Michigan Tuesday: The Goal is Indy in 2011

During Hoke's first press conference it was clear that beating Michigan's rivals and winning the Big Ten Championship was the top priority for this program.  But was is the priority for next year?  Rebuilding right?
Nope.

Brady Hoke sat down with Detroit News columnist Bob Wojnowski.   Bob asks a number of questions, like what's his favorite food and book, repairing the Michigan Nation, all the questions you would expect.  The one question (and follow up) that I thought was valuable was: 

Q. You have 18 starters back next year, including the Big Ten offensive player of the year. I'm thinking an 8-4 record, minimum. What do you think?
A. If we don't win the championship, we failed, period.

Q. Have you looked at your roster closely and assessed how good you could or couldn't be?
A. No. If we don't win the championship, we failed.


Q. So I suppose it's possible then?
A. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't.

A question you might be considering is: Do we really think that is possible?  It's possible but not probable.  What I really like to hear is the goal is in the right place.  We are not talking about a winning season or a bowl game.  We are talking about the goal being a Big Ten Championship and playing in Indy in December.

• The worst kept secret is the hiring of Jerry Montgomery to coach the DL and Curt Mallory to coach the DB's was made official on Monday.    Both are good coaches, but I'm the most excited about the hiring of Jerry who is a young guy and can develop guys like Big Will, Richard Ash, and Terry Talbott.   Many coaches will tell you, all good teams start with the offensive and defensive lines.  Michigan is looking great on the O-Line and the D-line (outside of Martin) needs work.

• 2012 Ohio DE Ifeadi Odenigbo got offered by Michigan yesterday.  He is 6'4 and 210 pounds and was ranked #24 on the State of Ohio rankings.   He seems like a good student and has offers from Stanford, BC, Northwestern, and many other Big Ten Schools.  He has not been offered by OSU yet. 

•  Here is another Michigan 2012 defensive hot list.  I am a big fan of the name of Trotwood, Ohio safety Bam Bradley.   Michigan has 3 players currently on the roster from Trotwood.

Michigan Thursday: Finds the New Michigan Assistant Coaches?

Brady Hoke said during his press conference that the rest of this staff will be completed by Monday. 

The rumor mill has been running with a couple of names, so I will let you know what I'm hearing. 

Potential New DB Coach is Curt Mallory.   Michigan fans are familiar with the Mallory name.  Dad Bill was the head coach at Colorado, Northern Illinois, and Indiana.  Son Mike Mallory was a Michigan LB from 82-85 and currently coaching on the Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints.  Curt Mallory is currently the DC for Akron and has a lot of experience coaching DB's at stops at Ball State, CMU, Indiana, and Illinois.  As you can see it seems Curt worked with Brady at Ball State.

Potential new DL Coach is Jerry Montgomery who seems to be a hot young coach and was just hired at Indiana a few weeks ago.   Before joining the staff at IU, Jerry spent two years as the DL coach at Wyoming and a couple years at Northern Iowa in the same role.  Jerry is a former defensive lineman at Iowa and had a cup of coffee in the NFL.  He also played a couple of seasons in the arena league, so he knows how the play the ball off the net! Jerry is just 30 years old and should be a great asset in communicating with players and on the recruiting trail.

On the ironic side, Jerry would have been working for Doug Mallory the new DC at Indiana. 

Brady Hoke, It's Tuesday 1/18 Do You Know Who Your DC is?

I sure don't and time is ticking away in this 2011 class.   I think someone should check the clocks and calendars in Schembechler Hall.  I think they might be a week or two off.  First, David Brandon decides to fire RR in early January and do a national search.   Which most experts believe to be a month late to find serious candidates.  Since he took him a week to find that out, he hires a coach who he could of had the day he fired RR. 

So Michigan continues to be behind the 8Ball in recruiting with a coach hired in mid-January.  Then Brady Hoke gets the job and brings a couple of assistants with him that were with him at Ball State and SDSU.  Now it's January 18, 2010 and you haven't hired the most important role on your staff - The Defensive Coordinator. 

I was pretty vocal when Brandon fired Rich Rodriguez that you don't fire him to hire Brady Hoke.  I have somewhat changed my mind on that after I saw Brady's love for Michigan.  Now, let me be very clear - a Ball State Staff should not be coaching at Michigan!  Please find some quality guys with a lot of recruiting and coaching experience to fill out this staff.  DC is the most important role on this staff and there needs to be a very high quality coach.  Tick Toc, Tick Toc..................

Rumored candidates?

Greg Mattison: DC Baltimore Ravens: Greg and Brady are very close and I'm sure they have talked since Brady got the job.   Greg is 61 and I don't know if you go from the Ravens to the Wolverines, but maybe he misses the college game.   I don't see this happening.

