Wink appears in MCommunity now. As mentioned in the mgoblog roundtable, U-M has significantly strengthened their background check process in the wake of Stallions, Shemy Schmebechler, Matt Weiss, and Bob Shoop which is why it’s taken much longer to get official announcements out for anyone that isn’t an internal promotion.
I am 100% OK with the tougher background check procedure.
The trade off is though that they can’t recruit until they are officially hired.
This has been a nearly 2 month dead period when recruits pursued by the former staff members might be hanging out there without contact from their new coaches. Recruiting is relationships and these HS kids need constant nurturing and attention.
"Recruiting is relationships"
Not really any longer, it's all about $$ now.
Haven't you had very short term relationships that revolved around money?
Or, relationships with a recruit’s mom! Hayooooooh!!
…too soon?
Relationship-style recruiting just won us a national championship. I'm ok with that.
Yeah... not true. Not saying money isn't a determining factor but a lot of families want to know they are not sending their child to a penal colony. They actually want their kid to be well rounded and cared for while making money.
Crazy, no?
Wait, what was the Bob Shoop situation? I remember he was on staff for like a month in 2020 and then left, but never dug into the backstory.
I asked the same thing in the roundtable post. No one really knows. The rumor someone gave me is that his wife didn't want him exposed during Covid, so Shoop wanted to work remotely/be an analyst that year and Harbaugh got pissed.
I don't really believe that, considering the roundtable threw his name in amongst the Stalions, Shemy, etc. group where better background checks were needed. Not sure how a background check could have predicted his wife would want him to opt out.
It's in his kiss
That's where it is
Also, it's gotta be a red flag when the wife is worried about the candidate exposing himself.
“+1 Cher” is not a comment I ever anticipated writing on a sports blog
I mean, only because it used to be in the drop-down menu.
Yeah, Shemy was obviously a complete own-goal, but im not really sure how any background checks could have known that Matt Weiss going to hack into student email accounts or that Stalions was going to hire sign scouters from Craigslist.
In the case of Stalions, I wonder if background checks would have unearthed his "manifesto" or him being a general nutcase. I honestly have no idea if they would have.
If Harbaugh knew Stalions was a veteran AND had a Michigan Manifesto, he would've made him Assistant HC.
Good! So we learned from our mistakes, and mistakes, and mistakes.
(It also might be easier to do this kind of thing with a new football administration.) But good!
They didn't learn anything. They just added another bureaucratic layer between themselves and anything that goes wrongs being blamed on them. When the next Stallions or Weiss happens they will first deflect the heat to new background checkers rather than take any responsibility at all.
So what would you have them do? Do tell.
I like the idea of stiffer background checks, but not lengthy ones because it delayed Wink creating relationships with recruits.
I may be lost here, but what exactly was in Stallions', Weiss' and Shoops' backgrounds that would have prevented them from being hired at Michigan whether the process was short or long?
I'd say something about Keith Jackson...but we did just officially announce it!
A new analyst and (familiar) graduate assistant as well.
Michigan football hires defensive analyst Kevin Wilkins, graduate assistant Brad Hawkins #GoBlue
— TheWolverine.com (@TheWolverineOn3) March 4, 2024
Story: https://t.co/JZqK61o8oI pic.twitter.com/LiGAbkMZra
Brad Hawkins. Great guy to teach the youngins that persistence pays off.
Just as true as it was in 2021 when he played alongside freshman Rod Moore.
We can officially get this party started now!
Still no official word on Morgan and BJM. For the life of me, I have no idea why it takes so long to get these people hired. If this is the new normal, it’s gonna be fun every off-season or so when someone leaves and we have to spend two months worth of recruiting time to hire someone. Hopefully this is all a go when the portal opens so they can hit it running and try to add some key additions to the roster.
Welcome Wink. You have some excellent house warming gifts on the defensive front and in the secondary. Feels like you're going to enjoy your stay.
Cool story bro.. there was a really tall and very wide kid on our flight home yesterday from Honolulu. As we were getting ready to leave the aircraft, I overheard a woman asking him questions. She asked him his last name. “Graham” was his answer. He had his back to me and when he turned a little I saw his face and said (to myself) “No way!”. Sure enough I looked down at his bag still on his seat and he had a name tag with his name and 55 on it. The woman was still asking him questions with no idea WHO he was! I heard her ask “What year are you?”. And shortly after heard her say something like “At least you were on the team for a great season” - as if he didn’t play yet. It was all I could do not to yell “He’s Mason Fucking Graham people. Rose Bowl Defensive MVP for Christ’s sake!” He was wearing headphones and had to keep removing one side to answer her questions. Looked like he wanted some privacy, so I resisted the urge to shake his hand and say “Thank You Mason!” (and PLEASE DON’T GO ANYWHERE!).
Edit - I’m pretty sure he wasn’t on a recruiting visit with the Rainbow Warriors!
When I come to power wearing headphones in public will be a felony.
So people will be blasting their music left and right?
Haha.
As I ride on planes quite a bit, headphones are OK in my book. They mean that you are not to be disturbed. If you've got them on, then nobody should check to see if you want a drink, etc.
My rule would simply make it illegal to talk to anyone while wearing headphones unless it's an emergency. I'm pretty sure that was what Mason Graham was politely trying to say, too.
Very cool story bud. Thanks for sharing. The size of the majority of these guys is always jaw dropping when you see them up close. He's already earned legendary status IMO.
Welp guess I can't pester Wink for secondhand vacuum cleaners off Amazon clearance after all!
After that background check I’d nominate wink and the other coaches for sainthood.
They would have to die first. Or get hired by the NFL team in New Orleans.
Maybe the sideline wardrobe will pick up some fashion cues from ol' Wink!
😉. When is Chuck Woolery joining the staff?
Wink go thicc M or skinny M on his undersized ball cap?
Wink v Chip.
Can't wait.
Let's see if the imprimatur of NFL DC carries some cred with recruits. Hopefully he figures out the Xbox controller and the Zelle payola in time.
Yee haw!
BJM official as well
https://twitter.com/TheWolverineOn3/status/1765107286085685578?s=19