Please Stop Pining for Luke Fickell
Yes, I want a reboot and Harbaugh out, but the pining for Luke Fickell is ridiculous.
Every year there is a new hot coach that goes up in flames at his next gig or simply has 1 good year (Tom Herman, PJ Fleck, Scott Frost!, etc, etc). Hell, even Brady Hoke had his "poop gold" year.
We brought in a guy with years of proven success, and we are in year 6 and stuck in mediocrity. It's a total dong punch, but hiring an OSU retread that was passed over by one of the greatest football minds and modern era college football coaches (Urbz) for Ryan Day, should tell us something. Urbz knows football, Urbz knows coaching acumen.
I have no idea who we can get, but Fickell is definitely not taking us where Meyer, Saban and Sweeney go. That said, more than coaching needs to be addressed as well.
First, the AD needs to commit to winning, SEC/OSU style - yes, win at all costs. If we don't do this, 10-3 is our ceiling regardless who coaches the program.
We need a young, innovative, and energetic recruiter (assuming we don't get Saban, Urbz, or Dabo - the pipe dream choices). I would go after someone off the Saban coaching tree if possible.
Whatever it is, Fickell is Brady Hoke with a headset - so unless he manages to poach half of OSU's staff, he's not the answer.
November 1st, 2020 at 11:49 AM ^
And you know he is potentially not the answer... how exactly?
November 1st, 2020 at 11:59 AM ^
He couldn't beat Hoke coached team with Braxton Miller....
November 1st, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
The dude was an 38 year old interm who was obviously not ready at that time. That doesn't mean he hasn't improved.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:33 PM ^
To be fair, as Michigan fans, improvement/development are foreign concepts.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:28 PM ^
I have never seen a fanbase that thinks their too good for so many candidates, yet the coaches largely responsible for UM's decline were unknown at the time...Tressel to start and then Dantonio.
And maybe now freaking Mel Tucker!
November 1st, 2020 at 12:45 PM ^
He has clearly improved, and would immediately have a significant impact in recruiting Ohio. His Cincy squad would have beat UM last year and would roll them this year. Cincy doesn’t have a “money cannon”, or anything even resembling our facilities or resources, yet we would lose to them on the field. He would be a huge upgrade to Harbaugh.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
He was a one year caretaker. He was not allowed to hire his own coaching staff. They never intended for Fickel to be the head coach. Looking at his Cincy program, he appears to be following in the footsteps of D'Antonio and Kelly.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Because we want SEC results and he's not that coach.
This loss was the worst of the Harbaugh era, no doubt, but if you give him a mulligan on yesterday, UM is performing exactly as it should given the AD constraints.
Stop expecting Bama, OSU, Clemson results if you don't want to play by those rules. Nobody else in CFB has been able to break through consistently (and some like UGA and SEC are trying like hell), so the expectation that UM can is unrealistic.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:04 PM ^
I thought the guy Michigan brought in was going to give us SEC results? Like, championships and tons of success? Unless I was mistaken?
At the end of the day, no one has any clue how a new coach will perform in a new situation. Coaches with low expectations have done great, coaches with high expectations have underperformed. Trying to predict success is impossible.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^
Fickell is not the answer.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:08 PM ^
Never said he was. I don't know who is. But already assuming he would fail before even given a chance is non-sensical.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:08 PM ^
Sorry for the dup.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:13 PM ^
Neither is Harbaugh
November 1st, 2020 at 12:58 PM ^
I don't expect Bama, OSU, Clemson results. I expect player development and motivation with the very good level of recruits we can obviously land at Michigan without cheating. The development part of that equation has been missing lately.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:12 PM ^
Maybe they get better results because they have better coaches.
Michigan fans keep falling back on the cheating thing. If that makes you feel better.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
LF is a staunch Catholic. He also does not care about $, or the difference between 20-40m I should say. He will only go to ND, O$U, or another city with crazy Catholic background. I didn't realize Cincy was such a large Catholic area, and LF loves it there and so does his family. LF will not coach at Michigan under any circumsatnces.
