Who would you reach out to first IF Jim leaves for NFL?

Bob Stoops

Internal candidates are not really inspiring me.  If Lane Kiffin is an option, I would take him in a heartbeat.  I like Matt Campbell but Kiffin is as good of a coach but better recruiter.

Fickell would be my #1. 
 

Sends a clear message that the program’s ultimate focus is beating Ohio State. You can’t win the B1G and make the playoffs without that, hence the natural focus. 
 

Hire Fickell and you break OSU’s brain a bit and add another layer of drama to an already supercharged rivalry. Plus you get the person that knows them the best and can recruit Ohio. 
 

I don’t think it’s a particularly difficult decision. 

My therapist 

Matt Entz head coach of the North Dakota State Bison . If we can add him as coach but keep most of the staff we have currently .  He knows winning  , he would just need to get acclimated to the B1G and the ways of Michigan . . Being a former DC and with us losing ours . Now would be a good time for him to come here .

Dave Aranda, then Lane Kiffen.  Those should be the only two calls you need to make.  And I'm not sure I wouldn't reverse them...

If they turn you down, the tier 2 guys would be Rhule, Campbell, and Gattis.

Someone said Tom Herman can win 'with a fair chance'.  Not thanks - he got as fair a chance at Texas as anyone had since Mack Brown was there.  He didn't look good...  And I wouldn't look at Fickell, because he would drop us like a hot potato as soon as anyone from OSU came calling.  No thanks to that embarrassment...

We need a national championship-winning coach loved by players. Someone who can compete with the SEC so we can win playoff games. That’s right. Ed Orgeron.

I would not overthink this and promote Gattis as the next HC. You have a solid assistant coaching staff with momentum, you already have a CO-OC in Moore who can be promoted to OC, and you don't have to completely lose multiple players/coaches because a new HC is brought in with his own system and guys.

Sean Peyton is a ridiculous name to throw out. He's been in the NFL for years, why would he come to college football where the workload is even greater? Lane Kiffin is even more ridiculous, if our fan base couldn't accept Rich Rod then there's no way in fucking hell Lane Kiffin ever could.

I would love Dave Aranda or Matt Rhule if this was happening weeks ago when every other college was going through this. It's too late in the year to hire an outsider and Michigan is coming off the most successful season in 24 years.

Now is not the time to shake things up...just pick the best internal candidate which is likely Gattis and continue to build.

Just roll with Gattis for the year unless you can get a home run hire this late in the off-season. He’s young and may appeal to recruits in a more relatable way than Harbaugh might (just going off age difference alone). At worst, he’s able to hold the fort down while a permanent coach is installed at a later date, and at best you have a good young HC who may be lightning in a bottle. On the bad side, he was here 3 years and only had one truly good offense in that time.

Joe Brady would be cool - but he hates recruiting apparently. Maybe that changes if he’s running a pretty big program. It could also be a good way for him as a stepping stone into NFL head coaching in a few years - which is where he probably ends up even with his flame out at Carolina.

Aranda may be available, but he’s a guy who has a kid going to Baylor right now or next year I believe - which may make it hard to leave. IIRC, he also said some stuff about really liking the culture/fit at a Christian school in the past - so he may be very satisfied at Baylor.

Fickell would be a good hire, and I could see him taking a serious look at the job - because at the end of the day, I think a few extra million dollars may soften his supposed anti-Michigan sentiment people think he has.

ISU/Boston College guys would be good backup hires. They may not get people hyped up, but would be solid on paper and could do great things.

Fickell - unlikely he comes, but you gotta at least ask

Ruhle -- only quest with him is does/will he recruit as the rumor was one of the reasons to go to the NFL was to get away from recruiting

Campbell - bloom is off the rose for many, but I think he's a damn good coach considering his recruiting classes are in the high 40s and low 50s due to the limitations of ISU

Gattis -Just an unknown...he offers continuity...but so did Jimmy Lake. Not sure of what he can or cannot do

I've heard Scott Frost's mom is available.  She hasn't been busy since Nebraska stopped winning championships in the 90's.  Besides, she really doesn't want to watch her son's team find new ways to lose each week.

