SEARCHBITS XXXIV: Assistants Home Stretch Comment Count

Brian

B6uPuNnIcAAsfts[1]

I know I'm a millionaire many times over but let's go to Red Robin anyway

IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE… YET. Sam's source on Tyrone Wheatley is Tyrone Wheatley, so in a case of conflicting information I'm inclined to go with him, and we have that. Rivals' Brandon Brown reported that Wheatley was in the boat, signed, etc., last night, and then the above picture of Harbaugh and Wheatley hanging out at… sigh… Red Robin popped onto the internet and everybody's like WOOOO. Sam has some not so fast my friend:

Wheatley arrived later in the afternoon.He met with the offensive coordinator. It got late so he didn't have the chance to interview with Harbaugh, so they caught dinner. The interview with Harbaugh was then pushed to today. …

No contract. No done deal yet.

I think the reason Sam is putting this out there via Wheatley is that Wheatley doesn't want to give the wrong impression to the people who might be hiring him. It would be awkward to walk into a job interview and be asked why people think you already have it when you do not.

I don't think the cold water means anything other than that; Wheatley's going to be as serious and professional as a boss could want and this is part of the process of getting a job. I'd be surprised if he wasn't brought on in the near future—it makes too much sense.

WHOOPS. Also on Wheatley: Doug Marrone's Jets interview apparently didn't go so well and other gentlemen are believed to lead for it. He's being bombed by former assistants of his on the radio:

…when he takes a job, he already has his plan in place for his next job. Let me say this to you: I've said this before -- self-centered, selfish, greedy. He'll get a job because there's not enough qualified people with head coaching experience to get these jobs.

If Marrone did just pull an all-time employment boner that would mean Wheatley would not have the opportunity to continue as a part of Marrone's staff. Marrone's getting four million dollars this year either way.

DURKIN OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL OFFICIALLY, AGAIN. Is DJ Durkin official yet? Has he been official for weeks? I don't know. Last night saw another flurry of people confirming that DJ Durkin will be the Michigan defensive coordinator, something I thought we'd already… like… confirmed. Apparently not.

Anyway, it is officially official that DJ Durkin is Michigan's defensive coordinator. I look forward to the next and presumably last time it becomes official, when Michigan issues a press release on the staff.

We've also officially reconfirmed that Mattison is staying on. Someone reconfirm Harbaugh to Michigan. Not because we need it, but because it feels goooooood.

MICHIGAN'S DIRECTORY SERVERS ARE WORKING OVERTIME. Someone in IT who doesn't care about football is looking at a usage spike and wondering what the hell everyone is fingering everyone else about:

Jackson served as Harbaugh's DBs coach with the 49ers, and reportedly contacted LA DE Jalen Bates on behalf of Michigan recently. With no other DB coaches popping up on the radar that hire seems highly likely.

THE OTHER JACKSON. Maize and Brew has some scoop on the other Jackson, the comparison-makin', beverage-coordinatin'  one:

I asked my source whether Jackson has indeed retired and received the following: "He isn't sure yet. It's a possibility unless anything changes. He's not stressed about anything though."

With Wheatley closing in on the RBs job, Jackson's likely to stay retired unless Michigan has a DeBord-esque administrative position for him.

I HOPE THIS GUY KNOWS THE COLLEGE RULES AND HOW TO COUNT TO 11. Sam on the wildcard spot:

That's interesting. It means that Drevno is likely to be the primary OL coach and that TEs are likely to get folded in with either the WRs or OL on someone's title. A couple of people have suggested that the gentlemen who would get that job is Florida ST coordinator Coleman Hutzler. Unless that's a law firm. Which it definitely is.

HARBAUGH HIRES ENTIRE FRIGGING LAW FIRM TO COACH SPECIAL TEAMS. You heard it here first.

Anyway: Hutzler is barely 30, spent three seasons as a GA under Harbaugh at Stanford, probably needs a job after Muschamp got axed, and is rapidly moving up the ranks. Also popular with the ladies.

So he's got that going for him.

NO. Expert type guy Scout Roussel says SJSU OC Jimmie Dougherty has been offered a spot as the QB coach, which isn't likely. If he does come in it would be as a WR coach—the position he had at Washington—unless Sam's wrong about the ST guy. Harbaugh does QBs anyway.

GUESSOCHART. Getting to the end here:

OFFENSE COACH confidence DEFENSE COACH confidence
OC Tim Drevno lock DC DJ Durkin lock
QB Jim Harbaugh lock DL Durkin lock
RB Ty Wheatley probable LB Greg Mattison lock
WR John Morton maybe OLB/DE Roy Manning probable
OL Drevno lock DB Greg Jackson probable
TE N/A   ST Coleman Hutzler low

OTHERS: Jimmie Dougherty (WR)

Comments

Perkis-Size Me

January 7th, 2015 at 2:23 PM ^

I'd find it hard to believe that anyone other than Harbaugh will be Michigan's QB coach. The guy from SJSU is probably good in his own right, but when you look at what Harbaugh has done with Andrew Luck, Colin Kaepernick, and even making former Meyer-boy Alex Smith into a relevant NFL QB, it's hard to envision anyone else taking on that job.



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True Blue Grit

January 7th, 2015 at 2:26 PM ^

special teams coach.  That would be a big upgrade.  Our ST have blown chunks for years.  I don't really care if this Hutzler guy is only 30 either.  Just having someone on the staff dedicated to it will pay off. 

DJ Durkin

January 7th, 2015 at 2:37 PM ^

My father is also a millionaire many times over and an absolute cheapskate. He goes to a specific Chinese restaurant for lunch a lot because it's $5. I think him and Harbaugh would get along quite well.

AZBlue

January 7th, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^

$62.50 per hour from his home computer?  Sorry - the first phrase of your post made me think of one of those come-ons...

On an entirely unrelated note, what is your father's stance on adoption?  Specifiically of 40-something Michigan Alums.

BlueinOK

January 7th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^

I don't want to start a thread on this because it's FootballScoop, but they say Dougherty has accepted a position on the staff. I'm not sure if I believe them. I don't see it reported anywhere else. 

Boom Goes the …

January 7th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^

is reporting Jimmie Dougherty has accepted a position at Michigan and our dear friend Al Borges with be OC at SJSU

Interesting

WolverineHistorian

January 7th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^

Is it a possibility that even the special teams could improve now that we have Harbaugh? The rest of the college football world always seems to have good kickers. But expecting Michigan to make a 30 yard field goal is usually asking too much.