uminks

February 28th, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^

would have made the playoffs most years, if the current playoff system was in place while he coached. It is much easier now to win a National Championship. Even if Bo would have won some of  the Rose Bowl games he still would not have won a National Championship. Lets say Michigan beats Stanford in the '72 Rose bowl, they would have never jumped NE who destroyed second ranked Alabama to win the National Championship in '71. In '73 Bo went undefeated but the Big 10 let OSU go to the Rose Bowl, OSU   won but ND was undefeated and won the National Championship this year. Even if Michigan had beat USC at the end of the '76 season they would never overtake 12-0 Pittsburgh. Even if they would have beaten USC in '78 they would not have won a NC. Many Michigan fans don't realize how difficult it was to win a National Championship in the 70s and 80s.

Joined: 11/10/2009

MGoPoints: 32099

LDNfan

February 28th, 2018 at 1:15 PM ^

Your assertion and comparison between Bo then and Harbaugh now is assinine. Bo became a legend in the age of the mythical national champion, had a hell of a record and held his own in one of the most brutal rivalries in all of sports. Beating OSU was of greatest importance and even when UM lost its bowl games if it beat OSU (and won the conference as a result) that season felt like a success. And more than just winning football games, Bo developed a long lineage of great men of character which is often underappreciated in this age of win at all cost major college sports.

Today is vastly different...with the playoffs, multi-millionaire coaches and social media circus.

Joined: 09/28/2014

MGoPoints: 10511

SpartyJon

February 28th, 2018 at 9:01 AM ^

He didn't have a playoff system to win; he was at the mercy of AP voters. That 1973 team was the best team in football that year. In that year, 2 major selectors (Poling System, and National Championship Foundation) had Michigan at #1. If your program was as petty as Alabama, you could claim a Championship that year.

Joined: 02/26/2018

MGoPoints: 177

SpartyJon

February 28th, 2018 at 7:08 PM ^

"I have never played a game for the national title. Our goals always have been to win the Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl. If we do that, then we consider it a successful season." I think he realized he was at the mercy of the AP voters and lacking a tournament to win he tailored his teams to win in Big Ten play. If the quote is untrue let me know: You guys are way more in know about UM history than I.

Joined: 02/26/2018

MGoPoints: 177

evenyoubrutus

February 27th, 2018 at 10:20 PM ^

I'm guessing a lot of stuff happened back in those days that never got any kind of attention because people weren't addicted to getting their news as it happened, all day every day. If a coach left, he probably just left.

Joined: 11/04/2008

MGoPoints: 178422

NittanyFan

February 28th, 2018 at 12:20 AM ^

Bo got a bad rap. 

WJR and certain people in the Tigers' front office wanted Harwell out immediately.  Evidently, they hired some market research firm and their recommenation was to replace Harwell.  That seems like a crazy recommenation, but it's true.

But there were some amongst the Tigers' organization that wanted Harwell to get a farwell year.  Bo was among that contingent.  And he helped Harwell get him a one-year contract.

Then Ernie went public talking about how "they're firing me, they're only giving me a one-year deal!"  Being team President and all, Bo took a ton of heat.

 

Joined: 12/04/2012

MGoPoints: 43365

Great Cornholio

February 28th, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^

calling the last inning played at Tiger Stadium, I remember him saying that he'd spent more time at the corner than he had at home over the prior 40 years. The man called games when it was still Briggs Stadium fergodsakes. He was still at the top of his game when they fired him, and if anyone deserved the right to retire on his own terms, it was him. He was baseball to generations of Tiger fans. While Bo might not have been the driving force, he clearly had a hand in it and for that he shouldn't get a pass. Also, I am unreasonably optimistic about the potential of this young rotation with Gardy at the helm!

Joined: 01/23/2013

MGoPoints: 3228

ST3

February 27th, 2018 at 10:47 PM ^

If I recall correctly, he discussed that issue in his book, Bo's Lasting Lessons. Unfortunately, I don't recall the answer. I suspect the one fire-able offense was dishonesty. Edit: I checked the book. He claims to have fired one assistant in 21 years. The issue was the coach would not listen. Hanlon also jokingly claimed to be fired on almost a daily basis. Bo said it was better to teach his assistants than to fire them.

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52701

ST3

February 27th, 2018 at 11:09 PM ^

Frieder was just an ass, not an asst. Bo claims he fired Frieder because he was not honest with him. I think if Frieder told Bo he was interested in the ASU job, Bo would have helped him pack his bags. Bo and Bobby Knight were friends. Bo and Frieder? Not so much.

Joined: 09/11/2010

MGoPoints: 52701

bweldon

February 27th, 2018 at 11:08 PM ^

Actually he did but in most cases they were back on the job the next day.  Even Jim Harbaugh got his dad fired one time because he was horsing around on the field during practice.   

Joined: 05/09/2015

MGoPoints: 1325

markusr2007

February 28th, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^

Seems that most left for other coaching jobs.

I don't remember any that were fired. Even after the 1984 6-6 season.

Don James ->Washington

Alex Agase ->Purdue

Jim Young -> Arizona, then Purdue

Elliott Uzelac -> Navy

Don Nehlen -> West Virginia

Bill McCartney -> Colorado

Les Miles -> OK State, then LSU

Chuck Heater ->Colorado, Washington, Florida, Temple, Marshall

What's really interesting is how strong Bo's coaching tree turned out to be in the end. Some of his assistant coaches literally resurrected dead programs into giants.  How much can be attributed to Bo?

Don James at Washington perhaps less so.

But Bill McCartney's work at Colorado and Don Nehlen at WVU are both impressive achievements given where these programs were before they arrrived.

Joined: 10/21/2008

MGoPoints: 19373