Hello: Mike Zordich, Cornerbacks

Previously: Tim Drevno (OC/OL),Ty Wheatley (RBs), Jedd Fisch (WRs), DJ Durkin (DC/LB), Greg Jackson(DBs), John Baxter (ST).

urgent request: re-grow the hair

After a week or so of expecting Roy Manning to continue at Michigan, Mike Zordich's name came out of nowhere to lock down a job in the secondary. The former Penn State and NFL safety seemed kind of surprised himself:

“I was very content and happy with what I was doing,” Zordich said. “I didn’t initiate anything.”

Zordich called up John Harbaugh to chat about the Ravens' playoff game against the Steelers, John relayed his name to Jim, and soon after he was moving on from Youngstown State.

Zordich had another advantage: he literally played next to Greg Jackson in the NFL. The two were the starting safeties for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994 and 1995.

"Really, there wasn't much said," said Zordich. "Everyone knew what they had to do and they just stuck together and hung in there."

"I think we're coming along well," said Jackson. "We're still growing into the system, me and Mike, (but) every week we're getting better and better out there."

That has to be rare: a college team hiring two guys who played together in the NFL to coach the same position group. Also rare: two twelve-year NFL veterans coaching a single position group.

Because of Zordich's long playing career his coaching career took a while to get off the ground. It started with six years at Cardinal Mooney, the Youngstown high school that must be the country's #1 per capita generator of football coaches. In 2009 he moved up to the Eagles as a quality control coach; two years later he was the safeties coach. Andy Reid then got axed in favor of Chip Kelly and Zordich was not retained.

In the aftermath he took one of those one-year sabbaticals you frequently see when an assistant is suddenly turned loose when his head coach gets axed. He resurfaced as the safeties coach and special teams coordinator for YSU last year and was set to be retained by Bo Pelini when Harbaugh called.

That is admittedly not a huge coaching resume. It's a few years as an NFL position coach surrounded by high school and I-AA jobs. I could go dig up stats for the Eagles during those two years, but that seems like it's beside the point.

It's tough with guys who have been in the NFL for a long time. Their day-to-day experience is clearly a major help (especially at a QB-of-the-D position like safety) but it necessarily means that they get hired for jobs before they have much of an opportunity to erect a flashing neon sign that says GOOD IDEA.

Zordich hasn't done that, but then again neither had Greg Jackson when Harbaugh hired him away from a single year as a nickel DB coach at Wisconsin. Harbaugh's earned a lot of trust in terms of his hires, and since this is a guy who comes from outside the tree there's little reason to think he's not qualified. Michigan was also looking at alums Roy Manning, a guy Mattison is obviously familiar with, and Chuck Heater, who's been a college coach for a million years and has a good amount of DC experience—Harbaugh picked Zordich over the Michigan Man options.

RECRUITING

No track record yet.

Zordich does have a big name in Youngstown and Pennsylvania. He starred for Penn State in the mid-80s and his kid, a fullback, followed suit 30 years later. That should help him recruit. Michigan has done good work in PA over the years but did not have an obvious guy to hit that state; now they do. Zordich's presence in Ohio may also free DJ Durkin up to hit the deep south more than he might otherwise.

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

I'm not able to venture one with evidence so thin here. He should be fine; I like the fact that he worked with Jackson so well before.