FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Mike Macdonald’s climb up the coaching tree is a journey few, if any, have taken before.

After all, it’s not every day you see someone become the defensive coordinator of an FBS power like Michigan—without ever having played at the college level.

But that’s exactly the position this UGA graduate finds himself in when the Wolverines (12-1) face Georgia (12-1) in Friday night’s Orange Bowl.

Talk about a journey. Macdonald’s coaching career actually got underway while he was still an undergrad student at UGA, serving on the staff at Cedar Shoals High.

Following four years at Georgia while serving in a couple of capacities under coach Mark Richt, Macdonald spent six seasons on John Harbaugh's staff with the Baltimore Ravens. In January, Harbaugh’s brother Jim hired Macdonald to become the new defensive coordinator of the Wolverines. At 34 years old, he’s one of the youngest coordinators in all of the FBS.

Tuesday, Macdonald took his turn on Michigan’s Zoom session with reporters. There he recognized some old faces, fondly recalling former players.

He also smiled, recalling the four years he spent in Athens, years he said helped make him the coach he is today.

“Back then we were doing everything. We were setting up tables for dinner, you name it. Back then we didn't have iPads, so we had the playbooks, and I remember just having a really rough relationship with the printer,” Macdonald said. “But yeah, those were great days, man. Just learning from Coach Richt and Coach (Todd) Grantham and Coach (Mike) Bobo, really just what makes an organization tick. They're great people in that building, and it was great, great experience for us.”

Former Bulldog Jack Loonam remembers Macdonald well. Loonam played under Macdonald when he was in charge of Georgia’s scout teams.

"I’m really, really proud of him. I’ve texted a bunch of the scout team guys. We all follow him, always have, because we always saw him as one of us,” Loonam said. “We always saw him as an extension of us, one of us. When he got the job (at Michigan), we were thrilled for him.”

Former Florida coach and Georgia linebacker Christian Robinson cut his coaching teeth while working alongside Macdonald in Athens.

Like Loonam, Robinson recognized early that Macdonald was going to be a coaching star.

“The one thing that Mike has always done as he’s gone up the ranks, is, you always knew he was for you and you knew the information he was giving you was for your best interest,” Robinson said. “There’re a lot of people in this profession, where the heart of it is them, and not investing in other people. He epitomizes that if I help other people achieve their goals, then everything I want will be a by-product of my investment in others. That’s what makes him special.”

Macdonald initially was not even sure he wanted to coach.

After finishing up with the Bulldogs in 2013, Macdonald had an offer to go to work in the consulting wing with KPMG.

A contract was actually signed. However, that’s when a phone call from the Baltimore Ravens changed his life forever.

“I think coach Rodney Garner actually recommended me to one of the Ravens' scouts, and that kind of worked up the food chain there,” Macdonald said. “I was just really fortunate that John Harbaugh was looking to start an intern program, and I was able to kind of go through that process and really fortunate enough that actually Jay Harbaugh, our coach here, was one of the guys that kind of helped set the whole thing up. Again, I’m just extremely fortunate. Talk about luck of the draw. Man, am I blessed that that happened. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here.”

Robinson could not be happier for his longtime friend.

As a fellow graduate assistant, Robinson joked that there was not much time that he and Macdonald did not spend apart. When you’re a young coach trying to earn your way, that’s how life goes.

“We had a great group there, that 2013 season. When you’re not working on getting practice ready, on getting installs ready, you’re together trying to unwind from all the challenges that you’re going through,” Robinson said. “So, in the football world, why people get connected so many times, it’s because of the things they went through together.

“Mike introduced me to everything that had to do with coaching. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know where I would be. When you go from being a player to coaching, it’s very different. He was patient with me, and he taught me everything that had to do with being up in that office.”

Loonam holds him in equally high regard.

“I hope he’s proud of what we did, but we’re really proud of what he’s doing for himself,” Loonam said. “He’s definitely going to be a challenge for our team on Friday, for sure.”

If Macdonald has anything to say about it, Friday’s game with his alma matter will be the defensive battle that many are predicting.

Georgia ranks second in the FBS in total defense, allowing just 254 yards per game. The Wolverines aren’t doing badly themselves, ranking 12th nationally with 316.7 yards per game.

“I think he brings a new version of the game for us to play. I think the way he implements all the things he's trying to teach us and get us to do, he does it quickly, he does it efficiently,” Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith said. “He don't leave no meat on the bone, and I just think using his personnel to the best of our ability. He's got packages for everybody, and he's trying to get the most out of us, and we want to do it.”

Former five-star defensive lineman Chris Hinton chose the Wolverines over Georgia when he was being recruited out of Greater Atlanta Christian.

He says Macdonald’s ability to relate to his players is one of the big reasons he’s found the success he has.

“I think he does a great job of putting people in great positions to make plays, and he does a great job just relating to his players,” Hinton said. “We understand what he's thinking, he understands what we're thinking, and we're able to bounce off of that, bounce ideas off of that. I think that's paid dividends to our success this year. I mean, we love Coach Mac.”

In true Macdonald fashion, all credit goes to the players.

“I don't want to take away from guys like Josh Ross, Brad Hawkins, Donovan Jeter, guys in the back end, Vince Gray. I think it's been a team collective effort on what type of team we want to be and kind of our reputation as a defense,” Macdonald said. “When everybody decides they want to do it a certain way, that's a powerful thing. That's a powerful thing, when you play for the guy next to you. We want to have shocking effort when you watch the tape. We want teams to watch tapes on Sunday mornings and know they're in for a 60-minute battle.”