Michigan defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery to join Bob Stoops' OU staff
BY GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Sunday, February 24, 2013
2/24/13 at 6:56 AM
NORMAN - Jerry Montgomery, Michigan's defensive line coach the past two seasons, has accepted a position on Oklahoma's staff, the Scout website GoBlueWolverine reported Saturday.
There was no immediate confirmation from either Michigan or OU, but Wolverines defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins tweeted: "Want to wish Coach Montgomery and his family luck at Oklahoma. He taught me a lot and I'll never forget the talks we had."
Andrew Williams, a four-star Class of 2014 defensive end from McDonough, Ga., who Montgomery was recruiting for Michigan, tweeted that Montgomery had contacted him as an OU coach.
"I had no idea he was leaving to go to Oklahoma," Williams told the ESPN.com website WolverineNation. "He said he still thinks (Michigan) is a great place, but now he's going to recruit me even harder at Oklahoma."
That represents one of the driving forces behind Bob Stoops' staff transition. He wanted better efforts on both offensive and defensive lines in terms of recruiting and developing, so he fired assistants Jackie Shipp, Bruce Kittle and James Patton shortly after the recent signing day.
Stoops brought in West Virginia assistant Bill Bedenbaugh to coach the offensive line, a role previously divided by Kittle and Patton, and Bedenbaugh jumped in and immediately started making contacts.
It appears Montgomery is doing the same. According to Rivals' database, he was responsible for one five-star and four four-star signees in Michigan's current class. Pipkins was a five-star signee in 2012.
His hiring would be the most obvious sign of a changing of the guard on the OU staff. Shipps turns 51 next month. He coaches a position that hasn't had a standout since Gerald McCoy turned pro after the 2009 season.
Montgomery is 33. He would become the youngest of Stoops' assistants, a year younger than offensive coordinator Josh Heupel.
Montgomery joined Brady Hoke's staff at Michigan in February of 2011, or one month after he had accepted a position on Kevin Wilson's staff at Indiana.
He was Wyoming's defensive line coach in 2009-10, and oversaw the Cowboys' transition from a 3-4 to a 4-3 alignment.
Montgomery was promoted to Northern Iowa's defensive line coach in 2007-08 after serving as a Panthers' assistant for one year. He launched his coaching career as a student assistant at Iowa in 2002.
Montgomery was a starting defensive lineman at Iowa from 1998-2001.
Original Print Headline: Michigan assistant to join Stoops' staff
Guerin Emig 918-581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Jerry Montgomery: The former Michigan assistant would become the youngest member of head coach Bob Stoops' staff.
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