ANN ARBOR, Mich. – University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Coach Coach Jim Harbaugh announced Wednesday (01/20) the hiring of Maurice Linguist and George Helow for the defensive technical team. The linguist will act as backs / defensive co-coordinator and Helow will train security for the Wolverines.
“Maurice and George are excellent additions to our defensive technical team,” said Harbaugh. “They are highly regarded and respected coaches who have worked with some of the top defensive minds in college football. Their experience in some of the best programs in the country will benefit our team and student athletes. Michigan Football welcomes Maurice , George and their families and we hope they will join our football family and the university community. “
In addition, Harbaugh announced that the program has reached an agreement on an extension of contract with Naked Shaun to continue as the team’s defensive line coach. Brian Jean-Mary will work with linebackers. These personnel movements complete the Wolverines’ defensive technical team under the first year’s defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
The following is biographical information and comments by Linguist and Helow on how to join the Michigan team:
Maurice Linguist Commentary on Michigan
“I have always had an appreciation and admiration for Coach Harbaugh and his achievements at the University of Michigan. The University of Michigan is full of the best traditions of college football and I can’t wait to get started. I look forward to leading and serving young people in the program, developing relationships for life and competing at the highest levels in the field. My family and I are looking forward to getting to Ann Arbor and we are excited to join the Michigan family. Go Blue! “
Maurice Linguist biographical information
Linguist joins the Michigan football team as a defensive / co-defensive coordinator after spending the 2020 football season as a Dallas Cowboys defensive coach. Prior to joining the Cowboys team, Linguist was a cornerback coach at Texas A&M for two seasons (2018-19).
In Dallas, Linguist directed a secondary that forced 10 interceptions, while allowing the fifth lowest number of passes on the first descent (180). Cowboys were also ranked in the top half of the league in allowed passing yards (11th), percentage of completion against (10th) and takeaways (ninth). The linguist trained novice defender Trevon Diggs (three interceptions) for a strong first season in the league. Three of Dallas’ top four tacklers in 2020 were secondary holders, including ex-Wolverine Jourdan Lewis, who set a career high with 59 stops. Safety Donovan Wilson, who Linguist trained at Texas A&M, led the Cowboys in takeaways (two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries) and was third in the team with 71 tackles.
Linguist worked with high school students in eight programs. Most recently, he trained cornerbacks in Texas A&M (2018-19), defensive backs in Minnesota (2017) and safeties in the state of Mississippi (2016).
At A&M, the Linguist’s side has limited opportunities for opponents and played coverage in key situations. Teams converted only 31.2 percent of third down attempts (102 out of 326) in their two seasons, and A&M ranked ninth in that category in 2018. Aggies intercepted their opponents 19 times in their two seasons and created the habit to leave the field. During the 2018 season, the defense was among the top 15 in the national ranking allowed (221) and faced the least number of snaps against all SEC teams. The defense made a dramatic improvement in defending the efficiency of the pass from 2018 to 2019, jumping from 106th national to 26th in the country.
Linguist helped the Aggies produce six consecutive recruiting classes across the country in 2019 and 2020. He was the top recruiter for five-star security Jaylon Jones, the first five-star defensive player to sign with Texas A&M.
In his season in Minnesota, the Linguist high school helped anchor a defense that finished 11th nationally, with 174.5 yards allowed per game, after ranking 73rd in the NCAA a year earlier. The unit yielded 16 touchdowns, a top 25 nationally and also ranked among the best in the country in first allowed descents (11th) and total defense (30th). Linguist was the main recruiter for Rashod Bateman, the big recipient of the Big Ten year. Linguist was promoted to assistant chief coach after the 2017 season, before accepting a position at Texas A&M.
In the state of Mississippi, Linguist led the security group, responsible for seven of the team’s 14 interceptions. Three security guards eclipsed the 50 tackle mark for the Bulldogs: Brandon Bryant (62, three PBUs), Kivon Coman (58, four PBUs) and Mark McLaurin (51, seven PBUs) were among the team’s top tacklers. The defense scored four touchdowns (No. 8, NCAA) and totaled 14 interceptions (No. 35, NCAA) during the 2016 season.
Prior to his stint at Starkville, Linguist trained defensive backs at Iowa State (2014-15) and Buffalo (2012-13), earning the title of defensive pass game coordinator in his second year at both schools. He has coached players for three All-Big 12 awards in his two seasons in Iowa, including safety Kamari Cotton-Moya, an All-American freshman by the Football Writers’ Association of America (FWAA). Cotton-Moya led the team in tackles and was named the freshman of the year in defense. Linguist would help direct cornerback Brian Peavy to be the finalist of the award the following year.