1. Harbaugh 
2. Fickell
3. Gattis
4. Campbell 
5. Lane Kiffin 

Honestly if Harbaugh leaves I'd throw the money truck at Fickell because I believe he's an outstanding coach and idgaf what anyone on this board says,  he'd at least consider Michigan for the right price.

If he says no I'd promote Gattis. Guy just won the Broyles award, he's going to be a head coach, let's throw him into the fire and see what he can do.

Sean Payton hasn't coached college in 25 years. If he comes back to coaching, it sure as hell won't be to coach college. I don't think, anyway. I mean sure, if he was interested you take him and don't look back. But he won't be. You might as well call Mike Tomlin while you're at it. 

I'd at least call Fickell and see if we could have one phone call that lasts more than five minutes without him laughing in Warde's face and telling him he will never coach this program. I'd peg him at no better than 5-10%, but you might as well at least try, especially since the two jobs he wants most are likely not coming open anytime soon. Maybe he feels spurned by OSU with them hiring Day instead of him. 

Dave Aranda I'd probably call, too. Elite defensive mind, knows the Midwest and now has SEC and Texas recruiting ties so that would help. He may see Michigan as a clear upgrade over Baylor. 

Michigan will never call Lane Kiffin. Ever. The old guard would be absolutely up in arms over it and light up a firestorm over how Michigan would have "lost its way" by hiring Kiffin, but the guy can score points and can probably field an offense that with the right guys could go blow for blow with OSU, and offense is how championships are won now anyway. I'd like to see it because it would be hilarious and a full George Costanza "Opposite Day" type of move for Michigan to make. Which is why they'll never do it. Michigan as an institution probably thinks its above hiring Lane Kiffin. 

If any of these guys don't work out, then take your chances with Gattis and see what you have. 

Fickell
Aranda
Rhule
Campbell

I am a no on Sean Payton and Lane Kiffin. But I think it would be hard to hire one of the guys listed this late in the process. I would almost rather go interim coach for a year, and then do a full search during 2022 if you are reaching for someone who would not be a good fit.

Those of you who love recruiting and want Michigan to recruit with the likes of OSU, Bama, Clemson, etc...Matt Rhule is NOT the answer. He's on record about how he doesn't like to recruit like other schools and wants to focus on the players he has there and who want to be there from the get-go. 

Fickell

Stoops

Payton

In that order! Make them say no before moving onto someone else.

Someone who would see UM as a destination job.  Not too many of those around anymore, Saban at Bama, Dabo Clemson, Ferentz, Fitz, Paul Chryst maybe.  So there are a few.  An interview question about destination job would be in order.  That would pare down the number of candidates.

Maybe Gattis would fit, seems like a college guy only and if successful, maybe he wouldn't go anywhere else, and he's young.

BRING ME MATT CAMPBELL

Obligatory Campbell mention due to him being a midwestern guy who turned an irrelevant ISU program into a top 25 team and has a tendency of keeping games close that ISU doesn’t have a shot in. Campbell’s ISU squads haven’t beaten Iowa which is a concern but we forget his teams have upset good teams. Honestly, wouldn’t be mad with this.

Baker’s Oklahoma team beat that beat OSU also got knocked off by an ISU team with very little talent. That’s coaching right there. Also to the critics that say he had a bunch of players coming back forget Brock Purdy is terrible, he wishes he was as good as Cade. Campbell is in a situation where he’s one QB away from a Big 12 Championship. 

I have heard Fickell’s name mentioned but doubt he’d be interested and I don’t think Fickell is better than Campbell. Cincinnati has had solid coaches and ten win seasons before Fickell. When has ISU ever been relevant or anywhere near remotely decent? Does Fickell have numbers against top 25 competition??

Realistically, Campbell is my first call but maybe there’s better names out there? I’m just not sure who would want the job.

Dang hadn't thought about it yet

Urban is available!

Gruden

Gattis

Mike Hart aka The Shit Talker Extraordinaire.