If he leaves, who?
I'm prepared for all the downvotes. I've been a top 0.5% Harbaugh backer on this site all along, especially in the dark ages of 2020 when he was being maligned by essentially everyone.
If Coach leaves for the Raiders, the Bears or whomever, who would we accept as our next coach?
Once I get over my crippling sadness and anger towards UM, I suppose I could learn to accept Luke Fickell. I like the idea of having the sole criteria be a focus on beating OSU and think he would provide that.
Here's hoping JH stays because I think he would finish his career as the best coach in Michigan history and an all time legend. But what if he leaves?
January 20th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
I would imagine that MacDonald would get promoted. Maybe Gattis. A longshot ? Matt Weiss, or Biff Poggi
January 20th, 2022 at 9:20 AM ^
Why MacDonald? He has to be one of the youngest and least experienced coaches on staff.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:14 AM ^
Using this logic, Don Brown > Mike MacDonald. I think not.
January 20th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
As a head coach? Yeah I’d probably go with Brown over a guy who has literally one year as an in-field collegiate coach in any capacity.
January 20th, 2022 at 9:22 AM ^
So you’re saying it’s a long shot and imaginable for Biff? I know this board has lost its (&:( mind.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:08 AM ^
No, no, no, and no.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
Elston was hired as a hedge for the inevitable MacDonald exit.
we either promote or lose Gattis.
Mike Hart would most likely be promoted to an OC in some capacity.
I think we are pretty well positioned if JH exits.
January 20th, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
Well positioned internally? How is that? We have no one who has ever proven himself to be an elite college HC. The promotion of highly regarded assistants at elite programs fails to maintain the previous level more often than not. While many of these assistants have proven themselves as good assistants, running a program top to bottom involves many, many layers that derive exclusively from the HC. Off hand, and I'm not being snarky, so would like to see your list, I can only think of a few assistants who really worked out, Carr, Wittingham, Chip Kelly, Lincoln Riley (whose ship, I think, was developing a slow leak), Wisconsin, certainly a few more. But so many more have failed. USC alone has churned through 3 former assistants who've been abysmal over the last 10+ years. Nebraska, Miami.
And while I don't know that Gattis will fail or rise to the occasion, he hasn't really proven himself to be a great coordinator yet, a la Venables, Aranda, Jimbo Fisher. He doesn't even have as gleaming a track record as Narduzzi did. Presently, Gattis has the track record to be plucked to a Mid-major, or very low-tier power 5 team, where he can prove himself further.
Harbaugh is a special personality- larger than life- a HC personality. If he leaves we need a nationwide search to identify the best candidate to run the program long-term. The fact that no other prominent HC vacancies have hired our assistants says it all about where they are on the proving grounds.
January 20th, 2022 at 3:21 PM ^
You forgot Ryan Day. He may have been born on third base, but he seems to have done pretty well. Although I agree that no one on the staff seems currently qualified to be the head coach at Michigan.
January 20th, 2022 at 3:33 PM ^
Lloyd Carr did pretty well, too as far as former assistants being promoted into the HC position goes
January 20th, 2022 at 4:41 PM ^
January 20th, 2022 at 4:08 PM ^
Not sure I agree that he can keep the program at its historic heights long term. He was born on third base in a weak Big 10. Cracks are emerging, IMO. That's pretty standard in year 3 or so. Next couple years will be very interesting for him.
January 22nd, 2022 at 7:41 AM ^
I could haul my rum soaked ass down to Columbus and post a 10-2 record with the talent Day has.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:45 AM ^
McDonald has very little experience and 1 year as a coordinator. Why on earth would you automatically pick him over Gattis, a Broyles winner with more experience? I can think of one only one reason.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
Please don't go there.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:55 AM ^
Unfortunately there are many more people like the poster who will default to McDonald using the same short-sided and archaic lens. Shame.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^
Yeah, the black AD is going to hire the white guy because racism. GTFO with that.
January 20th, 2022 at 4:20 PM ^
I agree, absolute nonsense. Why is this type of accusation made on this site 10000x more than any others I visit?
January 21st, 2022 at 12:24 PM ^
My favorite was Seth implying the commentariat was racist for thinking Harbaugh was meddling in the offense / Gattis not really calling the plays (as a reason for why the offense was less than stellar). Yes, racist commenters want MORE Gattis and LESS Harbaugh. C’mon man.
That said, on paper Gattis makes more sense. But Macdonald seems like a potential rising star too. Happy to have both.
January 20th, 2022 at 4:33 PM ^
If that’s what you think is most important, how many do you think would default to Gattis using the same lens?
January 20th, 2022 at 10:57 AM ^
And what reason would that be?
January 20th, 2022 at 11:23 AM ^
Why ? Without him we win nothing this year. And you're a year away from wanting Gattis fired... now you want him for coach ? "I can only think of one reason" back to you.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:29 AM ^
Wait. We won because of McDonald? I thought we won because of Cade.
January 20th, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
We won because of a total team effort on and off the field. We won because Mike hart was able to teach Hassan Haskins more than he had been learning and when we needed him, he stepped up big-time. We won because Josh Ross was a leader and led the team in tackles, which is what leading by example is all about.
We won because Hutch and Ojabo played like the best, record breaking sack combo in football. We won because Sherrone Moore changed the mentality of guys playing on the O Line and got superior play from them all. We won because our punter/kicker were among the best and hardly ever missed.
We won because We had two very good QB's one of which was a great game manager who didn't make mistakes and the other a rare talent that needed the opportunity to play but not be rushed. We won because JH knew that we would need them both.
