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Jim Harbaugh says Pep Hamilton treats Michigan players like he does his own children.
By John Borton
July 28, 2017
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh brought in an old friend, and more, when Pep Hamilton arrived to coach his quarterbacks and wide receivers.
The two worked together before, when Hamilton served as Harbaugh’s offensive coordinator at Stanford in 2010. Hamilton oversaw the senior success of Andrew Luck and went on to coach him with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts as well.
Now, he’s hands on with the Michigan QBs and pass catchers, scrutinizing position battles of some of the highest-profile spots on the squad. Harbaugh knows those players are in good hands.
“It’s been fantastic,” Harbaugh said in Chicago on Tuesday. “He’s really one of the best coaches out there, one of the best coaches in all of football, pro or college, in the country. Our players see it and are benefiting greatly.
“He’s a jackhammer. He has such a good ability to stay on point, stay on detail. He never loses energy, or focus. He teaches, too. It’s not confusing, it’s not fast. It’s right.”
Redshirt junior quarterback Wilton Speight noted before Michigan’s trip to Rome that he had a “working relationship” with Hamilton, because Hamilton had recently come on board and they hadn’t been around each other much. By the time the Wolverines came back, Speight felt like the two knew each other much better.
That getting-to-know process is ongoing with all of the players under Hamilton’s direction now. Harbaugh said it will likely take 10 days or so of camp to get to the point of a starting quarterback emerging, and Hamilton will provide significant input into that decision.
Harbaugh trusts him in all areas of the game, but says Hamilton is about more than guiding football players.
“I love Pep,” Harbaugh said. “He is a tremendous father. He should write a book. He really should. He should be on YouTube and take videos on how to parent. It’s so good.
“He coaches the players on our team just like he talks to his own kids. He doesn’t treat them different than his own kids. It’s high expectations. He teaches them, gives them the tools, and pushes them along to be as good as they can be.
“He never cheats them. He never does for them what they can do for themselves, and he always holds them to give their best effort. He’s just one of the really fantastic football coaches.”
