Long-time Michigan assistant coach is reportedly retained under Kyle Whittingham

Kyle Whittingham’s staff at Michigan is nearly complete. Position coaches have been hired and now the Wolverines are working on their analysts and assistants to help the position coaches. And Michigan fans heard some positive news on Sunday.

Not only did the Wolverines hire a new safeties coach, with a ton of history as a defensive coordinator, but Michigan will retain long-time coach Fred Jackson, according to MGoBlue where he is listed as an analyst.

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Jackson was Michigan’s running backs coach from 1992-2014 before he left to coach high school football. But in 2022, he was welcomed back to Ann Arbor under Jim Harbaugh and helped coach the position. He assisted Tony Alford, who was also retained to coach running backs, for the past two seasons at Michigan.

With the tutelage from both Jackson and Alford, Michigan’s run game was fantastic this season. Despite injuries to both Justice Haynes and Jordan Marshall, Michigan had one of the top rushing attacks in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines averaged over 210 yards per game on the ground. Haynes had six games of over 100 yards on the ground, Marshall had four, and former walk-on Bryson Kuzdzal rushed for 100 yards once this season when both Haynes and Marshall missed.

More on Jackson and his history in Ann Arbor

He has coached five All-Big Ten running backs at Michigan, led by three-time all-conference first team honoree Tyrone Wheatley (1992-94) and two-time performer Mike Hart (2004, 2006). Anthony Thomas (2000) and Chris Perry (2003) were All-Big Ten first team selections and Tshimanga Biakabutuka earned second-team honors in 1995. Thomas and Hart received distinction as Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winners.

Jackson’s running backs have led the league in rushing four times during his tenure and surpassed the 1,000-yard barrier 12 times, including Fitzgerald Toussaint in 2011. Perry (2003) and Hart (2004) became the first teammates to lead the league in rushing in back-to-back seasons since 1982-83, pacing the Big Ten in both overall and conference play.

He also coached two seasons in Ann Arbor as the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator.

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