In the end, and at least when it comes to the Michigan angle, it was much ado about nothing.
Much to the chagrin of ESPN talking head Paul “Pete” Finebaum, Jim Harbaugh had hired Michael Johnson Sr. as a part of his UM football staff in an unspecified role, with the expectation being that the one-time NFL coordinator would be added as an on-field assistant once the NCAA approved a 10th full-time assistant. That proposal is instead expected to be delayed until January of next year, leaving Johnson, the father of the top dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2019, as a very overqualified football staffer in Ann Arbor as Harbaugh’s current nine-man staff is full.
In what’s seemingly a related development, it’s now being reported that Johnson will take a job as the wide receivers coach at Oregon instead.Hearing that former King’s Academy coach Michael Johnson is set be hired as the new WR coach at #Oregon. #PeteFinebaum #Clueless
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) February 17, 2017
SOURCE: Former #UCLA/49ers OC Mike Johnson has accepted the WR job at #Oregon. He was set to join the #Michigan staff.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 17, 2017
Johnson would replace David Reaves, who “resigned” earlier this month not long after being arrested on a drunk-driving charge. Interestingly, Johnson’s new boss in Eugene would be Willie Taggart, a former Harbaugh assistant at Stanford who remains one of the head coach’s closest friends in the profession.