The Michigan Wolverines won the national championship this season. However, they are now having to deal with the fallout of Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL. After taking the job with the Los Angeles Chargers, it was reported defensive coordinator Jesse Minter would follow Harbaugh. Another coach is reportedly following Harbaugh, strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert.
Michigan Wolverines Ben Herbert Following Jim Harbaugh To NFL
Brutal: Michigan Director of Strength and Conditioning Ben Herbert leaving to join Jim Harbaugh and the LA Chargers
Huge loss. pic.twitter.com/TPPVeEVJts
— James T. Yoder (@JamesYoder) January 29, 2024
Herbert has been with the program since 2018. Harbaugh gave him more responsibility in 2023, making him the program’s associate head coach. New head coach Sherrone Moore was hopeful he would retain Herbert, but that seems not to be the case. This is a huge loss for the Wolverines, as Harbaugh said he was the “X-factor of our entire program.” His training has been a huge reason why the Wolverines have dominated in the trenches over the past couple of seasons.
2024 Outlook
The Wolverines are a wild card for the 2024 season. They are losing a ton of pieces to the NFL Draft. However, unlike many other programs going through coaching changes, the mass exodus from the program hasn’t happened yet. The other wild card is what the NCAA decides to do with the sign-stealing scandal. Will they come down hard or soften up now that Harbaugh isn’t there to take the brunt of the punishment? Michigan still has a lot of talent, and Moore has shown he can coach in big games. While they shouldn’t be national championship favorites, they absolutely could make some noise.
The Michigan Wolverines will be a fascinating team to watch in 2024. Will the coaching staff turnover hurt the team in 2024 and beyond? Only time will tell.