Thankful that we are not Coach Shopping this year
With LSU, USC, and UF all open now, we'd probably be 4th in line at best for a coach. We have Jim below market value at this point and at least one or two hires are going to completely flame out and those programs will continue to be down. Beat Ohio and get us win #11
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^
The problem is that you gotta hire somebody before the next season starts.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:04 PM ^
The Sark hire was one of the craziest I've ever seen. A dude who was totally mediocre at Washington, flamed out at USC. Ranks right up there with the Ogeron hire, and that Mike something who preceded Frost at NU. Like where the hell did they come up with those hires?
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:07 PM ^
Texas was far better off with Tom Hermann
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:11 PM ^
I agree with you, but Sark at least had the reputation of being a good offensive mind and I’m sure he got the “ex-Saban coordinator” bump. Wasn’t the big thing about him flaming out at USC the drinking?
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:00 PM ^
Sark had some really nice weapons to work with last year at Nick Saban's Happy Halfway House for de-frocked coaching geniuses. Not so much now on the Forty Acres, and he doesn't have the gravitas to wrangle in the BMD meddlers, among lacking other necessary talents for the job.
I live in ATX and can confidently report that we could do a LOT worse than Coach Harbaugh. If we had a run of coaches like UT has and given our fanbase's inflated expectations, its easy for me to image M football and the culture around it morphing into a complete toxic gong show like UT's.
While they have beat their rival occasionally, they have also had TWO catastrophic losses to Kansas in the last 5 years. I also think they are probably more hated than us by other fanbases for their well out-of-balance arrogance-to-results ratio.
(Everyone knows that we are the Leaders and Best, anyway. It says it right there in our fight song)
November 23rd, 2021 at 2:14 AM ^
I also think they are probably more hated than us by other fanbases for their well out-of-balance arrogance-to-results ratio.
This is one of several reasons I've always thought the idea of inviting Texas into the BIG was completely nuts.Texans being Texans, UT's sense of entitled superiority makes our institutional and fan arrogance look like a crippling case of imposter syndrome.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:07 PM ^
The craziest thing about the Tucker deal isn't even the salary (although that is wild for a 16-14 coach), it's the length. Ten years is a long-ass time to be on the hook for your coach's salary. ND can tell you about that.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:24 PM ^
Aren’t a couple of boosters supposedly footing the bill for his salary? How does that work if he starts tanking and they decide they wanna quit forking over the money, assuming the school would then be on the hook for the buyout?
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:46 PM ^
I'm sure it's not any legal agreement, just a "Oh yeah, we'll help you out" kind of promise.
Even if they keep their word, the problem is, if things go south you not only have to pay that albatross off but also sign a new coach (who will be expecting Tucker-level money).
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:52 PM ^
That’s what I figured, but seems silly for the school to agree to that depending what the buyout is. You either end up on the hook for $9.5M per year or what I assume is a large buyout? Guess it works if he kept winning, but would get ugly if he doesn’t…
NVM, you brought up same point after editing…
November 23rd, 2021 at 7:30 AM ^
I suspect the financial wizards see significant inflation over the next 10 years. It is quite possible that $10M/year 5 years from now will be minimum wage for a college coach in the near future. I heard from a questionable source $9 million from that MSU alumnus is like $600 for most of us. I haven't check the metrics but they can afford it.
November 22nd, 2021 at 8:46 PM ^
i get some weak-kneed response to last year, it was a tough football (and most every other way) year.
but you don't fire a coach who has led you to at least 4 out of 6 10 win seasons. that is insanity. and yeah, we haven't and probably won't beat ohio any time soon, but they've sold their soul to the devil to be part of the unholy trinity of CFP regulars. like most of those bargains, they work for a while until they don't.
we have a whistle-clean program, not a breath of recruiting hi-jinx, just like we appreciated beilein. the players are graduating and aren't getting in trouble off the field. and there won't ever be a doubt that our coach virtually bleeds maize and blue. we won't do better and if we do it would be by some stroke of divine providence and only after 3-10 more failed hires and wandering in the college football wilderness.
be glad we have harbaugh, very glad.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:15 PM ^
I was never in the fire Harbaugh train save possibly for some dad juice infused commentary. My beef was always with how the losses looked and not necessarily that they were losses. Otherwise, agree with you. Would be nice to get a W every once in a while. Seems like it should just happen once in a blue moon.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:44 PM ^
I'm not in the "fire Harbaugh" camp but I am tired of Michigan ending every season with two losses. If they lose to OSU again this year, fine. I think they CAN win, but I don't expect them to. But at least show up and look interested in your damn bowl game. I know that a lot of fans think they're "meaningless" but I don't think mailing it in at the end of the year every year is real great for program momentum.
