Shaka Smart interviewing Luke Yaklich for opening
Hard pass on Oats. Not better than Yaklich.
I don’t understand how interim could possibly be the best scenario in any way, shape, or form. Interim in basketball is not the same as football. And not all interims work out like OSU.
While I realize hiring a crappy coach may set the program back a few years; interim absolutely will crater the program for at least 3 years. No recruit with any professional aspirations would commit to an interim coach.
Yet another reason interim is a bad idea, at least with Washington, is that we'd lose Yaklich then for sure. Why would he stay as an asst. under an interim when he can go wherever he wants and find a more stable position?
Just hire Yaklich and get it over with. Hire a top-notch offensive AHC. Keep Bajema, sweet talk Wilson back into the fold. If Yak proves to be in over his head, fire him in two years and then the search can be conducted in March when more candidates are available.
I mean, there really ought to be some ill will toward Beilein for the timing.
im not saying he should be disavowed or become public enemy #1, we can still have a lot of appreciation and admiration for his place in Michigan b-ball history.
But he did not put Michigan in a good position timing-wise, for finding someone else, for keeping recruits, for pitching fill-in recruits like Franz or the transfers. It doesn’t override all the good he’s done, but it’s a mark against Beilein in the overall tally.
I am willing to go a step further (farther? is the metaphorical step measurable?). Here's to an 0-82 Cavs season and an unceremonious trip to the unemployment line for Mr Beilein!
The guy did a lot of great things for Michigan.....and then left in a manner that fucked it for the next 5 years. I typically am at least indifferent towards the future of past Michigan coaches, but not in this case. Somewhat fitting he is now stationed in OH.
Sorry, this is a bad take from an impatient fan. I agree Warde screwed the pooch a bit on this, but making Yak HC without a search sounds ridiculous to me.
Why? He was and is a better candidate than anyone that was reasonably available so everything you've done in the last three days is a waste of time.
If the search needed to include a cursory call to Donovan to make sure he wasn't available, fine. That could've happened in an hour.
Warde is the AD for a program with a 66 year old coach who just flirted with the NBA last year. You need a succession plan in place already.
And you have such an easy plug on the staff. Hire Yaklich.
For the record I've been saying this from the very beginning. On 5/13, I wrote:
"His success in 6 seasons at the D1 level is staggering. To see the improvement at Illinois State is remarkable and the reason he was hired at Michigan. His success at Michigan speaks for itself.
The key thing to remember about him is that he was hired by Beilein because he's a great teacher, not just an x's and o's guy. He clearly gets his guys to play hard and execute. That's the most important attribute a coach can have.
If they can't get an absolute home run like Jay Wright or Tony Bennett, they should hire Yaklich."
This isn't me reacting to Wilson decommitting and Smart trying to poach Yak. That was all obviously going to happen if Warde messed this up and dragged it out. In fact, I've been saying that Yaklich should be the successor since the end of last season.
Yak has zero experience running a college basketball program and if we are being honest, doesn’t have a whole lot of experience as an assistant either.
Does that mean he won’t be successful? Of course not. But he doesn’t have the type of resume to just award him the job without doing your due diligence on possibly better candidates.
One thing we can probably agree on, if we do lose Yak to another gig, a few years down the line we will probably end up regretting it. But that isn’t a reason to just throw a top 15 HC position at him either.
Agree. Hire Yaklich now.
Pimp hand strength:
Hackett>Shaka>Warde
So no Smart, we can confirm that the rest of Peterson/Webb stuff just rumors or nonsense? Donovan still In play!?!?! Oh we can only hope.
POWER MOVE - this makes me like Shaka more. Win/win for him.
Why couldn't this be a power move by Yaklich?
If you know you're one of the best defensive coaches in the country, why not reach out and try to get a gig at a school that can a) pay lots of money b) needs your services c) gives you the opportunity to vet your potential new boss and all the while d) turn up the heat on your current employer by signaling you aren't anybody's sure thing/backup plan.
If I'm Yaklich or his agent, I'm absolutely angling for this.
I highly doubt he reached out to Texas, but of course he's taking the interview considering he doesn't have a HC at M and doesn't appear to be on the list of candidates.
