University of Michigan football’s safeties coach/special teams coordinator Chris Partridge is still feeling the ill-effects following their 62-39 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes and then subsequent blowout loss to Florida in the Peach Bowl.
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But then, some salt in the wounds were added when assistant coaches Greg Mattison and Al Washington decided to switch loyalties and join new OSU coach Ryan Day in Columbus. Naturally, he’s not a fan of those moves.
“I want to be candid. Those guys left and it was another shot. It wasn’t OK,” Partridge said. “That’s how I feel. I’m not speaking for anyone else. I’m ultra-motivated and I make sure my guys, whenever I get in front of them, they hear it. … I want to take this thing, hit it in the mouth and go get it. I just think each person is motivated in their own way, but I know my personal opinion. I’m going to coach harder than I ever imagined I could coach….and we’re going to try to make sure that scoreboard never looks like it did last year (again).”
Has he spoken to either former UM assistants since their stunning move? That’s a negative.
“No. No desire to. No desire at all,” he said. “I’ve been here going into my fifth year. I consider myself an alum of Michigan, just like someone who goes to Michigan for four years and graduates. I’m here. I’m for Michigan. I’m ‘Go Blue’ all the way. So I don’t have a desire (to talk to them).
“Nothing surprises me in this business now I guess. … I just know how I feel. I’m Michigan all the way and that’s kind of it.”
Partridge is now focused on the staff who remains in the maize and blue.
“It’s odd (for a coach who had been here as long as Mattison to leave for an arch rival), I’ve never seen it happen before. I’m not going to pretend to understand the reasons,” Partridge continued. “All I know is we’re here. And the people who are here, we’re locked arms. Ready to go. Ready to walk down that alley and do what’s needed to win and that’s all that I care about.
“That was (Mattison’s) decision. He made his bed. He’s got to lie in it. So here we go.”
