Poggi running his program like Michigan!!
https://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-wolverines/news/michigan-wolverines-football-biff-poggi-talks-jim-harbaugh-charlotte/Came across this article and thought it was good insight to Poggi and Jim and how Poggi helped Jim be a better coach.
August 11th, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
If anyone has a better title I am more then willing to edit it if this one isn't a good one. I wish this article went into a little more depth at what Poggi told him and stuff like that. I hope he has success at Charlotte and I know I will be keeping an eye on them for as long as he is there.
August 11th, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^
It's not a terrible title, it's just very vague, especially for those of us who have no intention to actually click that link. "Running his program like Michigan" could mean a lot of things. And given that Poggi is now at UNC-Charlotte, I strongly doubt he has the resources to do a vast majority of what he might like to do "like Michigan."
August 11th, 2023 at 2:20 PM ^
I assumed running the program like Michigan would entail buying three hamburgers and the program getting the death penalty.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:33 PM ^
People often make the joke about how the NCAA was so mad at Kentucky (basketball) for violations that they dropped the hammer on (insert obscure irrelevant program). These days, I assume that if (obscure irrelevant program) breaks some rules the NCAA will punish Michigan.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:39 PM ^
Of course the resources he has can't allow him do stuff form a financial side but as far as hiring coaches and getting the right players and then the way he runs practices and other stuff that doesn't cost money is what Biff is going to do. His comment about recruiting a kid went something like I want good kids with a good head on their shoulders and then we will look at the football aspect of it. Of course that isn't entirely true but what he is saying is he isn't going to take talented players if they don't fit the culture especially if they cause trouble or aren't the right fit. That is part of the reason Michigan doesn't offer every 5 star as if they don't fit the culture they won't make an exception for a 5 star just because he is talented. What is they saying one bad egg can ruin the the rest?
August 11th, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^
I always find this one interesting. I have yet to find a coach to proclaim we are recruiting bad kids who don't have a brain and could care less about football but are athletic freaks. Ok maybe Miami 1990s. But isn't almost everyone trying to find kids who love the sport and want it and care about it yada yada yada.
August 11th, 2023 at 3:54 PM ^
I think a program 60 miles east of the Big House might argue with you about this. You know, the program that had kids arrested for attacking opposing players with helmets?
August 11th, 2023 at 4:18 PM ^
North-west. 70 mile-ish along 94 and US-127.
August 11th, 2023 at 5:50 PM ^
I don't think they need to bother with that crap at the top SEC schools. :)
August 11th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
I mean you put a working link in the post and it’s relevant to Michigan football so this is like an A+ post already
August 11th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
P.S. But at least your title wasn't "BIFF POGGI!!!"
August 11th, 2023 at 2:05 PM ^
My complaint is over the haphazard use of exclamation points.
August 11th, 2023 at 1:29 PM ^
There shall be at least ONE non UM team that I will slightly root for!
August 11th, 2023 at 1:53 PM ^
Or could Jim now be running his program like Poggi?
August 11th, 2023 at 2:13 PM ^
Idk, I was a bit skeptical of the reporting from The Athletic & Feldman that kept crediting Poggi single-handily as the “secret weapon” for the overhaul of the program. I’m sure he was quite beneficial and helpful but it read as a piece helped to get him a HC job. It seemed to shortchange the revamp of the coaching staff JH did (which included hiring Poggi) and the staff itself. It also painted Harbaugh as kinda incompetent, which doesn’t align with his 19 years of head coaching experience which includes turning San Diego into an 11 win team, Stanford into a 12 win and top 5 team, and SF into a perennial SB contender with 3 NFC titles & 1 SB appearance. Remember, JH always gives his staff & players all the credit and takes all the blame even when it’s clearly not true…
August 11th, 2023 at 2:33 PM ^
What stood out to me is that Harbaugh trusted Biff so much that he told him to tell him like he saw it or others and didn't care if it hurt his feelings or was way different then Jim would have done it in the past or etc m. Also Buff acknowledges that Harbaugh isn't your typical Head Coach who need constant validation or him to be called coach or needs his players to clap when he walks in the room like Row your boat guy does. To me it shows Jim is humble and is who he is. Also Buff mentions how intelligent Jim is which I always thought Jim probably had an IQ greater then almost any head coach in football and that is why he comes off the way he does. Biff seems like a guy who just tells it like it is and take no BS. I loved his press conference when he got pissed and walked away because they only had 3 questions for him. He took it as they were disrespecting his players and team. Anyways the more I read about Jim and the way Michigan seems to run its program compared to others makes me proud to be an alum and diehard Michigan fan.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:49 PM ^
The little piece at the end on how he builds his staff and recruits by "looking for good men and good kids" and figuring out who can play/coach from there was illuminating as well. Clearly strong culture is the very top priority.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
I didn't read that at all. Jim has a different personality - he can be good natured, empathetic, and high IQ but lagging in emotional intelligence or conversational ability. Some people are like that. If you have a "bridge" personality like Poggi it can help that type of person. That's how I read the article from Athletic.
