Mattison plans to retire here, Borges thinks he'll stick around too; and Lloyd thought last year was good & stuff

Submitted by M-Wolverine on

Not shocking news, but from the horse's mouth Mattison plans on retiring here.

http://annarbor.com/sports/um-football/dc-greg-mattison-says-hell-finis…

More interesting is that even though he knows he's getting up there, he hasn't lost his love (came back from his vacation early to watch film), and doesn't have a set age, just as long as his health lets him (because he can't see himself doing anything else).

Borges doesn't completely close the door on a great opportunity opening up for himself, but isn't looking and sounds like he'd be very satisfied with his career ending here.

AA.com also gives a summary of a Lloyd radio interview. Obviously thinks Hoke did a tremendous job last year in a lot of facets, and expects him to keep it up in the future. He likes his coaching staff.

http://annarbor.com/sports/um-football/ex-coach-lloyd-carr-discusses-mi…

Mostly boilerplate, but football stuff in any regard.

angry byrne

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:04 PM ^

Unless my reading comprehension is terrible (which is always possible) the article said that Borges is 49.  I couldn't believe it, so I looked at wikipedia (great source, I know) and it said that he was 56, which sounds more reasonable.  Anyone know which one is correct?

Tater

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:06 PM ^

Mattison obviously wouldn't have come back if he wasn't in it for the long haul, but it's great that it's finally "official."  Borges will provide stability, though we have yet to see what he can or can't do, because he doesn't have "his personnel" yet.  

Brady Hoke's best case scenario is to keep them both for as long as they want to coach.  That way, he can continue to concentrate on being a great motivator and being a consummate closer in recruiting.

triguy616

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:12 PM ^

I like how in the second picture subtitle, they point out Borges ("Offensive coordinator Al Borges, left..."), as if anyone would mistake Denard Robinson for Al Borges.

LSAClassOf2000

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:21 PM ^

Beyond the reasons mentioned in the article, I also believe some of Mattison's family is within earshot of of Ann Arbor, as I recall, and that he has said in other interviews that he would like to be closer to them now as well. Still, it is great to hear that he would like to stay as long as he can physically hold out essentially, and that Borges said that he would be happy if his career ended here (without making the declaration that it would, of course). To have that sort of continuity is more difficult now in programs, it seems, so we're definitely fortunate to have / inspire that level of dedication.

State Street

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:24 PM ^

The last HC position he was a real finalist for was the Portland State job in 2010.  That's a FCS job that would pay him probably no more than 200,000, if he was lucky, as a first time HC.

He makes 350,000 base at Michigan doing a lot less work. 

You be the judge.

BloomingtonBlue

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:23 PM ^

But once Brady Hoke builds his own brand and becomes of the nations elite coaches in the eyes of recruits then Mattison and his image become less important. Best case scenario Mattison is around for another 3-5 years and during that time Brady becomes a coach, players will go to Michigan just to play for him. Ex. Saban.

FrankMurphy

August 2nd, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^

What? You realize that he engineered a UCLA offense that put up 40+ points a game and an Auburn offense that put up 30+ points a game (not to mention went undefeated), right? And that he turned Cade McNown and Jason Campbell into first round draft picks? And that our offense in 2011 actually averaged more points per game than it did in 2010, despite dropping the no-huddle? His bad offenses were at pre-Tedford Cal, Indiana (both conference bottom-dwellers), and his last year at Auburn. And as mediocre as Auburn's offense was in his final year, it fell off a cliff after he left. 

The only knock against him is that he's not a recruiter, but we have so many crack recruiters on our staff that it doesn't matter. If you give him good talent, he'll maximize its potential. His track record proves that.  

Section 1

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:43 PM ^

Michigan's starting quarterback against Ohio State in 2008 was redshirt freshman Nick Seridan.  NICK.  SHERIDAN.

Michigan's starting quarterback against Ohio State in 2011 was junior Denard Robinson.  DENARD.  ROBINSON.

That's not just a difference in scheme, or conforming an offensive plan to certain players.  That's the difference between losing 42-7 and winning 40-34. 

Section 1

August 2nd, 2012 at 1:24 PM ^

That's part of why he has such great appreciation for what Brady Hoke accomplished in his first year as Michigan's coach: 11-2 record, beat Ohio State and won a Sugar Bowl championship.

And he did it with players who were chewed up their previous three seasons.

