Clink is Returning to Michigan
Paywalled article, but the relevant part is not paywalled ...
Chalk up a coaching staff W for Sherrone!
February 7th, 2024 at 11:47 PM ^
Gotta think he did it for the players and the culture. Good on him
February 7th, 2024 at 11:52 PM ^
A lot of variables for this one. Obviously he's well liked and has done a good job. Also has a son walking on. Lastly, he had a buyout that would have to be waived by Sherrone or paid by LA or Clink (or both). No clue if the buyout factored in -- hopefully not. Here's the background on that, from a non-paywalled Webb article:
Program sources I spoke with tonight believe that Clinkscale is leaning towards the exit thanks largely to Moore’s decision to look to the Ravens NFL tree for his defensive play-caller. But they also believe Clinkscale’s exit isn’t etched in stone. He has a significant buyout that puts him in a position very similar to the one Brian Jean-Mary faced in 2021 when the Jacksonville Jaguars attempted to lure him away from Michigan. Harbaugh refused to waive Jean-Mary’s buyout back in that instance and the Jaguars opted not to offer Jean-Mary extra to pay it. Clinkscale’s departure could hinge on whether Moore takes a page out of Harbaugh’s book, or if Clinkscale/Harbaugh choose to pay the freight.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:21 AM ^
Where would we be without Brian Jean-Mary?
February 8th, 2024 at 7:08 AM ^
Thanks for the info.
That doesn't sound great. It's easy to get the sense that he'd flee if the buyout wasn't an issue. Will he be happy without a promotion?
February 8th, 2024 at 7:55 AM ^
it was either stay in AA or get sent to the eastern front
February 8th, 2024 at 10:53 AM ^
Was hoping to see someone post this :)
February 8th, 2024 at 5:15 PM ^
In an ironic fillip of history, the actor who played Colonel Klink escaped the clutches of the Nazis prior to WW2, and after arriving here realized that as a German he faced a career of portraying Nazis.
Which is exactly what happened.
I suppose he was glad to have steady work. Most actors would be!
February 8th, 2024 at 11:17 AM ^
Um, that's the whole point of a buyout.
February 8th, 2024 at 9:41 AM ^
Yikes. I'm glad he's staying, but if he was basically forced to stay....? We will never know, so it doesn't really matter I guess.
February 8th, 2024 at 10:20 AM ^
It's an interesting contrast to Herbert who had similar factors.
- He had a nephew coming in that we went quite out on a limb for
- Highest paid S+C coach
- Reduced role in NFL
- Recently signed big extension
February 8th, 2024 at 10:09 AM ^
Gotta think he did it because, all things considered, he thought it was the best decision for him and his family.
February 8th, 2024 at 11:44 AM ^
No way! You mean these guys think about their own selves and families before the pearl clutchers on Mgoblog?? Surely you jest.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:00 PM ^
No, I'm completely serious - and don't call me Shirley.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:01 PM ^
Nope, I think the Chargers just refused to pay the buyout.
And re: Jean-Mary referenced above, when Harbaugh refused to waive the buyout for the Urbz/Baalke Jags, BJ-M still left, just for a position at Tennessee.
Clink obviously has a lot more invested in Michigan than BJ-M did after 1 covid shortened season, but don't call this deal done until an extension & raise are announced, probably with some talk about how he'll take on more responsibility with the goal of succeeding Wink when the time comes.
February 8th, 2024 at 11:14 AM ^
Love how people think professional coaches make professional decisions based on the players and the coaches rather than on what's best for them.
February 7th, 2024 at 11:50 PM ^
Thank you Clink for not abandoning us
February 8th, 2024 at 9:44 AM ^
Another factor in Clink's staying may be our history with D coordinators from the NFL. They usually don't last more than a couple years.
Clink has been here under Raven system guys for 3 years now and after the next one leaves he might figure that he will have enough system background to be the DC. That would be a strong inducement to stay - especially if Sharone has expressed support for it.
February 8th, 2024 at 10:58 AM ^
It seems weird to think he doesn't have that now
February 7th, 2024 at 11:55 PM ^
Are we still firing Warde?
