After deciding to let Al Borges go, Michigan went out and hired Alabama offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Doug Nussmeier. Nussmeier will now become one of the top five paid coordinators in college football. This puts him at a salary of no less than $850,000. His predecessor, Al Borges, was making $709,000.
Borges leaves a Michigan team that ranked 86th in total offense by averaging 373.5 yards per game. They finished the season with a disappointing 7 and 6 record. The Michigan offense has been criticized all year for their bad play calling and lack of offensive efficiency. It is hard to forget their matchup against Michigan State where they managed a rushing total of -48. The Wolverines also had a negative rushing total in the Nebraska game.
Enter Doug Nussmeier. Nussmeier started as a quarterback in Oswego, Oregon and went on to play at Idaho and in the NFL. Along with Steve McNair, Daunte Culpepper and Colin Kaepernick he is one of the few NCAA quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in a career. In 1993, he won the Water Peyton Award which is Division I-AA’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
After his career at Idaho, Nussmeier was drafted in the fourth round by the New Orleans Saints. His stint with the Saints was followed by ones with the Indianapolis Colts and then the Canadian Football League’s British Colombia Lions. After retiring, he became the quarterback coach for the British Colombia Lions. His second job was also in the CFL as coordinator/quarterback coach for the Ottawa Renegades.
His next stop was quarterback coach at Michigan State. He helped former Michigan State quarterback Jeff Smoker set school records in passing yards and passing touchdowns. Smoker was a senior who was recovering from substances abuse the previous year. He then coached Drew Stanton who would go on to break Smoker’s passing yard record. Both quarterbacks went to the NFL. Nussmeier also went on to coach Marc Bulger to a Pro Bowl season with the St. Louis Rams and Jake Locker at the University of Washington.
In 2012, Nussmeier became the offensive coordinator for Alabama. He led them to one of the best seasons in school history. The set school records in touchdowns, total points, total offense and passing touchdowns. The team became the first Alabama team to both rush and pass for over 3,000 yards. He also helped AJ McCarron set a school record for passing touchdown and lead the nation in passing efficiency.
It will now be Nussmeier’s job to fix an offense that has struggled with its identity in recent years. It will be his decision as to whether try and fix senior quarterback Devin Gardner, or to usher in a new era with Shane Morris. With the lack of depth at receiver, it is possible that Gardner could return to his previous position. The biggest task will be redefining the Michigan rushing attack. This will most likely include an SEC type physical runner like Derrick Green. Green will need to drop some weight if he wants to be more explosive than he was in 2013. Nussmeier has a lot of work to do but his history of success is more than promising.
