ESPN sucks

Submitted by Granite on October 28th, 2019 at 12:00 PM

ten seconds ago, ESPN sent me a pop-up notification that gave me a minor heart attack.

The words "Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan" are in the title.

I know, I read the letter Coach wrote to parents and he ain't leaving.

clickbait much?

https://www.espn.com/college-football/insider/story/_/id/27943537/coaching-carousel-hypotheticals-lincoln-riley-nfl-jim-harbaugh-leaves-michigan-more

the article is behind a paywall but I would never pay for their shilling.

JPC

October 28th, 2019 at 12:02 PM ^

Of course they suck. They hired Jemele Hill. You shouldn't get pop-ups from shitty websites and then complain they're stupid.

wolverine1987

October 28th, 2019 at 12:39 PM ^

That show they created with her and Michael Smith (SC6 I think?) was such an awful show, my Gawd. "Let's create a hip, urban version of Sportcenter that the kids will like!" Such a transparent, pandering attempt. One of their many bad decisions the last few years

mgobaran

October 28th, 2019 at 12:08 PM ^

For those who don't want to give ESPN the clicks, the headline is:

 

Coaching carousel hypotheticals: Lincoln Riley to NFL, Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan and more

BlindRef

October 28th, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^

Here is the part where they talk about Michigan, it isn't that interesting:

 

Michigan and Michigan State part ways with coaches Jim Harbaugh and Mark Dantonio

The Mitten State might become the epicenter for this year's carousel intrigue. Despite Saturday's rout of Notre Dame, the debate about Harbaugh's future at Michigan intensifies with every loss to a top-10 opponent. Dantonio is headed toward a second straight middling season at Michigan State, which reached the playoff in 2015 but has backslid since.

If Harbaugh falls to 0-5 against Ohio State, there's a chance he and the school decide to part ways. Though it's extremely unlikely Michigan would fire Harbaugh, the short length of his remaining contract (two seasons) and constant NFL interest would make a separation possible. If Michigan opens, Campbell probably would be a prime target. Michigan is at or near the top of his list of preferred destinations. Baylor's Rhule also makes a lot of sense for Michigan, which could afford just about any buyout.

Michigan also could call former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, who might consider a return, but only at a legacy program. Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has an affinity for Michigan and could be worth pursuing. Wake Forest's Dave Clawson, a consistent winner at one of the toughest Power 5 jobs, also should be on Michigan's list.

Dantonio's situation is delicate, given his success at MSU (111-54 record). He's due a one-time retention bonus of $4.3 million if still coaching the Spartans on Jan. 15. He also is set to be deposed after the season by attorneys for former staffer Curtis Blackwell, who is suing MSU for wrongful termination. There's industry talk of MSU finding a permanent athletic director, which complicates a coaching transition. But Dantonio's future is a popular topic right now.

Assuming Dantonio is not back, MSU would have an interesting candidate pool. Fickell has the exact same profile as Dantonio --- former Ohio State defensive coordinator who then became Cincinnati's head coach. He's also very close to Dantonio. Would MSU pursue Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, Dantonio's longtime defensive coordinator? If the school breaks from the Dantonio tree and seeks an offensive jolt, coaches like Minnesota's Fleck (started his career at Western Michigan) and Syracuse's Dino Babers make sense.

If MSU sticks with defense, Cal's Justin Wilcox is a good option. Wilcox loved his time in the Big Ten at Wisconsin. Top defensive coordinator candidates who could fit at MSU include Oklahoma's Grinch, LSU's Dave Aranda, Texas A&M's Mike Elko and Wisconsin's Jim Leonhard.

ScruffyTheJanitor

October 28th, 2019 at 12:51 PM ^

That list for Michigan starts out fine (Stoops would be a great hire in that situation), but "Mike Tomlin" and "Dave Clawson" are...just... no. If any NFL Coach with a Michigan "affinity" would be the choice, it would be Sean Payton. I'd rather see Matt Campbell, Matt Rhule, Babers, or about a dozen other people before I'd be OK with Tomlin (who is a great pro coach) or Clawson (lol nope).

mGrowOld

October 28th, 2019 at 1:03 PM ^

You just gotta love any article that basically says...

"This thing we're wildly speculating to happen in all probability won't happen but if it DID happen this is what we think will happen next.