"In my judgment, what he did last year was really special because he came in and he took a group of kids that he hadn't recruited and he earned their trust and their respect, and you could see the way they played," Carr said Tuesday during an interview on the Huge Show.

"I mean, that team played hard from start to finish, and I think that's a mark of a coach. Do your players play hard all the time?"

Part of what stunted former coach Rich Rodriguez's tenure was the team's slow start in 2008, when it went a program-worst 3-9.

Rodriguez insisted on running his spread-option offense, even though he had players -- and especially quarterbacks -- better equipped for a more traditional pro-style offense. He said it would help expedite Michigan's move to the new offense -- and it proved to be true, as the Wolverines put up big offensive numbers in 2009 and 2010.

But 2008 was a black mark.

Carr said he believes Michigan was so successful in Hoke's first season because he didn't ask players to operate a system that wasn't fit for their skill sets -- particularly dual-threat quarterback Denard Robinson.

"I think they did a tremendous job offensively, utilizing Denard (and) what he can do, as opposed to trying to force him to try to do things they'd like to do," Carr said in the interview.

http://annarbor.com/sports/um-football/ex-coach-lloyd-carr-discusses-mi…

Second link posted by M-Wolverine in the original post.

Blue boy johnson

August 2nd, 2012 at 3:05 PM ^

Hey! I'm not the one who ran Mallet out of town with a pitchfork and recruited Feagins. See, Hoke is much more intelligent because he didn't decide to run Denard out of town and go with Jack (God bless him) Kennedy. Horse sense: Hoke got it in spades.

M-Wolverine

August 2nd, 2012 at 3:40 PM ^

You'd have a 3 part diary on how they're criminals and Brian should sue them out of existence.  Kyle Meinke probably cares about you as much as Dave Brandon or anyone else involved in Michigan Athletics does...which is not a lick.

Jon06

August 2nd, 2012 at 4:39 PM ^

Surely you love the quality of journalism you can get in the free news market, unrestricted by the Fairness Doctrine!

(Go on and delete this, mods, but you know Section 1 loves it.)

BluCheese

August 2nd, 2012 at 2:17 PM ^

Denard Robinson, who would have been Sheridanesque if they had tried to shoe horn him into their preferred offense that didn't suit him.  Flexibility, the new boys have it.

Just when I think you've given up your obsession and become the valuable poster you can be out comes the hobby horse, the rusty sword, and you tilt at windmills that have long fallen to dust.

Section 1

August 2nd, 2012 at 2:55 PM ^

Your equating Denard Robinson and Nick Sheridan. You did it, and so did Kyle Meinke, in reverse.  I didn't raise the subject of any former coach; Meinke did.  I didn't criticize Brady Hoke either.

I'm not sorry; I am just calling out bullshit whenever I see it.

BluCheese

August 2nd, 2012 at 4:53 PM ^

The point I think you missed it.  Denard Robinson, as a first year qb in the West Coast system that Brady and Borges want to employ, would have been an unmitigated disaster. 

I love Denard and I think he's going to be fantastic in the hybrid system that will be used this year.  You know, that system that was adapted to the players abilities.

Section 1

August 2nd, 2012 at 5:34 PM ^

has two sides.  The presumption that Nick Sheridan is a near-equal to Denard Robinson, if only for the right system, is nuts.  The presumption that 2008 would have been "fine" as opposed to "terrible" if only for a different set of offensive plays, is nuts.  The presumption that 2008 wasn't worth it, to put together the fine '09 and '10 offenses, is nuts.

BluCheese

August 3rd, 2012 at 9:29 AM ^

Of course Sheridan isn't comparable to Denard.  I'm saying that inflexibility doomed RR.  Nick Sheridan was chosen because he was the closest thing on the roster to a dual threat qb which tells you right there what offense we shouldn't have been running.  2008 was not worth going 5 wins and 7 wins in the following two years and getting embarrassed by a middle of the road SEC team.  RR sacrificed everything on the altar of his offense.  He's a one trick pony. 

cm2010

August 3rd, 2012 at 4:19 PM ^

seems pretty silly. I don't think it was that side of the ball that was his problem. He put together a ferrari of an offense in 3 years. That's impressive. He created a defense in 3 years that was so bad high school coaches couldn't match it's level of incompetence. That's not impressive.

Arguing over which offense he should've run is like making a decision about what girl to take home based on how their hair looks, when one weighs 300 pounds and the other has the body of a Colombian.