...IF Michigan is in the market for a new DC, who would you like to see?

Derek Mason or Bob Shoop

Moving on from Don Brown, they have to focus on upgrading the talent on defense. I would look for a coach quickly rising within the coaching rankings that has a proven track record of identifying and recruiting talent. Some names worth considering:

Tosh Lupoi - Currently Atlanta Falcons defensive line coach and run game coodinator, defensive line coach with Cleveland Browns, previously top 10 national recruiter and defensive line coach at Alabama, Washington Huskies, Cal Golden Bears

Todd Bates - Currently Clemson Defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator, coordinated defenses at the Junior college level and Jacksonville state before being hired by Clemson where he has spent the last five years under Brent Venables 

Chris Partridge - most of us know the hisotry and trajectory of his career

This OP is a nice thought-in a perfect world. However, history, that urban legend definition of insanity and the last four years of Michigan football surely informs us that this is simply wishful thinking. That some are suggesting that Jay remains on staff and others connected to Jim from the past be brought in is just plain crazy thinking. The personality of Mr. Jim Harbaugh is simply too strong and inflexible to continue in this capacity as the head of Michigan football-and expect different, let alone, better results. People reinventing themselves is so rare-and should neither be counted upon, expected nor demanded. I am so disappointed in the reality here. 

I believe Jim has an excellent vision for the off-the-field development of the college athlete. If he wishes to remain connected to Michigan he could/should be employed in some capacity in this regard. Offer him a comfortable civilian wage and a nice corner office in the AD to employ his perspective for the general student athlete population. 

People will disagree with me, but we need a new OC more than a new DC. We need to replace both! Brown had 3 stellar years, 1 great year, and 1 awful year here as DC. And he had several stellar years at BC. Gattis has shown us nothing to be excited about and he has no track record of success. Gattis talks a big game though and for large parts of this fan base that’s enough. 

Matt Patricia

Mork Dan7onio

Harbaugh hired Derek Mason at Stanford before he went to Vandy. I think that'd be a great move and someone Harbaugh already knows.

Tem Lukabu at BC (not the head coach as someone mentioned before). He has some B1G experience at Rutgers and was a LB coach with the Bengals before becoming the BC coordinator last year. BC has way overperformed year one of Hafley and Lukabu is a big reason why. He might be a little young and this would be a big step. This might not be a first choice because of lack of experience, but he's a young star in the business. 

I'd think a coach recently deposed might be the best choice given Harbaughs tight contract with loads of uncertainty.  If I'm a hot coach somewhere, I'd be pressed to come here when the hc might be out in a year or two.

Charlie Strong is an interesting candidate.  

I live in the Louisville (Kentucky) area, and he was considered a great coach.  He had great defenses, was young, and was a very very good recruiter (with ties to Florida).  He did great at Louisville.  He had back to back Conference championships, and won a game that was the biggest BCS upset of all time (against Florida).

Mack Brown was fired from Texas, and that BIG job was there for him.  "Blueblood" program, lots of resources, and even in a very very fertile recruiting state.

Strong left to go there.  Nobody here blamed him, because obviously Texas was a "better job".  With his success at Louisville and his recruiting abilities....he was a guaranteed success.  Well....that didn't work out well for Strong or Texas.  Strong was fired, and then went to USF....which he was also fired from a few years later.

The guy can obviously coach, but he isn't the "hot" coach, that he once was.  He needs to prove himself, again, and wouldn't be a risk to jump ship (for the better job).  Bringing him in as DC would immediately help with recruiting, and he knows his football.  He isn't currently employed (to my knowledge, anyway), so he would be an excellent option.

Greg Mattison

I'm groaning about growning

Double post.

Good to see you again, my old friend.  It's been a while.

Derek Mason

Is it me, or has the spelling on this board taken a nosedive? 

First "premis", and now "grown"?

Grown.

Gattis....I'm torn.  A coordinator in his first year at a school, that is instituting a whole sale change in philosophy, will always struggle.  They have to teach a whole new way of doing things, to kids who weren't recruited for that system.  So, last year was not a fair measuring tool for his ability.  Throw in his being a brand new coordinator.....that makes it even harder.  Some of those games he called a great game.  Some of the plays he called were very good.  When the kids executed those plays, then he looked like a genius.  When they didn't, he looked like he had no idea what he was doing.

This year....not having normal practice time, not having Spring practice, losing your best receiver and (in some reports) the best QB RIGHT BEFORE the season (so the limited practice time he did have, he wasted on practicing with a player who wasn't going to play), having a VERY young/inexperienced receiving Corp, replacing your ENTIRE offensive line (with young and inexperienced players)....just to have the majority of that new group to get injured (which has the whole offense in shambles), and a defense that couldn't stop a toddler (so he's constantly playing from behind).....isn't really fair on him either.

He's young, and has shown promise in his scheme, recruiting, and (at his previous stops) at coaching WR.

HOWEVER, with all that said.  Yes, he's shown the ability to call a good game, but some of his decisions are just mind blowing (Wildcat on the one yard line, when you have 2 downs to work with your 6'5 240lbs QB, for example).  Throw that in with the fact that Major Applewhite is sitting there as an analyst for Alabama (having EXCELLENT OC experience and even HC experience), and it would be foolish to not to kick those tires, for interest.

The rational version of me thinks Gattis could be very successful here, with another season.  That Applewhite would be a "pipedream", and he wouldn't come anyway, because he's looking to go back to being a HC.

The irrational version of me thinks entirely different.  Lol