Michigan football: Did Jim Harbaugh’s NFL flirtation cost him Josh Gattis?

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal has formed a super-staff, and in his latest move poached Josh Gattis from Michigan. 

With Jim Harbaugh’s Vikings flirtation front and center, the Michigan athletic department didn’t think to check in with Gattis, who evidently had been thinking about taking his talents to South Beach for quite some time.

“It had to be something special to get me to leave something special, and this was it, man,” Gattis told The Athletic Sunday morning. “This place is it. I am so excited about coming to The U.”

Harbaugh hasn’t had to hire an offensive coordinator in three seasons, as Gattis filled the role admirably since coming over from Alabama. Gattis won the Broyles award for his work with Michigan’s offense, which goes to the nation’s top assistant.

Miami football: What to expect from Josh Gattis?

Gattis is one of the top assistant coaches in the nation, and whether he intends to or not, will use Miami as a stepping stone to a head coaching gig one day. His offense was run-heavy last season at Michigan, and Miami should expect that same sort of balanced attack.

Did Josh Gattis leave because of Jim Harbaugh?

The timing of this move is suspect, but thus far it’s impossible to pin Gattis’ decision fully on Harbaugh. He thought he had his staff intact in Ann Arbor whether he remained or not.

In the end, Harbaugh opted not to sign on with the Vikings or any NFL team, but that’s in large part because one of his options vanished. Minnesota was arguably just the right coach away from a playoff berth. When they went with Kevin O’Connell, Harbaugh didn’t see much value in any of the other head coaching openings.

But the Michigan man himself isn’t to blame for Gattis leaving. While it’s a lateral gig, Feldman estimates that Joe Moorhead, who is close to Gattis, did play a role in the move. Moorehead was Cristobal’s offensive coordinator at Oregon.

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