Michigan State football special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs isn’t going anywhere.
Coombs was on the court at the Crisler Center with the rest of the football staff for the Michigan basketball team’s game against USC on Friday, Jan. 2, when new coach Kyle Whittingham made his first appearance in Ann Arbor to deliver a message to the home fans.
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A program spokesperson confirmed that Coombs will continue to serve as special teams coordinator.
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Coombs was hired by former Michigan State coach Sherron Moore less than a week before he was fired. He coached the Wolverines in a loss to Texas State in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31, and his team looked outstanding. True freshman Andrew Marsh totaled 155 return yards, more than any UM class has. two Total number of games played last season.
Whittingham said he expects to retain “two to three” staff members from the previous regime, which now appear to be confirmed, along with running backs coach Tony Alford and defensive line coach Lou Esposito.
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Combs staying isn’t a complete surprise because, like Whittingham, he has ties to former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.
Coombs, 64, has spent time with the Buckeyes, starting in 2012 as cornerbacks coach. The following season, he added special teams responsibilities, serving as coordinator for five seasons (2013-17), including OSU’s 2014 national championship season. After a brief stint as defensive backs coach with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans (2018-19), he returned to OSU to serve as defensive coordinator for two years (2020-21) under the guidance of coach Ryan Day.
Coombs was Rivals’ 2017 national recruiter of the year and has been named the Big Ten’s top recruiter of the year three times.
Michigan State football head coach Kyle Whittingham speaks on the field during the first half of the game between Michigan State and USC on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
After his Ohio State campaign, Coombs returned to Cincinnati from 2022-24 and served as the interim coach for the final month of 2022 after Luke Fickell left for Wisconsin. Coombs, a native of Colerain, Ohio, graduated from the University of Dayton in 1983 and won a Division III championship in 1980 with the Flyers.
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The Wolverines are now missing a defensive backs coach and linebackers coach, and those positions are expected to be filled in the short term.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines news writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: Kerry Coombs, Michigan football special teams coordinator, returns
