Why Michigan's Next Coach Should Keep Greg Mattison

Michigan is currently waiting to see whether its massive offer to San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh is enough to lure him back to Ann Arbor. As Harbaugh contemplates his next move, conjecture turns to whether or not any of Brady Hoke’s assistants will be retained.

While it’s hard to make a case for anyone on the offensive side of the ball, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is the best candidate to return.

Mattison was extremely loyal to Hoke, but it’s unlikely that he’d follow him to another university. He repeatedly defended Hoke’s handling of the program but still argued with him on the sidelines this season.

Mattison’s defense ranked 10th nationally this season despite getting very little help from an anemic offense which ranked 111th.

Could Mattison be tempted to continue working with the players he recruited and see how well they work with a better offense?

Whomever replaces Brady Hoke should retain some of the previous coaches in order to help the current players transition to the new staff. Even Rich Rodriguez, who famously purged most of Lloyd Carr’s staff, retained running backs coach Fred Jackson. Jackson was also retained by Hoke after Rodriguez’s dismissal, although it’s unclear if he will be retained by the next coach.

Rob Carr/Associated Press

Mattison’s experience in the NFL and success at Michigan makes him a top candidate for any opening, although his age (65) does raise the question of how long he plans to keep coaching.

An interesting connection exists between Mattison and potential new coach Jim Harbaugh. Mattison has worked with both Harbaugh’s father, Jack, at Western Michigan his brother, John, at Baltimore in the NFL. He would undoubtedly have the support of Jim’s family, and his loyalty to both Michigan and his players might be enough for him return.

If Harbaugh passes on the job, Mattison also has ties to Les Miles, whose stealth campaign for the job  continues even as he publicly denies it. Miles recently told MLive.com's Nick Baumgardner that, "The only thing I can tell you is that I'm so for Michigan. They have a process, they're going to go through it. They're going to get a great coach.”

Miles’ current offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, worked with Mattison in Baltimore and previously worked at Michigan as an assistant. It's conceivable that he might try to convince Mattison to stay.

Whomever replaces Hoke should consider retaining Greg Mattison. He was Hoke’s best coach and deserves a shot to keep building his defense.

Phil Callihan is a featured writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

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