The University of Michigan was well represented on Tuesday as the Big Ten announced several awards. First up, Jim Harbaugh won the Big Ten Coach of the Year. As Anthony Broome of The WolverineOn3 points out, he is the first Michigan coach to win the award since Brady Hoke in 2011.
Brady Hoke was the last U-M coach to win the award in 2011. Have to go back to Gary Moeller in 1991-92 before that. https://t.co/t3O4t87Q8p
— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) November 29, 2022
That’s right, Lloyd Carr did not win the award during the Wolverines’ undefeated 1997 season. Instead it went to Joe Tiller, who coached Purdue to a 9-3 record in his first season with the Boilermakers.
But back to the present. Harbaugh won both the media (Dave McClain) and the coaches (Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year) awards. Michigan State’s Mel Tucker won both last season. Harbaugh’s Wolverines are 12-0 and are heading to their second straight Big Ten Championship game against Purdue on Saturday night.
Michigan defense is once again represented well
Mike Morris won the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year award, giving Wolverines the award in back-to-back seasons. Aidan Hutchison won it last season. Morris is also joined by Mazi Smith on the 2022 All–Big Ten Football First Team Defense.
〽️@umichfootball’s Mike Morris is the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year!#B1GFootball x #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/ahsK5lp79t
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 29, 2022
Michigan’s defense continued to get represented as several players earned 2nd Team and 3rd Team All Defensive Selections:
2nd: LB Junior Colson (Coaches) & DB DJ Turner (Coaches)
Jake Moody rinse and repeat
For the second consecutive season, Jake Moody wins the Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year. The Northville High graduate went 26-for-31 on field goal attempts for 131 points this season.
Moody is joined on the coaches’ First Team by Michigan State punter Bryce Baringer, who averaged 49.0 yards on 50 punts this year. Baringer was the second-team punter according to the Big Ten media. Michigan’s A.J Henning was named the second team return specialist to both the coaches and the media, while MSU’s Jayden Reed earned third team honors from the media as a return specialist.