I totally get it. The depth of analysis at MGoBlog, especially within the football writing, is remarkable, and so that's where most of the resources go. That work is why I follow the blog. This is also decidedly the offseason for coverage of the revenue sports, so I can understand if the staff is taking a break.
What I will say is that last year the editors elevated the work of L'Carpetron, the resident Michigan lacrosse guru commenter, to the main page after Michigan's B1G tourney championship. I've been hoping that they might do something similar this year. L'Carpetron himself has said that his job has been super busy of late, so maybe a repeat of that arrangement isn't feasible right now. Alas.
I suspect Alex had the piece cued up and ready to drop once Casey signed. Can’t fault him for posting.
Still, your points stand — both men’s and women’s lax at Michigan are well positioned for national relevance in the sport. The women especially could win a national title in the near future. The coach is a stud and she recruits well. There’s a non-zero chance they run the table through the tournament this year. At least a little bit of coverage would be worthwhile.
I was going to write something similar. Alex's content is always superb, and I appreciate the commitment to hockey news, but it's odd to post this without at least a passing mention of the lacrosse title (and a shout-out to the women's team too – they're having an excellent year and nearly won their first conference title).
Obviously, it was working, so my comments are somewhat moot… but what do you make of Michigan being so aggressive and initiating offense in transition and early in the shot clock when up by 6+ goals?
I was kind of aghast. I figured that once they got a bit of a cushion they’d work the clock on each possession and ease away with the W, but no, it was pedal to the metal. And it worked! So clearly, my instincts were off, but did anybody else have the “slow it down and kill the clock, please” thoughts?
Love to get the big win and the bid to the dance, but damn…. Penn State was ass in the second half. Michigan played excellent defense, but also was a bit fast and loose with the ball here and there, and it just didn’t matter. Penn State completely pooped themselves on both ends. What the hell happened?
Not to be a downer, but is he really gonna play at 220? That weight struck me as what he had going when bulking up for the combine. I’m skeptical that he’ll weigh that much coming out of training camp…
Still, I’m drinking the kool-aid, just like every other Michigan fan. It’s all feelingsball and eye-test analysis from me, but I figure JJ has a clutch factor that is rare. Even in games when he was “off,” he still made plays. His competitive intensity is phenomenal. The guy comes up big in big moments.
Time will tell with what Moore and Campbell really want to do with play-calling, but if they go for Harbaugh continuity in that area, Michigan just won't attract top WR talent. Nico Collins flashed All-American level talent for two consecutive seasons and did not have more than forty catches in either year...
Now, if we're talking about recruiting top OL, RB, and TE (and FB?!) talent, Michigan has quite a story to tell...
I think “mediocre” is a bit harsh. The guy has made a Super Bowl and nearly made another last season. The epic collapse in the NFC title game was hardly his fault (a fumble and certain drops by other skill position players come to mind). For my money, he’s top-ten. One would take Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Herbert, healthy Rogers, Prescott, Hurts, Stroud, and maybe Lawrence ahead of Goff, but that would be it, as far as I can tell. His leadership has low-key been an important piece of the Lions turn-around. The “Ja-red Goff” chants are happening for a reason.
Maybe another part of the equation is the talent that Michigan does have on the roster. It's a thin position group, but certainly not bereft. Semaj Morgan, Tyler Morris, and Fred Moore all look like promising players who could expand their roles this year. To my layman's eye, they look like guys who could be dangerous #2 options. They are fast, shifty, and skilled, but all a bit undersized. What Michigan would love to have is a clear #1 gamebreaker and then added depth. Maybe most WRs on the transfer market are on par with what Michigan has and figure they'd be coming in just to compete for a starting job that will get them maybe five targets a game. Kind of an underwhelming pitch. Guys who are a cut above, talented enough to immediately step into the number #1 role at Michigan, are also good enough to command more guaranteed targets and more NIL in a different system.
Michigan is left to bring in up-transfers who see competing in the rotation with Morgan, Morris, and Moore (that has to be a record for alliteration and internal rhyme within a WR corps) as a step up in opportunity. I would bet this Williams guy has been promised far more in terms of target-share at Minnesota than what Michigan can offer.
Not saying it wasn't a good idea for the Chargers to let him go elsewhere... Harbaugh knows what he's doing. The point is that he's a good player who will expand the passing offense of a team (the Bears) looking to do just that (if he stays healthy). The Chargers are not looking to do that, because Harbaugh is there to do his run-heavy thing.
I agree that Campbell sounds a bit desperate, given that he's openly admitting that Michigan is just looking for depth. Maybe Charleston commits and proves to be a nice surprise, but it's hard to see him being anything beyond a rotational player.
The reasons for the situation are fairly clear though. Michigan has never featured WRs under Harbaugh (and he doesn't seem to be emphasizing them with the Chargers either -- he was all too happy to let Keenan Allen walk). They've never been a focal point of the offense. Nico Collins, an NFL #1, had 38 and 37 catches in 2018 and 2019. Those stats will never attract top WR talent, National Championship or not. Maybe Sherrone Moore will mix things up, but until proven otherwise, Michigan is a run-first team that will attract talented RBs and TEs but not receivers.
Well, at least once in the NFC title game, the Lions rolled the dice on 4th down when they might have been better off trying for three points from 45-50ish yards. Those decisions were obviously products of Campbell’s aggressiveness, but his lack of confidence in Badgley’s range had something to do with it too.
The Lions need somebody to push Badgley, and I’m glad Turner gets a chance to do it. If the Michigan Panthers guy can get a look, I’m all for that too. They’re gonna need somebody to hit a 50+ yarder in a big spot this fall. It remains unclear if Badgley is the guy for that moment.
Hell of a job to fight and tie it up. Really tough way to end it, 13-12... Not quite enough composure on that final offensive possession and on the ensuing ride. They were right there... maybe they can break through in the B1G tourney. They look like a legit threat to make a deep run in the NCAAs as well.
