There are some lines you just don’t cross and in the college football world, one of those just so happens to be one of the biggest rivalries in the sport of Ohio State and Michigan.
Jim Harbaugh knows that better than most this offseason after seeing not one but two of his assistant coaches cross enemy lines from Ann Arbor to Columbus. While the loss of linebackers coach Al Washington probably didn’t make a huge number of waves, the loss of Greg Mattison to be the OSU co-defensive coordinator did not exactly endear him to the Wolverines head coach based on his comments at the start of spring practice this week.
“He wanted to be a coordinator again, and darn near doubled his salary. I don’t hold that against him. We’re not going to be sending each other Christmas cards, based on where he went,” Harbaugh said, according to the Associated Press. “Still a good man, still have a ton of respect for him. We’ll be friends again someday, when we’re done coaching.”
While it’s pretty clear that Harbaugh likes Mattison after all the years they spent together following the former’s return to Michigan, the departure for Ohio State -- of all schools -- certainly does rain on their relationship quite a bit based on that quote.
November 30th, 2019 certainly can’t get here soon enough either way...