When Kerry Coombs took the job as Michigan's special teams coordinator last December, he knew he was stepping into the heart of one of college football's fiercest rivalries. What he didn't expect was that his new program would be turned upside down just four days later.

Hired on December 6, Coombs immediately began preparing Michigan's special teams unit for the upcoming bowl game. But on December 10, head coach Sherrone Moore was fired over an inappropriate relationship with his executive assistant. Suddenly, Coombs found himself in a program in chaos, unsure if his new job would even survive.

"It was an odd time, to say the least," Coombs recalled during a recent stop in Detroit. "We had made the decision to come up here, and we were excited about that. In a span of really 72 hours, our world got turned upside down."

The longtime Ohio high school coach knows both sides of the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry well, having spent years with the Buckeyes and Cincinnati programs. But when three coaching opportunities came his way late last year, he felt drawn to Ann Arbor.

Despite the turmoil, Coombs leaned on his faith and his trademark high-energy approach. He coached the bowl game, and Michigan's special teams turned in their best performance of the season. When Utah's Kyle Whittingham was hired on December 26, Coombs didn't know if he'd be retained—but he kept working.

"I was praying that God would put me where I was needed and where I would be happy," Coombs said. "I think this is where I was needed. The kids here were hurting. It was hard for them, and they didn't know me from a goat. But at least I could be empathetic to their situation."

For Michigan fans, Coombs represents stability in a storm—and a coach who's been battle-tested before he even coached his first full season. "Someday when I write my book," he added with a smile, "it'll have a couple of chapters."