Michigan Wolverines Add Former NFL Standout to Coaching Staff in Critical Move Amid Controversy and Uncertainty

The Michigan Wolverines and head coach Sherrone Moore are adding former NFL defensive lineman Pernell McPhee to the coaching staff.

McPhee will serve in a defensive support staff role with Michigan. He played under Wolverines defensive coordinator Wink Martindale during his time with the Baltimore Ravens, which is where he spent seven years of his 11-year NFL career.

The Michigan Wolverines coaching staff is undergoing controversy and uncertainty, but they are still looking to improve with the likes of Pernell McPhee

Since the departure of former head coach Jim Harbaugh, the Michigan Wolverines have lost a healthy portion of their coaching staff. A lot of Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan followed him to the NFL to take roles with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Harbaugh took several crucial members of the coaching staff with him to the Chargers. Those coaches include:

• Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy
• Defensive backs/passing game coordinator Steve Clinkscale
• Strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert
• Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter
• Defensive line coach Mike Elston

Moore has been slowly rebuilding the staff after it was decimated by Harbaugh after his departure. Even running backs coach Mike Hart announced he wouldn’t return to the program, but he did not leave to follow Harbaugh to the NFL.

One coach that Moore hired to fill out the emaciated staff was defensive line coach Greg Scruggs. Scruggs, who was formerly the defensive line coach with the Wisconsin Badgers, sparked controversy after getting arrested just 10 days after he was hired.

Scruggs was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated. He was officially charged with an OWI, which can mean penalties of up to 93 days in jail, a $500 fine and six months suspended license. Moore made a statement about Scruggs in an article from ESPN.

“Greg made an unfortunate mistake and was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said in a statement. “He made no excuses and has taken accountability for his actions. The football program and athletic department have suspended Greg indefinitely while we review details of the incident.”

New Michigan Wolverines coach Pernell McPhee brings a wealth of experience to the table

During his 11-year NFL career, Pernell McPhee played with some of the best defenders to ever play the sport. In 2012, he won a Super Bowl with legendary linebackers Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, safety Ed Reed and interior defensive lineman Haloti Ngata.

McPhee even played with Scruggs in 2015 and 2016 during his short stint with the Chicago Bears. McPhee played crucial roles in some of the league’s best defenses on multiple occasions throughout his career.

When he played under the Ravens in 2012, Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator Wink Martindale led the Ravens’ defense to a Super Bowl victory. Baltimore held quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to just 13 points en route to a Super Bowl run with quarterback Joe Flacco at the helm.

McPhee was also part of a Bears defense that had quarterback Mitch Trubisky a “double doink” away from heading to the NFC Championship Game in 2017.

McPhee ended his career with 260 tackles and 38 sacks, with a season-high sack number of 7.5. He took on a leadership role at the end of his career as a league veteran, and his motivational abilities could prove helpful for the Wolverines.

Pernell McPhee could motivate me to take the garbage out pic.twitter.com/s4mJXN3qaC

— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) October 20, 2021

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