I don't know why it's all that unreasonable for Yaklich to reach out to Texas. His boss just left, the new hire is TBD, and more often than not former assistants aren't retained.
If this happened to me, the day Beilein left, my first call would be to my agent to say "find me a big time program that is interested. I don't want to wait around here to end up fired when the new guy shows up."
Totally reasonable that Texas - a school with money, facilities, and recruiting prowess that happens to be performing below expectations - would be one of the first 10 calls made. And totally reasonable for Texas to look at his track record and say "hell yeah, bring him in for a chat"
What if its a power move by Rick Pitino
Pitino introduces Yaklich to Shaka. Pitino intimidates Marshall and Donovan into staying put
Now who will Michigan hire? Pitino is all that's left
Shaka smells like a Pep type. I don’t like it
I’m getting a gut feeling it’s going to be Howard
Me think Howard got inside track. Wait for it.
Well if it is and their plan is to keep Yaklich for his defense, then they better get moving before Yaklich gets poached.
How is your gut health? Does it have experience digesting CCs? If so, is it concerned?
So basically Warde has a Brandon-esque rule on limiting head-coaching hires to current head coaches and Yaklich, knowing that he has no chance at replacing Beilein and knowing that whomever Michigan hires will probably want to hire their own staff, is getting his ducks in a row by interviewing with other programs. What a clusterfuck. This is literally getting worse every hour.
Oh wait now Shaka is smart?
We are being trolled by those Texas m-f'ers
It would be beyond hilarious if we don't hire Smart but he poaches our most valuable assistant instead.
If Yaklich isn't hired as HC, what are the odds that he would be retained? How many coaches want to keep the staff of their predecessor?
Good chance Howard would be interested in keeping some of the band together since he doesn't have the assistants to bring with him that a current sitting coach would have.
Yeah, Don, really hilarious…. I don't know of a more deserving assistant than Yaklich to make the jump, and we are gonna pass on him because of Warde. My goodness I hope the Regents step in and block Warde, if its true what I heard hes only interested in the best minority candidate.
Ok, cool. Hook'Em.
NOOOO! Yak is my #1.
IN SOVIET RUSSIA, YAKLICH RECRUIT YOU!
IS ANYONE DRIVING THE CAR?
This is fucked up
Come on, we all knew something like this would happen sooner or later. The minute Beilein left, it was open season on his assistants. Especially Yaklich.
At this point I’d almost be tempted to counter whatever Smart offers and just hand Yaklich the keys to the kingdom here. You’re not getting a Billy Donovan-esque hire at this point.
Many people seem to be purposefully ignoring how crucial Yaklich's defense has been these past two 30 win seasons
Without Yaklich we don't go to the Final Four two seasons ago let alone the National Championship. Without Yaklich's defense we are an NIT team last season. That's how hard his defense has carried our dumpster fire Beilein offense
We had the 259th scoring offense last season -_-
Sounds about right.
Shit is getting strange.
I believe we will seriously regret it if we let Yak walk to another team. I think he’s the next big thing in college coaching. Phenomenal teacher, defensive genius, passion for the game and a good recruiter.
Let’s not be the Red Sox trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees with this one. Yak’s bona fides are legit.
Becoming more of a cluster fuck by the hour... At this point, Yak seems like the most viable choice. Ed Cooley? He's near the Yak-line, but on the bottom side of it. Just sign Yak and be done with it. See what it looks like in two years and go from there...
And we were making fun of UCLA just last week.
Looks like Bill Martin loaned his fishing boat to Wade Manuel and is giving him deep sea fishing lessons at another crucial time in Michigan sports history. ;o)
I agree with many here - UM won't do better than Yaklich with the realistic candidats available at this moment in time.
And if Yaklich goes the BB program will be set back 5-10 years - on the court results, as well as recruiting.
Sam does not agree whatsoever with Quinn's take. I'll leave it at that.
Recruits have gushed over Yaklich.
Defense DRAMATICALLY improved with Yaklich.
One of the few that descend from Beilien, is Yaklich.
There affords good continuation of the program with Yaklich.
why the F**K would Ward hire Cooley....
PROMOTE YAKLICH, WARDE
This is surreal