Could Minter be gone too?
January 19th, 2024 at 7:47 PM ^
Jim Leonhard come on down.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:49 PM ^
Steve Clinkscale come on down.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:52 PM ^
I’m going with the proven DC over a secondary coach especially when UM will have a first time head coach.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:57 PM ^
But your pick is not based in any sort of reality.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:50 PM ^
And yours is?
January 19th, 2024 at 10:35 PM ^
How is it not based in any sort of reality? Leonhard would be a realistic candidate. Doesn’t mean he’d ultimately pick Michigan or vice versa, but there’s nothing about being an analyst at Illinois that makes him unrealistic
January 20th, 2024 at 2:16 AM ^
But he is looking at 2 years as an Illinois analyst being a very possible thing. I dunno man. Do cant miss d coords do that for two seasons? Or one season for that matter?
January 20th, 2024 at 9:46 AM ^
He wasn’t retained by Fickell when most of the DCs were already hired last year, leading to him taking on that analyst role this season. And he’s currently being brought up in NFL DC conversations, so he’s clearly on the radar for some top jobs.
The flip side is Clink wasn’t interviewed or offered for any DC jobs this year, but we’re supposed to just hand him the keys to the defense without considering outside options and just be okay with that?
Jim Leonhard is 41 years old and has 6 years of experience as a DC. Finishing top 10 in total defense in 5 of those seasons, and top 10 in scoring defense in 4 of them.
Nobody is claiming he is “can’t miss.” But it is a significantly smaller risk to hire a guy who has proven he can call a top tier defense for multiple seasons than hand it to a first time DC that wasn’t even a candidate for other DC jobs. Clink may get it and he may do fine. But don’t sit here and pretend like Clink is a can’t miss DC either. Some just prefer a veteran DC to go with a rookie head coach and potentially a rookie OC
January 20th, 2024 at 1:16 PM ^
I am swayed by portal decisions I have to admit. Losing Clink and 5 starters to me is too much of a loss. It will be a tough decision either way but ill do not want to see our defensive players leave.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:58 PM ^
Clinkscale has been here for both McDonald and Minter. The idea he wouldn't be able to pull it off, especially since his unit had to make the biggest shift in the way they played, seems strange.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:41 PM ^
I don’t think it’s that he wouldn’t be able to, it’s just a bigger risk to go with a first time DC along with a first time head coach and potentially a first time OC. Moore would probably benefit from having a coordinator there with some experience.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:51 PM ^
It seems strange to have a first time DC with a first time HC.
January 19th, 2024 at 11:55 PM ^
If Harbaugh thought he could pull it off, why wouldnt he have promoted him last year?
January 19th, 2024 at 8:00 PM ^
You do know McDonald was a 1st time DC? How did that turn out? Plus we can keep Elston. They will work out fine
January 19th, 2024 at 8:42 PM ^
First time DC isn’t as big of an issue with a tenured HC in place. We’re looking at first time coordinators and first time head coach. That’s a lot of learning on the job taking place
January 19th, 2024 at 11:38 PM ^
Clinkscale was the DC for Cincinnati in 2015. He also have been Co DC at Michigan. Do he qualify now? He has experience
January 20th, 2024 at 2:17 AM ^
Serious question how close is Click approaching working in the Ravens system vs first time DC Mcdonald or even Minter?
January 20th, 2024 at 9:50 AM ^
Clink was the Co-DC at Cincinnati for one season, and was not the one running the defense or calling the plays. So no, he does not have experience. Giving a guy a title so he gets a pay bump doesn’t qualify as experience in running a unit
January 19th, 2024 at 8:43 PM ^
Leonhard is ticketed for Green Bay
January 19th, 2024 at 8:50 PM ^
You seem generally to be wanting more outside voices hired rather than promoting from within. What is your thinking behind that?
January 19th, 2024 at 8:59 PM ^
You seem to be generally wanting incestuous hiring practices rather than the hiring of more qualified coaches? What is your thinking behind that?
January 20th, 2024 at 2:26 AM ^
You didnt answer his question but Ill answer yours. I think we want whatever % of what this has been over the last few years that we can get. Keep Moore, Hart, Clink, Jaybaugh and Elston and plug in two new studs and lets go. Clink has had 3 full seasons seeing this system. Not many get 3 years to see something like this and learn it, and when they do Harbaugh hires them as his DC.
Just keep this train rolling. Ill take Harbaugh lite over a game of Russian roulette where 2 of the bullets could be anything like Rich Rod or Hoke.
Im not 100% about anything but I want the soul of what we have left intact as much as humanly possible. Give me this player development (Minter and Harbaugh have been big parts for sure but the others have been huge in it as well). It might fail but give me the bulk of the makeover crew that made 2020 turn into 2021 all day every day.
Late is the hour for which to find leadership. I dont want to send Moore and 40% of the roster to the portal.
