Former Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton is on the move once again. According to multiple reports (but first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter), Hamilton is joining Jim Harbaugh on Michigan’s coaching staff. Hamilton will become assistant head coach and passing game coordinator for Michigan.
Hamilton was the Colts’ offensive coordinator from 2013-2015, as he was hired after Bruce Arians left to become the Cardinals head coach following the 2012 season. The move re-united him with Andrew Luck, who he worked with at Stanford as offensive coordinator for a year. He had quite a bit of success while with the Colts, as in 2013 they set a franchise record for the fewest turnovers in a season and in 2014 they boasted one of the best offenses in the league (in both yards per game and points per game) - while they ranked first in the league in passing yards per game and passing touchdowns. He had a lot of success with the Colts, but he was fired mid-way through a really rough 2015 season in which Andrew Luck was dealing with injuries. It wasn’t a bad move - the Colts did need a change - but it was likely made at least partly due to desperation. His firing doesn’t mean he’s not a good or qualified coach, nor does it diminish what he accomplished in 2013 and 2014.
After getting fired by the Colts, Hamilton became the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns in 2016 under Hue Jackson. After a year in that role, though, he’s apparently going back to the college game to once again work with Jim Harbaugh, who hired him at Stanford in 2010. Hamilton spent three seasons at Stanford, and before that he had spent time in the NFL with the Jets, 49ers, and Bears as a position coach. He’s a bright guy with a good football mind, so he should be a good fit at Michigan - which has quickly turned into a great program under Harbaugh.