Michigan football: Strength coach Ben Herbert leaving for Chargers, assistant Justin Tress to take over

Strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert is leaving Michigan to join Jim Harbaugh’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers, TheMichiganInsider’s Sam Webb reports. Assistant strength coach Justin Tress will take over. Herbert gained a reputation as one of the best strength coaches in the Big Ten. He arrived in Ann Arbor in 2018 and helped give the locker room an edge with intense, routine-busting workouts. Harbaugh said he “never had a better hire than Ben Herbert” in 2022.

New head coach Sherrone Moore expressed confidence this weekend that he’d be able to retain Herbert as part of his inaugural staff.

“Very,” Moore said when asked if he was encouraged in his ability to keep Ben Herbert. “You know, we’ll take it a day at a time and see what happens with the staff. But definitely excited.”

In a separate question, Moore added: “I have talked to him. I’m going to try to get that done as fast as possible. So, I’m getting to work. Been getting to work. Got to work last night. Got to work today and throughout the day. As we go on the recruiting trail, (staff decisions) will be a top priority top priorities. So we’ll get done as fast as possible.”

Herbert figures to be a big loss for Michigan, which has already lost several staff members after Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL. The former head coach said Herbert was the program’s “x-factor” and had fingerprints over every position group.

“He is the x-factor in our football program,” Harbaugh said. “He is the center of player development. He is phenomenal, more than anybody in our entire program. It’s with every player, it’s with every position group. His impact on every single player, every single coach — including myself — we say he’s the best.”

Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter announced he was leaving Ann Arbor for Harbaugh’s staff on Saturday. Minter helped produce a top-10 unit nationally in points allowed, total defense and run defense over the past two seasons. The Wolverines led the FBS in scoring defense (10.4) and total defense (247.0) en route to a College Football Playoff National Championship during the 2023 campaign.

Minter crafted a near-flawless game plan for the title game earlier this month as Michigan players executed with precision, shutting down potent offensive juggernaut Washington. Minter was a finalist nominee for the Broyles Award, given annually to the best assistant coach in college football.

Minyer previously signed a contract extension at Michigan in April after the Wolverines ranked fifth nationally in total defense, allowing just 292.1 yards per game during his first season in Ann Arbor. He stamped the end of his second campaign as one of the most-prized assistant coaches in college football.

The Wolverine247 Podcast is back with its latest episode, as 247Sports’ Michigan beat writers break down the latest news and discussion surrounding Michigan football, basketball and recruiting.

In this episode, Zach Shaw and Steve Lorenz discuss Michigan officially hiring Sherrone Moore as its next head football coach, then begin to look at what’s next for Moore and the Wolverines.

They open with a discussion of Moore’s press conference and the hiring being made official. They look at the value of Michigan keeping a similar identity and physical brand of football, as well as the press conference’s high attendance of coaches and players. They then turn the discussion to the biggest questions Moore will try to answer in the next week, including recruiting, staff and roster retention, a plan for spring practices and more.

In the second half of the episode, they discuss a couple intriguing areas where Michigan could actually improve in the post-Jim Harbaugh era, look at how the media may portray Michigan different and take an early look at expectations for next season in Ann Arbor.

In addition to the link above, all episodes of The Wolverine247 Podcast — along with episodes of the Inside Michigan Recruiting and Inside Michigan Basketball Podcast — can be found on iTunes and Spotify, and our articles can be found daily at The Michigan Insider on 247Sports.com. Be sure to rate and subscribe to get the latest episodes, and check out our other 247Sports podcasts and more on our podcast page.