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My intuition about coaching…

My intuition about coaching candidates is usually poor, but it's too bad that Otzelberger seems like a reach with the buyout. I think that it's very hard to tell who can make the transition from a smaller environment to a bigger one. And while Iowa State isn't Michigan, playing Kansas and other Big 12 schools is closer to a Big Ten level of pressure/scrutiny than coaching at Florida Atlantic or Colorado State.

That said, I agree that Medved seems like a good candidate.

I was about to post the same…

I was about to post the same. Understand why but am sad it ended this way. 

There's not much new here…

There's not much new here though I hadn't heard the Jett story, and only recently heard about what Howard allegedly said to Turgeon. To me, as has been said below, hiring an outside firm seems like a way to delay and/or put the onus for the decision on someone outside the department.

Regarding Quinn, I'll admit I haven't everything he's written but have always thought he was a good writer and reporter. Is there a perception that he has a pro-Sparty bias?

My wife is such a devoted…

My wife is such a devoted fan that we got Peacock just for this game (past Peacock games we've watched at a bar). I suspect that I'm the only person in America who can say that. I'll have it for a month minimum so if anyone has recommendations let me know (I have watched the first 3 episodes of Yellowstone and am curious to see how it plays out).

Is the fact my nephew went…

Is the fact my nephew went to LSU close enough?

I agree about Craig Roh.

I…

I agree about Craig Roh.

I disagree about basketball. Even as bad as it is now I'd argue that interest level (defined by attendance at Crisler and viewer/listenership) still makes it Michigan's second sport. Even if the conversation was largely around whether Warde will/should give Juwan Howard another year that would be interesting. That said, I'd also like to get some insights into how much of Michigan's problems are based on coaching/recruiting versus structural impediments like transfer requirements, NIL etc.

I haven't had a chance to…

I haven't had a chance to listen, but I wish that there would be some men's basketball discussion. Interest is down, obviously, given the way the season has gone but I would still argue that it's Michigan second leading sport even now. Even if the conversation ended up being largely about Juwan Howard's future and the reasons for the team's decline that would be of some interest.

I'm a season ticket holder,…

I'm a season ticket holder, and my wife and I go to all the games. The atmosphere was awful despite the team's gritty performance. I understand some of the responses to the OP along the lines of "The team sucks -- what do you expect?" That said, I also think that there are some things the Athletic Department could do. What about contacting BB coaches from the 3 Ann Arbor high  schools plus neighboring schools like Ypsi, Saline etc and offering discounted tickets if the players would come fill the Maize Rage? What about reaching out to alumni groups (UM Clubs of Northville, Flint, etc.) and trying to get them to come down as an event (again maybe with a discount or some other incentives)? None of this would keep Purdue fans away completely but it might have made things a bit less like an away game.

I'm not saying that Beilein…

I'm not saying that Beilein recruited like Calipari but the implication he relied mostly on under-the-radar guys is a bit exaggerated. I understand that their star rankings varied during the recruiting cycle, but GRIII, McGary, Chatman and Irvin were all 5 stars at some point. Overall, there were lots of top 100 players, and a few classes ranked in the top 15 nationally, especially once he got going. I agree that Beilein was great at finding guys like Burke and Hardaway who were under-ranked, but sometimes I think people act as if all his recruits were 3 stars no one else noticed.

The one critique of Howard…

The one critique of Howard that I don't find persuasive is that all the early success was due to Beilein's players. Yes the 2020-21 team had Livers and Brooks, but it also featured Dickinson, Wagner, Brown and Smith (none of whom were coached by Beilein). 

That doesn't explain or justify this year's failures, but again I just don't think that you get to the elite 8 without having some coaching ability. 

I don't know if your wife…

I don't know if your wife had a retainer agreement, and if so what it said, but in theory the attorney could argue that the work required to transfer the case to the new attorney was on your wife's behalf. My suggestion is that you send a short email indicating in as neutral a tone as possible that there issues with the way the case was handled, and asking for that final charge be waived or offering a compromise (if the final is $500 for instance you might offer $250). 

