Tangential fact: To me, it doesn't feel like Harbaugh has been at U-M that long --- but he's now the 3rd longest tenured coach in the B1G.
Of the 132 other FBS coaches, only 16 of them have been at their current job longer than JH (including 100% of the other FBS coaches in Washtenaw County).
I hope our success increases, that he ends up being our longest tenured coach with the most all time wins
Most importantly, I hope that nothing like this ever comes out about him or our program under his leadership
edited: I thought I had joined this blog around the time Harbaugh was becoming our coach
Frames is somehow second!
Obviously the immortal Kirk Ferentz (who survived a similar scandal) is first.
It was publicity that ended this unacceptable behavior, not conscience, and I'm glad for the publicity. We should have more of it, if cultures like this, and far worse, are to be checked and discouraged.
The defensive coordinator was advanced (for now) to head coach. Honestly that surprised me. I figured it would be a house cleaning given how blatant and pervasive this hazing scandal appears to be. Arkansas went out and hired John L Smith in 2012, Baylor hired Jim Grobe in 2016, each for one year as a temporary measure to clean up the program. Northwestern could do something similar and hire a respected coach, maybe somebody recently retired. And for what it is worth, former Northwestern WR coach Gregg Brandon retired in the last year, his final job was head coach at Colorado School of Mines.
Northwestern's admin comes out of this looking like a shitshow who tried to throw this under the rug.
Oh, Fitz....
So, does the "big brother, upperclassman" get to be the center or the quarterback?
Whoops
This is an absolute nightmare for the AD (who might get fired himself). The coaches are labeled. Really bad days for the program. Fresh start is only way forward.
Any chance they make a hard push for Sherone Moore? Any chance he would take that job?
Other than the prospect of a giant paycheck, I'd be surprised if Moore saw anything attractive in that job opening. The roster is going to be a smoking crater and it was already difficult to recruit to NW. He has a shot a NC run this year and if the offense is as good as it could be he'd be looking at much better opportunities after the season.
Very sad news and an awful, awful legacy to leave for a guy who just a week looked like he’d be there until he was 70. This has (in a lighter but still bad way) a kind of Penn State feel to it.
Obviously this year will probably be an interim guy, but that guy will probably suck due to inexperience and the crazy situation he’s being handed, and they will have a coaching search starting probably as early as mid-season. May have already started.
I don’t see Northwestern as a place any kind of fiery up and comer would want to go to as a stepping stone kind of job, scandal or no scandal it’s tough to put up a good resume there.
They are going to have to go for either another guy that loves the school (but doesn’t tolerate any kind of hazing at all), or they are going to have to find some older coach who’s already proven himself but isn’t looking for a high profile job, a la Mack Brown UNC situation. Maybe throw a little money at David Cutcliffe or something.
I read some NW people throw around Paul Chryst's name and I think that would be a nice spot for him. Knows the league, is a decent recruiter and an offensive guy, and he's a special assistant at Texas this year so probably wouldn't mind a new gig.
Chryst would be a good fit culturally I think and wouldn’t be under Wisconsin level expectations
This season will be a throwaway for the Wildcats.
Northwestern's President should be involved in the search - and, not allow wealthy donors to have any input in the process.
They should find recently retired, or released coaches with impeccable credentials (regarding off the field activities) - this includes position coaches - and, pay them a King's ransom to clean things up immediately. In parallel, they can conduct a search for the '24 season - and find someone that will fit the culture. and rebuild the program.
Dang. MSU getting an edge over their biggest rival.
Question for the MGoPsych folks.
What is the explanation as to why we, as humans, and especially as men, tend to continue to gravitate towards hazing-type activities?
I played sports through college and am a physician, so I should probably have a better understanding, but why do groups continue to have members of the group?
Great question. I think there are repressed feelings which those who coach youth extend to their teams to "make them tough". In fact, those individuals have probably underachieved in life - and view their coaching position as one of authority and expertise.
It's like sideline parents - who feel they know everything. Or, those who feel their child is really a world class athlete and being held back by a coach or two. There's plenty of responsibility to go around - and, accountability - coaches who truly understand fundamentals and are interested in teaching / guiding youth.
