Michigan Wolverines footballdefensive backs coach and pass game coordinator LaMar Morgan has only been in Ann Arbor since late February. He’s so new to town and so busy that he, wife Jazen and four children, all under the age of seven, have been staying in an AirBnB.
“I gotta find a place to stay,” Morgan said with a smile.
Despite not having a residence for the time being, the Morgan crew has found time to hit dozens of local restaurants. Morgan, a 39-year-old who’s set to make $675,000 in his first year with the Wolverines, is a big spender on food.
“I’m a foodie, so I go to a lot of food spots,” Morgan said. “I’ve probably been to like 40, 50 places.
“Wherever we go, I order a lot on the menu. Let’s say we go to Savva’s — I’m probably going to leave a $200-250 bill. Order everything, so when we go back, we know the shrimp and grits are awesome.
“So, that’s what I do. If somebody asks me a question, ‘Have you been to Zingerman’s Roadhouse?’ I’ve been there. I like the sweet potato wedges. They’re awesome.
“Every place I go, that’s what I do. So that’s just kind of how I am. I spend a lot of money on food and vacation. Everything else, I’m cheap.”
After spring practices are completed April 20, Morgan plans to broaden his southeast Michigan horizons and eat in the Detroit area with the families of local players.
“I’ve been everywhere — not yet,” Morgan stopped himself. “I still got a lot of places [I need to try].”
The caveat: Morgan only eats turkey, shrimp and chicken.
“That’s all I eat,” the Michigan coach explained. “I used to eat steak for everything. Stress, high blood pressure, all that stuff, so I stopped. Now, I’m great.
“My wife only eats fish. My oldest son only eats fish. So we got a lot of picky eaters in there. That’s why I go to the places and order everything, and then whatever they don’t eat, we eat. That’s kinda how it goes.”
When it’s time to dress up — say, at an upscale restaurant — Morgan sports a bow tie, giving him a unique look. It’s the attire he’s photographed in for his headshot on the Michigan website. His reasoning for the wardrobe choice is simple.
“I don’t know how to do a regular tie,” Morgan revealed. “I never learned. My wife gave me —when we were dating a long time ago — a bow tie, and it took me two hours to learn how to do it. I was so proud of myself. My wife shows me the picture all the time. It was an orange and blue bow tie, she gave it to me. Ever since then I always wear a bow tie.
“I can take a regular tie and make it a bow tie, but I don’t know how to do a regular tie. That’s kind of where I’m at with that.
“Growing up, really didn’t have a lot growing up. Whenever you get an opportunity to wear a suit with a tie, I’m going to represent my mom and my family back at home.”
Morgan is grateful for the opportunity in front of him at Michigan. A former safety at Louisiana, he grinded his way and made a climb in the coaching industry. He began has a graduate assistant at Vanderbilt, before stops at Western Carolina (2014-15), Louisiana (2016-17, 2019-20, 2022-23), Houston (2018), back with Vanderbilt (2021) and eventually Michigan.
“I’m just really excited to be here,” Morgan said. “My wife is awesome. I got a great support system. I’m very spoiled. My wife means a lot to me. If I talk about her too much, I’ll get emotional. I love my wife, I love my little ones and they’re really excited about being here.”
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