Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
The National Coaching Search was a 'Hokes'
David Brandon stood at the podium during his press conference and stated that he would undergo a "national search" for the University of Michigan head coaching job. That was never the case. If you read between the lines you will see that the choice has always been Brady Hoke. Hoke was offered a contract extension by SDSU in early December, and despite reports that he would sign it, he never did. Did he already have communication with the Michigan camp about the job? If in fact this was the case, and he and Brandon already came to an agreement, the fans and alums would be furious. Brandon chose to wait until after the bowl game to fire Rich Rodriguez, thus cheapening the buyout. It was during the 'good riddance Rich Rodriguez' press conference that Brandon said he would go on a national coaching search. There is a great divide in Ann Arbor and how could he make everybody happy? Easily, interview every candidate that each "faction" wanted. There was the Harbaugh camp, the Les Miles camp, and the Brady Hoke camp.
Jim Harbaugh was the most popular candidate among Michigan fans. He was the guy that would mostly unite the blue bloods again. A rumor was floated out that Michigan had offered Harbaugh over $5 million per season. I don't believe that in the slightest. Could it be possible that Brandon, or other people in the inner circle, started that rumor to appease the Michigan faithful? San Fransisco then offered Harbaugh the job at less than $5 million per year. He did not accept, and instead interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job (even though there was not a vacancy). Stephen Ross (a U of M grad who has the business school named after him) is the owner of the Dolphins and early reports were that he was set to offer Harbaugh in upwards of $7 million per year. That just drove up the price for Harbaugh and he eventually signed with the 49ers for $5 mil per. It is my belief that Ross was never interested in hiring Harbaugh, but instead helped Michigan in the perception that they did everything they could to land the former Stanford head coach. Later, there were reports that Brandon was interested in talking to Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) and Gary Pinkel (Missouri), but those talks never came to fruition. This was something Brandon had to do to conduct a true 'national search'.
Next on the list is Les Miles. Brandon flew to Baton Rouge on Monday and talked to Miles, and by all accounts he 'would take the job if offered'. Tuesday morning came and there was still no deal with Miles. Later in the day it was announced that Les Miles would remain as head coach of the LSU Tigers. It was literally minutes after that announcement that reports came out that David Brandon was on his way to San Diego to speak with Brady Hoke. It was only a few hours later that Hoke was named the head football coach at the University of Michigan. Had the plane even landed in San Diego yet? I can't seem to understand how you can interview one guy one minute, and hire another guy the next, unless the deal was already in place.
The "factions" that I referenced earlier now have no ground to stand on. Brandon went after Harbaugh and Miles and couldn't get them. At least that will be his story. This was Brandon's way of trying to make every Michigan fan happy during the search, however it just made Michigan look bad. I have high expectations for Hoke and I think he will live up to them for the most part. He better live up to them anyway considering he was the only guy truly in the running for the job.
Jim Harbaugh was the most popular candidate among Michigan fans. He was the guy that would mostly unite the blue bloods again. A rumor was floated out that Michigan had offered Harbaugh over $5 million per season. I don't believe that in the slightest. Could it be possible that Brandon, or other people in the inner circle, started that rumor to appease the Michigan faithful? San Fransisco then offered Harbaugh the job at less than $5 million per year. He did not accept, and instead interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching job (even though there was not a vacancy). Stephen Ross (a U of M grad who has the business school named after him) is the owner of the Dolphins and early reports were that he was set to offer Harbaugh in upwards of $7 million per year. That just drove up the price for Harbaugh and he eventually signed with the 49ers for $5 mil per. It is my belief that Ross was never interested in hiring Harbaugh, but instead helped Michigan in the perception that they did everything they could to land the former Stanford head coach. Later, there were reports that Brandon was interested in talking to Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) and Gary Pinkel (Missouri), but those talks never came to fruition. This was something Brandon had to do to conduct a true 'national search'.
Next on the list is Les Miles. Brandon flew to Baton Rouge on Monday and talked to Miles, and by all accounts he 'would take the job if offered'. Tuesday morning came and there was still no deal with Miles. Later in the day it was announced that Les Miles would remain as head coach of the LSU Tigers. It was literally minutes after that announcement that reports came out that David Brandon was on his way to San Diego to speak with Brady Hoke. It was only a few hours later that Hoke was named the head football coach at the University of Michigan. Had the plane even landed in San Diego yet? I can't seem to understand how you can interview one guy one minute, and hire another guy the next, unless the deal was already in place.
