On Friday, supporters of Michigan who had thought that the sign-stealing controversy of this year would finish were met with some alarming news.
The show declared that defensive analyst Rick Minter will take over as linebackers coach in place of Chris Partridge. According to a Yahoo Sports story, Partridge made an attempt to delete computer evidence in order to obstruct attempts to steal signs.
The news is not good. Not so much because Patridge, who was only in his first season back with the show, was lost, but more because of the implications for future events.
Let’s examine the implications of this termination for Michigan.
Chris Partridge, the coach of the Michigan Fires linebackers, worked under head coach Jim Harbaugh for five seasons until joining Ole Miss in 2020 as a co-defensive coordinator.
After playing for the Rebels for three seasons, he returned to Michigan this past offseason to work as a defensive analyst. But as soon as the program revealed that George Helow, the previous linebackers coach, was leaving this past February, he was elevated to the position of linebackers coach.
Fans of the Wolverines must be a little concerned about the timing of this news.
Less than twenty-four hours have passed since Harbaugh agreed to a three-game suspension from the Big Ten for breaking the league’s rules regarding sportsmanship.
Worse, according to a Detroit News article, NCAA inspectors have been on campus since Monday, interviewing athletes and low-level employees and looking through the coaching staff’s work phones and tablets.
The University of Michigan said in a statement issued on Friday that “from the beginning, our focus has been on seeking due process and allowing the NCAA to conduct a fair and deliberate investigation.” “Although the Big Ten has concluded its investigation, we are still working with the NCAA as it proceeds with its current probe.
It doesn’t seem good for Michigan if you’re keeping track at home. Now that Harbaugh has missed TWO games due to suspensions, Connor Stallions and Partridge have both lost their jobs.
Of course, a victory over Ohio State will allow Michigan to allay the majority of these worries, but it won’t be any simpler without Harbaugh and Partridge in the lineup.
