Connor Stalions Returns To The Sidelines At Detroit High School As The 'Most Hated Man In College Football'

One of the most polarizing figures in football over the past year is back on the sidelines, as former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions is the new defensive coordinator for a high school in the Detroit area. 

If you are an opposing coach that plays Detroit Mumford High School this season, I would probably keep a lookout for folks video-taping your practices as the season draws closer, as Stalions is now preparing his new team for action. 

I'm kidding of course, but I would imagine opposing coaches had to look twice when they heard the news that the man at the center of an NCAA investigation into sign-stealing at Michigan will now be standing across the field from them on a weekly basis. 

According to the Detroit News, new Mumford head coach William McMichael has had nothing but praise for his new defensive coordinator, whose tactics led to Jim Harbaugh being suspended for the final three games of the 2023 regular season. 

"He’s great with the kids, has an outstanding football mind and we’re learning a lot — not just the kids, but the coaching staff," McMichael told the Detroit News about Stalions. "He’s a great addition to what we’re doing. He can help prepare the kids for college. They are learning the lingo, how they practice college and how they break down film, so it gives the kids an advantage."

Connor Stalions is returning to the sidelines, as the DC for a Detroit area high school (Credit: USA Today Sports Network)

As the NCAA prepares to hand Michigan a Notice of Allegations at some point in the near future, Connor Stalions has reportedly not been cooperating with the investigation into the sign-stealing scheme that led to scrutiny of the Wolverines' program. 

In terms of having Stalions on the sidelines and coaching high school kids at Detroit Mumford, head coach William McMichael knows exactly what came with the territory of hiring one of the most infamous characters in all of college football. 

"I got the most hated man in college football right now, Connor Stalions," McMichael said of Stalions. "He’s my defensive coordinator."

In terms of getting back into coaching, if that's what we want to call his stint at Michigan, going the high school route was his only option. The NCAA will almost certainly hand down a show-cause penalty that will keep him out of college football for a very long time. 

But, in all honesty, I don't think Connor Stalions cares one bit about repercussions after Michigan finished the job in 2023 by winning the national championship, and the only way to protect coaches in Ann Arbor is by not talking to the NCAA. 

Though that doesn't mean he can't discuss his story for a documentary.

Netflix Preparing To Release Documentary On Connor Stalions Saga

I have no idea what to expect from the upcoming Netflix documentary on the sign-stealing saga that Connor Stalions spearheaded while at Michigan. But, let's just hope Netflix does a better job at telling the story compared to the awful series on the Florida Gators, which was called ‘Swamp Kings’. 

The premier is set for August 27, and judging by the trailer, this is either going to be a one-sided story of how Stalions became part of the Michigan staff, or we actually get some kind of backstory on how he pulled off the most talked about stories in recent college football history. 

Either way, I would imagine there will be a lot of hate-watching by fans of opposing teams that Michigan ran through during its national championship run. 

As for Connor Stalions returning to the sidelines, good for him. If the guy can start his career over at the high school ranks, then more power to him. 

And while the head coach at Detroit Mumford can act like his prior relationship with Connor Stalions is what led to him hiring the former Michigan staffer as his defensive coordinator, let's not pretend this isn't also some publicity stunt to get attention on a football team that has gone 1-8 in consecutive years, while looking for its first winning season since 2019.

If anything, Connor Stalions might actually sell some tickets to Detroit Mumford football games, and I can promise you the local press will be there covering the season-opener.