This is well-written and I'm…

This is well-written and I'm not contesting the basic conclusion or analysis.  That said, I do wonder if something has changed with Howard personally. The 2020-21 team had Livers and Brooks (coached at that point by Juwan for 2 years), but also had Dickinson, Franz, Brown and Smith. Even if you count Franz as an honorary Beilein guy, it was team with a lot of contributors that Howard found and developed. I guess my point is that he may have not be as good a coach as we thought in 2021 but I also wonder if he is truly as bad a coach as we think in 2024.

Not sure I agree entirely…

Not sure I agree entirely about the first two years being Beilein. Franz may have come because of Beilein but wasn't coached by him. Hunter, Smith and Brown were big parts of the elite 8 run, and were Juwan's guys. I don't know what's happened since, but to argue that the program ran on "Beilein autopilot" for Howard's first two years isn't my observation.

I'm almost always the last…

I'm almost always the last to say "fire someone".  I also think the argument that all of Howard's early success was due to Beilein isn't persuasive.  Franz may come because of the Beilien connection but was coached by Howard. Howard got us Brown, Smith and Dickinson who were big parts of that that 2020-21 Elite 8 season. 

That said, this year is a disaster. Howard needs to make a case that change is coming whether that's in his staff, his approach to recruiting/the portal or a combination of both.

The idea that Beilein only…

The idea that Beilein only recruited "lower ranked" guys is a myth. Yes, he found guys like Burke and Hardaway (and later DJ Wilson) who went from 3 stars to stars.  He also got a few 5 stars like McGary and Irvin (and believe it or not Kam Chapman), and near 5 stars like GRIII.  Once he got going nearly every class has a couple of 4 stars ranked in the top 100. He wasn't getting Kentucky or Duke classes, but was often top ten in the country and even his weaker classes were usually in the top 3 in the Big Ten. My point is that Beilein's entire approach wasn't finding obscure guys ranked 250 in the country, and developing them.

I can't easily find it…

I can't easily find it online, but my recollection is that Scott Bell took an online poll in 2020 and most wanted to retain Harbaugh. I think the loudest voices online are often assumed to reflect the majority. The 2015-2020 seasons weren't what we hoped when Harbaugh, but were significantly better than the previous 7 seasons. 2019 included dominant wins over Notre Dame and MSU, and I really think many assumed that Covid disruptions played a large part what happened in 2020.

I guess my question…

I guess my question regarding Beilein is what kind of relationship he and Manuel had, if any. It may have been impossible to keep him if he was frustrated by players leaving early (which is what I've heard), but I wonder if better communication would have meant that Manuel could have either pulled out the stops to change his mind, or at least might have had a sense 3-4 months before it happened that this was likely allowing him to plan.

I have no idea what goes on…

I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes but my general sense is that the department is not proactive. Beilein may have been gone no matter what, but did the AD and/or his staff know he was dissatisfied and try to work things out or were they caught off-guard?  My assumption is the latter. With Harbaugh, maybe the NFL was a done deal, but why meet his demands yesterday, when the ink was nearly dry with the Chargers, rather than a week ago? With Pearson, why did Warde let the WilmerHale report sit for months rather act on it (even if he believed there was a basis to keep Mel why not get ahead of the story)? Why was volleyball coach Mark Rosen renewed and then fired in close succession? Maybe there are reasonable explanations, and examples of positive decisions (such as retaining Harbaugh in 2020) that counterbalance these issues, but there are a lot of issues.

I think it's hard to compare…

I think it's hard to compare coaches across eras, but here's my list:

1. Harbaugh -- I just think that it's harder now with the number of competitive teams, NIL, the portal etc. He also came into a situation that required at least a partial rebuild. The last 3 years have been incredible, but 2015 & 2016 were very good ('16 was a play or two from being great), and I would argue that the '18 and '19 seasons with wins over Penn State, Michigan State, Notre Dame etc are better than remembered.

2. Crisler -- His tenure is strange because WWII meant that so many players were unavailable, but I feel like his dominance at the end of his tenure (I give him partial credit for the team that came the year after) and success at the beginning is remarkable as well as his innovations.

