Next up at OC??? Weiss, Hart or an outsider?
Alright, next up. One could make the argument this had something to do with rumblings that Gattis wouldn’t be the pick if Harbaugh left and we hired internally. If that’s the case and this is an internal hire, is it safe to say the next OC is the head coach in waiting? What are the thoughts here? Some are saying Weiss. Some say Mike Hart. Do you look at Nick Sheridan at Indiana? Perhaps an outsider? What’s your vote?
February 6th, 2022 at 11:00 AM ^
I was gonna say Weiss and Moore as co-oc but they really need a passing specialist. Probably an outsider at OC and Minter at DC the next few days until we hear otherwise
February 6th, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
I would be shocked if Weiss is not the new OC. Why would Harbaugh have brought Weiss to his interview in Minnesota if he wasn't going to be his OC there? Seems like being the QB coach is a decent qualification for knowing about a passing offense.
Moore has to be the co-OC, but will he have the same role as this year with someone else calling the plays? That's my guess.
February 6th, 2022 at 12:48 PM ^
Weiss Moore Hart on staff makes Jim happy. Gattis leaving does not make Him unhappy.
February 6th, 2022 at 2:28 PM ^
I'm a leetle uncomfortable with capitalizing Him when referring to Harbaugh. Seems a bit too deferential. Now, if he'd won the CFP otoh - absolutely!
February 6th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^
Weiss is the QB coach and worked with QBs with the Ravens as well. Does he not qualify as a passing specialist?
February 6th, 2022 at 1:29 PM ^
With Lamar, ehh...
February 6th, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^
I think Charlie Weis spells his name with one s, not two. And I like it. A decided schematic advantage is something we could certainly use.
February 6th, 2022 at 3:47 PM ^
Gattis had some good offenses here, but I'm not sure they were "great" until this past season.
Harbaugh starting in 2015 before Gattis: 23, 13, 69, 15
With Gattis: 26, 31.
With Gattis and Weiss, plus Moore as co-oc and Hart as new running backs coach: 5
So is it that Gattis finally got his system in place in the 3rd year or was it a collection of Weiss, Moore, and Hart all bringing up a strong run game that carried Gattis? Lots of successful run plays had Ravens like designs to them. Moore had the offensive line playing out of their minds.
Obviously one year Michigan had a terrible season on offense with their top 2 options injured most of the year. Otherwise Harbaugh offense were better before Gattis got here. He had three seasons of 23, 13, and 15. Gattis had 26 and 31, plus Michigan redzone offense before Gattis was way better than after he got here. People act like Michigan's offense before Gattis wasn't very good. Harbaugh has always had efficient offenses, except the one season. If Michigan's next three seasons end up being 13, 15, and somewhere around that would people be happy? I believe that is good enough to win the Big Ten and get to the playoffs.
With that said JJ and/or Cade even are the bests QBs Harbaugh had had, so I could easily see them being 5-15 over the next 3 seasons and that is plenty good enough to make the playoffs. Plus Gattis wasn't really recruiting Dante Moore. If you can get whoever the new OC is after him heavily that can really help. If Michigan goes from Cade to JJ to Moore lots of people here are going to be very happy. Michigan should be a playoff contender for numerous years if they can lockdown Moore.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:37 PM ^
Weiss wouldn't be the passing specialist? He's a QB coach.
I think Weiss will be co-OC with Moore and Bellamy will move to WRs.
Minter is a S coach so he can be co-DC with Clinkscale and then go see if you can hire Osborn back to coach the EDGEs.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:00 AM ^
Nick Sheridan? Why?
February 6th, 2022 at 11:04 AM ^
I mean Indiana was a train wreck of injuries last year…..but yeah, no way man.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:18 AM ^
He also isn’t at Indiana anymore.
February 6th, 2022 at 2:04 PM ^
Right?
I have no idea why this attitude persists.......having a connection to UM and holding a coaching gig somewhere else does NOT automatically qualify you for a coaching position at Michigan.
Criteria for a coaching position at Michigan, in order:
- Demonstrably good and experienced at the coaching position in question, or stellar results one rung below/sideways to the aforementioned gig enough that elevating you is a no brainer
- Clear ability to be beneficial in a recruiting role through chops/proven wins, geographic familiarity and/or team-coach connections, flat out closing skills or any combination thereof.
- Coaching style, scheme, personality mesh with current staff and players
- No obvious baggage/history in terms of morality/douchebaggery.
- Previous connection to M as player or coach.
A simple way to test this, ask yourself "would another comparable program hire this person for the same role?" and if the answer is no, then not a good fit.
February 6th, 2022 at 3:57 PM ^
"having a connection to UM and holding a coaching gig somewhere else does NOT automatically qualify you for a coaching position at Michigan."
uh, since when?
February 7th, 2022 at 2:11 PM ^
Since the times of having a staff rife with coaches that were connected to Michigan enough to obtain positions like OC and hold onto them far beyond when it was obvious they were not good at what they were hired for.....Brady Hoke being the most shining example of that. DeBord, etc., etc.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:40 PM ^
At the same time, it's doesn't disqualify you either.
The fact that people groaned at Hart was fucking ridiculous. Same with Elston.
February 7th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
No, it wasn't. Taking a flyer on someone as HC of Michigan just because he played there would be asinine. You can't just "become" a HC of a major sports organization and magically be good at it. We all loved Mike Hart the player, but that doesn't translate to Mike Hart is the best option as HC.