Forgive me if I'm missing the sarcasm... Why, in the age of three-second Google searches, is the name "Caitlin" so tricky? "Ms. Clark" in this context sounds cringey too.
Very good points all around. Much was made on the broadcast about Knobloch on Rutgers, and he appeared to live up to the hype. At least one of his goals was an exceptionally placed lefty rip, released on the run. Michigan did not have the same shooting precision yesterday.
I haven't the slightest clue what the deal is with Justin Brown, but I wonder if it has to do with decision-making in transition, offensively and/or defensively. Maybe coaches see him as a liability, either as a guy prone to turning the ball over or not preventing fast-breaks? Just a guess -- I haven't seen enough of his game to know. It certainly seems that the weakness of the team is offensive juice from the midfield, as you have suggested, and that Brown's dwindling PT is a head-scratcher.
The Rutgers goalie had a huge night. He seemed to get in the heads of Michigan's attacking players. Michigan sent a number of decent-to-good looks wide of the target, in addition to the goalie coming up with a litany of solid saves. Better shooting and less good opposing goaltending and it's a Michigan win, perhaps even a comfortable win.
Montemarano must be a stud, if she takes the draw and then moves up to attack. Sounds like a very athletic team, overall, if we defend well and clear the ball effectively. Love to have a good goalie.
Missed the game yesterday, but I get the sense that it was a defensive battle, 6-8, probably affected by the elements? Kinda heartbreaking to lose to a good Maryland team at home, but it seems Michigan showed their mettle. No shame in battling the #1 team down to the end in a tight, physical game. Maybe there’s a moral victory there that will be useful for a tournament run later on?
I think gymnastics does use that building, or at least a part of it. So yes, any kind of hockey-oriented renovation of the facility would impact gymnastics. Figuring a way to not set back the gymnastics programs would have to be part of that hypothetical.
You’ve hit the nail on the head. The ideal solution would involve both a locker-room expansion of Yost and the establishment of a separate practice facility. The first thing should probably happen anyway, varsity women’s program or not. The existing club teams and the various teams that visit Yost would appreciate that.
The second piece, the practice facility, seems trickier. I wonder if there is space near the new lacrosse and track facilities to put a sheet of ice. I’ve also heard the idea floated that the old coliseum, where the hockey team used to play, could be reconverted. Not sure if that idea has any legs though.
The point is well taken that the University’s money might be better spent elsewhere, but you can’t possibly argue that women’s hockey is “too niche” and in the same breath support resources for collegiate softball, field hockey, tennis, and golf. It’s all niche. There are only two athletics programs at Michigan that are not.
If the donors are there to get the program off the ground and to support an expansion of Yost and/or a complementary facility, why not go for it? The University has pretty swanky facilities for many non-revenue sports. What’s one more?
The counterfactual I propose is what things might have looked like this year had Michigan had a team ready to compete with the Buckeyes for women’s hockey preeminence. When the men’s basketball team was in the dumpster and the men’s hockey team was scuffling a little bit, Michigan fans were looking for some excitement to keep the buzz from the CFP going. Wouldn’t Yost have filled up when the Buckeye ladies rolled into town? I kinda think it would have…
This guy? Is this a notable acquisition? I haven't the slightest clue, but I do kinda like the idea of May filling out his staff with Indiana basketball lifers.
If Louisville fans are describing the expectations at Michigan as less onerous -- the focus isn't on the national championship -- then they are more or less correct. We are a football first school, and our expectations for basketball are exactly as you describe them. We don't expect to be a national contender every year (as if any program in modern college basketball can get to that status). We want to be competent, finish in the top half of the conference year in and year out, and make a run to the Sweet 16 or deeper maybe once a recruiting cycle.
The hole I see in the suggestion of this Louisville fan is perhaps what you are getting at. There is no such thing as a major-conference program that consistently wins 20+ games that is not also in contention for a national title at least occasionally. A coach good enough to win twenty games every year is also, now and again, going to have a team that wins thirty games and goes to the Final Four. To your point, that kind of coach is what Michigan fans expect to have.
I would also add that the appeal of Michigan for Dusty May probably involves national contention. I suspect he has made the move because he has a love for B1G basketball (he grew up with it, right?) and because he figures he can get over the top at Michigan. He's probably gone as far as he could reasonably expect to go at FAU, but at Michigan, he can win the whole damn thing.
I've been in the "call Jay Wright to make him say no" camp. If there were even a 0.1% chance he'd take the job, I think you call him.
So either they did, and he wasn't interested, or they didn't, and he wasn't interested, so we move on. May seems like a good hire. My preference was for Abdur-Rahim, based solely on vibes, but there's no doubt May has some juice. Count me in.
Except RichRod was an up-and-comer whose claim to fame was a schematic innovation, rather than for building a winning culture at an otherwise obscure program. He was decidedly not Michigan's first choice.
Unless I am mistaken, Dusty May is regarded as a program culture builder, and he appears to have been Michigan's first choice. Warde Manuel, much maligned, moved quickly and decisively on this one. May already has the congratulatory tweet from Santa Ono. The Michigan brass seem to be aligned. This does not look like a RichRod hire.
Yeah, I don't think this point can be overstated. Collins has built a competitive program at a school with a long history of losing. I don't think there's a more impressive feat that a coach can accomplish than winning at a place that has baggage.
I suppose the knock on him would be that Northwestern has had down years since he has been there, but that's kinda the default for Northwestern. Having a down year early in a recruiting cycle seems almost unavoidable at such a school.
I would also add that Collins has not only made the tournament, but he's won games. NW has shown up and played like more than a "happy-to-be-there" team.
I'm not sure if Collins should even want to be at Michigan (he's got a good thing going), or if there is not a better candidate out there, but were he to be interested, Michigan could do far, far worse.
