Football
Helow, George
George Helow
- Title:
- Linebackers Coach
George Helow (pronounced He-LOW) was named as an assistant coach for the Michigan Football program on January 19, 2021 and is in his second season as linebackers coach in 2022.
In his first year on the staff, Helow helped the Wolverines ranked top-20 in total defense and scoring defense, ranking eighth in the latter category. Josh Ross led the team in tackles (106) and picked up third team All-Big Ten honors as well as the team's Roger Zatkoff Award. Under Helow, Ross set career-highs in tackles and tackles for loss, and the young duo of freshman Junior Colson (61 stops) and Nikhai Hill-Green (50) were impact players. Colson earned Freshman All-America honors after finishing fourth on the team in tackles.
Helow originally joined the Michigan football staff as linebackers coach after spending the 2020 season as the special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach at the University of Maryland. He has been a member of two national championship teams and worked with some of the college football’s top defensive minds.
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Helow spent four seasons at Colorado State University (2016-19) prior to joining the Terrapins staff. At CSU, he coached the safeties during his final two seasons after working with the outside linebackers as a defensive quality control coach and graduate assistant during the 2016-17 seasons.
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Helow oversaw a secondary that allowed just 181.6 yards per game in 2019, the seventh-best pass defense in the country and the top-ranked in the Mountain West Conference. Safeties Jamal Hicks and Logan Stewart combined for 193 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions for the Rams. Hicks earned first-team All-MWC and helped lead a pass defense that held seven opponents under 200 passing yards.
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In his first season mentoring the safeties, three of Helow’s defensive backs ranked in the top five in tackles on the team in 2018. The Rams ranked fourth in pass defense in the MWC.
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Helow has coached at some of the nation’s top programs during his career, with stints at Alabama, Florida State and Georgia. Helow helped the Seminoles win a national title in 2013 as a defensive graduate assistant coach. He also spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Georgia (2014-15) where he worked with the safeties.
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In 2012, Helow broke into the college coaching ranks as a member of the Alabama staff under Nick Saban. He was an intern in the weight room during the spring and summer before working as a defensive intern for coordinator Kirby Smart during the fall. The Crimson Tide allowed just 10.9 points per game during the year and went on to win the national title against Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game.
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Helow played collegiately at the University of Mississippi from 2006-10. After redshirting in 2006, Helow saw his first career action against Louisiana Tech in 2007 and went on to play in all 38 games for Ole Miss during the 2008-10 seasons, including back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories in 2009 and 2010. He led the Rebels in special teams tackles during the 2010 season and was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given annually to the nation’s most outstanding college football player who began their career as a walk-on.
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Helow graduated from Ole Miss with a business degree in marketing and added a master’s degree in adult education during his time at Georgia.
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A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Helow played at Bishop Kenny High School and later attended Hargrave Military Academy Prep School in Chatham, Virginia, before enrolling at Mississippi. Helow returned to his alma mater, Bishop Kenny, to coach with his younger brother Peter after graduating from Ole Miss.
In his first year on the staff, Helow helped the Wolverines ranked top-20 in total defense and scoring defense, ranking eighth in the latter category. Josh Ross led the team in tackles (106) and picked up third team All-Big Ten honors as well as the team's Roger Zatkoff Award. Under Helow, Ross set career-highs in tackles and tackles for loss, and the young duo of freshman Junior Colson (61 stops) and Nikhai Hill-Green (50) were impact players. Colson earned Freshman All-America honors after finishing fourth on the team in tackles.
Helow originally joined the Michigan football staff as linebackers coach after spending the 2020 season as the special teams coordinator and inside linebackers coach at the University of Maryland. He has been a member of two national championship teams and worked with some of the college football’s top defensive minds.
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Helow spent four seasons at Colorado State University (2016-19) prior to joining the Terrapins staff. At CSU, he coached the safeties during his final two seasons after working with the outside linebackers as a defensive quality control coach and graduate assistant during the 2016-17 seasons.
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Helow oversaw a secondary that allowed just 181.6 yards per game in 2019, the seventh-best pass defense in the country and the top-ranked in the Mountain West Conference. Safeties Jamal Hicks and Logan Stewart combined for 193 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions for the Rams. Hicks earned first-team All-MWC and helped lead a pass defense that held seven opponents under 200 passing yards.
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In his first season mentoring the safeties, three of Helow’s defensive backs ranked in the top five in tackles on the team in 2018. The Rams ranked fourth in pass defense in the MWC.
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Helow has coached at some of the nation’s top programs during his career, with stints at Alabama, Florida State and Georgia. Helow helped the Seminoles win a national title in 2013 as a defensive graduate assistant coach. He also spent two seasons as a defensive graduate assistant at Georgia (2014-15) where he worked with the safeties.
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In 2012, Helow broke into the college coaching ranks as a member of the Alabama staff under Nick Saban. He was an intern in the weight room during the spring and summer before working as a defensive intern for coordinator Kirby Smart during the fall. The Crimson Tide allowed just 10.9 points per game during the year and went on to win the national title against Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game.
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Helow played collegiately at the University of Mississippi from 2006-10. After redshirting in 2006, Helow saw his first career action against Louisiana Tech in 2007 and went on to play in all 38 games for Ole Miss during the 2008-10 seasons, including back-to-back Cotton Bowl victories in 2009 and 2010. He led the Rebels in special teams tackles during the 2010 season and was nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, an award given annually to the nation’s most outstanding college football player who began their career as a walk-on.
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Helow graduated from Ole Miss with a business degree in marketing and added a master’s degree in adult education during his time at Georgia.
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A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Helow played at Bishop Kenny High School and later attended Hargrave Military Academy Prep School in Chatham, Virginia, before enrolling at Mississippi. Helow returned to his alma mater, Bishop Kenny, to coach with his younger brother Peter after graduating from Ole Miss.
| Season | School/Team | Title/Position Coached |
| 2021- | Michigan | Linebackers |
| 2020 | Maryland | Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Linebackers |
| 2018-19 | Colorado State | Safeties |
| 2016-17 | Colorado State | Graduate Assistant/Linebackers/Defensive Quality Control |
| 2014-15 | Georgia | Safeties |
| 2013 | Florida State | Defensive Graduate Assistant |
| 2012 | Alabama | Defensive Intern |
THE HELOW FILE
Full Name: George Helow
Birthdate: January 6, 1987
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
High School: Hargrave Military Academy
College: University of Mississippi, 2010 (marketing)
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