Michigan hires Bill Belichick’s longtime former director of football

TL;DR

Michigan Wolverines football hires Berj Najarian as assistant general manager/strategy, previously with the New England Patriots for 24 years. Najarian's role aims to support the program in adapting to the new NIL landscape in college sports.

Key points

Berj Najarian joins Michigan Wolverines football staff
Najarian previously worked for 24 years with New England Patriots
Role focuses on strategy and navigating NIL changes
Michigan's assistant GM position is newly created
Dave Peloquin is the new general manager at Michigan

Mentioned in this story

Bill BelichickKyle Whittingham

Michigan WolverinesNew England PatriotsBoston College

FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 1: New England Patriots Director of Football/Head Coach Administration Berj Najarian, left, stands with head coach Bill Belichick during New England Patriots practice at the Gillette Stadium practice facility in Foxborough, MA on Sep. 1, 2015. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images Kyle Whittingham has made another addition to his Michigan Wolverines football staff, as the team is bringing in Berj Najarian to be the new assistant general manager/strategy, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Najarian served as the director of football for the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick for 24 years. After leaving the Patriots, Najarian had a brief stint at Boston College, as he was the chief of staff for one year. Now, he is coming to Michigan to help navigate the program through a new era of college sports that relies heavily on NIL. In this new era of college sports, many programs have started to hire general managers to assist with a lot of the tedious new tasks that take up a lot of time for coaches. Having a GM takes a lot of weight off the head coaches’ shoulders and allows them to focus more on coaching the team. It takes time to adjust to a new era like this, and programs are now essentially putting together entire front offices, as professional teams do. It is needed. Michigan has a new GM this year, as Dave Peloquin was brought in to replace Sean Magee. The assistant GM role that Najarian is stepping into did not previously exist at Michigan.

Q&A

Who is Berj Najarian and what is his background?

Berj Najarian is the new assistant general manager/strategy for Michigan Wolverines football, having spent 24 years as the director of football for the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick.

What changes are happening in college sports regarding management roles?

Many college programs, including Michigan, are hiring general managers to handle administrative tasks, allowing head coaches to focus more on coaching amid the evolving NIL landscape.

What is the significance of the assistant GM role at Michigan?

The assistant GM role, now filled by Najarian, is a new position at Michigan aimed at navigating the complexities of modern college sports and supporting the head coach.