Michigan’s decision to bring Kerry Coombs onto the staff was always going to come with a little extra edge, given where he’s been and who he’s coached against. But Coombs, now running the special teams after one of Michigan’s roughest recent seasons in that phase, isn’t interested in turning Ohio State week into something uglier than it already is.
Coombs spent time with the Wolverines under Sherrone Moore before Moore was fired, and Kyle Whittingham kept him in place for his first full season as Michigan’s head coach. The longtime coach has deep roots in the rivalry, having worked at Ohio State from 2012-2017 and again from 2020-2021. Even with that background, his view of the matchup lines up with Whittingham’s: the game should be fierce, but it doesn’t have to spill into hate.
“I think here's what I think. It is the greatest rivalry in sports," Coombs said.
"And it's not just a rivalry between the two football teams. It's a rivalry between the universities.
It's a rivalry between the states. People that live there, I live there, people that live here, it's real.
And we don't discount that at all.
"At the same time, there's no reason. There's no reason.
I grew up with Woody and Bo. And one of the reasons why I'm a football coach is 'cause I grew up with Woody and Bo.
And there was no reason for any of it to be nasty. It doesn't have to be hateful.
It doesn't have to be unnecessarily violent. The violence between the lines during the game, that's what we do.
But it doesn't have to be - those things don't have to be."
That perspective comes from a coach who has moved around plenty and built relationships across the sport. Coombs said Thursday that he knows several people on the Ohio State staff, including Arthur Smith and Matt Patricia, and that changes nothing about how he views the job.
“I got friends coaching on that staff," Coombs said. "...
I mean, these are, you know, these are good people, so we're not, to me, the game is going to be the game. Those cleats are gonna ground into the dirt, and we're gonna come off and try to knock the crap out of each other.
That's the game. That's what it's supposed to be.
"And we're supposed to, everybody's supposed to be excited about that game. But I think what Coach was saying was, I don't speak for him, but it doesn't need to be nasty.
It doesn't. And so I'm excited...
You can't be in the game of football, not be excited to be in that game. You can't.
And I'm thrilled that I get to do it again.”
Fans on both sides are probably wired differently on this one. Michigan and Ohio State is still the biggest rivalry in sports, and both fan bases want the win, the bragging rights, and the next 365 days to belong to them.
In Other News...
Michigan's New Era Opens With One Big Playoff Test
Michigan heads into 2026 with a new voice on the sideline and plenty of reason to believe the program can still make noise in the playoff race. Kyle Whittingham arrived in December after a 21-year run at Utah, and he brings with him a reputation for stability, toughness and winning football. He is also working with a revamped staff, as Jason Beck takes over the offense and Jay Hill steps in to run the defense, giving the Wolverines a fresh look on both sides of the ball.
The opening challenge is a serious one, though, because Michigan starts the season at No. 16 and will be judged quickly under this new arrangement. There is potential here for a team that wants to stay in the national picture, but there are also obvious questions about how fast the pieces fit together and whether the staff can turn that promise into a true College Football Playoff push. For a program that expects to contend, the margin for early missteps is not especially large. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans New Offensive Wrinkle Could Answer A Bigger Problem
Michigan is spending fall camp poking at a new offensive wrinkle that could give the staff another way to lean into its identity without asking the skill positions to do too much too soon. The idea comes from offensive coordinator Jason Becks previous experience, and it centers on putting extra muscle up front to keep the ground game on schedule while still helping the quarterback stay protected.
The bigger intrigue is whether this could become more than just a situational look if the Wolverines need a steadier answer at receiver and tight end. Coaches are still sorting through personnel and combinations, which makes this feel less like a gadget and more like a possible workaround if the group wants to be more physical without stretching the passing game beyond where it is right now. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans New Staff Faces Two Camp Battles That Will Shape Everything
Fall camp has already given Michigans new staff a chance to sort through some of the most important jobs on the roster, and the early read is that the battles are spread across both sides of the ball. Assistant coaches Jim Harding and Kerry Coombs met with the media to talk through the teams development under head coach Kyle Whittingham, with Coombs stressing how much attention is being paid to special teams and Harding pointing to an offensive line group that looks deeper and more flexible than it did a year ago.
The larger theme is the same one Whittingham has been driving since the new era began: build physicality, sort out the roster and make sure the details hold up when the season starts. Special teams is still a moving part, and the line room appears to have enough bodies to create real competition instead of emergency patchwork, which is exactly the kind of problem a staff wants in August. The next few practices should tell plenty about how quickly those spots settle, and whether Michigan can turn that camp competition into a clear identity before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]