August 12th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
I never read the Athletic article I don't pay for all these sources now because soon it is going to cost money just to read from every dam website out there. But in saying that the article I mentioned was great but like I said I have no idea about the other articles. Jim even though people say he beats to his own drum pretty sure it is the saying most recruits and people love him because his values never waiver. He genuinely cares about the kids in the program and doesn't want to treat them like employees like many coaches do. He wants a family culture before anything else but that family culture leads to winning.
August 11th, 2023 at 4:31 PM ^
It could be to give Biff Pogi more visibility. To me, it was very interesting that he got hired by Charlotte soon after the write-up came out. I wish him all the best.
August 11th, 2023 at 4:58 PM ^
In the years Poggi wasn't here, Jim did some dumb stuff on his staff and had some questionable hires.
I and others have posted about this before, but quickly - the Dan Enos mess, Pep Hamilton in general, not having dedicated WR coach in 2017 with 4 top 200 WR's coming in as Freshmen, the hodgepodge Frey/Drevno OL mess, the delayed Drevno firing that killed OL recruiting for a year, bringing in zone guys (Shoop, Jean-Mary) to work under Don Brown, Shoop not actually physically coaching in 2020, letting Don Brown just not recruit any DT's over 260 lbs and CBs that could actually run, and I've probably missed a few. Poggi came back after the 2020 season, and I would say his worst hire/position appointment since then was...probably the Schemy thing? ...Which happened after Poggi left. Could all be a massive coincidence, but I doubt it.
So we'll see, but I think there was something to Poggi being the "Jim, that's dumb, don't do that" (aka, a "no" man) and the "come on guys, Jim is weird but we need to work together" man in the program.
August 11th, 2023 at 6:34 PM ^
This is a great post. How is it that I was the only one to upvote it. Poggi deserves a ton of credit to keep Jim in check a bit.
August 11th, 2023 at 1:56 PM ^
Biff came to media days last week and was pissed that the media only had three questions for him.
I'll be pulling for them to upset September Maryland.
August 11th, 2023 at 4:24 PM ^
Apparently they all have them picked to finish last which is crazy to me with how many Michigan players they imported
August 11th, 2023 at 1:57 PM ^
Thanks for posting.
Don't want a coach thinking he's King Charles III.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:31 PM ^
Nice article on how Poggi is trying to replicate the culture that has been established at Michigan. He has some talented former M players playing for UNC-Charlotte in Hill-Green, Okie-Anoma, Dent and Welschof. Will definitely be following.
August 11th, 2023 at 6:38 PM ^
If something had happened to Jim a year ago, I thought it was more likely Biff would take over, than Sherrone, Jay, or any other coach here, because he has the macro skills.
August 11th, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
Isn't this just coach "DiSrEsPeKt" speak?
August 11th, 2023 at 2:51 PM ^
Jesus Christ he is out there at every cheeseburger joint in Charlotte!!!
August 11th, 2023 at 3:54 PM ^
Since they don't have a Brown Jug in Charlotte and the program isn't super flush will Biff take his croots to Cook Out?
August 11th, 2023 at 4:33 PM ^
That ain’t no butthead running that program.
It’s probably a smidge juvenile to keep making BTTF references, but every time I see a thread about Biff Poggi, I honestly can’t help myself.
August 12th, 2023 at 1:05 AM ^
Biff Poggi is great. I wish he were still at Michigan, but wish him the best of luck in his new position. Michigan was lucky to have him for the time he was here.