It was just a day ago that the Michigan Wolverines and new head coach Sherrone Moore were ‘very’ encouraged that they would be able to retain strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert. Well, now it is being reported that he has informed the Michigan players and staff that he will be joining Jim Harbaugh and heading to the Los Angeles Chargers.
What Ben Herbert Means To The Los Angeles Chargers
This is a huge addition to the Chargers coaching staff, maybe even more important than a position coach or even an offensive coordinator.
The Chargers have been known as a team that is often injured. In Brandon Staley’s first season as head coach, they seemed to buck that trend and remained primarily healthy. But the following two years were back to what fans had come accustomed to as they were one of the most injured teams in the entire NFL, with notable stars on the IR every week.
During his time with Michigan, Ben Herbert became known as one of the premier strength coaches in the Big Ten. He joined Jim Harbaugh’s staff in 2018 and immediately gave an edge to the Wolverines with his workout routines and regiments.
Harbaugh has said he “never had a better hire than Ben Herbert.”
“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.”
Herbert will join another Herbert (Justin) in Los Angeles and will be tasked with turning the Chargers into a franchise that can remain healthy throughout the season and into the playoffs.
We can talk scheme and game management all we want, but when it comes down to it, the healthy teams win, and the teams that are playing in the Super Bowl typically have the least star players on IR.
It was announced on Saturday that Jesse Minter, Harbaugh’s DC at Michigan, would be joining the Los Angeles Chargers as well, in the same role.
The staff is beginning to take shape and so far the hires have been good ones. Next up, offensive coordinator.