Why Michigan football made a home run hire in Steve Clinkscale

Isaiah Hole
·2 min read

Kentucky did not want to lose defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale. But Michigan football — needing a replacement for Maurice Linguist — found a way to poach him away from the Wildcats.

It’s widely being lauded as a big hire, and there are several reasons why that’s true.

While Kentucky’s pass defense was only rated No. 54 in 2020, the past season was something of an aberration for a lot of teams compared to normal, given the constraints of a COVID-19 shortened season. But in 2019, Kentucky had the second-best pass defense, it was No. 18 in 2018, and it was 35th in 2016 (the Wildcats were 103rd in 2017). In 2015, when Clinkscale was Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator, the Bearcats were No. 79 nationally — middling, yes, but pretty solid for a Group of Five team.

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Clinkscale also has a solid track record of putting his defensive backs into the NFL. Cornerback Kelvin Joseph was a second-round pick in 2021 while fellow CB Brandin Echols was a sixth-round selection this year. In 2019, he put two safeties into the league, one in the second round and another in the third. So we also know he’s solid from a development standpoint. It’s worth noting that in his Michigan tenure, Mike Zordich never had a corner go above the third round.

Additionally, Clinkscale is a solid recruiter. While Kentucky is in the bottom tier of the SEC in terms of prestige — it has to recruit against the likes of Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Florida — he’s managed to bring in eight four-stars in his Wildcats tenure, including Oak Park (MI) standout Justin Rogers, as well as top-rated prospects from Tennessee, Georgia and Florida.

While this is just a snapshot, Clinkscale is the complete package: someone who can coach, develop and recruit. With Michigan’s resources compared to Kentucky, his ability to do the latter should get a big boost, while the Wolverines sorely need someone who can do the two former jobs.

For Michigan football, the Clinkscale hire is a home run, and one that comes at a perfect time, albeit with imperfect timing after spring ball.

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