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ESPN names 5 Big Ten assistants ‘heating up after 2022’
By Keith Farner
Published:
Coming out of the coaching carousel to close to the 2022, ESPN is looking ahead to possible movement in 2023.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg has named college football’s assistants and coordinators to watch in 2023, and settled on 5 Big Ten assistants who are heating up after last season. As Rittenberg explains it: “Every college football season produces a new group of hot assistants, who find themselves on the radar of athletic directors and search firms looking for new head coaches.”
- Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore
- Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline
- Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter
- Illinois defensive coordinator Aaron Henry
- Michigan special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh
Moore’s resume highlight is that he’s coached the offensive line the last 2 seasons as it won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in college football. Since Michigan shifted Moore to oversee the offensive line and added a coordinator title, the program has surged, Rittenberg said.
Also at Michigan, Minter led a unit that helped Michigan repeat as Big Ten champions, and Michigan finished No. 6 nationally in yards allowed and No. 7 in points allowed.
Hartline could have some playcalling responsibilities and has seen his stock rise in recent years as the Ohio State wide receivers have developed a reputation as the best in the country.
Henry coached one of the nation’s best secondaries last season, as Illinois rose to become the No. 1 defense for much of the fall. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon was a consensus All-America selection and the Big Ten defensive back of the year, Rittenberg noted.
Harbaugh has had special teams responsibilities since he joined the staff in 2015, in addition to coaching position groups like tight ends, running backs and safeties. Michigan’s kicking game has been solid under Harbaugh, who could soon enter the conversation for Group of 5 jobs, especially in the Midwest or West Coast.
Keith Farner has written about college football for newspapers and web sites since 2005.