February 7th, 2024 at 11:59 PM ^
Hell yes
This is great news but it doesn't change how unprepared he's been throughout
February 8th, 2024 at 5:19 AM ^
What would preparation look like?
February 8th, 2024 at 6:46 AM ^
Something a lot closer to seamless. Like the DeBoer/Alabama transition,
February 8th, 2024 at 7:04 AM ^
So you mean we should go back in time and unhire Moore so that we can bring in someone from outside so that can bring their entire staff with them?
Or should we somehow convince our coaches to take a lower position and less money with more responsibility to remain at Michigan vs the NFL?
Or is it all the players that entered the transferred that you like so much about the Bama situation?
February 8th, 2024 at 7:24 AM ^
Well said brother
February 8th, 2024 at 7:43 AM ^
How to know you are reading MGoBlog:
People leaving - the sky is falling
People staying - the sky is falling
February 8th, 2024 at 7:44 AM ^
Lol the “smooth” Alabama transition- you mean the one where a quarter of their team transferred out? Bama fans were apoplectic. People on this board just say things to say things…
February 8th, 2024 at 9:51 AM ^
The one where the players enter the portal?
February 8th, 2024 at 7:36 AM ^
Like this. And much needed after the past few weeks.
February 8th, 2024 at 6:47 PM ^
Wait a minute, you mean you are supposed to stick those up your butt? Now that explains why they weren’t working! —Fake Warde
February 8th, 2024 at 10:16 AM ^
Probably not floating a name that made it to the public daily and getting passed on publicly by multiple people. Having the losing and retention of assistants happen less above the surface and it being more prepared for on his list of "all potentialities covered." Having his rolodex of scheme appropriate assistants ready and as someone wise below mentioned, handling this all much more quietly and a little more quickly.
It's a lot to expect of a 38 year old head coach that he have the rolodex and the relationships to make this process quiet and efficient. That's where an actual proactive AD, as in, not Warde, would be throwing all the support necessary to such a young, lightly seasoned hire to make the process not look like this.
If you really want to be contrarian and anti-anti Warde, have at it, but this hasn't been smooth and it hasn't felt like the guy you picked, who distinctly is not a 50 something with a lifetime of coaching connections and instant clout, has been getting all the active support he needed to show less of our legs frantically churning below the surface.
February 8th, 2024 at 11:05 AM ^
Can we for a minute just accept the fact that by promoting from within the program, that Michigan was in a unique situation? First off, Harbaugh dragging his feet to finally flee to the NFL put the University behind the timeline for hiring. Secondly, had Michigan hired Chris Klieman from Kansas State, Klieman would have probably come here with a core group of coaches in tow and then sifted through what remained of the staff.
Moore has promoted people whom he has worked with and now have loyalty to him.
Grant Newson - Moved from TE's to O-Line.
Kirk Campbell - Promoted from QB coach to OC.
Justin Tress - Promoted to Director of S&C.
J.B. Brown - Promoted from Analyst to Special Teams Coach.
Steve Casula - (Noted it has been reported but not been presented with an official announcement.) Former analyst who was the OC for UMass to be the TE's coach.
Abigail O'Connor - Retained as Director of Football Performance Nutrition.
Clink - As reported in this post retained.
So far, it feels as though Moore wants a DC outside of the program. Depending upon who the DC is, they may want to bring some of their people with them to run the defense. So, loading up with position specific coaches before Moore selects a DC may not be the best way to go. So just because Moore hasn't plucked a handful of coaches from outside doesn't mean that he hasn't made good hires and doesn't necessarily have to scroll through Warde's rolodex to do his job.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:04 PM ^
Joe, if you're really interested in what "prepared" might have looked like, it's all right there in the top post on the Board, in detail!
Check it out...
February 8th, 2024 at 12:36 PM ^
That's a pretty solid point
February 8th, 2024 at 9:30 AM ^
Hell yes
I think you mean Hail yes
I'll show myself out.....
February 8th, 2024 at 12:30 PM ^
Unprepared for what? Harbaugh stole most of the staff. You can't pre-hire replacements, especially when you don't know who exactly will be coming and going. You still have to interview replacements, which you can't do until the old guy leaves.