Jon Hoke, DB coach of the Chicago Bears:  Brother of Brady and said he hasn't talked to Brady about a role at Michigan.  He is also busy with the playoffs.

Teryl Austin, out of work but was the DC of Florida last year.   Austin coached the DB's at Michigan from 99-02.   If he was the guy, they could of had him last week.  Of course, since that seems how Michigan hires coaches, he is probably the guy that will get hired.  Austin only has 1 year experience as a DC.

Vance Bedford, DC at Louisville - Charlie Strong brought Vance with him when he left the job at Florida and took the head coaching job at Louisville.  Urban Meyer wanted Vance to stay and replace Charlie as the DC at Florida.  He declined and went to Louisville.   Urban offered him a boat load of money and Vance said no.  I think he is pretty happy in Louisville. 

Mike Trgovac, DL at Green Bay.  Mike was the DC for the Carolina Panters and there are rumors he might be a candidate to join John Fox at Denver as their new DC.  Mike is my first choice but he may enjoy the pro game (and money) over college.  He is also busy right now.

Ron English, HC at Eastern Michigan.  Ron has won a couple of games at EMU in two years.  He is building a program and I would be surprised if he left to be Michigan's DC.  On the other hand there was a strange message on his facebook page that he spoke to Coach Hoke and that there is good news coming.  Many believe that account is not Ron's and the whole thing is a hoax not a Hoke.

Corwin "Cornflakes" Brown: DB coach for the New England Patriots.  Corwin as you know was a safety at Michigan from 1993-2000 and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 4th round.  He was also the DC at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis.  His season is now over. 

Randy Shannon, former head coach at Miami.  The only people throwing his name around are Michigan bloggers.  I'm pretty sure Michigan isn't going to pay him close to $1M a year to coach defense, but they should.  He is a very good defensive coach and would have a HUGE impact in recruiting Florida. 

So those are the candidates I have been hearing (outside of Randy Shannon).  You might be wondering, what the hell is taking so long?  (Becuase I sure am).  1) The coach they want to hire is still alive in the NFL Playoffs and doesn't want to leave before his team is eliminated.  I understand that but why not do what Charlie Weis did?  Take the job at Florida but work with Kansas City until they were eliminated. 

2) They are in deep negotiation with a college coach.  If they are currently employed they are on the road recruiting and pretty busy.

So we better hear something real soon! Because the time is ticking away and recruits like Kris Frost (whose commitment was accepted by Auburn today) really wants to know who the DC is going to be.  Please hire someone soon, so we can try to salvage this recruiting class. 

Michigan recruitment of Devin Lucien seems to be over.  Michigan called him yesterday and said they wanted the 4 star prospect from California as a DB instead of a WR.  Devin was crushed and really wanted to visit and sign with Michigan.   So I'm guessing Michigan feels pretty good where they are with a couple WR's they have on their board.  (I certainly hope so).

Michigan Friday: Updates Hoke's Staff, Player Status and some Recruiting

Mike Barwis is now officially out as Michigan's S&C coach.  I know SDSU's S&C guy is well respected, but I just wish they could have worked something out so that Mike stayed on staff.  It's too bad and Mike probably has already found another job.

Al Borges will be Michigan's Offensive Coordinator, which hasn't been a big mystery.   Al runs a pro style offense but will do things that takes advantage of Denard's skills: 

"To say we're a spread team, we're not that," Borges said. "But you can't say, we're going to blow up and start all over again, not when you have a talent like (Robinson). We want to get back to some power offense, get down in the stance and knock people off the ball and give our kids a chance to kick butt. Within that scope, we then let our quarterback do what he does well.

"I've been doing this for 24 years. I'm no genius and I do not pretend to be one, but I have a hell of a lot of experience with a lot of different types of quarterbacks."

This is a smart more, running an offense that will allow Denard to run but making him a better QB at the next level. 

Fred Jackson is back as Michigan's RB Coach:  There wasn't much doubt that Freddie would be back.  He had been on staff for 20 years and was the only Michigan coach RR retained after he came to Michigan.   Fred is one of the best recruiters at Michigan and should help keep this class together.

Tate Update:  Tate's father is in town to talk to the Michigan staff about letting his son back in the program.  Tate's father contradicts the rumors that Tate was asked to leave the program due to academics:  "I can tell you this — he didn't fail his classes, Mike Forcier said in the report. "I'm really not sure what's going on. I just flew into Ann Arbor to figure everything out and see how we can get this whole thing resolved."   I hope this can be worked out and Tate gets back into the program but I hope Tate clearly understands what the expectations are for a student athlete at Michigan.

Mike Martin: Is not going pro and staying at Michigan for his senior year.  Which is good news for Michigan's defense next year. 

