Duane Rankin

Montgomery Advertiser

Michigan has plucked another Prattville High product.

This time, it’s a coach.

The Wolverines have hired assistant coach Antonio “Bam” Richards to serve as an offensive analyst.

“I think it’s an awesome opportunity for him,” Prattville coach Chad Anderson said. “That’s one of his goals. To coach college football on that level is a pretty good deal.”

Richards was in essence a co-offensive coordinator with Anderson and helped with the offensive line and in the weight room. Having been at Prattville for 12 years, Richards, 35, said he’s ready for a new challenge.

“I pretty much have accomplished everything I could possibly accomplish here,” Richards said. “I’m looking to do things to better myself and my career and to advance into this college profession. I’ve got to take the first step out there on faith and do what I got to do.”

Michigan already has two Prattville graduates on its roster in 2015 signee Keith Washington and 2016 early enrollee, Kingston Davis. The Wolverines are maintaining their offer to Dytarious Johnson, who couldn’t sign with them Wednesday on National Signing Day due to a transcript issue.

Now they’re adding Richards, who is scheduled to report to work Feb. 15 in Ann Arbor.

“It’s all about breaking down film, game planning and things like that,” said Richards, who was a head coach at Autaugaville for one season in 2010. He went 8-4. “Just being involved in the game plan and the process of preparing kids for the games on Saturday.”

Richards said he’s known Harbaugh for two years as Michigan had its Prattville Elite Football Camp last summer at the high school, but made a point to say the two had never talked about a job opportunity.

A month ago, they had that talk.

“Out the big, blue sky, one day, he offered it to me,” said Richards, who has a wife, Melanie, and two kids – Madison, 7, and Angland, 2.

Richards sees Harbaugh taking the same path Nick Saban took in returning Alabama to national prominence. The Wolverines finished 10-3 in Harbaugh’s first year as head coach this past season while Alabama won its fourth national championship in seven years under Saban.

“(Saban) had to build his brand and do what he had to do to get Alabama where they’re at,” said Richards, a Troy native. “I look at all that. Everybody has a piece of the puzzle they have to put together to accomplish what they want to accomplish. I think (Harbaugh) saw something in me that I can help bring to the table and accomplish something. I’m going to embrace it and work my hardest.”

Richards’ part in helping Michigan win a national title will extend beyond analyzing offenses.

“It’s a good move by Coach Harbaugh because he’s familiar with the state,” Anderson said. “Man does a great job with talking to people and working those angles. He’ll be a good recruiter for them. I think it’s a good foothold to getting a voice in the South. Have somebody that can talk to people.”

This is nothing new for Harbaugh.

He hired former Paramus Catholic coach Chris Partridge in January 2015 as a director of player personnel in recruiting. Michigan already had two Paramus Catholic graduates there in Jabrill Peppers and Juwann Bushell-Beatty.

Partridge was announced linebackers and special teams coach Jan. 14 of this year after coaching the linebackers during the bowl season. Less than a month later, the Wolverines landed the nation’s top player in 2016 – Paramus Catholic defensive lineman Rashan Gary – on National Signing Day.

Now Harbaugh has hired Richards from a high school that has two players already at Michigan and one who’s looking to sign in the next week or so. Michigan has also already offered Prattville sophomore Cam Taylor a scholarship.

The Richards’ hire will only strengthen Michigan’s ties to Prattville, but Richards says he’s primarily focused on doing his job title for the Wolverines.

“I think it’ll be some recruiting, but my game preparation is what we’ll talk about the most,” he said.