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The Michigan football team added another analyst to the program on Thursday, this time Bradford Banta.
Source: former Saints special teams coordinator Bradford Banta has been hired as an analyst at Michigan. He and Jim Harbaugh were teammates with the Colts from 1994-1997.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 28, 2019
Banta has a decades worth of NFL coaching experience on his resume with stops at the Detroit Lions (Assistant Special Teams, Linebackers Coach), Washington Redskins (Assistant ST Coach), and most recently was the Special Teams coach for the New Orleans Saints.
Jim Harbaugh and Banta go way back, as they both played together for the Indianapolis Colts from 1994-97, one season in which they were a dropped Hail Mary pass away from the Super Bowl. Banta was a long-snapper and blocking tight end in the NFL, also playing for the Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets.
Banta’s coaching resume is certainly worthy of an analyst position and it looks like he can help analyze defensive and special teams based on his previous jobs. This hire also looks like one that could potentially lead to a position on the staff if things work out, as Banta will likely be getting NFL offers again in the near future and he won’t be an analyst for more than a season or two.