It does seem hazing is more strongly associated with more physical sports. - e.g. football and hockey.
Good points! I wasn’t even thinking of coaches or leaders. I was thinking of just the group mentality that somehow seems to be sort of our human experience. Is there some part of our primitive brain that is trying to test to see if people are worthy members of the tribe or pack? I don’t know.
When it comes to "the peer group who is a year or two older" - IMO, that is where it can very dangerous - especially, from a physical standpoint. You see someone who is 20 years old that says / thinks - "I went through this - and, I'm going to make it even tougher just to see how much these guys really want it." It's immature - irresponsible - etc.
Again, I think there are many activities which can support team building - and indoctrination - that don't cross a line of improper or immoral conduct. Another poster make a remark that he (and I assume the group he was associated with at Michigan) - of painting the rock while singing The Victors. IMO, that is an acceptable team building activity and can create unit cohesion.
My money is on group think also. On the one hand there is the oft repeated mantra to avoid peer pressure that is often contradicted by appeals to "community“, group identity, and "getting with the program". Nowadays it seems like with all of the emphasis on "influencers“, "personal branding“ and all other manner of non-critical thinking that revolves around group validation instead of real self esteem it’s no wonder this crap goes on. It’s why I hate collectivist mindsets. Think for yourself and try to engage your mind at least half as much as your heart and more likely than not you’ll come to good decisions.
I don't have a psych degree, but I mean. . . have you read history? Cruelty is inherent in our species.
Exactly! But why? I’m not sure what sort of primitive parts of our brain seem to lead us to engage in that sort of behavior.
And we continue to engage in it, despite the fact that we all KNOW we shouldn’t and even if we don’t. we all KNOW that we are going to be judged harshly by it.
Evolution isn't bound by logic. It can be, and at times has been, incredibly self-destructive. Based on the fossil record, we're not even the first species to drive a mass extinction, although it's been quite a while.
I believe that Fitz's coaching contract was ten years for $ 57M. So, money shouldn't be an issue.
The question will be - what does this staff look like - will the players align and play together?
It seems like the Wildcats are headed to another 1-11 season.
I walk my dog by their facility every morning. Today everyone looked absolutely dumbfounded.
The ENTIRE Northwestern football team?
Every last one! Haha
I feel bad for Fitzgerald's kid on the team.
I'm going to file this under why can't we have nice things. I have family who went to Northwestern and have a strong affinity for them. I love rooting for them after they got through their no win season(s) and actually starting playing well. Pat Fitzgerald was the perfect throwback coach and people on MGoBlog even entertained the idea of poaching him from NU.
It sucks that he let hazing go on.
I'm going to add him to my long list of musicians, actors and athletes who have disappointed me despite creating beautiful works of art. E.g. H2 hurdling a fool. Michael Jackson. Joe Paterno. Bo. David Bowie is a rapist. Mike Tyson is a rapist. Louis C.K. is a weirdo. Etc.
Sure glad he didn’t end up at Michigan!
That proposed $800 million renovation of Ryan Field……probably not.
At the end of the Northwestern Daily article it says:
"The university is also implementing a slew of changes in the wake of the hazing report. The football team will no longer hold practices at "Camp Kenosha" in Wisconsin, where some of the hazing incidents may have started; the university is creating an online space for student athletes to anonymously report incidents; mandatory anti-hazing training for all coaches, staff and athletes; and the football locker room will be monitored by someone who doesn't report to the coaching staff."
I'm curious whether the University of Michigan has an online space for student athletes OR even non-athletic dept staff to anonymously report incidents? Does UM have non-coaching staff reporting monitors of the locker room and practices?
Another coaching suggestion for fun and shooting from the hip: Gary Patterson.
He doesn’t seem to have anything to prove, he already is viewed as “washed up” so nothing to lose, he’s built a program from the ground up, seems to coach up the fundamentals well, he could continue hiding at Northwestern because no one really cares about much about their success, and he has a knack for coaching up purple teams.
however, I have no idea if his past is ethical or not.
I think they've to find their own Mike Locksley: someone, doesn't necessarily have to be an alum, of unimpeachable character who bleeds for that school (and the neighboring city) and would walk 5 miles unshod on white-hot glass to get the job. Not sure that person exists.