You've hit the nail on the head. Abdur-Rahim seems like the guy on the radar with the most potential. He built a tournament team out of nothing at Kennesaw State. Has had immediate success at South Florida. It's all vibes really, but he seems to fit the part of the guy who will become a national name next year or the year after when he takes South Florida to the Elite Eight unexpectedly.
I don't care about a small sample size for his career success. Would love Michigan to roll the dice.
Brian's point about sample size is important, but I figure he's underselling the prospects of Abdur-Rahim. Building a competitive program at Kennesaw State completely from scratch is really impressive. I would argue this is the most impressive feat accomplished by any coach on this list. And he has followed that with a very strong year at South Florida. Guy seems like a stud.
I'd like Michigan to take a big swing with a relatively young coach who would seem to have a high-ceiling candidate. This guy looks the part to me.
He just looks really annoying. And his court-side demeanor seems to fall in the Fran McCaffery school of losing one's shit awkwardly often for a grown man and professional.
Nevertheless, I tend to agree. Though he has had his down years, his record at NW is damn impressive. They had never made the tourney before he arrived. So I don't really want him to be Michigan's coach, mostly just on vibes, but I wouldn't hate it either. The guy can clearly coach.
I see your point, but do we know that Michigan has not been putting out feelers for a while? Warde's comments at mid-season about his support for Juwan felt tone-deaf to me. Seemed like he could have been a bit more forthright about the obvious downward trend of the season. But Warde was always going to show some kind of support for the program, at least for the sake of protecting the players, and Michigan was always going to give a legendary program alum the dignity of finishing out the season. Maybe this whole time higher-ups have been working back channels to see which young coaching talents could become available? Can we definitely rule that out?
I agree whole-heartedly with this. I also think Sherrone can send a strong message if he retains Scruggs (with a series of rehab conditions to be met). He can show compassion and a willingness to work with his people at an individualized level. He can demonstrate how his program has the values of a family. Either way, he has an opportunity to be a strong leader.
I am sympathetic to this argument. How many hundreds of thousands of Americans have two beers at dinner on a Friday night and then drive home with a 0.08-ish BAC? I figure it's more commonplace and "normal" than most would care to admit. Is it a morally acceptable practice? I'm not sure, but I would guess that it happens safely far more often than not.
Alas, if Scruggs was out late, that's probably not what happened here. He likely had more than a light buzz on. Scruggs had to be pulled over somehow, which suggests that he was driving erratically. If that's the case, then he definitely was exercising very poor judgment, and has done something that could justifiably cost him his job.
I'm torn on his history, personally. It suggests that he's done some dumb shit and might have some demons. However, like you said, the last offenses were when he was a college kid and then a very young professional. He's had a clean record for a decade.
I personally would extend his suspension and put together a pretty hefty rehab threshold for him to meet -- weeks away from the team in which his sole mandate is to receive counseling. Selfishly, I just want to see Moore's staff come together as planned. If Scruggs and Moore can have a heart-to-heart and work out a plan for recovery, why not ride it out? If Moore is not about this, and boots the guy, I would also respect that. I trust that Moore will make the best decision for his program (though I am not really sure if the decision will be entirely up to the HC).
By chance do you live in Miami? The driving here is nutty. A confluence of factors seem to have created the culture, but driving while texting/scrolling seems to be a primary reason.
He did knock our best team of the last five years out of the tournament in the Elite 8. The guy can coach. Perhaps I'm wrong, but my understanding is that UCLA had the kind of rebuilding year with a young team that will happen after a group of influential seniors graduates. Cronin might not be my first choice (I like the sound of this guy from South Florida, Amir Abdur-Rahim), but Michigan could do a hell of a lot worse.
Along these same lines, I would say the pipe-dream coach that Michigan should at least ask is Jay Wright (JW?). If we're talking long shots whom Michigan should confirm are not actual options, just to be 100% sure, that would be the guy.
By “arm” I assume you mean does he have the “touch”? By all accounts the guy has a cannon. The question remains as to whether he can vary the velocity on his passes appropriately, whether he can throw a “catchable” ball.
It is self-deprecating in that he is affecting formality in a subtly ironic way. It’s how he points out, winkingly, that he is still a young sportswriter cutting his teeth. The turn of phrase feels right at home with the zany, esoteric style of MGoBlog.
While we’re at it, my hot take is that Alex is the best writer on the blog. Every staffer here does a great job (and Brian is the OG, obviously), but Alex has the most talent, in my opinion.
This is exactly Stephen's point. There are obvious parallels between Harbaugh 2020 and Howard in 2024 that any Michigan partisan will at least momentarily entertain, but a close look at the entirety of both contexts reveals important differences that inform what Michigan should do next...
As has been pointed out countless times, 2020 was a career-worst season for Harbaugh that followed a string of decent to great seasons, both at Michigan and elsewhere. Also, Harbaugh had already shown a knack for recruiting fresh assistant coaching talent as need be. Howard, unfortunately, has neither a prior track record as an HC nor much experience turning over his staff for the better.
That observation, made clear by the comparison, is why Michigan should move on from Howard. As Stephen points out, the comparison is undoubtedly useful for people at Michigan because this is a conservative institution that moves cautiously by nature, especially when deciding the fate of one of its own notable alums. 8-24 speaks for itself in the realm of fandom, but Michigan is always going to act deliberately and consider contingencies, even in such an obvious "fire the guy already" circumstance.
Been mulling over this thought experiment… It’s pretty mean and random, so I figured that I would throw it in the comments, rather than create a new thread.
Anyway, could the current Michigan football roster put forward an eight-man rotation that would defeat this current basketball team… at basketball? I say yes. Who would the eight guys be?
You've got another white dude here, and I feel the same way. Not for me to pass judgement on what may or may not offend the sensibilities of black folks.