The "factions" that I referenced earlier now have no ground to stand on. Brandon went after Harbaugh and Miles and couldn't get them. At least that will be his story. This was Brandon's way of trying to make every Michigan fan happy during the search, however it just made Michigan look bad. I have high expectations for Hoke and I think he will live up to them for the most part. He better live up to them anyway considering he was the only guy truly in the running for the job.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Miles expected to interview with Michigan
ESPN.com‘s Joe Schad is reporting that Michigan has expressed an interest in interviewing Miles and that the interview is expected to take place. It’s unclear when the interview would actually happen.
One source told Schad that Miles, who has just a $1.25 million buyout if he were to leave for the University of Michigan, would give LSU 24 hours notice before interviewing; that notification has not yet happened. Another source said that Miles would be very interested in speaking to athletic director David Brandon.
We should know something very soon.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Update on Les Miles to Michigan
LSU has not been contacted by Michigan. LSU's AD: "Les Miles is LSU's head coach and we are going to do everything we can to keep it that way." Reported by Joe Schad.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Decision
No I am not recapping the LeBron James one hour joke of a special last summer, but rather the decision David Brandon has to make regarding the future of Michigan football. The choice he makes will be the most important decision in the history of the program. After the debacle that was the Rich Rodriguez era, Brandon's choice of the next head coach will determine whether Michigan returns to national prominence and competes for the Big Ten title year in and year out, or if they fall into the abyss much like Florida State, Notre Dame, and Miami. It will decide if Michigan is a national program or a regional program. Brandon cannot afford get this hire wrong.
There have been a bevy of reports that Jim Harbaugh is not interested in coaching the Michigan Wolverines, but rather taking his talents to the NFL or staying in Palo Alto and continue coaching the Stanford Cardinal. I may be on an island on this one, but i am not ruling out Harbaugh just yet. There is a lot of misinformation being floated around, and it is my belief that Harbaugh is very much in the picture. Keep an eye on it. If Harbaugh is hired, I have absolutely no doubt Michigan will once again be the class of the Big Ten, competing with Ohio State and Nebraska for the Stagg-Paterno trophy most years.
The candidate that appears to be the early favorite to take over U of M is Brady Hoke. Reports are saying that he would jump at the opportunity to come back to Michigan. This hire would again create a divide between Michigan fans and understandably so. Hoke is not the big name that would excite the fan base, however that does not mean he is not the right guy for the job. Hoke is a former defensive line/associate head coach at Michigan. He led the Ball State Cardinals to its most wins in program history in 2008 with a record of 12-0. Not long before that remarkable season, Ball State was a laughing stock of the Mid-American conference. He then went to San Diego State and turned around the Aztec program. The resume is impressive, but he has not done it on the big stage.
My hope is that no matter who takes over the head coaching job at Michigan, the fans will give it a chance. Once again, we are going to be asked to be patient, but the worst thing we could do is not even give the guy an opportunity to build the program. Without support, us as fans will set [him] up for failure. I do not believe Rich Rodriguez was given a fair shake. I also agree that he wasn't the right guy for the job,, but the "great blue divide" did not help matters. Let's not make that same mistake.
David Brandon has been very coy about the future of Rich Rodriguez and the direction of the Michigan program, much to the chagrin of the U of M faithful. Again I will stress this, HE NEEDS TO GET IT RIGHT! Whoever the next Michigan coach is, the next five years will make Brandon look like a genius, or an imbecile. There is no middle ground.
There have been a bevy of reports that Jim Harbaugh is not interested in coaching the Michigan Wolverines, but rather taking his talents to the NFL or staying in Palo Alto and continue coaching the Stanford Cardinal. I may be on an island on this one, but i am not ruling out Harbaugh just yet. There is a lot of misinformation being floated around, and it is my belief that Harbaugh is very much in the picture. Keep an eye on it. If Harbaugh is hired, I have absolutely no doubt Michigan will once again be the class of the Big Ten, competing with Ohio State and Nebraska for the Stagg-Paterno trophy most years.
The candidate that appears to be the early favorite to take over U of M is Brady Hoke. Reports are saying that he would jump at the opportunity to come back to Michigan. This hire would again create a divide between Michigan fans and understandably so. Hoke is not the big name that would excite the fan base, however that does not mean he is not the right guy for the job. Hoke is a former defensive line/associate head coach at Michigan. He led the Ball State Cardinals to its most wins in program history in 2008 with a record of 12-0. Not long before that remarkable season, Ball State was a laughing stock of the Mid-American conference. He then went to San Diego State and turned around the Aztec program. The resume is impressive, but he has not done it on the big stage.