Former Michigan assistant coach Rod Smith has taken at job at IU as their co-offensive coordinator and Greg Fry will coach the Hooisers offensive line.

RR cleans out his closet and gives his Michigan gear to the Salvation Army so that they can raise some money.

Kyle Turley:  Did the media rounds yesterday and basically threw Brady Hoke under the bus for leaving SDSU after two years (Turley went to SDSU) and the same time he basically said that he heard Dan Marino got high before football games.  So he is a great source for solid information.


Recruiting Tid Bits:

• It seems Dallas Crawford has cut Michigan from his list.  So I guess he will be another coaching change casualty.  I'm surprised he is doing that before he talks to the Michigan coaches.

• Thomas Rawls instate RB continues to be very interested in Michigan now with Fred Jackson back on the staff.  Thomas needs to get a test score up but if that happens he might be the second RB in this class.  Thomas rushed for 1,585 yards, 19 touchdowns on 150 carries in 2010.

• Michigan still seems to be in the Kris Frost race.  Kris picked Auburn during the AA game week but was a silent commit to the Wolverines.  There is some question to whether Auburn has room in this class for Kris.  (they are losing two players to the NFL this week ). I hope Brady is on the phone today with Kris.  Today is the end of the recruiting dead period.

• Is Michigan back in the recruitment's of instate 4 stars Anthony Zettel and DeAthony Arnett?  Both are already committed to other schools (PSU and Tenn).  No proof that they are but If I were Brady and staff I would give them a call. 

Breaking News: Hoke to Meet Brandon in LA

Brady Hoke will be meeting with David Brandon near LA late this afternoon.   Hoke is in the LA area recruiting.

One of the things that was in question was why David would be flying to the LA area when Brady is in San Diego.  That mystery is now solved. 

After David signs Brady, maybe they can take a tour of celebrities homes or spend his new signing bonus on Rodeo Drive.    They should sign the paperwork at the Rose Bowl. 

Well Done, Mr. Brandon.   This is not going to end well.

***Update: The Detroit Media is all over the above report and saying that Brady Hoke is the guy.  Since the Detroit Media hasn't been right for 3+ years about anything related to Michigan football, I'm guessing Michigan must be looking elsewhere.  :-)

THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL!

Right now the Pizza business must be looking pretty good.  Fighting Little Caesars or Papa Johns seems like a pretty good gig compared to this cluster.  David, I'm sorry but you have painted yourself into a corner where now it's going to be very difficult to get out of.

Let me be very clear, You don't fire Rich Rodriguez to hire Brady Hoke.  You just don't.  But what options do you have left?  The chips are on the table and it's time to lay down your cards.

I'm now officially concerned that David is not a closer.  Which shouldn't be a big surprise, since a number of executives are groomed from the ground up and never had a real sales job.  Sometimes they did have a sales job but forget what life was life in mahogany row or while they are traveling to their vacation homes on their private jets.

Well, Dave the folks that ride coach are pretty pissed off right now.  You have gone 0-2 with Michigan Men for this opening and your only prospect right now looks like Brady Hoke.   The latest flight tracker has David flying to California but hasn't left yet.   Who is planning to run that players meeting at 4:00 today?  Why the hell isn't David going to Dallas?   Who is your next target Cam Cameron?

Maybe David is heading to California to play some golf?

You know what, I'm starting to give a lot of blame to Bill Martin and David Brandon for the current state of this Michigan program.

Michigan Coaching Search: Lips are Sealed

So David Brandon and Les Miles met yesterday afternoon.  They might have even shared a BBQ dinner before David jumped on his private jet back to Willow Run.   Neither Les or Dave are talking. 

So the question still remains:  Did they have chicken or ribs for dinner?  Maybe both! 

Was there a Michigan job offer?  Was David there to ask a high profile former Michigan coach what his opinion is on who should be the Wolverines next coach?  We don't know. 

What we do know is that Les has a speaking engagement at the coaching conference today in Dallas.  We also know that David Brandon is home back in Ann Arbor.  If I was the Michigan AD and didn't have a coach signed up and needed to interview a number of candidates to fill my open position.  I sure the hell wouldn't be at home enjoying an Izzy's Meatball sub for lunch, I would be in Dallas at the coaches convention with a card table and a sign that says two things: Our helmet has wings and I'm willing to pay $5M a year if you can coach defense.

So is Les already signed up?  I don't know.  I'm sure LSU will make a run at keeping him.  

But we should know by the end of day.  So keep hitting your refresh button and I will let you know as soon as something breaks.   

A+B+C+D = Les?

A: The Domino's Pizza plane or the one that David Brandon has been using left Dallas this afternoon and landed in Baton Rouge.

