Josh Gattis Takes Shot at Michigan After Leaving to Take Miami Job
By Liam McKeone
The last few weeks of rumors that there would be significant changes coming at Michigan turned out to be for naught as Jim Harbaugh decided to return to the school after flirting with an NFL return. It was not a great look for Harbaugh or the school, given his dalliances occurred right around National Signing Day, but the coach's decision to stay means this year's recruiting class wasn't affected significantly.
It does appear that the Harbaugh adventure had some adverse consequences. On Sunday, reports emerged that the University of Miami hired Josh Gattis to be their new offensive coordinator under Mario Cristobal. Gattis won Assistant of the Year in 2021 as Harbaugh's offensive coordinator, so it's a big loss for the Wolverines.
To make matters worse, Gattis apparently told some of his players that he was leaving because the last few weeks have indicated to him that Michigan does not value him.
In a text to some Michigan players, Josh Gattis said, “Unfortunately the past few weeks has told a different story to me about the very little appreciation I have here from administration. In life I would never advise anyone to be where they are not wanted…”
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) February 6, 2022
Yikes. It's never great to lose a great coordinator, much less when he's taking the same job somewhere else. But Gattis is burning bridges, and it reflects rather poorly on Michigan's administration.
There is a possibility Gattis is miffed because his name never came up as a possible successor should Harbaugh leave. Or maybe Harbaugh didn't keep anyone in the loop about his plans, leaving Gattis and his fellow coaches in a bizarre state of limbo while he made his decision. Whatever it is, Gattis' issues undoubtedly stem from the Harbaugh situation and how it was handled internally.
A big loss for Michigan that doubles as a PR hit. Not great, Bob.