RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Ann Arbor — There are often debates, usually occurring after an injury, regarding the use of top-tier skill-position talent in the return game. That’s when people question why a dynamic starting receiver was back returning kicks, potentially jeopardizing his usefulness in the offense.
Andrew Marsh, Michigan’s top returning receiver, returned kicks last year as a freshman and is working there again during preseason camp. Senior cornerback Smith Snowden, a returner at Utah, also is practicing there.
Kerry Coombs, hired last December before the bowl game and retained on Kyle Whittingham’s first-year staff, was asked his approach on the use of starters like Marsh as returners.
“My philosophy is what the head coach’s philosophy is,” Coombs said. “Those decisions are always dictated by the head coach. When you’re a special teams coordinator, you don’t go around the bend on that. Coach is very clear about the fact that we’re going to be dynamic in special teams, and that we have units where we’re going to have starters. We have units that we will be developing players.”
Whittingham’s coaching background is in defense, but he also has special teams experience, having coordinated that unit at Idaho State from 1988-91. And as Utah head coach the last 21 years before taking over at Michigan, special teams were a priority for him, and he has a strong opinion on how they should look and who should play.
“I go to every single meeting,” Whittingham said Monday at a news conference during which he gave updates on the team's preseason camp progress. “I'm involved with everything we're doing on special teams. I'm not micromanaging, but I'm just there. Kerry does a very good job.
"Very little that he's doing is different than how I did it. I was a special teams coordinator for a couple years, about three or four years, and then all throughout my head coaching career, I've been involved in special teams. In fact, I coached the specialists for 12 years at Utah.
“Special teams has always been something that has been a priority for me. And if the head coach puts an emphasis on it, players really buy in. I think that's really critical, and our guys are doing that.”
Whittingham, asked Monday about his special teams philosophy of using starters in the return game, was specific in his response.
“First of all, if we've got a guy like Andrew Marsh and he has the desire to do it, get the ball in his hands another three to six times a game, whatever the case may be, then I'm all for it,” Whittingham said.
As far as using starters on the punt team, anybody, he said, is available to play.
“That's the No. 1 priority as far as our special teams is the punt game,” Whittingham said. “And so there are no limitations there. But beyond that, we'd like to have starters on no more than one full-time special team. And then you have a core of about six guys that are on every team, six really quality backups that play essentially on every single special team.”
Coombs said with Michigan’s overall depth, there are plenty of candidates for special teams, so he doesn't have to dip into the starting lineups.
“The great thing about being at a place like Michigan is we’ve got a lot of really good twos and threes now,” Coombs said last week. “They may not be starting, but they’re playing. If you guys watch football anymore, 11 guys don’t play defense, right? Twenty-four guys play defense during the course of a game.
"Eleven don’t play offense, right? So, you’re not going to get your quarterback, but everybody else, and we don’t spend time — and (offensive line) Coach (Jim) Harding will tell you — with a lot of the offensive linemen. But everybody else is participating in special teams in some way, shape or form, which is exciting.”
As far as the kicking game, sophomore Trey Butkowski, who transferred from Pittsburgh where he was 20-of-23 on field goals and 43-of-44 on extra points, appears to be a lock to handle the place-kicking and kickoffs for the Wolverines this season.
Cam Brown transferred from UNLV and likely will be Michigan’s punter. The left-footed kicker from Australia averaged 43.8 yards a punt and pinned teams 17 times without the 20-yard line.
Coombs is the special teams coordinator but he welcomes Whittingham’s insights and decision-making. He said he enjoys that Whittingham cares so much about the unit and sits in the front row of every special teams meetings.
“I have great respect for everything that he’s done in the coaching world, so you’ve got a guy that’s going to go in the Hall of Fame who’s sitting in the front row,” Coombs said. “He takes a laser pointer and says, ‘Hey, we got to make sure we get this done. Everybody’s listening, right?’ So, absolutely, it’s fantastic to have great feedback, and he’s not shy about giving it.”
@chengelis
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Whittingham sets clear philosophy for Michigan special teams
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