It became obvious in the two-year tenure of Jesse Minter that the Michigan Wolverines would have an elite defense. The development of several secondary players contributed to a top-ranked unit that helped push this team and program to a national championship.
With a plethora of changes happening since the Wolverines hoisted the College Football Playoff trophy, new head coach Sherrone Moore called on an old friend of Minter’s to help maintain the status of the secondary.
LaMar Morgan has revolutionized defensive backfields in basically every step of his career. For the last two seasons, Morgan was the defensive coordinator of the University of Louisiana. He was a standout safety for the Ragin’ Cajuns from 2003-07 and had two stints with the program coaching the secondary and eventually leading the entire defense.
In 2022 the team had a 6-7 record, but the defense was ranked No. 37 in the country in scoring defense, partially because of 15 interceptions from the secondary, good enough for 14th in college football. Overall, five members of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense earned All-Sun Belt honors in Morgan’s first year leading the defense.
Turnover from personnel caused there to be a bit of a drop-off for the defense in 2023. The unit gave up almost a touchdown more per game than the outstanding 2022 defense and fell to 92nd in college football. However, the secondary still boasted double-digit interceptions (13) which ranked in the top 25 in the country. They were also a respectable 51st in passing defense allowing a little over 200 yards per game.
Morgan stood out to players at Louisiana both on and off the field in his time as defensive coordinator. Defensive end Andre Jones praised his coach in an interview with The Advocate. “He’s going to try to help everybody get to where they want to be. He’ll say, ‘You’re good? How have your parents been doing?’ That means something to me. I don’t know about everybody else, but that means a lot to me.”
The new passing game coordinator and secondary coach in Ann Arbor came highly recommended by his former boss, Jesse Minter. The two were at Vanderbilt together in 2021 in a short stint from Morgan. He was a Graduate Assistant for the Commodores in 2012 and 2013, returning to coach the cornerbacks under Minter. Together they improved a pitiful Vanderbilt defense from 2020 that had two interceptions to 13 in 2021. They also allowed 30 fewer yards per game through the air.
Other stints for Morgan included coaching the secondary at D-II Western Carolina in 2014-15, where All-Southern Conference corner Trey Morgan led the league with six of the team’s 11 interceptions. In 2016-17, he moved back to Louisiana to coach safeties at Louisiana Monroe before taking the same job at Houston in 2018. In his only season with the Cougars, two of the team’s top four tacklers were safeties and the two combined for six interceptions.
In 2018, Morgan took part in the AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, a one-day event designed to identify and train rising leaders in the game of football. The coaches are brought in to network and sit in on lectures about leadership, ethics, NCAA rules, the hiring process, and athlete safety.
Morgan also participated in the NCAA and NFL Coaches Academy the year prior designed to enhance coach’s capabilities to be a leader for student-athletes both on and off the field. They go over topics like effective communication, football culture building, budget management, strategy and philosophy, and more. There’s a clear dedication from the new Michigan secondary coach to continue to hone his interpersonal skills and coaching strategies with new ideas across the coaching space.
In 2023, Morgan will take over a star-studded group. He’ll have the best corner in college football at his disposal in Will Johnson. Rod Moore and Makari Paige are also savvy veterans who have been at the mountaintop. Anything less than a masterful season from this group in 2024 would be a considerable disappointment, so the expectations are going to be through the roof for Morgan in his first season.
If things go according to plan under Wink Martindale, and the new Michigan defensive coordinator gets called back to the big leagues, I wouldn’t be shocked if Morgan is the next guy in line to become defensive coordinator. He’s seen success in the role already, coached under Minter, and knows the philosophy he implemented in Ann Arbor. Michigan fans should be hopeful that the success seen from the secondary the past few seasons continues in 2024 under new guidance.
2024-03-22 21:00:00
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