But it probably wont.  I mean it almost certainly wont.  But just think about what might happen if it did!"

bacon1431

October 28th, 2019 at 12:14 PM ^

I'd be curious about what Fickell would do if MSU came calling. I could see him staying at Cincinnati and hoping the OSU job comes open in the next couple years with Day leaving for the NFL, or he takes the jump the MSU and understands that he will probably never get the OSU job after that. 

Fickell would be a good hire for them too. With the current coaches at the big three in the division, I don't see MSU winning the conference in the forseeable future. While their roster is a mess right now, I can see Fickell keeping them at 8-9 wins consistently and beating one of the big 3 each season or every other. 

JPC

October 28th, 2019 at 12:38 PM ^

I'd be curious about what Fickell would do if MSU came calling.

Get a raise at Cincinnati.

MSU has never been a dream job for anyone, and it's even less desirable now than it was when Mork got hired. MSU fans have tasted success and want more, the next coach is following the best coach in MSU's history, the current roster is total shit, AND Michigan/PSU/OSU are all operating at a high level.

bacon1431

October 28th, 2019 at 12:52 PM ^

I would stay at Cincinnati, but alot of these coaches have immense confidence in their abilities and are very competitive. His ceiling at Cincy is to try and crash a NY6 Bowl every few years. But he's never going to have a perennial top 10 program there. 

Now, I think there are alot of barriers at MSU - namely Michigan, Penn St and Ohio St - to doing so at MSU, but he would also have much more access to better facilities and recruiting at MSU than he would ever get at Cincinnati. Coaches are constantly moving up to "better" jobs even when the situation isn't all that great. His salary would probably almost be doubled at MSU. Cincy can only pay so much. 

Now, the one thing that would really hold him back form going there is instability in the administration. No permanent AD in place. University as a whole dealing with scandals. You take a job, you want some stability when you get there. 

wolverinestuckinEL

October 28th, 2019 at 1:33 PM ^

I could be convinced either way if it's easier to recruit at MSU or Cincy.  Dantonio has never recruited spectacularly there.  He's needed down years from Michigan to pull top in state guys and then grab the leftovers from OSU.  Ohio has better in state talent and should be able to support multiple top 25 teams if they could keep the rest of the big ten out.  If Fickell can accomplish that to a degree at cincy his ceiling might actually be higher there.

MGoBlue96

October 28th, 2019 at 12:46 PM ^

Is Texas one of the teams with a hypothetical coaching change? You have to wonder how much rope they are going to give Tom Herman if he loses 4 or more games again. It is insane to me that if Texas loses another game this year they would have lost 4 or more games every year since 2010. Made the national media should redirect some of their negativity about Harbaugh to some other coaches/programs that are underachieving to an even larger degree.

Swazi

October 28th, 2019 at 12:55 PM ^

For those who can’t read it, they’re calling for:

James Franklin to USC

One of Moorehead, Rhule, Campbell, OT Fickell to Penn State

FSU fires Willie

Hires one of Mark Stoops, Rhule, either of Clemson’s coordinators, PJ Fleck, Cristobal, or Leach to replace him.

Lincoln Riley goes to the NFL

Oklahoma hires one of Venables, Matt Campbell, Fuente at VT, or promote Grinch.

Michigan and Harbaugh mutually agree to part ways if he loses to Ohio State.

Replaced by one of Bob Stoops, Matt Campbell (they say Michigan is one of his preferred destinations), Rhule, Dave Clawson of Wake Forrest, and.....Mike Tomlin of the Steelers.

Mork Dantoni doesn’t come back, MSU is in flux because they still don’t have a permanent AD in place.

 

Names they’d look at are Fickell, Narduzzi, Fleck, Justin Wilcox (Cal to MSU seems like a lateral move to me), and Dino Babers. DC names they drop that could be a match for MSU include Grinch, Elko, Aranda, Leonhard.

 

Id assume they hire Narduzzi.

The Pharaoh of Filth

October 28th, 2019 at 1:59 PM ^

I firmly believe these guys know they are doing what they are doing just to get clicks.

This is really, really irresponsible journalism. I used to get sick of the ESPN DERP threads, because, well, why talk about that poop especially when everyone here claims to hate it so much.

But geezus they have no shame.