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