B: The LSU message boards are saying that Les has signed a new $5M - 5 year contract with Michigan.

C: There is a players team meeting that was just scheduled for 4:00 on Tuesday.

D: The Pizza plane is scheduled to leave Baton Rouge in a few minutes to Willow Run. 

You be the judge, but that seems like a lot of evidence that Les will only have to travel a few more air "Miles" before he is the new Michigan coach.

Update:  This guy says he reviewed airport video that Les was not on the plane back to Michigan.  Les is scheduled to talk at the coaching conference in Dallas on Tuesday.   So I guess we continue to wait to see what happens.

11:00: Pizza Plane has landed in Willow Run.  It seems that David Brandon was on the flight.

David Brandon Speaks

Via the Brandon Blog:

During the press conference on Wednesday (Jan. 5), I noted we would be conducting a national search for our next football coach. Some would suggest we should complete this national search in a matter of hours, but this is a critical decision for Michigan Athletics and it cannot and will not be made in haste.



Coaches are an interesting, intense group, and although this interviewing process is time-consuming and somewhat demanding, it is an honor to represent Michigan and discuss our football program's needs and opportunities with a variety of impressive candidates and/or people who can offer valuable advice and input. The process is proceeding with careful consideration as to the qualifications, commitment, effectiveness and passion that various candidates would bring to our program.


I am sure all of the news reports are interesting for our fans, but I am too busy to follow the majority of the news except to hear some pretty wild stories about "where I am and who I am talking to." The last week should be a reminder to everyone not to believe everything you read or hear. Some of the so-called "news reports" over the past week have been simply ridiculous.


As it relates to our fans, I have received the "advice and recommendations" to hire just about every football coach in America -- including some who have never coached or haven't coached in years! I am glad our fans are passionate, but we cannot hire your favorite high school coach (as one fan suggested) and we cannot hire several head coaches and have them take turns leading the team during the season (another unique approach that was suggested to me!).

Sometimes, fans who provide more level-headed suggestions do not realize that some of the people they mention are not viable candidates for Michigan for a variety of reasons. This is some of what we learn as we go through this process.


Our Michigan Athletic Department e-mail servers have been very busy! I am trying to answer/acknowledge all e-mails we have been receiving from sincere, thoughtful individuals. The department appreciates the messages from those who are simply trying to help. Those that are not trying to be helpful quickly end up in the delete/block sender file!

I would bet that in the majority of cases, fans have never met and interviewed any of the coaches they are either supporting or trashing, so they really don't have any idea what kind of people they really are! Thankfully, I am given this opportunity.


We are looking for a coach that matches our program's particular needs and objectives, on and off the field.


There will always be a certain number of people who enjoy criticizing others, and there is nothing any of us can do about them! However, for those of you who want to help bring Michigan football back to where we all want it to be, you can help by getting behind our new coach and ignoring those who enjoy creating controversy and resentment. Much of our past success was largely a result of our large number of passionate, united fans around the country supporting our coaches and players in every way. Uniting again behind one singular purpose -- to win Big Ten championships -- is what we need, and now is the time to get on board.

The most important thing everyone can do at this point to help Michigan football is to prepare to greet our new coach with all of the support, encouragement and positive energy that we can muster. Getting our football program turned around quickly is our goal, and having our fans and supporters "jump on board" early with our new coach will help him be successful -- which is what we all want!


It is time for me to get on to the next session. Go Blue!!


BHB:  If I am reading this right, it's not Jon Gruden and probably Brady Hoke and he is pretty sorry for not having a coach hired when he fired RR.  Maybe he is targeting Wayne Fontes at this point.  Who knows.

Michigan Monday: No News is Bad News

It's now been 10 days since Michigan got embarrassed in the Gator Bowl.  It's been 44 days since Michigan got blown out by Ohio State.  It's been 5 days since Rich Rodriguez got fired by David Brandon as Michigan's head coach.   It's 21 days until signing day for the 2011 class.

Folks, time is not on our side.   I know this is maybe the most important decision David will ever make in his entire career as athletic director and he needs some time to make the right decision but there are currently 4 open BCS positions at the moment: Michigan, Stanford, Pitt, and UConn.  You could argue that just Stanford would be competing with Michigan for candidates.   So why is this taking so long?

I had convinced myself that David Brandon had a plan in December.  Maybe he did and maybe that plan got blown up when Harbough's ego blew up.   Either way this search is a mess right now.  Les Miles has more ghosts in his closet then a Poltergeist movie, Brady Hoke seems to have a clean slate but no experience leading a BCS school and after that nothing but question marks.

