Former Michigan football assistant coach Jerry Hanlon died Sunday, March 22, at 96 years old.
Hanlon’s lengthy tenure with Michigan began in 1969 when he came to Ann Arbor with Bo Schembechler. It continued after he retired from coaching in 1991, working as an assistant director of development and external relations for the athletic department.
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Hanlon was on staff for 23 years (1969-91), one of the longest tenured assistant staffers in the history of Michigan football, coaching multiple positions including defensive line, offensive line, and quarterbacks.
“Michigan Athletics has lost one of the finest ambassadors and mentors our football program has ever known,” athletic director Warde Manuel said in a statement. “Jerry devoted his life to coaching, teaching, and developing young men –watching them grow into leaders in our community, and into devoted husbands and fathers.
Jerry Hanlon, American football player, coach for Michigan Wolverines.
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“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, those he coached, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing Coach Hanlon.”
During his time with the Wolverines, Hanlon produced 18 All-American linemen and one All-American quarterback − Jim Harbaugh − while he had 36 players drafted by the NFL. In the 1991 Gator Bowl, the last game he coached in his career, Hanlon’s entire offensive line was named the Most Valuable Player.
Hanlon was on staff for every single year of Schembechler’s tenure, helping create one of the most dominant eras in the history of the winningest program in the nation. Prior to his time in Ann Arbor, Hanlon coached three seasons at Miami University in Ohio alongside Schembechler (1966-68).
Jerry Hanlon
Hanlon was born in North Bend, Ohio, and began his coaching career at Taylor High School. He then spent four years as an assistant coach at Canton Catholic High School and one year as its head basketball coach.
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Hanlon graduated in 1956 from Miami where he played halfback for three seasos (1953-55) and won two Mid-American Conference championships.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jerry Hanlon, longtime Michigan football coach, dies at 96