3. Yost -- his era was so far in the past it seems like comparing a Model T to Corvette but he created Michigan football.

4. Schembechler -- Maybe he should be higher. He had 20 years of consistent success (ignoring 1984), but the Big Ten was down and the bowl record was a step below the national elite (though USC was arguable the 'Bama or Georgia of the '70s and part of the '80s).

5. Carr -- Again, maybe he should be ranked higher given that his accomplishments in terms of winning percentage and championships are similar to Harbaughs. He was a great recruiter, and if Henson had stayed I bet we compete for the natty in 2021.  That said, I suppose I deduct a few points for the fact that his greatest success with a team that partially Moeller's and what seemed like slippage at the end.

I hear what you are saying,…

I hear what you are saying, but here's my counter-argument. We've made the final fours in the 1960s and 1970s under Dave Strack and Johnny Orr without accusations of cheating. I don't know when Ed Martin became involved, but our '89 championship still stands. Yes, football will always be king in Ann Arbor, but historically I would argue that Michigan high school basketball is arguably stronger than Michigan high school football. My point is that an expectation that we will make the tournament more often than not, and every few years make some noise, isn't unrealistic.

I don't think that's true…

I don't think that's true that every football factory would've pulled the plug after the Covid season.  Brian Kelly was 4-8 in 2016 and kept his job. Back in 2020 I had no idea or expectation that the incredible success of the last 3 years was coming, but I do remember thinking after 2020 that Harbaugh had done better than fans acknowledged. For instance, he had won 10 games in 3 of his first five seasons. Not beating Ohio State was incredibly disappointing, but given the 7 years prior to Harbaugh's arrival it still seemed clear to me that he was on the right track. Also, this is just one metric but Scott Bell did a poll after 2020 and most didn't want Harbaugh gone as I recall so the fanbase certainly wasn't united against him.

I understand it's the way of…

I understand it's the way of the world, but this makes me sad. I grew up reading SI, and in the '70s/80s it was full of great writing. Deford, EM Swift, Dan Jenkins, Paul Zimmerman etc. were all icons.

That was a masterpiece Ace…

That was a masterpiece Ace. The reaction to the Alabama mirrors what I experienced with old friends. I hope the best for you.

I would cut out the middle…

I would cut out the middle man and go here:

https://store.pub.umich.edu/daily/posters

I flew Southwest to the game…

I flew Southwest to the game Monday, and had mixed feelings. The gate agents/flight attendants were friendly, and on the first flight from Detroit the attendant who made the announcements was funny (one line -- "do not consume your own alcohol on this flight. If you do, I will confiscate it and enjoy it tonight"), but the boarding process in Houston was a shit show..

The students on the Daily…

The students on the Daily receive small amounts in compensation, but benefit from the sales. The Michigan Daily receives no money for operations from the university so the cost of buying new equipment/software, travel costs, and payments to student staffers comes out of revenues for advertising, sales of merch, etc.  The bottom line is that they do benefit from buying these posters.

I think total yardage plus…

I think total yardage plus Blake's 2 TDs sealed it for him. That said, if Donovan or JJ (passing or throwing) had scored to make it 27-13 I could have seen it going to Donovan.

I was at the game, and maybe it's just recurring BPONE, but it felt like our running game was stuck in the mud for so much of the 2nd/3rd quarters that I was surprised at the end by Blake's total yardage and average yards per play.

The late '80s Daily sports…

The late '80s Daily sports staff (which included Rich Eisen, Adam Schefter and future US Atty/commentator Barb McQuade) did pretty well for itself. 

Same question. I assume if…

Same question. I assume if Texas wins tonight the prices won't come down. That said it's hard to imagine them going much higher.

I saw the movie and noticed…

I saw the movie and noticed the same thing. Funny -- but also a surprising gaffe for a major production given that it takes about 5 seconds to google "where did Jesse Owens go to school." I did that, and noticed that his uniform jersey said "Ohio" not "Ohio State".  Maybe Brady Hoke's ancestors designed them?