Personally, and I'm sure I will get killed for this but I want JH to stay and get this thing back on the tracks. My personal opinion is he will be sick of hearing all the BS and bail after next year (also his water polo daughter senior year). From there my list would be, first making coaches say no.
Saban, Dabo, Payton, McVay
Once all the above say yes or no
Joe Brady, Josh McDaniels, O'Brien and Dan Mullen
if we still have no luck
Gase, Gundy, Venebles.
Cheers
November 1st, 2020 at 12:28 PM ^
Harbaugh is also a crazy catholic.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:40 PM ^
Why all the religious bashing here? So Dabo is crazy baptist (not sure) but he WINS!!
November 1st, 2020 at 12:52 PM ^
Maybe hire a coach who is Protestant?
November 1st, 2020 at 1:19 PM ^
I think we need a Buddhist at this point to fix our relationship with the universe.
Karma has not been kind to us these past 2 decades.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:29 PM ^
What is so pious about O$U that would compel staunch catholics to coach there?
November 1st, 2020 at 12:40 PM ^
JH put it somewhat back on the tracks and then ran the train into the forest.
He doesn't get to put it back on the tracks- he had his chance.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:12 PM ^
None of those second or third guys are as good as Harbaugh.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:22 PM ^
These options are either wholly unattainable (first list) or just plan bad fits for Michigan.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:26 PM ^
I live in NY. Jets fan since before they were the Jets (Titans). He’s right up there on the all time worst Jet coaches. And that’s saying something with such past failures as Kotite, Charley Winner, Lou Holtz, etc. No way. Are you kidding?
November 1st, 2020 at 2:03 PM ^
I have to say this a pretty disappointing list coming from you. For starters Gase is a complete loon and should not be under any kind of consideration. Also not a fan B.O.B. , sure he’s a better coach than GM but I’m not sure he’s that great of a coach either. Also don’t see him having a ton of recruiting appeal.
I think Brady and Bienemy should probably be targets 1a and1b but they are both liking to get NFL jobs. McDaniels is interesting but risky. He has that kind of shyster persona that seems to lead to a lot of success at the college level. Plus there’s the Brady and brother connections already in place.
In all honesty there’s not a ton of big name guys who are also realistic that are really that thrilling. I think a deep search is going to be needed and awards might have to take a chance on a guy.
I believe they will use covid/2020 as an excuse and probably throw Don Brown under the bus. Harbaugh will get 1 more year like it or not
this was in response to Ghost
November 1st, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
Another incredible thread. Michigan is not gonna go SEC/OSU style. That’s changing an entire university’s mindset, not a football program’s. This loss blew and is unacceptable. Don’t care if he’s fired or not. This is exactly where we’ve been historically and where we will always be. Maybe NIL out did closer to even since we cna then spend like crazy.
November 1st, 2020 at 11:54 AM ^
This is not where Michigan "has always been". Michigan competed with the likes of OSU in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. Michigan has a budget and has shown a willingness to spend, albeit not effectively.
I don't want to sit around being a nihilist about the program. Things can change and things can improve, it will just take a complete culture change. Maybe it isn't likely, but this is a Michigan blog and we should discuss these things.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:08 PM ^
They always had less talent than OSU, the gap was just smaller. It’s not bigger because we recruit worse, it’s bigger because they recruit better. This is EXACTLY who we’ve been. Again, yesterday should’ve been a walk in the park. No disagreement there, but overall harbaugh has returned us to where we’re historically at, outside of OSU but they’re in the midst of their greatest run in 40 years. With the constraints set by school culture, I’m of the opinion it’s not worth the risk of the VERY small chance we strike gold and VERY large chance we get someone who does worse. But I’m cool with either.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:23 PM ^
Last time I checked 2-12 against the top ten is not our historical norm, 1-4 in bowl games is not our historical norm, 1-3 against MSU at home in 6 years is not our historical norm. Sorry, but this "historical norm" thing is factually false.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:41 PM ^
This. This. This. Thank you.
