Pep Hamilton is heading back to the college ranks to rejoin his old boss, Jim Harbaugh.
Hamilton will leave his post as associate head coach/offense for the Browns to join Harbaugh's Michigan staff as passing-game coordinator, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Rapoport reports Michigan was interested in hiring former Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman to fill the job Hamilton accepted, and that Roman is now a candidate to replace Hamilton with the Browns.
Hamilton was an assistant under Harbaugh at Stanford in 2010, and the move had been in the works for some time -- Harbaugh had been telling recruits for days that Hamilton would be joining his staff, according to Rapoport.
At UM, Hamilton replaces Jedd Fisch, who departed to join UCLA's staff.
The Browns will now have new assistants in key roles on both sides of the ball -- Gregg Williams is replacing defensive coordinator Ray Horton, who was fired. However, unlike Horton's departure, the Browns wanted Hamilton to stay on their staff. In fact, head coach Hue Jackson told the Plain Dealer on Sunday that he felt "very comfortable that Pep will stay (with the Browns)."
We all know Harbaugh can recruit, and he's proving it again. Hamilton has 19 years of coaching experience -- he was the Colts' offensive coordinator between his stops at Stanford and Cleveland. He inherits a UM passing game that will be replacing its top three receivers (Jake Butt, Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson).
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