My hope is that no matter who takes over the head coaching job at Michigan, the fans will give it a chance. Once again, we are going to be asked to be patient, but the worst thing we could do is not even give the guy an opportunity to build the program. Without support, us as fans will set [him] up for failure. I do not believe Rich Rodriguez was given a fair shake. I also agree that he wasn't the right guy for the job,, but the "great blue divide" did not help matters. Let's not make that same mistake.
David Brandon has been very coy about the future of Rich Rodriguez and the direction of the Michigan program, much to the chagrin of the U of M faithful. Again I will stress this, HE NEEDS TO GET IT RIGHT! Whoever the next Michigan coach is, the next five years will make Brandon look like a genius, or an imbecile. There is no middle ground.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Harbaugh or Bust?
The most storied program in NCAA football history, the Michigan Wolverines have been an absolute embarrassment since Rich Rodriguez took over the program in 2008. First, he leads the team to its worst season in 129 years at 3-9. That was also Michigan's first losing season since 1967. Michigan's bowl steak of 33 straight seasons was also snapped in 2008. Michigan fans, such as myself, were glad to see that season come to an end, but 2009 wasn't much better. The Wolverines finished the season 5-7, losing 6 of their last 7 games. Then in 2010, the Wolverines who started the season 5-0, finished 7-5 and 3-5 in the Big Ten. At least Rich Rod got them to a bowl right?
Then comes the anticipated match up in the Progressive Gator bowl vs. Mississippi State. Coming in as underdogs, would Michigan rise to the challenge and play for their coach who is on the hot seat? UH NO!! Michigan suffered its worst bowl loss in school history with a 52-14 final. My conclusion? Rich Rod needs to be out as head coach, and that brings me to my point in this blog. Is it Harbaugh or bust for the Wolverines?
Jim Harbaugh, a "Michigan man", coached Stanford to to an 11-1 season and a trip to the Orange bowl. Harbaugh was named the winner of the Woody Hayes Coach of the Year award. I hate the name too! My point is the guy can coach, and he is a perfect fit at Michigan. I have personally heard that he would walk through glass to come back to his alma matter. However, that was a few years ago and before he became the hot name in coaching. If Michigan wants to land Harbaugh, they have some competition. There are several pro teams that are rumored to be interested in Jim Harbaugh, including the San Fransisco 49ers. San Fransisco is basically in Harbaugh's backyard, and with a child on the way, he might opt to Stay in California and collect a huge NFL paycheck. The question is however, where is his heart? If it lies with Michigan, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will be coaching the Wolverines in 2011. But if not, what will U of M do? There is always Brady Hoke, who turned two losing programs into winners (Ball State and San Diego State). Hoke is a former UofM assistant coach, but is he that home run that Harbaugh would be? The answer is no! So if Michigan cannot land Jim Harbaugh, what should they do? Retain Rich Rod? Go after Hoke? This is the question I pose to you Wolverine nation.
Then comes the anticipated match up in the Progressive Gator bowl vs. Mississippi State. Coming in as underdogs, would Michigan rise to the challenge and play for their coach who is on the hot seat? UH NO!! Michigan suffered its worst bowl loss in school history with a 52-14 final. My conclusion? Rich Rod needs to be out as head coach, and that brings me to my point in this blog. Is it Harbaugh or bust for the Wolverines?
Jim Harbaugh, a "Michigan man", coached Stanford to to an 11-1 season and a trip to the Orange bowl. Harbaugh was named the winner of the Woody Hayes Coach of the Year award. I hate the name too! My point is the guy can coach, and he is a perfect fit at Michigan. I have personally heard that he would walk through glass to come back to his alma matter. However, that was a few years ago and before he became the hot name in coaching. If Michigan wants to land Harbaugh, they have some competition. There are several pro teams that are rumored to be interested in Jim Harbaugh, including the San Fransisco 49ers. San Fransisco is basically in Harbaugh's backyard, and with a child on the way, he might opt to Stay in California and collect a huge NFL paycheck. The question is however, where is his heart? If it lies with Michigan, there is not a doubt in my mind that he will be coaching the Wolverines in 2011. But if not, what will U of M do? There is always Brady Hoke, who turned two losing programs into winners (Ball State and San Diego State). Hoke is a former UofM assistant coach, but is he that home run that Harbaugh would be? The answer is no! So if Michigan cannot land Jim Harbaugh, what should they do? Retain Rich Rod? Go after Hoke? This is the question I pose to you Wolverine nation.
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