Even beyond the lack of substantial experience, he would face headwinds that other coaches wouldn't.....what experienced OC/DC/up and coming positional coach would come to work for someone that has a fraction of their experience?
Not to say he couldn't be HC someday, but he needs to have a greater body of work demonstrating leadership and management skills for a larger group/organization beyond RB coach.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:01 AM ^
Good god is that Al Borgess’ music
February 6th, 2022 at 11:16 AM ^
Agh, no. Just no.
February 6th, 2022 at 1:45 PM ^
Im going to be honest... all I want from our OC is to not be an old white guy.
February 6th, 2022 at 1:53 PM ^
Evan Andy Reid or Bruce Arians????
February 6th, 2022 at 6:55 PM ^
Is Evan Andy Reid the one who killed someone in a drunk car crash?
Spelling out the whole name is what you do with serial killers..
February 6th, 2022 at 3:38 PM ^
I don't think skin color should be a job impediment.
But hey, you do you.
February 6th, 2022 at 4:49 PM ^
The classic old white guy argument.
February 6th, 2022 at 6:19 PM ^
I don't think he's eliminating all "white guys", just the old predictable type like Al Borgess.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:01 AM ^
Michigan is not going to hire an offensive coordinator who just got fired from the same job at Indiana for being extremely bad at it. I suspect Weiss or Hart, but i'd kind of be more comfortable with someone who had called an offense before.
February 6th, 2022 at 12:17 PM ^
Those were the same reasons for skepticism of the defensive coordinator hire made last winter.
February 6th, 2022 at 1:47 PM ^
I'm pretty sure Macdonald was poached from the Ravens, not fired...
February 6th, 2022 at 1:52 PM ^
What is all of the hype around Hart? I don't get it. Maybe I've missed his contributions, but what exactly has he done that people want to promote him to OC or HC? He's not anywhere on 247 recruiter rankings, the RBs were good before and after he got here, and the OL success is Sherrone Moore's.
February 6th, 2022 at 2:08 PM ^
He was a very fast riser when we hired him, everywhere he's gone he has had a ton of success very quickly. Add in the rumors he was preferred to Gattis and I see why.
February 6th, 2022 at 3:32 PM ^
The running backs were vastly improved this year, sir. I give you turnovers or lack thereof, I give you the improvements in their field vision, and I give you the general toughness that was far superior to previous years. Mike Hart is definitely a superior coach as he was a running back. It's his attitude that makes the biggest difference.
February 6th, 2022 at 4:08 PM ^
Isn't the chemistry between Harbaugh and Hart allegedly not that good? If true, how would that affect the OC role?
February 7th, 2022 at 9:52 AM ^
That was what, 15 years ago? Surely they've put that stuff to bed since, especially with JH bringing Hart onboard.
February 6th, 2022 at 5:39 PM ^
In Hart's ten seasons as a coach, Hart has tutored five 1,000-yard rushers, two Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year winners and the 2014 MAC Offensive Player of the Year.
February 6th, 2022 at 10:18 PM ^
Hart as HC was nuts.
Hart as OC is a little less nuts, but still maybe a bit nuts.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:02 AM ^
Probably Weiss. Bellemy to WR coach.
February 6th, 2022 at 12:45 PM ^
Apparently Bellamy is one of the people pissed at Harbaugh and looking around, so wouldn't count on him being part of the process
February 6th, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
I’d be furious if I was Bellamy!
February 6th, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
and you know this how?
February 6th, 2022 at 11:03 AM ^
Weiss/Hart/Sheridan
???
That has to be the worst trio of options that I've ever seen.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:03 AM ^
It'll be Weiss.
February 6th, 2022 at 12:51 PM ^
This is what Jim wants. Hope Gattis well but it was time to go.
February 6th, 2022 at 10:23 PM ^
I has to be. After all, his wikipedia page as of this moment says "Completely revamped every facet of Michigan's offensive play calling. Has also shown Jim Harbaugh how to develop a quarterback. Should be new offensive coordinator after Michigan cooled on Broyles award winner Josh Gattis." lol
February 6th, 2022 at 11:04 AM ^
I sent out a bunch of texts this last hour and people who usually get back to me ASAP have been silent. This is a REALLY strange situation it seems. Hate to pull from rumors but this might be one of those occasions where rumors were truly rooted in the truth.
If that's the case, it's going to be Weiss with a promotion of title for Hart.
February 6th, 2022 at 1:56 PM ^
Weiss and Hart are both very valuable to this program maintaining championship quality. Moore too.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:05 AM ^
I think it could be a Hart/Weiss co-coordinator or Hart as OC and Weiss as passing game coordinator
February 6th, 2022 at 11:07 AM ^
If it goes to Weiss I kinda think Hart leaves, perhaps with Gattis. Wild speculation but elevating Weiss could also impact the chemistry of the staff.
February 6th, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^
Why would promoting Weiss upset the balance more or less than promoting Hart?
February 6th, 2022 at 11:07 AM ^
Absolutely not Nick Sheridan. I'll assume that was a joke lol
I'd probably be fine with Weiss or a Weiss-Hart hybrid. Hart by himself could also be good but it seems like Weiss has had more proximity to gameplanning and playcalling both here and in the NFL, tho maybe that's just perception. This could get all tricky since Sherrone Moore is technically already co-OC. My hope would be that, out of those three guys, Harbaugh would feel like he could assemble what he needed
Unless it seemed like none of these guys could handle it, I wouldn't look externally. Continuity should be a goal right now. I'd try to promote internally and hire an ace recruiter to fill the available on-field slot