Unexpected NFL Moves: Former Michigan Staff Shake Up Rival Teams in Post-Whittingham Overhaul

Change is the name of the game in Ann Arbor these days, as Kyle Whittingham steps in at the helm of the Michigan Wolverines following his long tenure at Utah. With a new leader steering the ship, a significant shuffle in the coaching staff ensues—only running backs coach Tony Alford and defensive line coach Lou Esposito have held onto their posts. The ripple effect? Numerous assistant coaches are now on the move, securing new roles across the football landscape. From Grant Newsome reconnecting with the Harbaugh lineage in New York to Brian Jean-Mary heading to Notre Dame’s sidelines, and Erik ‘Soup’ Campbell taking his talents to Eastern Michigan, the coaching carousel keeps spinning. The Wolverines’ coaching saga is unfolding fast, and we’re watching every twist closely. LEARN MORE

With Kyle Whittingham having taken over the Michigan Wolverines after spending decades at Utah, many of the coaches who have been in Ann Arbor have been out looking for work.

Though two on-field coaches have been retained (running backs coach Tony Alford and defensive line coach Lou Esposito), the rest have had to look for new jobs. And on Monday, we started to learn about where some appear to be going.

Perhaps the headliner of those moving on, former Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome — who was often praised by former head coach Jim Harbaugh as being a future head coach — will reunite with a Harbaugh, albeit not Jim. Newsome is set to join John Harbaugh with the New York Giants as an assistant offensive line coach.

Sources: Former Michigan offensive line coach Grant Newsome has accepted the job as the New York Giants’ assistant offensive line coach. CBS first linked him with the Giants. pic.twitter.com/Gq4sKVVT2w

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 2, 2026

Brian Jean-Mary has had a couple of stints in Ann Arbor as the team’s linebackers coach. He originally came in 2020 but departed for Tennessee following that 2-4 campaign. The Wolverines replaced him with George Helow and then Chris Partridge, but when Sherrone Moore took over the program in 2024, he brought Jean-Mary back to Michigan football.

Now Jean-Mary is heading to a rival program, expected to take a job overseeing linebackers at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame is working to hire Brian Jean-Mary as linebackers coach, sources tell me and @TomLoy247.

Was Michigan’s LB coach and defensive run game coordinator the last two years. Before that, was LB coach at Tennessee for three years. Has coached double-digit future NFL players. pic.twitter.com/wIvlSjoetr

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 2, 2026

Ironically enough, he will be replacing former Michigan linebackers coach Al Washington, who is departing South Bend after accepting a job on Jeff Hafley’s Miami Dolphins staff.

Finally, Michigan managed to bring Erik ‘Soup’ Campbell home as an assistant wide receivers coach this past offseason, after he had spent several years working at Bowling Green under Scot Loeffler. Campbell appears to be out in Ann Arbor, but in in Ypsilanti, having been announced on Monday as the wide receivers coach for Eastern Michigan.

Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey landed at Missouri before Michigan football even had hired Kyle Whittingham. As of this moment, it’s unclear where tight ends coach Steve Casula, wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy, defensive backs coach LaMar Morgan will end up. Defensive coordinator Wink Martindale was reported to have essentially been a done deal with the New York Jets, only for head coach Aaron Glenn change the plan (he wanted to call defensive plays), which changed everything in that situation.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Former Michigan assistants land new jobs after Whittingham hire