Michigan Football officially announces four defensive staff hires

Michigan’s defense is expected to be elite once again in 2024.

Michigan’s staff is officially official. Four hires on the defensive side of the ball that have been reported for quite some time have been finalized.

In a press release on Friday afternoon, the Michigan program announced they have hired Wink Martindale as defensive coordinator, Greg Scruggs as defensive line coach, Brian Jean-Mary as linebackers coach/run game coordinator, and LaMar Morgan as defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator. Further, Michigan hired former defensive back Brad Hawkins as a graduate assistant coach.

In the press release, Sherrone Moore spoke about what each hire will bring to the Michigan program.

Moore on Martindale

“I am excited to have Coach Martindale join our staff as defensive coordinator. He has coached hall of fame players, coordinated some of the best defenses in football and his expertise and knowledge will help our players excel on the field. We are so excited to have the mentor to so many great defensive players and coaches join our staff at Michigan.”

Moore on Scruggs

“I have known Greg since our time together at Louisville and have always appreciated his drive and passion for the game. We have stayed in contact through the years, and I always knew that Greg would be a great leader and teacher for a program that I was fortunate enough to assemble. Greg is a great football coach and an even better person. He will be an outstanding mentor for our players, especially the guys on the defensive line, and will help them achieve their football goals.”

Moore on Jean-Mary

“Brian has been a part of my coaching network for many years. He is a great coach and communicator that I have been fortunate enough to work with and learn from at two different schools (Louisville and Michigan). Brian is an outstanding recruiter and developer of players, and I am really excited to have him lead our linebacking corps. He is familiar with our program and university and will jump right back in and make a major contribution to our team and program.”

Moore on Morgan

“LaMar is someone that I have enjoyed getting to know through this process. He came highly recommended by Jesse Minter and I saw why he is respected as an top notch defensive backs coach during our conversations. He is an excellent teacher and communicator, and his passion for football and for helping young men achieve their goals showed through in his interview. I am excited to have LaMar mentoring our defensive secondary and coordinating the passing game.”

We’ll have plenty more to come about these hires, including what all of them bring to the program. Each coach has done impressive things worth talking about. In short, Michigan’s defensive staff has been great in recent years despite transitions, and the same standard is there heading into next season with great players such as Mason Graham, Will Johnson, and Kenneth Grant returning to the program.