For the first time since early 2020, Michigan’s special teams will be coordinated by someone besides Jay Harbaugh.
Enter J.B. Brown: an internal special teams hire who’s already been on staff since 2021. While he was an analyst, Brown helped out with kicking and kick coverage for Michign, and worked closely with punters and kickers, including James Turner and Lou Groza-winner Jake Moody. His promotion is one that is expected to facilitate a smooth transition for the team.
Recently, Brown gave us our first glimpse of Michigan football’s not-so-new look special teams unit on Jon Jansen’s In The Trenches podcast. During the episode, Brown shared his philosophy on coaching special teams, discussed the depth at key positions, and outlined how his approach might differ from his predecessor’s while maintaining the unit’s core strengths.
“It was an awesome feeling,” Brown said of his recent promotion. “I’ve been here for the last three years, and I look forward to continuing the tradition and legacy that was built before my time here. My goal is to uphold and continue what’s been going on here every day.”
Brown emphasized that while there will be some adjustments under his leadership, the fundamental aspects of Michigan’s special teams will remain consistent. “There’ll probably be a few tweaks and a little bit of different techniques maybe taught,” Brown explained. “But other than that, the main core of it will stay the same. We’ve been explosive the last three years that I’ve been here, and we’ll continue to try to do that.”
This continuity is critical, particularly in maintaining consistent terminology and techniques. Brown shared that he believes the unit’s ability to do this effectively will help the team build on its previous successes.
“The terminology is really gonna stay the same for us, so that’s the biggest thing,” he noted. “With new guys coming into play, I’m really excited about those guys. They’ve got length, they’ve got speed, and they have a lot of athletic traits, but they’re really smart and good kids, too.”
One of the unique challenges of coaching special teams is the need to balance different phases, each requiring various skill sets and strategies. Brown described his approach to evaluating players and finding the best fit for special teams roles.
“A lot of sets are needed, and there’s a lot of matchups going on in the Big Ten,” he said. “We evaluate them as they work out, see how they move, how they run, how they do in drills. And then we look at how they play in offense and defense, how they do in open space. That tells us the story of how good we are and the best place to utilize them for us.”
Discussing specific players, Brown highlighted Semaj Morgan and his potential as a returner. “The next step for him is just consistency,” Brown said. “We saw the flashes that can happen, good and bad, but also the consistency of when he learns how to catch consistently. He’s going to be one of the best in the league, I think.”
WHAT A PUNT RETURN BY MORGAN
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In addition to Morgan, Brown mentioned other potential returners like Tyler Morris, Frederick Moore, and Brandyn Hillman, noting their high school success and the need to develop depth in this area.
“Definitely Tyler Morris is the guy that can also do it for us,” Brown said. “We’re also going to try to build depth, to try to get seven different guys (ready). Frederick Moore, Brandyn Hillman, all those type of guys who had the skillset in the past, on their high school teams, we’re going to try to work out this summer, make sure they can do it.”
The kicker position is another critical aspect of special teams, and Brown has four kickers competing for the starting spot: Dominic Zvada, Adam Samaha, Charlie Mentzer, and Blake Stewart.
“They’re all going to be competing for that No. 1 spot,” Brown stated. “Technique will continue to play a huge role. We’re really excited about all four of them. At the end of the day, who’s most consistent coming out of camp is going to be the guy.”
With Michigan’s offense breaking in a new quarterback in 2024, the need for a reliable kicker cannot be overstated. To prepare his position group for high-pressure situations that they may face in the upcoming season, Brown implements various strategies in practice.
“We try to put them in those situations in practice. From Mayday situations to kicking in front of the team, having the team around them, throwing water on them, playing music, and doing all those types of things.”
As for what Michigan fans can expect from Brown’s coaching style itself? The special teams coordinator emphasized a system built on speed, aggression, and complementary football.
“We want to be fast, and we want to attack,” Brown said. “We also want to create momentum shifts in the game. Complementary football and playing fast and attacking is what we want to do.”
