College Football

Michigan Football Hires Greg Frey: What That Means

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:17 p.m. ET

Fansided, Tyler Fenwick/FanSided via GBMWolverine

With the hiring of Greg Frey as Michigan football’s new offensive tackles and tight ends coach, it shows Jim Harbaugh is putting the emphasis in the right spot.

With multiple reports that former Michigan football assistant Greg Frey will be heading back to Ann Arbor to coach the offensive tackles and tight ends, Jim Harbaugh’s point of focus for next season is becoming clear.

With Frey taking the tight ends, Jay Harbaugh, who coached the tight ends last season, will reportedly move to running backs coach, a vacancy left by Tyrone Wheatley.

The only position group that can be knocked under Harbaugh the last two seasons is the offensive line. Even a veteran line this past season often times couldn’t give what was needed, and the Wolverines’ ground game suffered because of it.

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Frey goes back to the program after working under Kevin Wilson at Indiana, where he earned a reputation for churning out some really good offensive linemen. During his time at Michigan under Rich Rodriguez, the Wolverines’ front was probably better than it has been in any season since.

Harbaugh came to Michigan with the promise of returning to old-school football: two tight ends, a fullback, you get the picture. And he’s done that. Michigan can sometimes look like a very boring team to the casual observer, but the offensive line hasn’t taken off in the way many expected it to, especially at this point in the process.

Part of what Frey brings could simply be a chance for offensive line coach/offensive coordinator Tim Drevno to focus a little more on certain areas that need his attention. There’s no doubt he’s been carrying a lot on his plate.

Frey will also bring a strong recruiting presence with him. He recruited Florida—especially the Tampa Bay area, since that’s where he’s from—very successfully for Indiana. (The Hoosiers have five commits from Tampa Bay in the 2017 class.)

As The Indianapolis Star mentions, Frey has also had his hand in Cincinnati.

This is a significant hire for Michigan, especially as National Signing Day is just a week away. Aside from being a legitimatized recruiter, Frey is hopefully going to bring whatever it is the Wolverines need in order for the offensive line to turn the corner.