ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan’s second day of fall camp brought two of Kyle Whittingham’s newest assistants to the front of the room, and both Jim Harding and Kerry Coombs made it clear that the Wolverines are in the middle of some real competition as they build toward the 2026 season.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, the assistant head coach/offensive line coach and the special teams coordinator met with local media at Schembechler Hall and laid out where things stand in a roster overhaul that is still taking shape. The conversations centered on position battles, player development and the tone Whittingham wants set in Ann Arbor.
Coombs, hired late last December, spoke with the same energy that has followed him throughout his coaching career. He looked back on the hectic stretch that brought him to Michigan during the coaching transition, then shifted quickly to the job in front of him: getting the special teams unit back on track after an inconsistent season.
The kicking jobs are wide open, and Coombs said the staff is treating every spot as a live competition. He pointed to the kicker and punter roles as battles that will be decided by consistency and by how quickly players can operate when the pressure is on.
He also made it clear that special teams is not some side project in Whittingham’s program. Coombs noted Whittingham’s deep involvement in that phase of the game, built over decades at Utah, where special teams has long been treated as a major part of game management.
Return duties are still up for grabs, too. Michigan is sorting through several options for punt and kickoff returns, with the staff looking for players who can create explosive field position. Coombs has built strong return units before at both the collegiate and NFL levels, and that experience is part of what he brings to the role.
Asked about “The Game,” Coombs drew on his long background in Ohio and his time on the Ohio State side of the rivalry. He said the on-field battle has to stay intense, but he also stressed the need for respect away from it.
Harding’s message was just as direct, though it was focused on the offensive line. After 12 seasons at Utah working alongside Whittingham, he arrives in Ann Arbor with a reputation for building tough fronts and helping develop linemen ready for the next level.
The biggest storyline up front is competition. Harding echoed Whittingham’s view that Michigan has “eight or nine” offensive linemen who could start right now, and he said the staff wants to settle on the starting five over the next two weeks so that group can begin building chemistry.
Versatility is another major piece of the plan. Harding said the staff is sliding some tackle candidates inside to guard so they can be tested in live action, and that ability to move around could matter a lot once the Big Ten schedule hits.
He also talked about the identity the Wolverines are trying to reinforce. Harding said the players have bought into the demanding technical standards of the new staff and expressed confidence in the group’s conditioning and physical approach.
Together, Harding and Coombs offered a first real snapshot of Whittingham’s era in Ann Arbor. The message was straightforward: the battles are open, the standards are high, and Michigan is trying to build its way back into a hard-nosed, disciplined version of itself.
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