Michigan revamps recruiting staff, names Courtney Morgan player personnel director

Angelique S. Chengelis
The Detroit News

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, in his seventh season with the Wolverines, revamped his coaching staff in the offseason and now his recruiting staff has been shaken up.

Matt Dudek, who took over as Michigan’s director of recruiting in July 2017, is no longer with the Wolverines, a source confirmed Wednesday. Meanwhile, Courtney Morgan, a former Michigan offensive lineman in the early 2000s will be joining the staff as player personnel director and will head up recruiting.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

Morgan, a Los Angeles-native who lettered at Michigan 2000-2003, was director of player development at UCLA early in his career. More recently he was coordinator of player personnel at San Jose State and then director of player personnel at Fresno State last year. Morgan is the third former Michigan player Harbaugh has hired this year, joining Mike Hart, the program’s all-time leading rusher who now coaches running backs, and former receiver Ron Bellamy, who was West Bloomfield head coach and is now coaching the safeties.

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Under Dudek’s watch as director of recruiting, the Wolverines’ 2021 class ranked 10th nationally by 247Sports Composite. The Wolverines' recruiting was ranked fourth in 2020, No. 8 in 2019 and 22nd in 2018. According to a report Wednesday from 247Sports, Dudek is expected to join the Mississippi State staff.

Michigan last Saturday completed spring practice and from all accounts from players during a number of interviews the last two months, they have responded well to the numerous staff changes. 

Harbaugh hired six coaches in the offseason – Mike Macdonald, who spent the last seven seasons with the Ravens as defensive coordinator, Maurice Linguist as co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks, George Helow to coach linebackers and Bellamy, initially hired as receivers coach, now works with the safeties. Defensive line coach Shaun Nua is the only holdover from the previous staff.

On the offensive side, Hart and Matt Weiss are new hires, and there were several changes to the rest of the staff. Sherrone Moore moved from coaching tight ends to the offensive line and is co-offensive coordinator with Josh Gattis, while Jay Harbaugh moved from running backs to coaching tight ends and coordinator special teams, Hart is coaching running backs and Weiss quarterbacks.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @chengelis