Interesting Josh Pate take on the Harbaugh situation
He says if the job comes open we would be surprised on the coaches that would be interested
January 4th, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
You'd be excited about old coaches with 300k miles on them?
January 4th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
My dad’s car reached 300k miles. He donated it at 301k miles.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:32 AM ^
The thing is, it doesn't matter whether we get big names interested in the job. It is whether we find a fit that can keep things going at Michigan and figure out the recipe to win in Ann Arbor. Michigan was plum job in 2008 as well when Lloyd retired and everyone thought Rich Rod was a home run hire. Seven years of horror later they were lucky to have the moronic 49er ownership run Harbaugh out of town, and it still took him, one of the best football coaches ever, seven years to return the program to where it was when Lloyd retired.
A great coach and a great brand with great history doesn't automatically translate into a great program. There is a lot of weird voodoo involved and when you've found it you should do your damnedest to keep it.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:46 AM ^
Did everyone really think that Rich Rod was a homerun hire?
January 4th, 2023 at 10:48 AM ^
At the time, yes. He had been an incredible offensive innovator, West Virginia was perennially in the Top 5 and most people were desperate for Michigan to move into the run spread as it was all the rage. Most people were really excited about the hire until like half the team transfered and then everybody was like.... "huh."
January 4th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
I mean, at the time he was one of if not the hottest names in college football. He almost took the Alabama job.
Not saying that everyone thought he couldn't fail, but it certainly wasn't a Brady Hoke level hire.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:54 AM ^
At the time, it was Peanut Butter Jelly Time.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
I definitely did.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
Hard to say what would have happened if he didn't get Rosenberg'd.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
He would have been Schlissel’d. RichRod also enjoyed having “knishes” with his female subordinates.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
Unless I missed something, there is no accusation - let alone proof - that he did this at Michigan. Chances are pretty good, I mean you don't just start being misogynistic all of a sudden. But still nothing from his time at Michigan that points to it.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:41 PM ^
True, but it seemed like everyone in the AD hated the dude and I doubt that was all just about him being a bumpkin.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
IIRC Alabama offered RichRod before they offered Saban, but were turned down.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:34 AM ^
I think it took Harbaugh *one* year (10-3 in 2015) to get the program back to where Lloyd left it. (Please recall the difference between early Lloyd and late Lloyd.) Absent the COVID disaster year, they were pretty similar pre-2021.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
There’s really not much of a difference between early Lloyd and late Lloyd if we’re being perfectly honest. 97 was a magical season, but aside from that he was pretty consistent in getting 8-10 wins every year with the exception of 12-0 in ‘97, 7-5 in 2005 and 11-2 in 2006.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:32 AM ^
Agree that all coaches outside the top 5-10 would coach here. But who does that leave us with? Is there any coach 11-25 that one would want? Sure Willie Fritz would quit his job tomorrow to come to Michigan. That doesn't mean it makes sense.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:36 AM ^
Meh.... I'm sure we'll all be surprised. Funny that folks spill on Harbaugh interest elsewhere, but they're all considerate and quiet on the splash names they "know" would be interested if Michigan called.
If it does happen, maybe there's an SEC coach that would leave if the right job opened up, and Auburn just wasn't it. Empty the money cannon (we always assume is there) on Lane Kiffin. I'd be willing to bet there wouldn't be some extreme talent exodus or recruiting drop off if you pull a name like that... it likely gives an immediate boost with transfers and recruits coming with.
Now, if I'd be willing to bet we could get Lane Kiffin or someone like that is a different story.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:41 AM ^
Lane Kiffin would be Rich Rod 2.0.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:44 AM ^
Wow I thought Mack Brown would have been the worst head coach suggestion.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:07 AM ^
Lane Kiffin would be the guy. He is going to win at the highest levels and would be an immediate upgrade in terms of recruiting. As good as we have been over the past two years, we have struggled recruiting talent.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:18 AM ^
Lane Kiffin would not be the guy. Suggesting Lane Kiffin shows a complete lack of understanding about Michigan's principles and risk mitigation when it comes to head coaches. There is a zero percent chance that a Lane Kiffin or Hugh Freeze, or any major name with a checkered past will be coaching Michigan football. It will not happen.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
This is what I love about CC speculation. Someone posts a name they are POSITIVE would be PERFECT, and others think it's the ABSOLUTE WRONG guy.
January 4th, 2023 at 1:14 PM ^
Checkered past... LOL! Don't put Kiffen and Freeze in the same zip code - Kiffen has never preached God and then bought hookers.