The Detroit media has not done Michigan any favors the last few years so I can see why he is keeping this search quiet.   With that said, I thought Brandon had until this past weekend to find a head coach while trying to keep this recruiting class in tact.  Let me be very clear, we can not throw the 2011 recruiting class away.  You will set the program back years.  I don't care if you hire Bob Stoops, Jon Gruden, Jimmy Johnson, or Bill Cower you have to have talent to win football games.  Losing an entire class is criminal and would kill the Wolverines a couple years down the line.

Bill Martin had an entire year to plan for Lloyd Carr's retirement, he did nothing to prepare for his search.   David Brandon should of had an idea what his plan was for RR after the Ohio State game.  It looks like he didn't have a plan B after Harbaugh.   I know it would have been difficult to keep RR after the Gator Bowl, but keeping him and firing his entire defensive staff might be better plan then flying around the country with a help wanted sign.

Do you remember when Ole Miss hired Houston Nutt?  At the time Houston was the head coach of Arkansas.  Houston resigned from Arkansas and within a few minutes was named the head coach of Ole Miss.   They had a plan and executed it.  Stephen Ross took a hit this week talking to Jim Harbaugh when he already had a head coach under contract.  Why?  I think he did the right thing.  He had a coach that he thought was doing a good job but maybe he had a chance to get the hottest candidate in the land.  He didn't land him and the Dolphins current head coach got a 2 year extension.  I know those 2 days had to suck for the Dolphins staff but they got a two year reward out of it.

The Michigan job is one of the highest profile jobs in college football.  It comes with huge expectations. It has to be the right candidate for now and for 10+ years for now.  Hiring for this position is a huge responsibility and you need to make the right choice.   As each day goes by as each hour ticks away, it looks more and more like a huge mess with very few options.   1 big recruiting weekend now lost, what will we lose next?

The latest is that Miles will meet with Brandon on Tuesday in Dallas at the coaching convention.  Glad this discussion can wait a couple of days. 

Looking More and More Like Les

It seems David Brandon is on his way to Baton Rouge to finalize talks or a contract with Les Miles. 

As you will see from this link.  A U of M plane is heading from Hilton Head to Baton Rouge.  Why you ask would be the Michigan plane be in Hilton Head?  One theory suggests that Lloyd Carr has a home in Hilton Head and David Brandon is there "selling" LC on the Miles hire.  Lloyd and Les notably did not get along due to some past history on the recruiting trail and maybe some other past issues.

Les has always made it well known that Michigan is his dream job and probably his last job as a head coach.

I will give you my feedback on the pros and cons if the deal is finalized.

Stay tuned.  There could be an announcement as early as late this afternoon or tonight.

Miles to Interview

ESPN Joe Schad tweets that he has a source that says Les Miles to interview for the Michigan job.

Just so you know, Brandon has hired a "coaching search" firm that's job is to contact potential candidates to gauge their level of interest in the job and have a high level financial discussion.  Like "how much are you looking for?". 

After those discussions take place, then Brandon talks to the potential candidate.   If the discussion are at this stage it could mean Miles is close to being named the next Michigan coach.  Of course if the discussion goes poorly the search could continue.  The firm may also have a number of candidates at this stage as well.

Side note: If Michigan were to hire Miles I hope that hire would include LSU's DC John Chavis who is known as one of the best DC's in the country.

Brandon's Process = FAIL

I have been a big supporter of David Brandon since he got the AD job at Michigan.  How many people do you know would take millions in a pay cut to come lead an athletic department?  As much as I love Michigan, I would stick with the big green and the free pizza. 

I thought David was smooth in handling the NCAA investigation and findings.  I thought he was really the perfect candidate to lead the Wolverines through this rebuilding period.  Now, I'm questioning everything. 

His "process" in evaluating Rich Rodriguez and his firing has been a complete failure.  Today was just another example of that fact as Michigan went 0-3 in the Army All American commitment battle.  Frost, Lyons, and Hart all picked other schools.  Hell, Lyons picked a school without a head coach as he committed to Stanford.

Let me ask you this.  If Brandon made a coaching change on 12/1 do you think Harbaugh would have accepted his $5M offer?  That 2 of the 3 Army All American above would have picked the Wolverines?

The reason he waited was because he felt the current Wolverines deserved to play and be coached by the current coaching staff in the bowl game.  How did that work out?  I'm not sure if the current players played or were coached in the Gator Bowl.

We are now sitting a couple of weeks from signing day and Michigan's 2011 class is getting smaller by the minute.  All available candidates are not Jim Harbaugh.   RR is investing his $2.5M and David is probably flying around the country talking to candidates about this Michigan job.   Will this end well?  It doesn't look like it right now.

Get the pitchforks and torches ready.

