Connor Stalions
| Belleville High School | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive Coordinator |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 27, 1995 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Lake Orion High School |
| College: | United States Naval Academy |
| Career history | |
| As a coach: | |
| |
Connor Patrick Stalions is an American football coach who recently served as the Offensive Coordinator at Belleville High School, coaching the nationally ranked number one recruit in the country, Bryce Underwood.[1] Stalions is best known for his role in the University of Michigan football sign-stealing scandal, which came to light during the 2023 college football season.[2]
After the allegations came to surface, Stalions resigned as a staff member for Michigan, as the team went on to win the 2023 national championship. Stalions starred in Netflix's Sign Stealer documentary that premiered on August 27, 2024.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Born in Houston, Texas, on July 27, 1995, Stalions is the son of Michigan alumni Brock and Kelly Stalions. Stalions grew up in Lake Orion, MI and graduated from Lake Orion High School in 2013, where he played football and basketball, winning the 2010 MHSAA state championship in football as a player.
Stalions graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2017, where he served as a student-coach for Ken Niumatalolo and the Navy Midshipmen football program.[4]
Marine Corps career
[edit]Stalions served five years in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2017-2022 as a Logistics Officer, stationed in Camp Pendleton, CA. He reached the rank of Captain and received an Honorable Discharge in 2022 as he transitioned to the University of Michigan football program in an official role.[5]
Coaching career
[edit]University of Michigan
[edit]Stalions was employed by the Michigan football program as a Defensive Analyst from May of 2022 to October of 2023. Stalions had a significant role in the recruiting department and assisting the defensive staff.[6] In Stalions' final three years with Michigan including his volunteer time with the program, Michigan won three consecutive Big Ten Championships and the 2023 National Championship.
Role in sign stealing scandal
[edit]The NCAA publicly announced an investigation into Stalions and the Michigan football program mid-season in October of 2023, which was originally referred to as the "sign stealing" scandal, for Stalions allegedly sending people to opponents' games to film signals. It is believed that the NCAA investigation is centered around "advanced scouting.
Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti suspended Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh while the team was in mid-flight on the way to State College, PA for its game against Penn State.[7] Offensive Coordinator Sherrone Moore served as the acting head coach for the following three games while Harbaugh served his suspension. Michigan went on to win its last 8 games without Stalions and won the National Championship, defeating the Washington Huskies 34-13.[8]
The NCAA initially reached out to Stalions following the 2023-24 season and interviewed him in the spring of 2024. No public information has been released regarding what specific bylaw(s) the NCAA alleges Stalions violated. Bylaw 11.6.1 prevents "advanced in-person scouting of a future opponent in the same season" for institutional staff members.[9]
High School Coaching Career
[edit]Mumford Defensive Coordinator
[edit]Stalions volunteered for Detroit Mumford High School as the defensive coordinator in 2024.[10] Prior to Stalions arriving at Mumford, the team had won one game in three seasons. The program had only a total 18 players in the program and amounted to a 1-8 record in the 2024 regular season.
Belleville Offensive Coordinator
[edit]Following the 2024 regular season, Belleville High School hired Stalions as the team's Offensive Coordinator for the playoffs. The Tigers won their first playoff game with Stalions calling plays defeating Ann Arbor Pioneer 68-0. [11] Belleville then went on to defeat the #4 ranked team in the state Saline 42-7 to win the District Championship, prior to being knocked out by the #1 ranked team Detroit Catholic Central in the Regional Championship. [12] Following the conclusion of the season, both Elijah Dotson and Bryce Underwood flipped their commitments from Pittsburgh and LSU respectively to the University of Michigan, where their Offensive Coordinator Connor Stalions served as a Defensive Analyst.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ "Connor Stalions now coaching Michigan flip candidate Bryce Underwood, star of 2025 recruiting cycle". 247Sports. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Connor Stalions becomes acting coach at Detroit high school after head coach suffers mild stroke". Sep 6, 2024.
- ^ "Watch Untold: Sign Stealer | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ Bernstein, Harrison (2022-01-29). "Connor Stalions - Soldiers To Sidelines Coach of the Month". Soldiers To Sidelines. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Watch Untold: Sign Stealer | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ Holland, E. J. (2022-11-24). "Five unsung recruiting heroes Michigan fans should be thankful for". On3. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Big Ten bans Harbaugh from sideline amid probe". ESPN.com. 2023-11-10. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Wolverines seal their 'perfect story' with CFP title". ESPN.com. 2024-01-09. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Watch Untold: Sign Stealer | Netflix Official Site". www.netflix.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-15. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "Detroit Mumford High School athletic director refutes report that Connor Stalions is acting head football coach". High School On SI. 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ rzuke1@mlive.com, Ryan Zuke | (2024-11-02). "Belleville 5-star QB throws 6 TDs in playoff opener, remains mum on recruitment". mlive. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Dunlap, Keith (2024-11-09). "Bryce Underwood leads Belleville to 42-7 rout of Saline in D1 district finals". mlive. Retrieved 2024-12-19.
- ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Connor Stalions breaks down what makes Bryce Underwood and Elijah Dotson so special". WolverinesWire. 2024-12-05. Retrieved 2024-12-19.