re: Alabama, Nick Saban hiring former Michigan assistant George Helow

From the Detroit Free Press in February...

quote:

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Michigan football, LBs coach George Helow parting ways
Kirkland Crawford
Rainer Sabin
Detroit Free Press


Michigan football and linebackers coach George Helow have mutually agreed to part ways, Helow confirmed on social media on Thursday.

Last week, U-M brought back former assistant coach Chris Partridge to the staff in an undisclosed role. Partridge coached linebackers in Ann Arbor from 2016-17.

Helow, 36, was hired by U-M before the 2021 season from Maryland. Helow helped preside over the transition from former coordinator Don Brown's system to the current scheme that has roots with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. He was charged with reconfiguring a linebacker corps populated by hybrid players recruited to play Brown's Viper role. That position was eliminated, and Michigan started to deploy bigger inside linebackers.

With Helow working under coordinator Mike Macdonald and his successor, Jesse Minter, the Michigan defense was ranked in the top ten in points allowed in 2021 and last season. The Wolverines won the Big Ten and reached the College Football Playoff both years.

Where Helow fell short was on the recruiting trail. Five-star linebacker Raylen Wilson reneged on his commitment to Michigan last June and eventually signed with Georgia. Meanwhile, freshman Deuce Spurlock, a member of the 2022 class, lasted one year in Ann Arbor and transferred to Florida last month.

Helow is the second on-field assistant to leave the program this offseason.

Last month, Michigan fired co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Weiss days after he was placed on administrative leave while being investigated for possible computer crimes that took place at Schembechler Hall. The new quarterbacks coach is Kirk Campbell, who served as an off-field analyst for U-M last season.

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They call out his recruiting, but give pretty weak evidence on why her supposedly isn't good.