My impression was that Beilein's teams sort of "read" as white. I've always wanted for Michigan to have teams that could carry at least a little of the same swagger as the Fab Five, for it to be a program tradition rather than an anomaly, and Beilein, for all his strengths, didn't have the ability to recreate that culture. Juwan's second team seemed to have some of it, and that was the most fun I've ever had watching Michigan basketball. I'm bummed that it's not working out, because I do think Juwan himself matters for the legacy of the program. Finding a graceful exit for him, if possible, would be ideal.
I wouldn't say that Collins himself is the guy for Michigan (his face is too puncheable) but he has proven that he can recruit and develop talent into a winning team, at least once in a while. That's not nothing. And of course, he has done this at Northwestern, which had approximately zero successful seasons in men's basketball before he arrived. The track record is not exactly scintillating, but it is impressive.
I see your point and I have no counter. I figure Michigan is a football school. Our pride in athletics will always go to the football program first, and so will the big time money therefore. We will burn through football coaches until we find the elite guy to take us to the top of the B1G. Our basketball program is proud but not in the same category of fanaticism. Juwan would have been gone already if it were.
So I agree with your premise. I think the only kind of coach who can win consistently at Michigan, year-over-year, would be a John Beilein type talent. If we can find another, outstanding. Aside from that possibility, we'll have to take the good with the bad. If we find a Chris Collins type (I'm not arguing for Chris Collins himself), a guy who seems to have both up years and down years as unsung talent develops and cycles through his roster, I'd say we have a passable, though not ideal, solution.
I will also say that Juwan's status as a legendary alum and his health condition from the fall make the idea of firing him uncomfortable for me. I wouldn't want to have to do it. But things are such a mess right now. Feels like he's got to go, unfortunate and sad as that is.
Edit of my own: Your point about Michigan's lackluster head basketball coaches all being black guys is a good one. It's shitty, especially given the self-flagellation of the program after the Ed Martin scandal. I don't think of Beilein as a racist, but perhaps I've missed something. You're not referring to the "thugs" episode with the Cavs, are you? I thought he apologized for that and handled it gracefully after the fact. Maybe I am wrong though.
The point is well taken that Michigan might struggle to hire an excellent coach, say another John Beilein. Coaches like that are exceptional and hard to find. We were spoiled by Beilein. I hope we can find his equal, but who's to say?
However, surely a program with the history and brand-name of Michigan can hire a coach capable of producing better results than what has transpired this season. I mean, this has been pathetic, like 2010-RichRod-defense bad.
Seems like late in the game they struggled to complete the final pass needed for an open look. Credit to disciplined D from Harvard I think. With maybe four minutes left, Cohen drew a double-team and threw a little dump pass to Tierney that was a tough catch (that he missed). Then with maybe a minute left in the game, on the man-up, Tierney got one decent catch (and turn) and shoot look that he sent just wide. Maybe if those two plays are made the game goes to OT.
Those seem like makeable plays that a bit of practice might be able to fix. Not sure about the slow-starts in games. That seems like a broader issue. Does Conry have a history of that in his career as an HC?
That would be a dream come true. He'd be a good fit at Michigan. He's like a more handsome, somewhat more accomplished John Beilein. Ann Arbor would love him.
I have a hard time seeing him get the itch though. He seems like a guy who looked at NIL and the portal and decided he wanted less stress in his life.
After a cursory look at his highlights, it seems pretty obvious that this guy would be the most naturally gifted tight end in the NFL (though perhaps very slightly undersized). NFL guys of all sizes are quick, but not many that big are that fast. The earlier comp to Vernon Davis sounds accurate. But your point is spot on. How long would it take this guy to learn how to run routes? Would he ever develop that nuance? Could he catch a football in traffic? Hard to say. Seems doubtful.
I disagree somewhat with another example though -- I figure Blake could learn to properly tackle. The guy pass blocks pretty well. But I have no idea about working a breakdown... What does that mean, exactly?
Would Juwan want that? He seems to be loyal (probably to a fault) to his staff.
Perhaps it's a way to leverage him out the door? Give him an "easy way or the hard way" offer wherein he gets bought out or he agrees to a revised (and unfavorable) contract and staff changes. Maybe that's enough of a push for him to settle with Michigan and walk away. Michigan would save a bit of face in regards to the Fab Five legacy narrative -- "hey, we gave him a chance, but he turned it down."
I don't know what's it like to be in Juwan's shoes, but I don't think I'd have my staff take the fall for the shit-show that's on hand. There's clearly enough blame to go around, so I'd accept my share and look for a change. Seems like that would be the best thing for me personally. It's not like money would be an issue.
I have no idea, just speculating. I, like many, would like a completely clean slate, but I have no idea what to expect from the AD.
I've been wondering about this... Maybe Kayat and Washington just suck in practice? I don't know. When they come in they don't seem any worse than the guys in the line-up who have led the team to eight wins. For the life of me I cannot understand why those two young guys haven't gotten bigger minutes down the stretch.
Either way it's damning of the coaching staff... They're too obstinate to give young guys a chance in a season when there's nothing else to play for... Or they recruited scholarship players who suck too much to play at all in a losing season. I would argue that this is the biggest indicator (other than the abysmal wins-losses record and the general apathy among the starters) that the current staff should not be trusted to lead next year's team.
Sounds as if you're plugged in to Michigan high school ball. Are the vibes around the Michigan program, in the eyes of D-1 hopeful in-state players, really that bad, beyond the obvious "Michigan sucks this year"? I'm curious to know... I'm not plugged in at all.
Washington certainly blundered, but wouldn't the Seven Years' War have come to North America anyway? The French and the English both had claims to western "Virginia." They would have started fighting eventually, no?