Current rumor mill seems to be saying that Les is More.  I disagree but we will see what happens.  Joe Schad from ESPN is reporting that as of this afternoon Michigan has not contacted LSU and that LSU will do whatever it takes to keep him. 

Harbaugh is a 49er

Done deal.  So in the last week the media has had him as Stanford's coach, Michigan's coach, Denver's coach, Dolphins Coach, Back to Stanford's coach and now the 49ers.    I'm sure he loved every minute of it.  49ers = 5 years and 5 Million a year.  

So now what Mr. Brandon?  Now what?

The more things change, the more they stay the same.  This process has a very familar ring to it.

Michigan Coaching Search Day 3: What the Hell is Going On Out There?

That is my emotion right now.  First David Brandon fired Michigan's high profile coach with out having another head coach signed up.  Then he cancels the official recruiting weekend that was due to kick off today.  Now he is starting a coaching search in early January when Michigan's head coach should be finishing up his recruiting class, not filling out his W4 form.

Here is the latest:

Jim Harbaugh - reports was he was expected to sign a contract with the Dolphins and now that isn't happening.   Reports now are saying that he is expected to either stay with Stanford or go to the 49ers.  What the hell is happening here?  He turned down $7M plus to coach the Dolphins?  Now he may get over $5M from Stanford?  He doesn't want to coach in the NFL now?  This is crazy stuff.  There is a book that could be written on the happenings with Jim between Monday and Friday of this week.

Pat Fitzgerald - seems to been a candidate but now he isn't.  Wants to stay in his home town and coach his college football team the Northwestern Wildcats.  Ok, I get that but its too bad.

Brady Hoke - is just wanting for the call to jump on a plane. 

Bo Pelini - likes to tie his name to every major opening so he can get a raise from Nebraska. 

Les Miles - probably won't know if Michigan contacted him or not.  He is also preparing to play in the Cotton Bowl (when do they play that game?  Sometime in February? - It's actually tonight)

Gary Patterson - No News

Kirk Ferentz - please! his entire team was just busted for selling pot.  I have heard that most of the team was involved in the "ring".

David Brandon basically has this weekend to name a new head coach.  If it goes beyond this weekend,  Michigan is in huge trouble with this recruiting class.   Hell, if gets past this weekend you might has well just hire Gary Moeller for a year. (that is a joke)

This search right now looks like a huge "cluster".  I might not even order Domino's Pizza this weekend!

The Army All American Bowl which was set up to be a big recruiting day for Michigan, now is highly in doubt.   Here are a list of guys that had some Michigan interest at some point in their recruitment:  Blake Countess, Dee Hart, Kris Frost, Sammy Watkins, Avery Walls, Wayne Lyons, Ray Drew, DeAnthony Arnett, and Lamar Dawson.

Pat Fitzgerald is Out

ESPN is reporting he is staying at Northwestern after Michigan asked to meet with him.  Isn't it nice that guys coaching in places like Northwestern and Rutgers aren't interested in coaching Michigan?  Not good. 

Jimmy and Pat now out.  Who's next? 

Again not having a coach lined up when Brandon fired RR is a huge "FAIL".

Michigan Thursday: Gives my $.02 on the Next Head Coach at Michigan

I'm sure all of you like me have been taking a lot of time thinking about who the next Michigan head coach might/should be. 

I would like to get a few things out of the way first:

1. Jimmy is not coming here.  The Dolphins owner is willing to pay him the highest contact in the NFL and the 49ers are probably will get close to that number as well.
2. Kurt Herstreit is not to be trusted with any Michigan coaching rumors.  He still would be "shocked" if Harbaugh isn't Michigan's next coach.
3. I'm betting that Desmond Howard will be giving David Brandon a lot of advice on this hire.  He was the only person that was in contact with David Brandon between the two RR meetings this week.
4. I don't see a viable "Michigan Man" option.  IMO you don't fire Rich Rod and hire Brady Hoke.   That would be going from a Cadillac (ok one that didn't run great all the time) to a Taurus when you are willing to spend more money on a car above the Cadillac.   They are both good cars but not in the same class. 
5. I'm basing this decision on guys who I think would consider the job and willing to take it.  Also someone that would be willing to be announced as the next head coach by this weekend.  

Here are my top two candidates:

#1 Pat Fitzgerald: Pat is the best young coach in the Big Ten.  He has Big Ten experience and has a great relationship with his players.  He has learned to be a HC on Northwesterns dime and will continue to be a great HC.  He is young and runs the spread, which would keep Denard happy.  He also was a good Big Ten linebacker and would make sure Michigan's re-built it's defense.   Northwestern is his school and I'm not sure he would want to leave for another Big Ten school that has competed against.  Michigan would probably could double his salary.  His current DC also played under Bo at Michigan.