January 19th, 2024 at 10:32 PM ^
Well if Harbaugh leaves and takes Minter with him, we will have at least 3 coaching openings. OC/OL, LB (Partridge being fired), and DC. So we’re going to be making some external hires. There’s just a preference by some that one of those external hires be to get an experienced coordinator or two to help our first time head coach get acclimated instead of having multiple coaches learning on the job.
A first time head coach with a first time defensive playcaller and (potentially) a first time offensive play caller is a pretty significant risk.
January 20th, 2024 at 10:25 AM ^
You hit the nail on the head with the last word: risk.
No matter how good, dudes taking on new, major responsibilities for the first time are gonna miss things. Having two of the top three coaching positions being new to the role compounds the risk of something major falling through the cracks, resulting in severe disadvantage. You want to set people up for success. If harbs stays and minter goes, bring up Clink, that’s great. If harbs and minter go, putting Moore and Clink both at the top exposes both of them to greater risk of failure.
January 20th, 2024 at 10:50 AM ^
Yeah, just looking it at the perspective of having a first time head coach it is incredibly beneficial to have a staff experienced in their roles. Moore has coached the team on game day, but that is only a very small portion of being the head coach. Moore will be learning on the job, it’s probably best if he isn’t also worried about his coordinators learning on the job as well. Doesn’t mean it won’t work out, but it is an added risk going with inexperienced coordinators alongside an inexperienced coach.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:58 PM ^
Remind me who coaches the best secondary in college football.
As long as Elston and Clink stick around. I’m feeling good. They’ve had years to absorb the Raven’s playbook.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:00 PM ^
Coaching positions is not the same as coordinating a defense.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:47 PM ^
Sal,
You present as if you are knowledgeable and experienced where you actually only have opinion. You then treat people like ass because, like you, they have an opinion. Settle down. Your opinion is not worth more because it originated in your skull.
January 20th, 2024 at 2:29 AM ^
The exodus of losing Mike Hart, Clink, and Moore.
Yeesh. These kids would go full Bama and we think Rich Rod had it rough.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:46 PM ^
I don't know. Rather a coach from.MacDonalds defense again from Ravens who is in the amoeba defense. clinkscale is I guess but pro experience seems more valuable.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:48 PM ^
Could Minter stay too?
January 19th, 2024 at 9:01 PM ^
Seems unlikely.
January 19th, 2024 at 10:37 PM ^
He said he wanted to run it back at the parade. He coaches with his dad, I dunno I'm grasping at straws over here! He is elite.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:50 PM ^
Well no shit Sherlock. The best DC in college football, running an NFL scheme, just happened to land on NFL team radar.
Color me shocked
January 19th, 2024 at 8:32 PM ^
The part about Webb saying Harbaugh will want Minter to go with him ... that was the main takeaway for me. I've always been under the impression that Webb doesn't say things like that unless he's got some type of information. Not a shocker by any means, but Harbaugh could've tried to go back to Fangio or something.
January 20th, 2024 at 10:18 AM ^
Most likely destination for Minter
1. Harbaugh at Michigan or NFL
2. MacDonald in the NFL if Mac gets a HC job
3. Ravens to replace MacDonald
4. Michigan with Sherrone Moore
I'm already expecting Minter to be gone no matter what unless Harbaugh comes back. I could be wrong about Minter staying if Harbaugh is staying. I know that Ravens defensive scheme is going to be a hot scheme for the NFL to combat against Shanahan/McVay offense.
January 20th, 2024 at 1:05 AM ^
Keep digging, Watson.
It’s like it’s 1987 and I’m in Jr High again.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:59 PM ^
Even if Harbaugh returns to AA, Minter's good as gone.
Way too much demand for his service in the NFL.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:27 PM ^
No clue why this was negged. It's true
January 20th, 2024 at 12:26 AM ^
I don't see why it is true that Minter is definitely gone if some NFL team offers him. He can command big dollars at Michigan as well. Depends on how he feels about coaching pros verses students.
January 20th, 2024 at 10:45 AM ^
I know nothing of Minter specifically, but I feel like 9 guys out of 10 would take an NFL job for the same salary, if only because recruiting seems like miserable work to me.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:22 PM ^
This. I would love Minter to stay, but he’s gone, I will eat a lemon if he stays.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:41 PM ^
I love lemons.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:47 PM ^
Not if he's paid 3M to stay.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:08 PM ^
1. If Harbaugh goes to the NFL, Minter goes with him;
2. If Macdonald gets a HC job and Harbaugh doesn’t, Minter goes to the Ravens;
3. If neither 1 or 2 happens, Minter goes to another NFL team;
January 19th, 2024 at 8:13 PM ^
He was close to going to the NFL last year. If he gets the right situation, he is gone. Keep an eye on Philly. He interviewed there last year and Philly will riot if Patricia returns.
January 19th, 2024 at 9:48 PM ^
What??? If he goes it's RAVENS all the way.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:40 PM ^
McDonald is takin' it to the streets.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:09 PM ^
If Jim leaves I would assume most of the coaches and some players will be gone too.
January 19th, 2024 at 8:20 PM ^
If Jim goes I expect a mass exodus to the portal similar to Bama.