North Carolina Wesleyan’s new defensive coordinator served in a support role on Michigan’s national championship run a year ago.
Matt Adolph was a defensive analyst/administrative specialist for the Wolverines during their undefeated 2023 season. The Battling Bishops announced the hiring on Sunday.
Adolph is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He is the grandson of longtime NFL coach Dave Adolph, who was a mentor to former Michigan head man Jim Harbaugh.
Matt Adolph worked as a defense and special teams quality control assistant with Northern Illinois in 2022. He served as a special teams coordinator at Morehead State in 2021 and spent a year with the defensive and special teams units at Valdosta State in 2020.
His resume also includes stops at
* Santa Barbara City College (Calif.) from 2018-19 (outside linebackers/co-special teams coordinator);
* Michigan State from 2015-17 (intern, graduate assistant and quality control coach);
* San Francisco 49ers from 2014-15 (scouting)
Adolph earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Kentucky. He walked on to the Wildcats football team and played linebacker and long snapper. He earned All-SEC academic honors.
North Carolina Wesleyan is coached by Jeff Filkovski. The Battling Bishops open their season Saturday, Sept. 7 at Averett. The home opener is the following Saturday against Ferrum.
NCWU finished 4-6 last season, stringing together four big wins in a row in conference play.