The college football coaching carousel isn’t done spinning just yet. With Klint Kubiak landing the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coaching job, you might’ve thought things were slowing down.
But not so fast-there’s another key move shaking up the college ranks. Michigan is losing one of its top defensive assistants, and Oklahoma is the one cashing in.
LaMar Morgan, who served as Michigan’s Defensive Pass Game Coordinator and Defensive Backs Coach the last two seasons, is heading to Norman to join Brent Venables’ staff at Oklahoma. The Sooners moved quickly after losing Jay Valai to the Buffalo Bills, and they didn’t just fill the vacancy-they landed one of the most respected up-and-coming secondary coaches in the country.
Make no mistake, Morgan was a hot commodity. He drew serious interest from both top-tier college programs and several NFL teams. But Oklahoma made him a priority, and now he’s set to bring his expertise to a defense that’s continuing to evolve under Venables.
Morgan’s coaching résumé is deep and diverse. Before his time in Ann Arbor, he was the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Louisiana-Lafayette, for two seasons.
He’s also made stops at Houston, ULM, Western Carolina, and Vanderbilt. His track record shows a coach who’s climbed steadily through the ranks, developing defensive backs and coordinating pass defenses at every level.
Now, he’s stepping into a high-stakes situation in the Big 12-turned-SEC landscape.
And here’s where it gets even more interesting: Michigan and Oklahoma are set to meet again this fall, this time in Ann Arbor. The two teams squared off last season in Norman, with Oklahoma getting the better of the Wolverines in what turned out to be a defining early-season win.
That victory helped propel the Sooners into the expanded College Football Playoff for the first time since joining the SEC. Michigan, meanwhile, came up just short of a postseason berth.
This year’s rematch carries even more weight. With Morgan now on the other sideline, the Wolverines will be facing a coach who knows their personnel inside and out. It’s a rare twist in the chess match of college football-one that could have real playoff implications.
If Michigan can flip the script at home, it could be the kind of statement win that fuels a 10-2 campaign and vaults them back into playoff contention. After missing the postseason the last two years, following a three-year CFP run from 2021 to 2023, the Wolverines are hungry to get back. And beating Oklahoma in The Big House would be a massive step in that direction.
For the Sooners, the stakes are just as high. They finally broke through and made the playoff last year, but they’re still chasing their first win on that stage.
Venables knows that momentum can be fleeting in college football, especially with the SEC grind looming every week. That’s why landing someone like Morgan matters.
He’s not just filling a spot-he’s bringing NFL-level ambition and a sharp defensive mind to a team that’s trying to stay in the national conversation.
And it’s not just about this fall’s Michigan-Oklahoma clash, though that game is shaping up to be one of the early must-watch matchups of the season. It’s about what these programs are building.
Both are operating with playoff-or-bust expectations. Both are reloading with talent on the field and in the coaching room.
And both know that the margin for error in the new playoff format is razor-thin.
Morgan’s move is just the latest example of how quickly things can shift in college football. One coach leaves for the NFL, another steps in, and suddenly the narrative around a team’s season can change.
For Michigan, it’s a tough loss. For Oklahoma, it’s a savvy hire.
And for fans, it’s another layer of intrigue in a rivalry that’s quickly becoming one of the sport’s most compelling cross-conference matchups.
Circle that game on the calendar. Not just because of what it could mean for the playoff race-but because of who will be standing on the opposite sideline, trying to beat the team he helped shape.