The Michigan Wolverines coaching staff under new head coach Kyle Whittingham has come together with plenty of names as the calendar flips to 2026. The latest is former Penn State wide receivers coach Marques Hagans, who is expected to join the staff as an assistant wide receivers coach.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
Hagans, who will serve in a supporting role to new wide receivers coach Micah Simon, spent the last three seasons on James Franklin’s staff in Happy Valley. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at Virginia, his alma mater, coaching the wide receivers. He overlapped with new Michigan offensive coordinator Jason Beck between the 2016-21 seasons. Hagans also served as the associate head coach for the Cavaliers in 2022.
During his time at Virginia, Hagans coach 10 of the top 15 career receptions leaders in program history, headlined by Olamide Zaccheaus, the program’s all-time leader in receptions with 250 catches. That mark also ranks sixth in ACC history.
Other Virginia stars he mentored was Dontayvion Wicks, now with the Green Bay Packers, Andre Levrone, Joe Reed, Canaan Severin, Keeon Johnson, Darius Jennings and Kris Burd.
Hagans himself was an accomplished college player from 2002-05 at Virginia as a quarterback, sitting 10th all-time at Virginia in passing yards with 4,877. He also ranks seventh in total offense with the program with 5,779 yards. He was drafted as a receiver in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams, spending three years with the organization before being picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts in 2008. He spent the 2009 and 2010 campaigns with Washington.
Simon, 28, just wrapped his first season with Utah after making the jump from New Mexico with Beck. Simon coached New Mexico wideout Luke Wysong to an All-Mountain West showing in 2024 and got his start in full-time coaching at Northern Colorado in 2023. He was an offensive analyst under Beck at Syracuse, working with both the wideouts and quarterbacks, and played wide receiver at BYU from 2015-19.
Other offensive staffers set to join the Michigan coaching staff are tight ends coach Freddie Whittingham, offensive line/assistant head coach Jim Harding and Koy Detmer Jr., who will be an analyst and quarterbacks coach. Running backs coach Tony Alford will be retained by Michigan.