Also, I agree with John Bacon that it's cool that Michigan has a plaque at Ferry Field honoring Owens for his 4 records set in one day in '35.  

Maybe in years past, but I'd…

Maybe in years past, but I'd say now it would be the New Yorker.

Yes

Yes

Great column. I came across…

Great column. I came across Jonathan Chait when I wrote an often hilarious column in the Daily back in the early '90s. He admits that he is a biased on this issue. I'm glad to see points made mostly locally being shared with a national audience.

The argument is that people…

The argument is that people now slam their drinks pregame because they can't drink during the games and might be more moderate both before and during if that isn't an issue. Don't know if that's true, but I've heard it argued by folks without a financial interest in selling beer at the games.

I would say that unless you really don't care about football you're not getting more than 1 or 2 beers during the game given how long and slow the lines often are.

Well done. I've been a…

Well done. I've been a Michigan football fan all of my life. Growing up in the Bo era I used to think that the run game was simplistic -- essentially if your guys up front were bigger and stronger than theirs your run game would succeed and if they weren't it would fail. That feeling was exacerbated by Rose Bowls where Michigan's option offense would often stall. I also saw the pass game as more sophisticated, fun to watch and with the right QB a way to for a team with less overall talent to stay competitive.

I still have moments like after the first run above where Corum got stuffed when I feel like Michigan should pass more on 1st down, but posts like this, and many others over the years on this blog, have made me understand that the run game can be just as sophisticated (perhaps more so in terms of blocking) as the pass.

I know you said "bits and…

I know you said "bits and pieces" of the Hoke years involving lousy recruiting (and certainly QB recruiting was an issue at the end) but Hoke's recruiting was I think his strongest asset overall. Harbaugh certainly didn't arrive to a bare cupboard with players like Peppers, Darboh, Smith, Lewis., the Glasgows etc. on the roster. 

I'm sorry to hear this. I…

I'm sorry to hear this. I got acquainted with Matt while he doing Michigan games during Amaker and Beilein eras, and the coach's show. He seemed like a really good guy. I don't follow the Tigers closely but he did a good job announcing Michigan basketball.

I also like Karsch. He doesn't have a classic radio voice, but describes what's happening well and can be funny (I liked his reference to Grant as "Kenny G").

I don't love the answer but…

I don't love the answer but some of the "Cade hate" seems excessive. While here he led Michigan to one of its best seasons of the modern era in 2021 and was one of few bright spots in 2020. I wasn't super mature at his age and likely would have felt some of the same frustrations at losing a starting position.

This is interesting.  One…

This is interesting.  One thing that I liked about the piece was that at times articles about paying athletes are unclear about whether the author is just referring to athletes in revenue sports or all sports. Acker does indicate that he wants to see all athletes paid. That's certainly equitable in the sense that they are all putting in the same amount of work, and all elite in their sports.  That said, one of the arguments in terms of paying players has been that football, men's basketball (and perhaps at some schools hockey and women's basketball) generate vast sums that go to coaches, administrators etc. not to players. That argument doesn't apply to Olympic sports, which are economically no different other campus extra-curricular activities (student government etc.) that may attract students but are cost centers.

I have no problem with revenue sharing across sports though I think it would have to be univesal throughout the FBS otherwise schools that just paid football and basketball players would have a significant advantage.

Similar things have been…

Similar things have been said below, but what a strange journey Devin Gardner's career at Michigan was.  His 2013 Ohio State game would be legendary if the 2-point conversion had been successful and, in my mind, still should be regardless of the final score.  His Notre Dame performance that year was also incredible. Even in 2014 he put in a very strong performance in Columbus despite being banged up most of the year. While his time in A2 was uneven he remains one of my favorites to don the maize and blue.

Here are my couple of…

Here are my couple of thoughts. Seth Fisher -- who I assume is not under threat of being banned -- is a Daily alum who had a respectful discussion about the column on Twitter with the author. Also, if you read the column carefully it doesn't condemn Harbaugh or lionize the NCAA.  It essentially makes the point that there's an inconsistency being acknowledging violations and protesting consequences. Also, I assume the "banning" concept comes from the reaction here to the RichRod articles practice hours piece in the Freep back 2009, and to me the situations aren't even remotely analogous.

