Erik Campbell John Erik Campbell ( born January 21 , 1966 ) is a gridiron football coach and former player . He is currently the wide receivers coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League . Campbell played college football at the University of Michigan from 1984 to 1987 . He has held coaching positions at the United States Naval Academy ( 1989 – 1990 ) , Ball State University ( 1991 – 1993 ) and Syracuse University ( 1994 ) , Michigan ( 1995 – 2007 ) , and the University of Iowa ( 2008 – 2012 ) . He was the assistant head coach at Michigan under Lloyd Carr from 2003 to 2007 . Early years . Campbell is a native of Gary , Indiana , who played football and ran track at Gary ' s Theodore Roosevelt High School . He was also an all - state player in football and an All - American in track while in high school . He has been inducted into both the Indiana High School Track and Field Hall of Fame and the Indiana High School Football Hall of Fame . University of Michigan . He attended the University of Michigan where he played for Bo Schembechler on the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1984 to 1987 . He started five games at free safety as a freshman in 1984 . As a sophomore in 1985 , Campbell switched to the offensive squad and saw action as a wide receiver . He also returned 14 punts in 1985 for 120 yards , an average of 8 . 6 yards per return . Campbell moved back to the defensive squad in 1986 , starting 11 games at cornerback and two at free safety on a team that won the Big Ten Conference championship with a No . 8 ranking in the final AP poll . As a senior in 1987 , Campbell started seven games at cornerback and five games at free safety . Campbell totaled 98 tackles , five interceptions and 17 punt returns for 132 yards ( 7 . 8 yard average ) in four years at Michigan . He graduated in 1988 with a bachelor of arts degree in general studies . Coaching career . Campbell began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Michigan during the 1988 season . He next accepted a position as an assistant coach at Navy , coaching the Midshipmen running backs from 1989 to 1990 . He also held coaching positions at Ball State University ( running backs coach , 1991 – 1993 ) and Syracuse ( 1994 ) . In February 1995 , Campbell returned to his alma mater as an assistant football coach at Michigan . He was a member of Michigan ' s coaching staff for 13 years from 1995 to 2007 . At Michigan , Campbell coached wide receivers and punt returners . He was also the team ' s assistant head coach from 2003 to 2007 . He set an NCAA record by coaching a 1 , 000 - yard receiver for eight consecutive years from 1998 to 2005 . During his tenure at Michigan , he coached receivers Braylon Edwards , David Terrell , Marquise Walker , Amani Toomer , Mercury Hayes , Tai Streets , Marcus Knight , Jason Avant , Mario Manningham , Adrian Arrington , Steve Breaston , and Ronald Bellamy . He also coached Charles Woodson as a punt returner , and Steve Breaston set a Big Ten record with 1 , 599 career punt return yards ( 12 . 6 yards per return ) with Campbell as his position coach . In December 2007 , incoming Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez announced that he had fired all nine assistant coaches , including Campbell . In February 2008 , Campbell was hired by the University of Iowa as its wide receivers and tight ends coach . Upon hiring Campbell , Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said , " Erik ' s a student of the game and a great young coach . We ' re thrilled to have him on our staff . " Starting in 2010 , his responsibility was limited to wide receivers . In 2010 , two Iowa wide receivers ( Derrell Johnson - Koulianos and Marvin McNutt were both selected for All - Big Ten honors . Johnson - Koulianos set Iowa ' s career record for receiving yards with Campbell as his position coach . In 2011 , Marvin McNutt was selected as an All - American receiver , as he compiled 1 , 315 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns . McNutt also broke Johnson - Koulianos ' school record with a career total of 2 , 861 receiving yards . Campell also coached Tony Moeaki during the 2009 season . In February 2012 , " The Daily Iowan " published a " point / counterpoint " debate on the proposed promotion of Campbell as the team ' s new offensive coordinator . Personal life . Campbell ' s wife , Lori , died of a brain aneurysm in March 2001 at age 30 .