We also used to have stars on both sides of the ball...guys who would put up crazy numbers and explosive highlight reels. Now it seems like everything is by committee and our top receiver will have about half the rec yards of a Braylon Edwards, David Terrell, or hell, even a Jason Avant! And this is 2020, where we play more games and offenses have to be explosive...
I feel like the program lost its identity in Columbus in 2006. I really felt like Harbaugh would give us an identity again, but he looks pretty lost, himself.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:31 PM ^
Michigan hasn’t had a star or true difference maker on offense since Denard. Just years and years of entirely meh WRs and RBs.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:12 PM ^
The fundamental problem is that we're not facing those same OSU teams from the 80/90s. Since 2012 OSU has won over 90% of its games and is recruiting at an unbelievable level for a Midwestern school. I think we may need an unforced error on their end to get back into the series.
PSU's current program probably represents about what we can hope to achieve. But while they've been more competitive in their games with OSU than we have, they aren't winning them either. And they just lost to IU.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:38 PM ^
^^^ This. ^^^
In the modern era OSU has always had a higher ceiling. They've arguably raised it the past few years.
Michigan at its best (which Harbaugh hasn't reached IMO) is going to fall short of that.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:08 PM ^
Michigan used to consistently beat MSU so I'd say it's not where they've always been.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:19 PM ^
And I’d argue here that yea the loss sucked but the last 2 years are more likely what we’d have going forward than this. I get your pissed. I am too, but shit happens. 2020 COVID year, to me personally, is not the one to judge off of
November 1st, 2020 at 11:52 AM ^
Who's pining for Luke Fickell?
November 1st, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
I’ve seen his name thrown around a little as a possible replacement by fans. Fans are just so disgusted by yesterday’s game, that we’re throwing names out there and seeing if they’ll stick. I’d go after Urban Meyer, but if feel that would never happen by the administration. They like Jim and his steady hand.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
Yeah for sure- love that steady hand of constantly falling short of expectations. Nothing like it.
November 1st, 2020 at 1:51 PM ^
I am always puzzled by this kind of remark. What makes you think that Urban would coach at UM? While he totally respects the program, he can't stand it. They are the enemy to him. And no amount of money will ever change that. My other question is how UM fans can pine for Urban when for seven years, all you guys did was complain about what a cheater and a scumbag he is. Just sayin'.
November 1st, 2020 at 11:54 AM ^
I think you got this backward. We know this is as good as it gets with JH. Fickell could do better or could be worse but I'm pretty sure any reasonably competent coach can give us exactly what we're currently getting.
November 1st, 2020 at 11:55 AM ^
Your premise makes zero sense. When woody was destroying Michigan we went out and took a former osu assistant. Like might not be the answer but there’s no reason not to try
November 1st, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
Is "pining for Fickell" similar to a "dead parrot pining for the fjords"?
November 1st, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
I dont think we should go after a coach from the Saban tree . Have any of them been succesful outside of Bama ? Bama OSU and now Clemson have built programs that , it doesnt matter who coaches them. They will be successful , more succesfsul than us .
I would like a coach who can outcoach the rest , but even then we wont compete year in , year out with the above mentioned teams .
November 1st, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
Even though hiring a coach from the Saban tree guarantees nothing, I'd do that a dozen times before even thinking about hiring from the Bill Belichick tree.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:11 PM ^
Clemson is in a weak ass conference ans Dabo took 8 years.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:29 PM ^
Dabo went 11-2 in his sixth year and in his seventh year beat OSU in the Orange Bowl.
November 2nd, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
He also took over at... Clemson, who hadn't won a conference since like 1991 and had one national championship in their history.
November 1st, 2020 at 11:59 AM ^
We will likely need to wait to see how this season plays out. If it continues badly with another OSU pummeling and season ending bowl loss, I really wonder if a contract extension will be offered to JH. W. Manuel may be pushed to make a change and the 7th and final year of the JH contract never realized.
November 1st, 2020 at 12:10 PM ^
Warde Manuel might be smarter than we realize in not extending Harbaugh.