#1A Kyle Wittingham:  Kyle has been the head coach of Utah for 6 years.  A couple of years ago he had an undefeated team that beat both Michigan and Alabama.  He has been able to keep Utah a ranked program after Urban Meyer left for Florida.  He is 51 and has a lot of coaching years left.  He is a hard nose guy that could really re-build the toughness this team has been lacking.   He also runs the spread and would be a good fit with the current Michigan personnel.   Would he be willing to move to the Big 10 with Utah set to move t#o the PAC 12 next year?  Michigan would be able to more then double his $1.2M salary.   He is also an Urban Meyer disciple.

If I'm David Brandon, those are two phone calls that I make for sure.

Michigan Gator Bowl Recap: Leaves More Questions Then Answers

So Michigan and Rich Rodriguez had a bad day on Saturday.  I happened to be at the game and didn't have a very good day either.  I got a call before the game that my sump pump and back up pump had both failed and that my basement was full of water.   Yes, it's a finished basement.  Then Michigan goes out and gets embarrassed by an average or below average SEC team.   I drove back all night and now back home.   Fun Times.

Not much to recap in that beat down on Saturday.  Michigan started fast on offense in the first quarter and then didn't score again.  Michigan got a punt blocked and RR tried a field goal for some reason.   The defense couldn't have stopped MSU if they played with 12 players all day.   It was a complete disaster, in every aspect of the game.  Hey, at least Devin didn't blow his medical redshirt!!  

Denard and RR both spoke after the game.  Denard is a humble young man that was clearly upset on how he and his team played in his home state.   Rich looked like a dead man walking.  The press who usually doesn't hold back in press conferences, had a hard time even asking him questions.  He looked like a defeated man with out answers. 

So now what?  I have been a long time supporter of Rich on this blog.  My takes have been that he is a good coach who has had some bad luck and 2 poor hiring decisions at defensive coordinator.   I still think he is a good coach but now I'm resigned to the fact that he is not going to be successful at Michigan.   This week I got to spend some time with parents of the kids on the team and most talk very highly of the Michigan coaching staff.  That they truly are a family and that Rich and staff are the perfect mix of knowing when to break a kid down and then build him back up.   I think Rich could be very successful at Pitt , Clemson or Maryland or some other place that doesn't have the expectations that Michigan does.

The reason, I have left the RR Express is due to a couple of things.  #1 This team is not getting better, they are getting worse as time goes by.  Michigan had 6 weeks to prepare for a 1 dimensional offense and couldn't stop the run when everyone knew they were going to run.   #2 The offensive game plan was terrible and this high flying offense didn't execute outside the 1st quarter.  Every team that plays Denard is going to stop the run, if you can't have an effective passing game to counter that, you are not going to score too many points.  There is no excuse for the state of Michigan's special teams, none. 

Yesterday was a complete embarrassment for the entire University and I think most of us are tired of being embarrassed.  It started with App. State and continues with 0-3 records to MSU and OSU and now the Gator Bowl.

I still think RR is has a great offensive mind but his downfall at Michigan will be his decisions at defensive coordinator.  He has always looked for a defensive "head coach" so he could focus on developing his young offensive players.  He is 0-2 in that strategy and I believe it will now cost him his job.  

If RR is out, who is in?  That is the big question.  It's either Jim or RR stays another year with a complete overall of the defensive coaching staff.  I would buy an RR and say a Marvin Lewis or Randy Shannon at DC.  Both of those guys would come with a decent pay check but I think we are that point if we don't land Harbaugh.   Illinois had some success doing a 100% overall of their assistant coaching staff this year.   

The rumor mill is that everybody and their brother are interested in Harbaugh.  Denver Broncos, 49'ers, Carolina, and Michigan.  He is the clearly the #1 candidate out there and some NFL teams are going to throw big dollars at him.  It will be interesting to see how David Brandon plays this one out.  I'm willing to bet a $1 he won't fire RR without having Jimmy locked up.   The press box at the Gator Bowl was full of rumors that Maryland might be interested in RR and now maybe even Pitt.  Could a former WVU player and head coach be the head coach at Pitt?  Would that be like Harbaugh coaching at Ohio State?


Is Brady Hoke an option?  I think he might be more of an option then at this time on Friday.  I still think Brady is a bit of a stretch for this job.  I know Bo was from Miami of Ohio and Miami of Florida just hired a guy from Temple, but does a couple good seasons at Ball State and San Diego State make you ready for the Michigan job?  I'm leaning towards, probably not.


What about Denard?  During the press conference Denard gave the "no comment" to whether he would stay at Michigan if Rich was no longer the coach.  That isn't a ringing endorsement for a new coach.  If I'm Harbaugh and I come to Michigan, I run an offense that caters to Denard's skill set. 