February 8th, 2024 at 6:18 AM ^
lol!! Only Warde’s fault when it goes bad. Everyone else gets credit for good. Fans can be hilarious
February 8th, 2024 at 6:52 AM ^
Warde deserves the criticism he gets for this whole thing. He had several years to develop a detailed plan for the inevitable Harbaugh departure. If he did, issues surrounding elevating Sherrone and retaining (or not retaining) all these assistants would be settled quietly within 48 hours.
February 8th, 2024 at 7:38 AM ^
What magical plan do you think he should have made to prevent Harbaugh from offering his former coaches more money and less responsibility to come to the NFL?
Should he have preemptively given them all $5mil contracts? By all accounts he opened up the pocket books to try and retain them. But with Harbaugh is offering the same or more money to coach professionals, have an actual off season and not have to constantly recruit it's gonna be hard to keep them.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:17 PM ^
Well we can't fix the fucking mess the ncaa has allowed college football to become, so the "less work" part is out of Michigan's control, if indeed it will be less work.
But as for being repeatedly outbid - most recently apparently by Seattle for Cullen - that is something Warde has some control over!
Herbert is quite simply more valuable - FAR more valuable - to Michigan than he is to the Chargers. When someone is too valuable to you to lose to a competitor in the business world, how do you deal with that. Hand wringing?!
No, you open the fucking checkbook & blow the other offer out of the water! And when Michigan didn't do that for Herbert (who has been presented on every Michigan football related site as absolutely invaluable in getting Michigan over the osu hump & achieving the NC!) Warde was pretty much finished to most of us.
Now, I've answered your question, you answer this: what has Warde done so well that you're bothering to defend him?!
February 8th, 2024 at 12:32 PM ^
So dumb. There was nothing he and Sherrone could have done to insure replacements would be instantly found, especially when a coach leaves this late in the cycle and takes a lot of staff with him. It's not that simple.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:41 PM ^
Yes there IS something they could have done - outbid LAC for Herbert!
That simple! He's worth more to Michigan than to the Chargers. Far more! Show him that!
After they failed that, every other coach who says "no thanks" just piles perception upon perception that they are unprepared and not paying the going rates.
Now it looks like Clink is only staying because LAC wouldn't pay his buyout. And DC option #3 or 4 Cullen has apparently also told them he'll get back to them after he's had the chance to exhaust every nfl option. So on to Wink we go...
And c'mon - "this late in the cycle"?! Who hasn't known Harbaugh was leaving soon for the last 3 years? And immediately after winning the NC & achieving his Michigan goal. That's apologist BS. Again why?! What's Warde actually done that you're defending? List his accomplishments, please!
February 8th, 2024 at 7:16 AM ^
One defensive assistant coach staying doesn't mean that everything is sunny and rainbows in the athletic department.
February 8th, 2024 at 10:03 AM ^
Awesome how 50% of the comments in every thread are about Warde now. This board sucks lately.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:19 PM ^
Well, Warde sucks!
And not just lately...
February 7th, 2024 at 11:58 PM ^
Go Clink!
February 8th, 2024 at 12:21 PM ^
No! Stay Clink! STAY!!!
Go Blue!
February 8th, 2024 at 12:00 AM ^
Also mentioned is the likelihood of Wink Martindale being hired (which we knew from earlier Webb reports). He adds that Drew Wilkins would most likely follow Wink to UM as a LB coach. Some Wilkins background:
- Joined NYG in 2022, fired with Wink
- A decade with the Ravens prior to that -- starting in the film room, working as an assistant to the DL (for Cullen for a stretch) -- and eventually 2 years as outside LBs coach
- Graduated from Maryland in 2010 and began coaching as an assistant there (under James Franklin at one point).
- From Pennsylvania originally
February 8th, 2024 at 12:09 AM ^
Yuck.
February 8th, 2024 at 12:15 AM ^
What?
February 8th, 2024 at 12:17 AM ^
Wink Martindale is not good nor are his acolytes. He doesn’t even run the scheme the same McDonald/Minter. Manuel Excel compares him to Don Brown.
Just a poor choice if indeed it is the choice.