Michigan has recruited Stephen Adegoke, the assistant coach from the Houston Texans, to join their coaching staff. He will be stepping into the role of secondary coach under Sherrone Moore. Adegoke, aged 29, spent a single season with the Texans after previously working as the defensive quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Before his time in the NFL, Adegoke was a defensive analyst for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan in 2021 and also served as a graduate assistant at Florida from 2019 to 2021.
During his tenure with the Texans, Adegoke contributed to the team’s pass coverage, which ranked 23rd in the league. The secondary managed to snag 16 interceptions during the regular season, with former first-round pick Derek Stingley Jr. leading the team with five interceptions. Adegoke primarily worked with safeties Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre, although Ward was sidelined due to injury for the last three games of the season. Pitre, who had a strong rookie season, saw a decline in his performance in coverage and a decrease in playing time under the new defensive scheme.
Adegoke has a background as a college defensive back, having played at Mississippi State and San Diego Mesa College. At Mississippi State, he appeared in 16 games over three seasons, recording 14 tackles, three passes defended, one interception, and one forced fumble.
At Michigan, Adegoke will be taking over for Steve Clinkscale, who left to join the Chargers. He joins a staff that includes several former Harbaugh assistants with experience in the NFL, such as defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale. This marks the second coaching departure for the Texans this offseason, following defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire’s move to the Cleveland Browns after the team’s AFC Divisional Round loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
