A former national champion quarterback at Western Kentucky, Michael has demonstrated great rapport with future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates, who became the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions and touchdown catches during Michael’s first two seasons in San Diego. Gates had another solid season in 2012, tying for the team lead with seven touchdown catches, while Michael helped mold Ladarius Green, whom the Chargers drafted in the fourth round in ’12.
Michael began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee where he worked with the Volunteers’ defense (secondary) and special teams. He made NFL inroads as a quality control coach with the Oakland Raiders in 2005, and in 2006 he served as the quarterbacks coach and quality control with the New York Jets when Chad Pennington won NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. Michael has since coached quarterbacks and tight ends. In 2007, while handling tight ends for the Jets, Chris Baker was the team’s third-leading receiver. In 2010 when he coached quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers, a trio of signal callers combined to pass for more than 3,600 yards and 19 touchdowns. And during his first year with the Chargers, Antonio Gates led the team with 64 catches.
Michael was born in Portsmouth, Ohio and graduated from Lawrence County High School in Louisa, Kentucky. He quarterbacked the Hilltoppers to the 2002 NCAA I-AA championship with a 34-14 win over McNeese State, and was named the school’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2003. Michael graduated from WKU with a degree in civil engineering technology while being named a I-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star and a second-team Verizon Academic All-District IV honoree.
Michael is married, Jamie.
A former national champion quarterback at Western Kentucky, Michael has demonstrated great rapport with future Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates, who became the Chargers’ all-time leader in receptions and touchdown catches during Michael’s first two seasons in San Diego. Gates had another solid season in 2012, tying for the team lead with seven touchdown catches, while Michael helped mold Ladarius Green, whom the Chargers drafted in the fourth round in ’12.
Michael began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee where he worked with the Volunteers’ defense (secondary) and special teams. He made NFL inroads as a quality control coach with the Oakland Raiders in 2005, and in 2006 he served as the quarterbacks coach and quality control with the New York Jets when Chad Pennington won NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. Michael has since coached quarterbacks and tight ends. In 2007, while handling tight ends for the Jets, Chris Baker was the team’s third-leading receiver. In 2010 when he coached quarterbacks for the San Francisco 49ers, a trio of signal callers combined to pass for more than 3,600 yards and 19 touchdowns. And during his first year with the Chargers, Antonio Gates led the team with 64 catches.
Michael was born in Portsmouth, Ohio and graduated from Lawrence County High School in Louisa, Kentucky. He quarterbacked the Hilltoppers to the 2002 NCAA I-AA championship with a 34-14 win over McNeese State, and was named the school’s Male Athlete of the Year in 2003. Michael graduated from WKU with a degree in civil engineering technology while being named a I-AA Athletic Directors Academic All-Star and a second-team Verizon Academic All-District IV honoree.
Michael is married, Jamie.