November 22nd, 2021 at 11:48 PM ^
Well, hopefully Dax and Hutch don't skip the Rose Bowl for draft prep. Hopefully.
November 22nd, 2021 at 8:56 PM ^
We have more exciting things on our wish list this year.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:04 PM ^
Supply chain issues all over the place, yo
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:37 PM ^
Penn State will need a coach too.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:38 PM ^
I will say that I've never been on the "fire Harbaugh" train as some have around here (the "Harbaugh skeptic" train certainly), although I think for most it has been a train used as a connector between stops on a weird continuum, not some place they simply inhabit, although there are a few of those on this site. Anyhow, I will echo the sentiment expressed by the OP - I am rather glad we are not a program looking to hire at the moment.
November 22nd, 2021 at 9:54 PM ^
Although, if you're on the 'we need a new OC' train, that may have to wait as well. With 3 or 4 big time P5 schools grabbing the best G5 head coaches, those G5 schools will then be trying to steal a big time coordinator and sell them the stepping stone to LSU, USC, etc..
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:06 PM ^
If Gattis leaves can we hire Tom Herman?
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:20 PM ^
Think he's too loyal to OSU to do that. Also I'm ok with sticking with Gattis for another year. We should have fully-realized JJ (or an even better version of Cade), Bell, Anthony, Cornelius, Wilson, All, Corum, Edwards, and an improved offensive line.
If Michigan's offense doesn't take a step next year then I think you look to make a move. But continuity with so many guys who have improved and look ready to take the leap next year seems premature
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:28 PM ^
I did say IF he leaves. I’ve heard there was some speculation that he might take a HC job somewhere. I’m interested in a proven, dynamic offensive mind coming here. Imagine what Herman could do with Corum, Edwards, Anthony, JJ, etc.
November 23rd, 2021 at 11:25 AM ^
Tom Herman was born in Cincinnati but grew up in California. He was only at OSU for two years. For the right opportunity fit I believe he would come to Michigan.
I like T. Herman a lot but I don't think he would go anywhere to be the OC. I suspect he will be a HC somewhere next year in the NCAA unless he has found an interesting learning experience with the Bears/NFL.
As always, my opinion is worth what you paid for it.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:15 PM ^
I can't imagine ever being in the "eh, nobody beats OSU so who cares, I'm cool with 10 wins and never winning the big ten or going to the playoff lol" crew.
November 23rd, 2021 at 12:00 AM ^
I don't think anyone's saying they're "cool" with it. But you have to be realistic. Harbaugh has shown enough this season to justify maintaining the status quo.
November 22nd, 2021 at 10:23 PM ^
People need to put into perspective the 7 years before Harbaugh and the 7 years since. He if nothing else has stabilized the program and nullified the RR/BH era.
Let’s see what the program does in the next 5 years.
November 22nd, 2021 at 11:14 PM ^
Michigan's level of success in the previous 30 years is slightly below Harbaugh's level of success. The difference is that Ohio was not the uber-talented juggernaut that it has been recently so it didn't create the massive level of dissatisfaction we see now.
When the playoff era began those teams in the elite group at the time gained a big recruiting advantage and there was a feedback mechanism that kept the gap between the elite and the rest expanding. Ohio was lucky to be in the right situation at the right time.
November 22nd, 2021 at 11:58 PM ^
Weird thing to be thankful for, but in the spirit of the season, I too am thankful than I'm not 'Coach Shopping'.
BTW, what sport and college does Coach Shopping coach for?
November 23rd, 2021 at 6:43 AM ^
I am also thankful that Michigan isn't coach-shopping. However, your premise is not realistic. If Michigan was in the market, it wouldn't get the 4th ("at best") choice after the first three take LSU, USC, and UF.
You are right that coach shopping often doesn't turn out well. Look at Texas. They fired Tom Herman last year, and then scraped even farther down the barrel with Steve Sarkesian. They should have kept Herman.
November 23rd, 2021 at 7:16 AM ^
Just going to reiterate how happy I am we aren’t swimming in the soup that ISU is floundering in right now.