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I totally get it. The depth of analysis at MGoBlog, especially within the football writing, is remarkable, and so that's where most of the resources go. That work is why I follow the blog. This is also decidedly the offseason for coverage of the revenue sports, so I can understand if the staff is taking a break.
What I will say is that last year the editors elevated the work of L'Carpetron, the resident Michigan lacrosse guru commenter, to the main page after Michigan's B1G tourney championship. I've been hoping that they might do something similar this year. L'Carpetron himself has said that his job has been super busy of late, so maybe a repeat of that arrangement isn't feasible right now. Alas.
I suspect Alex had the piece cued up and ready to drop once Casey signed. Can’t fault him for posting.
Still, your points stand — both men’s and women’s lax at Michigan are well positioned for national relevance in the sport. The women especially could win a national title in the near future. The coach is a stud and she recruits well. There’s a non-zero chance they run the table through the tournament this year. At least a little bit of coverage would be worthwhile.
I was going to write something similar. Alex's content is always superb, and I appreciate the commitment to hockey news, but it's odd to post this without at least a passing mention of the lacrosse title (and a shout-out to the women's team too – they're having an excellent year and nearly won their first conference title).
Obviously, it was working, so my comments are somewhat moot… but what do you make of Michigan being so aggressive and initiating offense in transition and early in the shot clock when up by 6+ goals?
I was kind of aghast. I figured that once they got a bit of a cushion they’d work the clock on each possession and ease away with the W, but no, it was pedal to the metal. And it worked! So clearly, my instincts were off, but did anybody else have the “slow it down and kill the clock, please” thoughts?
Love to get the big win and the bid to the dance, but damn…. Penn State was ass in the second half. Michigan played excellent defense, but also was a bit fast and loose with the ball here and there, and it just didn’t matter. Penn State completely pooped themselves on both ends. What the hell happened?
Not to be a downer, but is he really gonna play at 220? That weight struck me as what he had going when bulking up for the combine. I’m skeptical that he’ll weigh that much coming out of training camp…
Still, I’m drinking the kool-aid, just like every other Michigan fan. It’s all feelingsball and eye-test analysis from me, but I figure JJ has a clutch factor that is rare. Even in games when he was “off,” he still made plays. His competitive intensity is phenomenal. The guy comes up big in big moments.
Time will tell with what Moore and Campbell really want to do with play-calling, but if they go for Harbaugh continuity in that area, Michigan just won't attract top WR talent. Nico Collins flashed All-American level talent for two consecutive seasons and did not have more than forty catches in either year...
Now, if we're talking about recruiting top OL, RB, and TE (and FB?!) talent, Michigan has quite a story to tell...
I think “mediocre” is a bit harsh. The guy has made a Super Bowl and nearly made another last season. The epic collapse in the NFC title game was hardly his fault (a fumble and certain drops by other skill position players come to mind). For my money, he’s top-ten. One would take Mahomes, Allen, Jackson, Herbert, healthy Rogers, Prescott, Hurts, Stroud, and maybe Lawrence ahead of Goff, but that would be it, as far as I can tell. His leadership has low-key been an important piece of the Lions turn-around. The “Ja-red Goff” chants are happening for a reason.
Maybe another part of the equation is the talent that Michigan does have on the roster. It's a thin position group, but certainly not bereft. Semaj Morgan, Tyler Morris, and Fred Moore all look like promising players who could expand their roles this year. To my layman's eye, they look like guys who could be dangerous #2 options. They are fast, shifty, and skilled, but all a bit undersized. What Michigan would love to have is a clear #1 gamebreaker and then added depth. Maybe most WRs on the transfer market are on par with what Michigan has and figure they'd be coming in just to compete for a starting job that will get them maybe five targets a game. Kind of an underwhelming pitch. Guys who are a cut above, talented enough to immediately step into the number #1 role at Michigan, are also good enough to command more guaranteed targets and more NIL in a different system.
Michigan is left to bring in up-transfers who see competing in the rotation with Morgan, Morris, and Moore (that has to be a record for alliteration and internal rhyme within a WR corps) as a step up in opportunity. I would bet this Williams guy has been promised far more in terms of target-share at Minnesota than what Michigan can offer.
Not saying it wasn't a good idea for the Chargers to let him go elsewhere... Harbaugh knows what he's doing. The point is that he's a good player who will expand the passing offense of a team (the Bears) looking to do just that (if he stays healthy). The Chargers are not looking to do that, because Harbaugh is there to do his run-heavy thing.
I agree that Campbell sounds a bit desperate, given that he's openly admitting that Michigan is just looking for depth. Maybe Charleston commits and proves to be a nice surprise, but it's hard to see him being anything beyond a rotational player.
The reasons for the situation are fairly clear though. Michigan has never featured WRs under Harbaugh (and he doesn't seem to be emphasizing them with the Chargers either -- he was all too happy to let Keenan Allen walk). They've never been a focal point of the offense. Nico Collins, an NFL #1, had 38 and 37 catches in 2018 and 2019. Those stats will never attract top WR talent, National Championship or not. Maybe Sherrone Moore will mix things up, but until proven otherwise, Michigan is a run-first team that will attract talented RBs and TEs but not receivers.
Well, at least once in the NFC title game, the Lions rolled the dice on 4th down when they might have been better off trying for three points from 45-50ish yards. Those decisions were obviously products of Campbell’s aggressiveness, but his lack of confidence in Badgley’s range had something to do with it too.
The Lions need somebody to push Badgley, and I’m glad Turner gets a chance to do it. If the Michigan Panthers guy can get a look, I’m all for that too. They’re gonna need somebody to hit a 50+ yarder in a big spot this fall. It remains unclear if Badgley is the guy for that moment.
Hell of a job to fight and tie it up. Really tough way to end it, 13-12... Not quite enough composure on that final offensive possession and on the ensuing ride. They were right there... maybe they can break through in the B1G tourney. They look like a legit threat to make a deep run in the NCAAs as well.
