Mike Locksley, Josh Gattis offer differing views of work at Alabama
Josh Gattis is not lacking confidence heading into his first season calling plays with the Wolverines.
Gattis is joining head coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff as offensive coordinator after working with Nick Saban last season. He was the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for Saban’s Crimson Tide in 2018 before coming to Michigan.
An interesting storyline is that Mike Locksley, offensive coordinator for Alabama in 2018, has also arrived in the B1G. He took the head coach position at Maryland and is entering his first year with the Terrapins.
When making his first appearance at B1G media days last month, Locksley explained that he never expected Gattis to go with him to Maryland. Locksley did consider Gattis for the position, but he is happy Gattis received an opportunity at Michigan.
According to Josh Stirn with Inside MD Sports, Locksley also tiptoed around the subject when asked how Gattis impressed him during their work together at Alabama:
Locksley also chose his words carefully when asked if there was a moment Gattis impressed him when the two worked together as co-offensive coordinators at Alabama last season, saying he was “impressed with all of our assistants,” before listing the Crimson Tide’s entire offensive staff.
Gattis finally had an opportunity to respond to Locksley’s comments Wednesday during his media availability. He did not dispute that Locksley was the one calling the plays for the Crimson Tide, but Gattis also knows he played a big role in the overall game planning last season:
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Locksley. He called every play … there were never any other comments about that,” Gattis said. “I’m 100 percent confident [I can call plays too]. Mike Locksley can say I watched him call every play, but ask him where the game plans usually came from?”
The two coaches will face off this season when Maryland and Michigan square off November 2.