending the
inning.
In the seventh, Beaubien
forced a fly out while striking out
Megan Turner and Kristyn Eckl
with a mix of fastballs and off-
speed pitches, earning her first
save of her sophomore campaign
and helping complete a sweep of
the Golden Flashes.
Now, after three consecutive
performances without giving up
an earned run as a relief pitcher,
including one against then-No.
9 Louisiana State, Beaubien
is scorching. She’s found her
swagger as a starter. But most of
all, she’s started to mold into a
reliable reliever as well.
And if the Wolverines have
any plans for a conference
championship, the pitchers will
have to continue to attack and
Beaubien knows well that she’ll
be leading the pack.
‘M’ wears mustaches for a cause
In Michigan’s dominant home-
opening series against Manhattan
College, it might have been easy
to miss the many Wolverines now
donning mustaches.
It wasn’t just a way for players
to stay warm after returning
to Ann Arbor from their two
sunny series in California and
Florida. Michigan is taking part
in “mustache March,” a campaign
against
amyotrophic
lateral
sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou
Gehrig’s Disease.
The Wolverines are joining East
Carolina and Memphis in growing
out their mutsaches over the
month to encourage donations to
the ALS Association’s “Strike Out
Lou Gehrig’s Disease” campaign.
This is Michigan’s first year
taking part in the campaign,
which originated at East Carolina
four years ago. Michigan coach
Erik Bakich has ties to East
Carolina from both his playing
and coaching career, which helped
the mustache-growing effort take
root in Ann Arbor.
East Carolina coach Clifford
Godwin, who enlisted Bakich
in the ALS campaign, looks
back fondly on their years spent
together playing in Greenville,
North Carolina
“He is one of my best friends,”
Godwin said. “Meeting him back
in the fall of 1998, Erik a California
kid and me an Eastern North
Carolina kid – what people would
probably consider a ‘country boy’
– at first we were just trying to feel
each other out and see how those
worlds mixed.
“At the end of the day, no matter
what our different backgrounds
were, we all loved one another
because we just wanted to make
EC baseball better.”
And that they did. Bakich
and Godwin, along with current
Michigan assistant coach Nick
Schnabel, helped the Pirates
win
back-to-back
conference
championships in the 1999 and
2000 seasons and earn No. 1 seeds
in NCAA Regionals both years.
The two reunited at Vanderbilt
in 2004-05 as Godwin served as
Director of Baseball Operations
while Bakich was an assistant
coach for the Commodores.
ALS is a meaningful cause in
any case, but it carries personal
significance
for
Bakich
and
Godwin. In their two seasons
together as Pirates, the two
coaches
played
under
Keith
LeClair, who was diagnosed with
ALS in 2001 and later succumbed
to
the
disease.
Memphis,
meanwhile, is taking part because
the father of a player passed away
from the disease last year.
“When our second baseman
at the time proposed having a
mustache March, I told him, ‘No
way unless it’s for a great cause,’
” Godwin said. “So, when he
came into my office the next day
proposing we do so in an effort
to raise money for Lou Gehrig’s
disease, I was completely on
board.
“In the offseason I called up
Erik to get Michigan baseball
involved since he, Nick Schnabel
and I played for Keith. Of course,
he was happy to join. … The
disease hits home for both of us.”
Last year, ECU and Memphis
combined to raise over $10,000
to fight the disease. With the
Wolverines involved this year,
that total promises to be even
higher.
“Our players are not only
hoping to help raise awareness but
also put some financial traction
behind the good cause,” Bakich
said. “Hopefully we can make a
nice contribution.”
Beyond that, with the team
quickly approaching the busiest
stretch of its season, Bakich is also
glad to have a source of levity.
“I don’t know how growing
a mustache got picked,” he said.
“But in addition to helping a great
cause, it’s certainly provided a
little comic relief, too.”
MAX MARCOVITCH
Managing Sports Editor
AKUL VIJAYVARGIYA
Daily Sports Writer
AIDAN WOUTAS
Daily Sports Writer
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said Monday that offensive coordinator Josh Gattis will call plays for the Wolverines.
KELSEY PEASE/Daily
Sophomore left-hander Meghan Beaubien is growing more comfortable in a relief-pitching role after early struggles.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Erik Bakich adopted “mustache March” to raise awareness for Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Read more online at
MichiganDaily.com