Vikings head coach Kevin O. Connell announced his departure today after…

The Wolverine offensive coordinator from 2019 to 2021, Gattis left the Wolverines to coach at Miami, where he spent the 2022 season before he was fired. He has since headed back to the Big Ten, where, ahead of the 2023 season, he was hired by Maryland as the Terrapins’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Michigan finished 44th, 66th, and 16th in points per game in Gattis’ three seasons, respectively, with 2021’s College Football Playoff appearance being the high point of his time with Michigan. Gattis leaving the team came almost immediately after rumors of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings courting Jim Harbaugh didn’t come to fruition.

Here’s a look at why Gattis left Michigan for Miami and how he ended up in Maryland:

Gattis joined Miami on Feb. 9, 2022, and sent a text to Michigan players that made some vague allusions as to why he left. In the text, ESPN reported Gattis wrote, in part:

“Unfortunately, the past few weeks have told a different story to me about the very little appreciation I have here from the administration. In life, I would never advise anyone to be where they are not wanted.”

It’s worth noting that Harbaugh was at the same time in the process of interviewing for the Vikings’ head coaching position, though an offer never materalized. However, it would be divining tea leaves to try to definitively say Gattis left because he wasn’t next in line to become head coach. The only thing that is clear is that he didn’t feel properly appreciated by the administration.

Gattis won the Broyles Award for the best assistant coach in the nation in 2021