My biggest concern at Michigan right now are the kids on the team and this recruiting class.  RR will be fine with a $2.5M check and probably a new job within a week.  Denard is a special young man that has time to sign every autograph and takes blame for every loss.  He is a hard worker and kid you want representing Michigan.   I worry about him and others like him on the team. 

I'm less concerned about former backup QB's who think they are the big man on campus and don't even need to show up for class.   I don't have anything official but I'm expecting that he has flunked out of Michigan by not going to class.

The man with the plan and the answers seems to be David Brandon.  I'm guessing he won't be going on any sailboat trips this week. 

Side Note:  Herbie if you have a "scoop" on Michigan's next head coach.  Please keep it to yourself or give it to Joe Schad

*** Dee Hart has de-committed from Michigan again and has committed to Alabama.  Too bad he was at Alabama's practice all week which is a violation and could make him ineligible to play for the Crimson Tide.  The hits just keep coming!

Below looks like a goodbye hug between Barwis and Lewan.

Michigan Monday: He Said, Harbaugh Didn't

It's officially bowl game week in chilly Florida for the first time in two years and nobody really notices.  The talk of the town and the sporting world is who is the better NFL MVP candidate: Tom Brady or Mike Vick.  I think you know which candidate this blog supports!  Whoops, sorry I meant whether or not Jim Harbaugh will be Michigan's next head coach or not.

Jim himself has basically only said that he hasn't talked with Stanford's AD about a contract extension yet.  Which is rumored to be $3M a year.

"I haven't even discussed it," Harbaugh told the San Jose Mercury News in a story published Friday.   Speaking about the AD and the extension:  "Maybe he misspoke," Harbaugh said.

Those comments are the closest thing Jim has said regarding the Michigan job or any other job outside of his current one.  Both NFL insiders Adam Schefter from ESPN and CBS Charlie Casserly both reported yesterday that sources are linking Jim to Michigan.   I happen to believe Adam because he is a Michigan Alum and won't spread a rumor just to spread it.  I would expect that his sources have to be pretty solid to run with a story about his favorite college football program. 

Is it a done deal?  Maybe or maybe not.  An NFL job just opened up in his backyard last night with the the 49'ers.  Would Jim be more interested in that job?  Who knows but it would seem like he might.   Not too many college coaches have been successful in transiting to the NFL.  The last one most can remember is Jimmy Johnson.  With that said, Jim was a in the NFL for many years and I think his brother could give him some pretty good advice.   So Jim isn't exactly high risk (compared to other college coaches) when it comes to an NFL job. 

I guess we will have to see how this one plays out next week. 

Funny Story:  We drove down to Florida last night and staying in Orlando for a couple of days before heading to the Gator Bowl.  We pulled up to the hotel in Orlando today to find the Spartans are staying here.  They are running all types of plays in the ballrooms due to the cold weather.   I'm getting a few strange looks in my Michigan gear.

Speaking of cold weather and getting to Florida:

2 Michigan Men Get Contract Extensions

Question: If your a head football coach, how do you get a contract extension?

Answer: Be linked in anyway to replacing the current Michigan Football coach. 

It worked for Les Miles and now it has worked for Brady Hoke and Jim Harbaugh.  Both have gotten contract extensions today and both have seemed to agree to the the terms.  

Brady will get a raise and a new 5 year deal, Jim's is rumored to be getting more years and a raise.  These are clear attempts to keep both away from "other" jobs.   Harbaugh is of course rumored to be the next Michigan coach or an NFL candidate next year.   Hoke was a candidate for the Minnesota and Indiana jobs. Others had speculated that if Jim said "no thanks" to Michigan, Brady was the next Michigan Man up. 

I disagree with that.  I think Michigan's head coach next year will be Rich Rodriguez or Jim Harbaugh.  I don't believe there is a Plan B.   I believe if David Brandon wants to make a change it's Harbaugh or bust.  Brandon will not fire RR if he doesn't have Harbaugh locked up.   If Brandon wants to make a change and Jim says no, he will stick with RR.   Brady on the other hand made a good decision.  I would much rather coach in San Diego then at IU or Minnesota. 

I also believe both of these guys probably have "A Michigan Clause" that would get them out of any mega contract if they really wanted the Michigan job.


Recruiting News:

• Instate OL/DE Anthony Zettel won't make a decision until after the holidays, so the Michigan coaching situation should be resolved by then.

• Cass Tech's Delonte Hollowell is going to Michigan no matter who the coach is. 

• Instate recruit Damon Knox picked MSU today.  Michigan had offered him but there was some concerns on his academic eligibility.  It sounds like Damon wasn't feeling the love from the Wolverines and pick the Spartans today.