Michigan football parted ways with offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell on Tuesday — a long-expected move after the Wolverines were near the very bottom of offensive production in college football.
Ann Arbor will be a popular destination for offensive coaches in 2025, as the Wolverines are set to sign a generational quarterback in Bryce Underwood on Wednesday and will likely surround him with top talent — not just in his recruiting class but also via the transfer portal. Michigan is also likely to sign a veteran quarterback to compete with Underwood and possibly take the reins to start the season.
So, who could the Wolverines turn to now that Campbell is gone? Here are five candidates we think either are in the mix, could be, or perhaps should be.
1
Dan Mullen
Photo: Isaiah Hole
This would be the home run hire. Mullen may be known best for being the head coach of Florida and Mississippi State, but the former Urban Meyer acolyte was his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, following him from Bowling Green to Utah to Florida. Having coached Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin as an OC as well as Dak Prescott as a head coach, Mullen has a proven track record and reportedly doesn’t want to be a head coach again. Though not necessarily an avid recruiter, his offensive acumen would lift Michigan up immediately from an offensive perspective.
2
Byron Leftwich
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Leftwich has never coached at the college level but the former Marshall quarterback had a solid run as the offensive coordinator for Tom Brady while with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He got his start as the Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks coach and he oversaw the NFL’s second-best offense in 2021 before it fell back to No. 14 in 2022. It’s unclear how much Brady helped his career, but his NFL pedigree is intriguing and he has been rumored as an option for the Wolverines at OC.
3
Joe Craddock
Craddock as the MTSU QB. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Along with Mullen, this may also be a home run hire. Craddock is currently the offensive coordinator for Tulane, and at 39 years old, he actually has an impressive resume. Starting his coaching career in high school, he got his start as a development assistant with Clemson when it had Deshaun Watson. He followed Chad Morris to SMU and Arkansas before ending up briefly as the tight ends coach with UAB. Since, he’s overseen the offenses and quarterback rooms at Troy and Tulane. Craddock runs a pro-style offense and is known for tailoring it to the players rather than the other way around.
4
Brian Griese
Photo: Isaiah Hole
A former Michigan national championship quarterback coming home? This choice is of our own machinations as Griese hasn’t necessarily shown any interest in coaching in college. But the current San Francisco 49ers quarterbacks coach has turned ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Brock Purdy into one of the nation’s best signal callers. Purdy had the top QBR in the NFL last year and even this year as the Niners struggle, Purdy has the seventh-best QBR. We know nothing of what schemes Griese runs, but if he can adequately come in and run the same scheme Michigan runs, this could be an excellent fit. The one big question, like it is for Leftwich, would be recruiting.
5
Garrett Riley
Photo: Isaiah Hole
We’re way out in left field on this one but Michigan has already flipped some talent from Clemson, why not flip a coach? Riley is the younger brother of USC head coach Lincoln Riley and his offense torched the stout Michigan defense in the 2022 College Football Playoff when he oversaw that side of the ball for TCU. At Clemson, he’s currently overseeing the No. 8 offense in the country, and could jump at the chance to work with the Michigan brand as well as Bryce Underwood. Would he come? It’s certainly possible, even if the scheme looks a little less pro-style than what you’d envision the next Michigan OC to run.
