ANN ARBOR, Michigan. — University of Michigan J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore announced Saturday, December 6, the hiring of Kerry Coombs as the Wolverines’ special teams coordinator. Coombs brings 42 years of coaching experience to his position in Ann Arbor, mentoring players at the high school, college and NFL levels.
“Coach Kerry Coombs is an outstanding and proven football coach, and we are excited to welcome him to our program,” Moore said. “Kerry’s leadership on our special teams will be invaluable. His teaching and mentoring expertise has consistently shaped both outstanding athletes and remarkable young men – including some of the best special teams players and cornerbacks in the country. We are proud to have Kerry, Holly and their family join the Michigan football family.”
Coombs was named the 2017 National Recruiter of the Year by Rivals.com and was also selected as the Big Ten Recruiter of the Year three times.
Most recently, Coombs was the special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach in Cincinnati from 2022 to 2024. In 2023, its cornerbacks struggled with injuries throughout the season, with five different players earning their first career starts. UC still finished fourth in the Big 12 in pass defense. On special teams, punter Mason Fletcher earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and kicker Carter Brown converted 15 of 19 field goals.
Coombs brought in new starters at cornerback in 2022. Ja’Quan Sheppard elevated his play from backup to starter and earned first-team all-conference honors. Fletcher was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award and was named the AAC Special Teams Player of the Year. Ryan Coe was a second-team all-league kicker.
After a stint coaching in the NFL, Coombs returned to Ohio State as the program’s defensive coordinator for two seasons (2020-21). He helped the Buckeyes win the Big Ten championship and appear in the College Football Playoff national championship game in 2020. The team’s run defense ranked sixth in the country and the unit produced 20 turnovers in just eight games. Cornerback Shaun Wade was a consensus All-American and was selected as the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year.
Coombs joined the Tennessee Titans organization as the team’s secondary coach for two seasons (2018-19) between stints at Ohio State. During his time in Nashville, Coombs produced one of the league’s best units, ranking in the top 10 in pass defense both seasons and among the top groups in passer rating, opponent completion percentage and interceptions. The Titans made the playoffs in 2019, but lost in the AFC Championship Game.
After five successful seasons in Cincinnati, Coombs accepted a position at Ohio State in 2012, mentoring the cornerbacks. He added special teams coordinator duties during his final five seasons in Columbus (2013-17). The Buckeyes have totaled 101 interceptions and 17 of those picks have been returned for touchdowns, ranking them among the best in the country during that span. Additionally, every starting cornerback during that span played in the NFL.
During a four-year span (2014-17), the Buckeyes won two Big Ten championships and became the first-ever College Football Playoff national champion in 2014. Ohio State never finished lower than 13th nationally in pass defense, including a third-place finish in the NCAA rankings in 2016. OSU also finished fourth nationally with 21 interceptions in 2016, notably leading the nation with seven interception returns for a touchdown.
Coombs has coached seven Ohio State cornerbacks who were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft: Bradley Roby (2014, Denver Broncos), Eli Apple (2016, New York Giants), Marshon Lattimore (2017, New Orleans Saints), Gareon Conley (2017, Oakland Raiders), Denzel Ward (2018, Cleveland Browns), Jeff Okudah (2020, Detroit Lions) and Damon Arnette. (2020, Las Vegas Raiders). During that span, Coombs became the first coach to have three cornerbacks selected in the first round in consecutive drafts (2016-17).
He joined Brian Kelly’s staff at the University of Cincinnati in 2007 as defensive backs coach and remained with the program through the 2011 season. In his first season with the Bearcats, the team led the nation with 26 interceptions. In 2009, Coombs was promoted to associate head coach in addition to serving as special teams coordinator and maintaining his role as defensive backs coach. He played a big role in UC’s 33-7 record over three seasons that included two BCS bowl games: the 2008 Orange Bowl against Virginia Tech and the 2009 Sugar Bowl against Florida.
Coombs had a successful high school coaching career before moving to the collegiate coaching ranks. He became head coach at Colerain High School in Cincinnati in 1991, his alma mater, and led the program for 16 years. Coombs’ teams posted an overall record of 161-34 during his tenure with 10 state playoff appearances and reached the state semifinals five times. The Cardinals won the 2004 state championship under Coombs’ leadership.
He served as an assistant coach in Cincinnati at Greenhills and Lakota high schools before accepting the head coaching duties at Loveland High School in 1989.
A native of Colerain, Ohio, Coombs graduated from the University of Dayton in 1983. He was a part of the Flyers’ 1980 Division III national championship team.
Coombs and his wife, Holly, have three adult children: a daughter, Cortney, and sons, Brayden and Dylan.
