Connor Stalions has a new job.
The embattled ex-Michigan Wolverines staffer embroiled in a sign-stealing controversy is no longer in college football. Instead, the mastermind of what’s become one of the biggest, most outlandish controversies in the sport’s history now finds himself coaching high school athletes.
There’s something ironic about Stalions being the defensive coordinator for Mumford High School — right in Michigan’s recruiting pipeline — and possibly pushing some of his high schoolers to be eventual Wolverines recruits.
Despite being labeled the “most hated man in college football” by his new head coach, William McMichael, Stalions has maintained a low profile. He has consistently declined interview requests and shied away from the public eye, avoiding the intense scrutiny that followed the scandal.
That doesn’t mean he hasn’t taken advantage of his newfound celebrity, though. Stalions is now on Cameo, and also seemingly made a cameo of his own on Barstool Sports’ set in Ann Arbor last season.
Stalions appears to have shifted his stance on media attention. While previously avoiding the spotlight, he’s now embracing it, at least on his own terms. This month, Netflix’s Untold Volume 4 premieres, featuring Stalions, and the upcoming trailer for Sign Stealer promises to offer his perspective on the scandal.
But when dealing with the media as a high school defensive coordinator, the volunteer coach is not above playing a game of cat and mouse with local reporters. Here’s more from Mick McCabe of the Detroit Free Press, who wrote Saturday, “After a six-hour game of cat-and-mouse Saturday with the media, Connor Stalions finally emerged from the friendly confines of Detroit Mumford.”
According to McCabe, Mumford High School’s football practice was delayed multiple times, with McMichael repeatedly changing the start time. Despite promising media access, Stalions avoided speaking with reporters by exiting the school through a different door and sprinting across the field.
Six media members were in attendance for practice, but Stalions avoided them altogether. McMichael claims Stalions feels legally restricted from speaking publicly until the Netflix documentary is released, even about non-controversial topics related to coaching high school football.
McMichael said Stalions claims he is not legally allowed to make a public statement until the Netflix documentary is released.
When asked if Stalions could say that for himself, or speak about coaching high school football at Mumford without mentioning the sign-stealing fiasco, McMichael said Stalions didn’t want to speak.
For Stalions, the path back to football has been marked by equal parts calculated reinvention and evasion.
While Stalions has capitalized on his notoriety through Cameo appearances and a forthcoming Netflix documentary, his interactions with the media remain shrouded in mystery. There’s a pattern here of carefully controlled public engagement, as the man once at the heart of college football’s biggest scandal continues to leave many questions unanswered.