I'd be happy with Kiffen at this point in his career.
January 4th, 2023 at 1:17 PM ^
I'm not crazy about Lane but yeah let's not compare him to Hugh Freeze. That's incredibly ignorant.
January 4th, 2023 at 1:25 PM ^
if we're trying to pinpoint the exact moment when the entire "will he or won't he" discussion jumped the shark and became completely fucking stupid, i nominate "let's get lane kiffin.'
we can all go home now, as if we couldn't already.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:34 PM ^
Lane Kiffin? You have to be kidding? Id take 4 coaches on our staff right now over him. Id rather someone does their best to maintain this then "Lets see if this works out". Any new path has a very distinct possibility of being much worse than the one we are on now. I wish CO-HC was a thing because I would be happy with a Minter/Moore/Hart/Clinkscale duo with the other two being retained.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:44 AM ^
HC Grass Eating Les Miles
OC Clapping Brady Hoke
DC Undead GERG
January 4th, 2023 at 10:47 AM ^
If Harbaugh leaves my guess would be Weiss and Minter follow.
Moore HC, Hart OC, and Clink at least remains Co-DC. From a recruiting standpoint you throw in Bellamy, that is very very strong and attractive
January 4th, 2023 at 10:53 AM ^
Hard to say with Minter. He seems like much more of a college football guy than Macdonald ever was on his best day
January 4th, 2023 at 11:01 AM ^
Trying to run the same offense without Harbaugh is unlikely to go well
January 4th, 2023 at 11:13 AM ^
I just don't think Harbaugh ran much of an offense. Give the ball to Corum 40 times per game. When Corum went down it became a dumbed down air raid attack.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:42 PM ^
I don’t think Minter is going to the NFL, so he would have to leave for a different t college spot.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:49 AM ^
Doesn’t matter because Warde would fail to land any of them
January 4th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
He did land Harbaugh....
January 4th, 2023 at 10:56 AM ^
no he didn't.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:13 AM ^
Whoops.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:56 AM ^
I'm not sky is falling on Warde, but he wasn't AD when Harbaugh was hired.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
Why the hell are people so hard on Warde? He has top-tier coaches. What has he done wrong? Why do people automatically blame the AD for this sort of thing? It's so lazy.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:53 PM ^
he catches hell because he's chubby.... and he didn't fire Mel fast enought.... he waited too long to say something about something else and he didn't give JH and ultimatum last year...
did i miss anything?
January 4th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
This is all super fucking annoying
January 4th, 2023 at 10:51 AM ^
Certainly Michigan is a far more attractive job now that it was in 2010 or 2015. Between what Harbaugh has built, a more athletics-friendly university president, and a roster built to win right now, there will be big names available if Harbaugh (sadly) decides to go
January 4th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
Lane Kiffin please.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:14 AM ^
The only reason Kiffen gets negged is because of his history. The guy was a combustible blowhard back in the day, but honestly he was just a less experienced, and louder, version of Harbaugh. We LOVED whenever Harbaugh threw a haymaker via twitter, but we chastised Kiffen for doing the same. Nonetheless, the guy has grown up quite a bit and is a very good coach. His offense is balanced and good. He needs a better DC, but he at least gives some credence to that side of the ball - very much unlike Lincoln Riley and his various offensive doppelgangers.
I'd be okay with Lane Kiffen...
January 4th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
Given the list of potential (realistic) candidates, Kiffin would have to be towards the very top of the list. I like his offense, and Michigan has the talent to make that a seamless transition. Hire a good DC and you’re in business.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:53 AM ^
I mean this doesn't really shock me. Michigan is a great job right now. Basically have a roster with almost zero holes, coming off of back to back CFP births, rising junior 5* QB and RB (with Heisman finalist RB maybe returning), and wouldn't be shocked if we were ranked preseason #1 next year
January 4th, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
Can you count on that as new head coach? Look what happened to Oklahoma. I think it's highly likely that the players with options leave. They want to play for a coach that they chose.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:11 AM ^
Haven't we had enough experience with coaching changes to understand what happens? Some players leave. New players arrive. Sometimes it's a step back. Sometimes it's an improvement and recruiting soars. Depends on the new coach.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:54 AM ^
I'd take Kalen DeBoer but I would be surprised to see him leave the west coast. Michigan would get Courtney Morgan back for recruiting purposes.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
Prime Time?
January 4th, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
I'm more concerned by the people who do the hiring..the candidates would be there.