Forgive me if I'm missing the sarcasm... Why, in the age of three-second Google searches, is the name "Caitlin" so tricky? "Ms. Clark" in this context sounds cringey too.
Very good points all around. Much was made on the broadcast about Knobloch on Rutgers, and he appeared to live up to the hype. At least one of his goals was an exceptionally placed lefty rip, released on the run. Michigan did not have the same shooting precision yesterday.
I haven't the slightest clue what the deal is with Justin Brown, but I wonder if it has to do with decision-making in transition, offensively and/or defensively. Maybe coaches see him as a liability, either as a guy prone to turning the ball over or not preventing fast-breaks? Just a guess -- I haven't seen enough of his game to know. It certainly seems that the weakness of the team is offensive juice from the midfield, as you have suggested, and that Brown's dwindling PT is a head-scratcher.
The Rutgers goalie had a huge night. He seemed to get in the heads of Michigan's attacking players. Michigan sent a number of decent-to-good looks wide of the target, in addition to the goalie coming up with a litany of solid saves. Better shooting and less good opposing goaltending and it's a Michigan win, perhaps even a comfortable win.
Montemarano must be a stud, if she takes the draw and then moves up to attack. Sounds like a very athletic team, overall, if we defend well and clear the ball effectively. Love to have a good goalie.
Missed the game yesterday, but I get the sense that it was a defensive battle, 6-8, probably affected by the elements? Kinda heartbreaking to lose to a good Maryland team at home, but it seems Michigan showed their mettle. No shame in battling the #1 team down to the end in a tight, physical game. Maybe there’s a moral victory there that will be useful for a tournament run later on?
Who are the better players for Michigan this year? What kind of team do we have, other than just being good? I am curious to know. 11-0 is no joke!
I think gymnastics does use that building, or at least a part of it. So yes, any kind of hockey-oriented renovation of the facility would impact gymnastics. Figuring a way to not set back the gymnastics programs would have to be part of that hypothetical.
You’ve hit the nail on the head. The ideal solution would involve both a locker-room expansion of Yost and the establishment of a separate practice facility. The first thing should probably happen anyway, varsity women’s program or not. The existing club teams and the various teams that visit Yost would appreciate that.
The second piece, the practice facility, seems trickier. I wonder if there is space near the new lacrosse and track facilities to put a sheet of ice. I’ve also heard the idea floated that the old coliseum, where the hockey team used to play, could be reconverted. Not sure if that idea has any legs though.
The point is well taken that the University’s money might be better spent elsewhere, but you can’t possibly argue that women’s hockey is “too niche” and in the same breath support resources for collegiate softball, field hockey, tennis, and golf. It’s all niche. There are only two athletics programs at Michigan that are not.
If the donors are there to get the program off the ground and to support an expansion of Yost and/or a complementary facility, why not go for it? The University has pretty swanky facilities for many non-revenue sports. What’s one more?
The counterfactual I propose is what things might have looked like this year had Michigan had a team ready to compete with the Buckeyes for women’s hockey preeminence. When the men’s basketball team was in the dumpster and the men’s hockey team was scuffling a little bit, Michigan fans were looking for some excitement to keep the buzz from the CFP going. Wouldn’t Yost have filled up when the Buckeye ladies rolled into town? I kinda think it would have…
This guy? Is this a notable acquisition? I haven't the slightest clue, but I do kinda like the idea of May filling out his staff with Indiana basketball lifers.
If Louisville fans are describing the expectations at Michigan as less onerous -- the focus isn't on the national championship -- then they are more or less correct. We are a football first school, and our expectations for basketball are exactly as you describe them. We don't expect to be a national contender every year (as if any program in modern college basketball can get to that status). We want to be competent, finish in the top half of the conference year in and year out, and make a run to the Sweet 16 or deeper maybe once a recruiting cycle.
The hole I see in the suggestion of this Louisville fan is perhaps what you are getting at. There is no such thing as a major-conference program that consistently wins 20+ games that is not also in contention for a national title at least occasionally. A coach good enough to win twenty games every year is also, now and again, going to have a team that wins thirty games and goes to the Final Four. To your point, that kind of coach is what Michigan fans expect to have.
I would also add that the appeal of Michigan for Dusty May probably involves national contention. I suspect he has made the move because he has a love for B1G basketball (he grew up with it, right?) and because he figures he can get over the top at Michigan. He's probably gone as far as he could reasonably expect to go at FAU, but at Michigan, he can win the whole damn thing.
I've been in the "call Jay Wright to make him say no" camp. If there were even a 0.1% chance he'd take the job, I think you call him.
So either they did, and he wasn't interested, or they didn't, and he wasn't interested, so we move on. May seems like a good hire. My preference was for Abdur-Rahim, based solely on vibes, but there's no doubt May has some juice. Count me in.
Except RichRod was an up-and-comer whose claim to fame was a schematic innovation, rather than for building a winning culture at an otherwise obscure program. He was decidedly not Michigan's first choice.
Unless I am mistaken, Dusty May is regarded as a program culture builder, and he appears to have been Michigan's first choice. Warde Manuel, much maligned, moved quickly and decisively on this one. May already has the congratulatory tweet from Santa Ono. The Michigan brass seem to be aligned. This does not look like a RichRod hire.
Yeah, I don't think this point can be overstated. Collins has built a competitive program at a school with a long history of losing. I don't think there's a more impressive feat that a coach can accomplish than winning at a place that has baggage.
I suppose the knock on him would be that Northwestern has had down years since he has been there, but that's kinda the default for Northwestern. Having a down year early in a recruiting cycle seems almost unavoidable at such a school.
I would also add that Collins has not only made the tournament, but he's won games. NW has shown up and played like more than a "happy-to-be-there" team.
