Though there’s no reason to believe that Ravens coach John Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison have the kind of strained relationship previously experienced by Chiefs coach Todd Haley and former offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, the fact that Mattison is thinking about making a lateral move to a lower level of the sport continues a recent trend that NFL teams should regard as troubling.
Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun reports that Mattison is talking to new Michigan coach Brady Hoke about the possibility of becoming the defensive coordinator of the Wolverines.
Mattison reportedly has strong ties to Hoke. Both men worked for Jack Harbaugh at Western Michigan, and they worked at Michigan under Lloyd Carr.
John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, was initially believed to be a candidate for the Michigan job.
With a work stoppage looming and coaching contracts calling for less money in the event of a lockout and NFL assistants seeing their pension benefits take a hit in recent years, college programs may become more attractive to some assistant coaches.
Per Hensley, defensive backs coach Chuck Pagano would likely be the top candidate to replace Mattison, if he leaves.