To be clear, I think Michigan's approach of challenging the NCAA and focusing on the cheeseburger has been successful from a PR standpoint and I support that. But I also think that one of the things that makes Michigan great is that the student body and fanbase don't speak with one voice, but embrace a diversity of views.

Taking a quick glance at…

Taking a quick glance at other comments I realize that I'm just echoing what has been said many times already, but this kind of writing is what makes MgoBlog unique among sports sites (or sites generally). The opening line sets the tone.  

The internet (and probably some sacred documents) say that the Buddha found enlightenment after sitting under a Banyan tree for seven days. Cool! Way to go, Buddha. Ever try some goalposts

Thanks Brian.

I'm sure that Brian and many…

I'm sure that Brian and many others here know more about this than I do, but the voluntary suspension doesn't bother me. It sounds like Michigan concedes that there were technical violations, and while it's infuriating that there's one standard for Tennessee and another for us the reality is that in many regulatory environments 5-10 violators go unpunished for every one who faces consequences.

Now if NCAA asks for anything more (or anything more than one additional inconsequential game) I think Michigan should challenge that in every way possible including ignoring any "gag" orders.

Seth, My mother worked at…

Seth, My mother worked at Mott for years, and though she wasn't in direct patient care, she got to know many doctors, nurses and other caregivers. She can't say enough good things about the intelligence, dedication and ability. They are amazing and you are in the best hands. I hope and pray that everything goes well for you son. 

Rappourt is in a shopping…

Rappourt is in a shopping center at Plymouth/Nixon on the north side of town, and has very good food and a great beer selection. I see Union Rec was mentioned in an earlier response and I've liked everything I've had there especially the mac n' cheese. The Earle is an institution and is consistently excellent. Finally, I know that Dominick's is seen as more of a place just to drink, but I like their pizza as well as their beer and sangria (and unchanging ambiance).

I basically agree. There…

I basically agree. There were things that could be real issues (how injuries are dealt with, drug tests etc) but those were mixed in with clapping and memorizing acronyms. I suspect every coach has a culture that not every player buys into.

I've been to Maryland (2x)…

I've been to Maryland (2x) and Minnesota once. The Twin Cities are great, and I have family there so it was a fun trip. I went for the 2015 Halloween that Michigan won on goalline stand. Afterwards I was on local train full of Gopher fans who, despite the disappointment, couldn't have been nicer.

I agree with comments below that Maryland's campus isn't great, but it's close to DC which is a nice place to visit and they have a pretty decent beer in the stadium (I think it's called "Terrapin Ale"?). There are always lots of Michigan fans in the stadium.

A couple of thoughts on the…

A couple of thoughts on the QB regression issue, I basically agree with Alex's analysis but wanted to add a few observations. The only true year-to-year starter in the Harbaugh era is Shea since Speight got knocked out by injury in early 2017 and Cade came in mid-2020. While I see that Shea's stats were a bit worse in 2019 than in 2018 I don't think that the two years were much different. The disappointments against OSU both years make us forget that Shea was pretty good throughout though maddeningly inconsistent.  After how he played against MSU and Indiana in 2019 I was sure that it was our year against the Buckeyes.

Regarding Cade, I'll push back a bit on Alex's characterization of his 2021 season as not that of a "world beater". Obviously that team had Haskins, Hutchinson and a great OLine. That said, Cade lost Ronnie Bell early on and still has the 2nd QB rating of the Harbaugh era. He's the reason we won the Penn State game that year, and why we were still in the game against MSU at the end. 

He obviously wasn't great…

He obviously wasn't great here but he certainly has an arm and I wish him well this season. 

What a weird season? I…

What a weird season? I remember falling asleep on the couch some time in the 1st half when it was 17-0 then waking up toward the end of the 4th.

The one thing that gave me optimism was Cade. While he obviously doesn't have the tools of JJ at his best he was very accurate and made great decisions.