Josh Gattis was in the center of one of the biggest staff moves out of the B1G this offseason. The Broyles Award winner in 2021 departed Michigan abruptly, taking a job on Mario’s Cristobal’s staff at Miami.

Gattis made it clear that he was frustrated with how things were moving in Ann Arbor. Because he was named the best assistant coach in college football last season, he had some leverage, too. Now, he’s headed to the ACC and a warmer climate with a chance to revitalize the Hurricanes’ offense.

During his introductory press conference, Gattis spoke about his departure from Michigan and his decision to take the job in Miami.

“I’m excited just to be here at the University of Miami,” Gattis said, per InsideTheU. “Obviously, it was a very emotional week — as far as leaving. Any time you go through change, it’s always hard because I felt like I didn’t leave players behind — I feel like I left friends behind. I’m a person that’s built on relationships. And coaches that have worked for me, they’re always going to tell you, ‘It’s about relationships.’ I left a tremendous amount of friends.

“My family is still back in Michigan right now. So that’s always hard, going through change. But the thing that helps you get through change is surrounding yourself with great people.”

With Gattis calling the plays, Michigan owned the B1G’s top-ranked rushing attack. The result was a 12-2 season, a B1G title and a trip to the College Football Playoff.

Because of the success Gattis had in Ann Arbor, many were surprised by the decision to leave the program. But he’s happy to be joining Cristobal’s squad.

“And being here with coach Cristobal and the staff he’s putting together, the energy, the excitement — I walk past coach every day and just say, ‘Thank you,'” Gattis said. “And he pops in, checks on me. And when you’ve got a guy like that leading your program and you believe in his vision, he sets the tone and energy and excitement throughout the program. And so, I’ve just been so blessed to be here. Each day has been eye-opening to me, but I’m still running on fumes. I mean, it’s been — I’ve exhausted everything I have into this program, and I won’t stop until we get the job done.”