coaching changes
dan enos

Coaching Hello: Dan Enos Comment Count

Brian

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Per Bruce Feldman, Michigan is hiring another former Arkansas assistant:

For what is as of yet unknown. Rumors that Pep Hamilton and/or Tim Drevno are on their way out seem likely to come to fruition as a result of this, since Enos is another offensive architect type and not a recruiting-maven/position-coach sort.

Enos is a former MSU quarteback who entered coaching immediately after his playing career ended; since 1991 he's been a college coach. After bouncing around small schools for a decade he landed at Cincinnati as Mark Dantonio's QB coach and followed him to MSU for four years; he landed the head job at CMU in 2010. That didn't go that well—a couple of 3-9 seasons to start followed by .500 ball after—but he was something of a trendsetter in college football when he voluntarily left the CMU job to go be a P5 coordinator, joining Arkansas as OC in 2015.

His tenure through the lens of S&P+:

RUSH O PASS O OVERALL
2015 5 1 2
2016 74 22 39
2017 9 47 43

That's better than I expected in the SEC West; Bielema would probably still have a job if his defense hadn't cratered to the 113th this year.

Enos is a college guy whose most prominent stints as an assistant were at mashing pro-style programs, and he had good results despite working at a substantial talent disadvantage. College-lifer pro-style coaches are an endangered species, and while Enos doesn't have a Don Brown resume he's probably the best available coach who's at all a fit for what Michigan wants to do.

Comments

Mercury Hayes

January 5th, 2018 at 3:20 PM ^

I really want to know what's next with this coaching hire. I wish there was UM like a BIG guy around here who could tell me like ELEVEN tidbits about what is going to happen next.

If only such a character existed.

Joined: 08/18/2010

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briandtw

January 5th, 2018 at 3:21 PM ^

CMU grad/fan here to offer my two cents. 

Enos is incredibly disliked in Mount Pleasant, though not as much as you would think for the results on the field, which were trending up when he left (as was recruiting)*, but because of his complete lack of interest in engaging with fans or doing anything that remotely involved reaching out into the community. 

Why? I don't know. He was legendarily standoffish with boosters, community leaders, CMU's administration, etc. I suspect that's the main reason he decided to split for the OC job at Arkansas -- he really just didn't seem to enjoy being a head coach and all of the crap that goes with it. 

So, if you assume that he's happy just being a coordinator then it could be a win/win hire because you may not have to worry about him jumping ship in a year or two for another gig if he's successful. Then again, some people tend to be worried about that kind of lack of ambiition.

I think overall he's a really smart guy who is self-aware of his abilities and limitations and could be a really good hire for UM. It actually kinda pains me to say that because I don't like the guy, but he's not going to step into Harbaugh's shadow and he knows his Xs and Os really well. 

* - I could go into much more detail here regarding his negatives and positives as a head coach on the field, but I don't think it's very relevant. He was pretty overmatched his first year or two, but did improve. 

Joined: 06/30/2008

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True Blue Grit

January 5th, 2018 at 4:24 PM ^

I can perfectly see someone not liking the HC job as far as all the extraneous responsibilities not directly related to coaching.  It can be a big drain of energy and time.  If a guy mainly likes to be an offensive coach all day, he would be better off being a coordinator or position coach.  And nowadays, coordinators can make big money.  

Joined: 01/21/2011

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Rufus X

January 5th, 2018 at 3:35 PM ^

I'd be surprised (and bummed) if this was an OC hire. Historically, the QB/WR coaching combo has been a logical one, and U-M had this job for many years in the 90s and early 2000s (Cam Cameron, Terry Malone). Seems like it might be a good fit for Enos...

Alternatively hiring a big name OC might not allow Harbaugh to assert his will as easily as someone like Enos. This might may be a move where Harbaugh takes over the primary OC/playcalling duties while Enos takes the title of OC (and gets paid less than the $1M+ that has become the norm at large P5 programs).  

We shall see.  

Joined: 10/29/2010

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Gr1mlock

January 5th, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^

Not a home run hire like Brown but seems like a solid double in the gap (assuming OC, if it's for a position coach my opinion is greatly increased).   Worked with a scheme relatively similar to ours, familiar with the midwest for recruiting.  Should work out.  

Joined: 12/24/2013

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swalburn

January 5th, 2018 at 3:33 PM ^

I was really hoping for an innovator that had more spread elements but this could work.  If you tell me Harbaugh is going to be more active in the offense then I'm all for it.  I remember seeing some of the formations he ran out at Stanford and I just don't feel like I've seen them here.  I thought the best formations/playcalling I saw this year was against OSU and then if was just sad during the bowl game.  I will trust the coach on this one, but hoping we are more exotic next season.

Joined: 11/24/2011

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bringthewood

January 5th, 2018 at 3:50 PM ^

The OSU game plan was excellent, execution was horiffic. Not sure what happened in the bowl but it seems like if 2017 Michigan had too much time to prepare they laid an egg. I think the introduction of Pep seemed to be the biggest change, not sure why everyone is so down on Drevno who has a track record of a successful college coach unlike Pep.

Joined: 09/07/2009

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Lawyer12

January 5th, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^

Enos is not an elite coach. Perhaps of equal importance, he is not even perceived as an elite coach. Just like in recruiting, this is a step behind OSU.

As a high school recruit, why would you choose Michigan over OSU at this point. Education is the ONLY reason I can see at this particular time.

Joined: 12/17/2012

MGoPoints: 3066

LKLIII

January 5th, 2018 at 4:07 PM ^

Am I reading that trend line correctly for the S&P?

Run/Pass/Overall

2015:  5/1/2

2016:  75/22/39

2017:  9/47/43

So for the S&P passing element (presumably what Enos will be hired to do--either as QB/WR coach or as a "passing game coordinator" ala Pep Hamilton, his trend line went:  1>>>> 22>>>>47, and Brian's comment is, "better than I expected."

Seems like it's a bad trend.  OTOH, here's an article from earlier in 2017 previewing the Arkansas 2017 offense in light of prior year offenses.  Seems like maybe player loses due to injury/graduation may have been a factor:

 

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/arkansas-football/will-arkansas-offense-be-better-worse-in-2017/

 

 

Joined: 11/06/2013

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M-Dog

January 5th, 2018 at 4:17 PM ^

while Enos doesn't have a Don Brown resume he's probably the best available coach who's at all a fit for what Michigan wants to do.

Maybe we should want to do something else.

*sigh*

Maybe it will work. Maybe it won't.

Whatever.

 

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