In Buffalo, Linguist helped the Bulls to finish second in MAC East and reached the famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2013. The unit came in second in the league in interceptions (15), points per game allowed (24.4) and yards per game allowed (382.2). The linguist trained Najja Johnson to receive first-team honors at all conferences and a total of 38 career pass separations, number 2 in the program’s history. Johnson led the MAC in interceptions the previous year as part of a Bulls unit that led the conference in percentage of pass completion allowed, while taking second place in defending passes.
Linguist spent three years at James Madison, helping the program reach the best recruiting class for the FCS during the 2012 cycle, as the team reached the second round of the NCAA Football Championship Series playoffs. He helped the JMU to rank among the top 20 FCS teams in scoring points in defense for three consecutive seasons (2009-11).
Linguist’s first full-time position was in Valdosta State, working with defenders and special teams. The Blazers went 9-3 and won 12th place in the national classification in Division II.
Linguist started as a graduate assistant at Baylor, his alma mater, working as a graduate assistant with strong security guards and a moving back. During his career at Baylor, he was a defensive MVP and honorable mention in the All-Big 12 selection. He made 24 games in 42 games as a strong safety from 2003-06. Born in Dallas, Texas, Linguist graduated from Baylor with a degree in communications (2006) and a master’s degree in health, human performance and recreation (2007). He was an honored Academic All-Big 12.
The linguist and his wife, Stacie, have a daughter, Maura (4), and a son, Lance (18 months). Stacie is a lawyer who is banned in five states (Texas, Maryland, Iowa, Minnesota and Washington (DC)).
George Helow Commentary on Michigan
“I am extremely excited and grateful to be joining the Michigan football program, a school with a rich tradition and winning history. I am looking forward to developing great players who are also upstanding citizens. This is an excellent opportunity to work with the coach. Jim Harbaugh, one of the best in the business, and the great technical team he set up in Michigan. I can’t wait to start working. Become blue! “
George Helow biographical information
Helow (pronounced He-LOW) joins the Michigan football team as a safety coach after spending the 2020 season as coordinator of special teams and coach of inline linebackers at the University of Maryland. Helow was a member of two national championship teams and worked with some of the top defensive minds in college football.
He spent four seasons at Colorado State University (2016-19) before joining Terrapins’ team. Helow trained the safeties during his last two seasons on the team, after working with outside linebackers as a defensive quality control technician and graduation assistant during the 2016-17 seasons.
Helow supervised a secondary that allowed only 181.6 yards per game in 2019, the seventh best pass defense in the country and the best placed at the Mountain West Conference. Safeties Jamal Hicks and Logan Stewart combined for 193 tackles, eight loss tackles, 2.5 sacks and two Rams interceptions. Hicks won the main team’s All-MWC and helped lead a passing defense that held seven opponents under 200 yards.
In his first season as a safeties mentor, three of Helow’s defenders ranked in the top five in team tackles in 2018. Rams ranked fourth in defense of passes at MWC.
Helow trained on some of the best programs in the country during his career, with stints in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Helow helped the Seminoles win a national title in 2013 as a defensive undergraduate assistant coach. He also spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant in Georgia (2014-15), where he worked with security guards.
In 2012, Helow entered the college coaching category as a member of the Alabama team under the command of Nick Saban. He was an intern in the weight room during the spring and summer before working as a defense intern for coordinator Kirby Smart during the fall. Crimson Tide allowed only 10.9 points per game during the year and won the national title against Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game.
Helow played collegially at the University of Mississippi from 2006-10. After redshirting in 2006, Helow saw his first career action against Louisiana Tech in 2007 and went on to play all 38 games for Ole Miss during the 2008-10 seasons, including consecutive Cotton Bowl wins in 2009 and 2010. He led the rebels in special team tackles during the 2010 season and was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given annually to the country’s most prominent college football player who started his career as a walk-on.
Helow graduated from Ole Miss with a degree in business administration in marketing and completed a master’s degree in adult education during her time in Georgia.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Helow played at Bishop Kenny High School and later attended Hargrave Military Academy Prep School in Chatham, Virginia, before enrolling in Mississippi. Helow returned to his alma mater, Bishop Kenny, to train with his younger brother, Peter, after graduating from Ole Miss.