I'm not sure if Collins should even want to be at Michigan (he's got a good thing going), or if there is not a better candidate out there, but were he to be interested, Michigan could do far, far worse.
You've hit the nail on the head. Abdur-Rahim seems like the guy on the radar with the most potential. He built a tournament team out of nothing at Kennesaw State. Has had immediate success at South Florida. It's all vibes really, but he seems to fit the part of the guy who will become a national name next year or the year after when he takes South Florida to the Elite Eight unexpectedly.
I don't care about a small sample size for his career success. Would love Michigan to roll the dice.
Brian's point about sample size is important, but I figure he's underselling the prospects of Abdur-Rahim. Building a competitive program at Kennesaw State completely from scratch is really impressive. I would argue this is the most impressive feat accomplished by any coach on this list. And he has followed that with a very strong year at South Florida. Guy seems like a stud.
I'd like Michigan to take a big swing with a relatively young coach who would seem to have a high-ceiling candidate. This guy looks the part to me.
He just looks really annoying. And his court-side demeanor seems to fall in the Fran McCaffery school of losing one's shit awkwardly often for a grown man and professional.
Nevertheless, I tend to agree. Though he has had his down years, his record at NW is damn impressive. They had never made the tourney before he arrived. So I don't really want him to be Michigan's coach, mostly just on vibes, but I wouldn't hate it either. The guy can clearly coach.
I see your point, but do we know that Michigan has not been putting out feelers for a while? Warde's comments at mid-season about his support for Juwan felt tone-deaf to me. Seemed like he could have been a bit more forthright about the obvious downward trend of the season. But Warde was always going to show some kind of support for the program, at least for the sake of protecting the players, and Michigan was always going to give a legendary program alum the dignity of finishing out the season. Maybe this whole time higher-ups have been working back channels to see which young coaching talents could become available? Can we definitely rule that out?
I agree whole-heartedly with this. I also think Sherrone can send a strong message if he retains Scruggs (with a series of rehab conditions to be met). He can show compassion and a willingness to work with his people at an individualized level. He can demonstrate how his program has the values of a family. Either way, he has an opportunity to be a strong leader.
I am sympathetic to this argument. How many hundreds of thousands of Americans have two beers at dinner on a Friday night and then drive home with a 0.08-ish BAC? I figure it's more commonplace and "normal" than most would care to admit. Is it a morally acceptable practice? I'm not sure, but I would guess that it happens safely far more often than not.
Alas, if Scruggs was out late, that's probably not what happened here. He likely had more than a light buzz on. Scruggs had to be pulled over somehow, which suggests that he was driving erratically. If that's the case, then he definitely was exercising very poor judgment, and has done something that could justifiably cost him his job.
I'm torn on his history, personally. It suggests that he's done some dumb shit and might have some demons. However, like you said, the last offenses were when he was a college kid and then a very young professional. He's had a clean record for a decade.
I personally would extend his suspension and put together a pretty hefty rehab threshold for him to meet -- weeks away from the team in which his sole mandate is to receive counseling. Selfishly, I just want to see Moore's staff come together as planned. If Scruggs and Moore can have a heart-to-heart and work out a plan for recovery, why not ride it out? If Moore is not about this, and boots the guy, I would also respect that. I trust that Moore will make the best decision for his program (though I am not really sure if the decision will be entirely up to the HC).
By chance do you live in Miami? The driving here is nutty. A confluence of factors seem to have created the culture, but driving while texting/scrolling seems to be a primary reason.
He did knock our best team of the last five years out of the tournament in the Elite 8. The guy can coach. Perhaps I'm wrong, but my understanding is that UCLA had the kind of rebuilding year with a young team that will happen after a group of influential seniors graduates. Cronin might not be my first choice (I like the sound of this guy from South Florida, Amir Abdur-Rahim), but Michigan could do a hell of a lot worse.
Along these same lines, I would say the pipe-dream coach that Michigan should at least ask is Jay Wright (JW?). If we're talking long shots whom Michigan should confirm are not actual options, just to be 100% sure, that would be the guy.
By “arm” I assume you mean does he have the “touch”? By all accounts the guy has a cannon. The question remains as to whether he can vary the velocity on his passes appropriately, whether he can throw a “catchable” ball.
It is self-deprecating in that he is affecting formality in a subtly ironic way. It’s how he points out, winkingly, that he is still a young sportswriter cutting his teeth. The turn of phrase feels right at home with the zany, esoteric style of MGoBlog.
While we’re at it, my hot take is that Alex is the best writer on the blog. Every staffer here does a great job (and Brian is the OG, obviously), but Alex has the most talent, in my opinion.
This is exactly Stephen's point. There are obvious parallels between Harbaugh 2020 and Howard in 2024 that any Michigan partisan will at least momentarily entertain, but a close look at the entirety of both contexts reveals important differences that inform what Michigan should do next...
As has been pointed out countless times, 2020 was a career-worst season for Harbaugh that followed a string of decent to great seasons, both at Michigan and elsewhere. Also, Harbaugh had already shown a knack for recruiting fresh assistant coaching talent as need be. Howard, unfortunately, has neither a prior track record as an HC nor much experience turning over his staff for the better.
That observation, made clear by the comparison, is why Michigan should move on from Howard. As Stephen points out, the comparison is undoubtedly useful for people at Michigan because this is a conservative institution that moves cautiously by nature, especially when deciding the fate of one of its own notable alums. 8-24 speaks for itself in the realm of fandom, but Michigan is always going to act deliberately and consider contingencies, even in such an obvious "fire the guy already" circumstance.
Been mulling over this thought experiment… It’s pretty mean and random, so I figured that I would throw it in the comments, rather than create a new thread.
Anyway, could the current Michigan football roster put forward an eight-man rotation that would defeat this current basketball team… at basketball? I say yes. Who would the eight guys be?