We won because Gattis had the courage to mix up the playbook and make our team less predictable than the last few seasons, on offense. We won because our TE, All is an absolute stud and his back-up is pretty damn good too. We won because Clink changed the culture of the secondary and convinced them that they could play with anybody. We won because when our WR1 went down to injury, our WRs played by committee, which made us even less predictable and harder to game plan for. . . .
TOTAL TEAM EFFORT!!!!.
January 20th, 2022 at 2:48 PM ^
Rave on......it's a crazy feeling!!!!
January 20th, 2022 at 5:19 PM ^
Haskins had his lowest yards per carry of his Michigan career this season. He always ran the ball well. He just got it more often in 2021.
January 20th, 2022 at 9:49 PM ^
Yes he definitely ran the ball more often but he kept our offense balanced between run and pass. More importantly, he showed up when we needed it the most. If Haskins doesn't run as well as he did when Blake C. went down, we probably lose two more games.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:35 AM ^
I wouldn’t pick either.
January 20th, 2022 at 1:04 PM ^
And that reason is that Macdonald's Wordle scores are more impressive than Gattis'. That's what you meant, right?
January 20th, 2022 at 5:59 PM ^
My one reason is that he hasn’t been a very good OC overall and the majority of fans have wanted him fired up until the Penn State game this year. To go from spending 80% of your tenure receiving (warranted) criticism to being named head coach isn’t something that’s going to excite fans.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:01 AM ^
Quite the list, four names and three of them have a combined two years as an assistant coach in college. One has never coached above HS.
Gattis would be a possibility, but someone with HC experience seems far more likely.
January 20th, 2022 at 12:22 PM ^
Good point.
Here's my list (in no particular order): Carol Hutchins, Juwan Howard, Bev Plocki, Mel Pearson and Jack Harbaugh.
I defy anyone to criticize these candidates.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:11 PM ^
I think we have our guy and we should just give him the lifetime gig and stop all this back and forth foolishness. He just wants the love and respect that Bo had. If it were to happen, which I don't think it is, I believe because its so late in the cycle, and the home run hires are all gone, you have to give Gattis a shot. He's earned it and deserves a chance to show what he can do.
I'm not convinced that because Fickle rode the coat tail of Urban Meyer and has won at Cincy that he's all that great. Cincy doesn't play anyone. If he had done that job in the Big 10 or SEC i would say "Yes he is the real deal" and I would go after him. I don't see anyone else out there worth taking a chance on and would wait until next season to see who shakes out.
January 20th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
Make like a tree and get out of here!
~Biff
January 20th, 2022 at 9:21 AM ^
You're about as useful as a screen door on a battleship
January 20th, 2022 at 9:44 AM ^
Grandma: Biff!!!! Where are you going?
Biff: I told you Grandma, I'm going to the dance!!
Grandma: When are you coming back?
Biff: I'll get home when I get home!
January 20th, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^
What are you looking at, butthead?
January 20th, 2022 at 9:16 AM ^
It is good you are prepared for the downvotes.
January 20th, 2022 at 9:40 AM ^
Operation Preparation H
January 20th, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
If this happens, I think there needs to be serious consideration for Jay Harbaugh as the replacement. I know this will be a hot take and maybe on the surface not make sense, but:
- He has been a good position coach for multiple positions, maybe even great in some regards
- Has experience as a coordinator (Special Teams) - his unit has been elite
- He is a highly regarded recruiter
- He is young - could be a big draw for recruits
- It creates a sense of stability
- He will likely not feel the need to bring in a different system or environment to the program, Jim's way is the only way he knows basically
- He's never been an offensive or defensive coordinator and likely won't meddle in those areas much, allowing him to focus more on game and player management
January 20th, 2022 at 9:27 AM ^
Um...no. Love him where he is at. To make that big of a jump would be a Detroit lions type move. Not gonna happen. Would love for him to stay though. Great recruiter.
January 20th, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
Hiring an great special teams coordinator from an elite football family sounds more like a Baltimore Ravens move (John Harbaugh).
January 20th, 2022 at 9:41 AM ^
With 20+ years more coaching experience....Ok.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:22 AM ^
John Harbaugh had 24 years experience when hired as HC of the Ravens. Jaybaugh has 14 years of coaching experience. Math does not check out.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
Nahhhh man - being a Student Assistant/Quality Assistant is not the same as being an on-field coach.
Jay has only been actively on-field coaching since 2015, so 7 years
January 20th, 2022 at 9:40 AM ^
Yes its a huge jump to be a HC at Michigan, but its clear he is HC material. Hes excelled with pretty much every group he's coached, and he can recruit. Jay should be considered a HC somewhere, and if it's Michigan I wouldnt be too upset. People are saying Hart and Gattis are options....why not Jay?
January 20th, 2022 at 9:44 AM ^
I don't disagree. I think he would be a great HC somewhere smaller and work his way up. This alumni base would never go for a first time head coach regardless of pedigree.
January 20th, 2022 at 10:28 AM ^
The Alumni base should shut up then. Half the coaches to make appearances in the CFP where hired by that team without prior HC experience. Ohio State (Day) and Notre Dame (Freeman) both hired young coordinators with only a single year within that program.
January 20th, 2022 at 11:47 AM ^
What has Freeman done?
January 20th, 2022 at 1:42 PM ^
Nothing, but the idea that hiring a guy with no experience is good enough for OSU and ND but not Michigan is silly. As I said, half of coaches to make the playoffs had no HC experience prior to that hire. I picked those two because OSU and ND are rivals and "comparable" programs. I could also add Riley, Smart, Fisher, et cetera.
My larger point is the same people who said anyone but Harbaugh with absolute certainty are the same ones saying coaches without HC experience will fail/is idiotic despite many data point suggesting fans know next to nothing.