You've got another white dude here, and I feel the same way. Not for me to pass judgement on what may or may not offend the sensibilities of black folks.
My impression was that Beilein's teams sort of "read" as white. I've always wanted for Michigan to have teams that could carry at least a little of the same swagger as the Fab Five, for it to be a program tradition rather than an anomaly, and Beilein, for all his strengths, didn't have the ability to recreate that culture. Juwan's second team seemed to have some of it, and that was the most fun I've ever had watching Michigan basketball. I'm bummed that it's not working out, because I do think Juwan himself matters for the legacy of the program. Finding a graceful exit for him, if possible, would be ideal.
I wouldn't say that Collins himself is the guy for Michigan (his face is too puncheable) but he has proven that he can recruit and develop talent into a winning team, at least once in a while. That's not nothing. And of course, he has done this at Northwestern, which had approximately zero successful seasons in men's basketball before he arrived. The track record is not exactly scintillating, but it is impressive.
I see your point and I have no counter. I figure Michigan is a football school. Our pride in athletics will always go to the football program first, and so will the big time money therefore. We will burn through football coaches until we find the elite guy to take us to the top of the B1G. Our basketball program is proud but not in the same category of fanaticism. Juwan would have been gone already if it were.
So I agree with your premise. I think the only kind of coach who can win consistently at Michigan, year-over-year, would be a John Beilein type talent. If we can find another, outstanding. Aside from that possibility, we'll have to take the good with the bad. If we find a Chris Collins type (I'm not arguing for Chris Collins himself), a guy who seems to have both up years and down years as unsung talent develops and cycles through his roster, I'd say we have a passable, though not ideal, solution.
I will also say that Juwan's status as a legendary alum and his health condition from the fall make the idea of firing him uncomfortable for me. I wouldn't want to have to do it. But things are such a mess right now. Feels like he's got to go, unfortunate and sad as that is.
Edit of my own: Your point about Michigan's lackluster head basketball coaches all being black guys is a good one. It's shitty, especially given the self-flagellation of the program after the Ed Martin scandal. I don't think of Beilein as a racist, but perhaps I've missed something. You're not referring to the "thugs" episode with the Cavs, are you? I thought he apologized for that and handled it gracefully after the fact. Maybe I am wrong though.
The point is well taken that Michigan might struggle to hire an excellent coach, say another John Beilein. Coaches like that are exceptional and hard to find. We were spoiled by Beilein. I hope we can find his equal, but who's to say?
However, surely a program with the history and brand-name of Michigan can hire a coach capable of producing better results than what has transpired this season. I mean, this has been pathetic, like 2010-RichRod-defense bad.
Seems like late in the game they struggled to complete the final pass needed for an open look. Credit to disciplined D from Harvard I think. With maybe four minutes left, Cohen drew a double-team and threw a little dump pass to Tierney that was a tough catch (that he missed). Then with maybe a minute left in the game, on the man-up, Tierney got one decent catch (and turn) and shoot look that he sent just wide. Maybe if those two plays are made the game goes to OT.
Those seem like makeable plays that a bit of practice might be able to fix. Not sure about the slow-starts in games. That seems like a broader issue. Does Conry have a history of that in his career as an HC?
That would be a dream come true. He'd be a good fit at Michigan. He's like a more handsome, somewhat more accomplished John Beilein. Ann Arbor would love him.
I have a hard time seeing him get the itch though. He seems like a guy who looked at NIL and the portal and decided he wanted less stress in his life.
After a cursory look at his highlights, it seems pretty obvious that this guy would be the most naturally gifted tight end in the NFL (though perhaps very slightly undersized). NFL guys of all sizes are quick, but not many that big are that fast. The earlier comp to Vernon Davis sounds accurate. But your point is spot on. How long would it take this guy to learn how to run routes? Would he ever develop that nuance? Could he catch a football in traffic? Hard to say. Seems doubtful.
I disagree somewhat with another example though -- I figure Blake could learn to properly tackle. The guy pass blocks pretty well. But I have no idea about working a breakdown... What does that mean, exactly?
Would Juwan want that? He seems to be loyal (probably to a fault) to his staff.
Perhaps it's a way to leverage him out the door? Give him an "easy way or the hard way" offer wherein he gets bought out or he agrees to a revised (and unfavorable) contract and staff changes. Maybe that's enough of a push for him to settle with Michigan and walk away. Michigan would save a bit of face in regards to the Fab Five legacy narrative -- "hey, we gave him a chance, but he turned it down."
I don't know what's it like to be in Juwan's shoes, but I don't think I'd have my staff take the fall for the shit-show that's on hand. There's clearly enough blame to go around, so I'd accept my share and look for a change. Seems like that would be the best thing for me personally. It's not like money would be an issue.
I have no idea, just speculating. I, like many, would like a completely clean slate, but I have no idea what to expect from the AD.
I've been wondering about this... Maybe Kayat and Washington just suck in practice? I don't know. When they come in they don't seem any worse than the guys in the line-up who have led the team to eight wins. For the life of me I cannot understand why those two young guys haven't gotten bigger minutes down the stretch.
Either way it's damning of the coaching staff... They're too obstinate to give young guys a chance in a season when there's nothing else to play for... Or they recruited scholarship players who suck too much to play at all in a losing season. I would argue that this is the biggest indicator (other than the abysmal wins-losses record and the general apathy among the starters) that the current staff should not be trusted to lead next year's team.
Sounds as if you're plugged in to Michigan high school ball. Are the vibes around the Michigan program, in the eyes of D-1 hopeful in-state players, really that bad, beyond the obvious "Michigan sucks this year"? I'm curious to know... I'm not plugged in at all.
Washington certainly blundered, but wouldn't the Seven Years' War have come to North America anyway? The French and the English both had claims to western "Virginia." They would have started fighting eventually, no?