Michigan Tuesday: Wonders Why our 5 Star DB's are in Community College?

To follow up on the theme from yesterday, I was thinking about Michigan's Defensive Backfield is 2 of our recent 5 star DB that signed with Michigan either got to Ann Arbor or stayed in Ann Arbor. 

We all know the story of Demar Dorsey after he signed with Michigan didn't get in, tried to go to Louisville and the NCAA said no.   Demar is still in the State of Michigan playing for Grand Rapids CC.  Let's hope he gets his academic situation clear up and makes it back to D1.  (No MSU or Big Ten please).

Then comes the news that former 5 star CB/Safety prospect JT Turner has resurfaced with Scottsdale Community College.   (I would have picked Scottsdale over GR as well!).  If you remember, JT struggled with life on and off the football field at Michigan.  He really never played any quality time during games and even struggled to get time during the Spring Game.  The rumor was JT had some personal issues going on which lead him to leave the Wolverines at the start of fall camp in 2010.

JT bounced around a bit, originally trying to transfer to West Virgina (a reverse RR?) which didn't seem to work out then a small college in Ohio.   He now is at Scottsdale CC, with reports that Hawaii and ASU are interested in having him join their teams.   Good luck to JT!

These guys got me thinking about a Defensive Backfield this year with:  Dorsey at one corner and Woolfork at the other.  With JT Floyd and JT Turner at Safety.  That could have been a great backfield.  I guess it's time to move on.

Camp Buzz......................

•  Jeremy Gallon seems to be having a strong camp at WR.  I hope he can bring some big plays to  the Michigan offense and the return game. 

• Thomas Rawls continues to get praised for his effort.   Maybe he is the guy to set up at RB.  I still think the other guys in front of him will get more carries.  I am a little torn because with no running back in the 2012 class, I was hoping for a redshirt.  On the other hand if he really has Mark Ingram skills, he needs to be playing.

• Special for Uncle Ron:  A walk on making news on the defensive line is Nathan Brink who seems to be pushing Big Will for playing time.  The knock on Nathan was his weight (being too skinny).  His weight is now up to 263 pounds and is 6'5.  The buzz is he has great effort and has very good DLine skills.   Nathan is from Holland, Michigan and it would be great if he could contribute this year.  

• Highly ranked 5 star Basketball player from the 2012 class Mitch McGary will be visiting Michigan for an official visit in September.  

Michigan Monday: The Mysterious Case of Kellen Jones

Kellen Jones was the 12th ranked LB in the country to Scouts and a 4 star recruit in the 2011 class out of Houston, Texas.   Obliviously LB was a "position of need" for the Wolverines in this class.  Kellen knew it and seemed to be true blue from the moment Michigan started recruiting him.   He was all in for the Rich Rod coaching staff and after Brady Hoke and Greg Mattison took over he was re-sold on the program.  Here is an interview by Ann Arbor.com after Mattison was hired this past winter and if he was sticking with Michigan:

“Yes sir, it makes me feel very good that the defense will get back to the way it used to be,” Jones said. “Back to being a top defense in the country.”

He also got a chance to meet Ray Lewis through Charlie Ward who is a coach in Houston: 
“It was great to meet (Lewis). I was going nuts,” Jones said. “It was an honor to meet him. It was all thanks to Mr. Ward.”

“I got a chance to talk with him and he was telling me how he studies and how to get ahead. So if I get confused by something coach Mattison is teaching us, maybe I can get a hold of Mr. Lewis and he can help me,” Jones said with a laugh.

I also remember recounting a message board post about a Michigan fan that ran into Kellen at DTW after his official visit.  Kellen was very committed to Michigan and couldn't wait to get to Ann Arbor.  The message board fan said he was very well spoken and a very nice young man. 

The hype was very strong for Kellen to come in a play right away, even as a true freshman.  The Sporting News Preview of Michigan had Kellen on the two deep.  

So when the official roster was released before the first day of practice about a week ago fans were shocked that Kellen wasn't on the roster after signing with Michigan in February.

Coach Hoke confirmed he was not enrolled at Michigan but didn't give any details as why.   We have seen these situations in the past.  Kids might fall a few credits short or not get a qualifying score on the SAT/ACT tests.   Kids have to pass the NCAA Clearing House before they can enroll at school they signed with.  Every year there are kids with many programs that might fall short of that clearance. 

So wer grades the issue?  That seems to be most viable option.

Then comes the next shocking news regarding Kellen.  He enrolled at Oklahoma last week.   Yes, the #1 team in the nation now has the linebacker that Michigan signed.  TomVH from Mgoblog reached out to Kellen's father who confirmed the enrollment and he believed Kellen would be able to play right away if needed (though the plan was to red shirt).   

ESPN and other services have confirmed that Kellen enrolled at Oklahoma.   Which leaves Michigan fans wondering what happened here?  How can a guy not get into Michigan but can get into #1 Oklahoma?

I wish, I had answers but I don't.  I'm in the same boat you are.  Here are a couple of pure speculations on my part:

• He was getting a little home sick and wanted to be closer to home?


• He did have a history of concussions and maybe there was a medical reason he had to sit out? (if that was the case he most likely would have enrolled at Michigan and redshirted).


• Something happened between the time he signed with Michigan and when we was expected to enrolled that made U of M pull his scholarship.


• Grades - He wasn't cleared by the Clearing House.

Any of the above could have happened and right now we have more questions and speculations then answers.  Which leaves the question, if any of the above happened (besides the home sick), would Bob Stoops take him?

Here is a hit from a local OK TV station: Jones is currently with the Oklahoma football team, but is unable to practice until cleared by the NCAA. He is currently regarded as a walk-on, but could earn a scholarship in the future.

Which leads me to believe this has to do with grades then anything else.  Normally, a kid wouldn't give up a scholarship at Michigan to Walk On to Oklahoma and pay his own way.  

If your into conspiracy theories, put on your tin foil hat and think about this one for a minute.  Rich Rod and Bob Stoops are good friends.  Rich spent some time at Oklahoma's Spring Practice last Spring and was doing a special in Norman for his new role with CBS Sports Network this month as well.  Did Rich call Bob regarding Kellen if he had trouble getting past Michigan's admission office?  He might have.  He did it for Denard's high school teammate, CB Adrian Whitty that had issues with U of M's admission office as well.   Rich called his coaching buddy Butch Jones at the University of Cincinnati and Adrian signed with the Bearcats.

Another question Michigan fans might have is: How could Kellen play his freshman year at Oklahoma without having to sit out a year for normal transfer rules?  Kellen never enrolled at Michigan and if the coaches let him out of his LOI he could enroll and play at any college that accepts him without sitting out a year. 

Weekend Wolverine: What Happened to the Class of 2009 Quarterbacks?

Jump into the time machine with me for a minute. I know it's not a great time so we won't stay there too long.  

Michigan was coming off the disaster that was the 2008 season where we had two quarterbacks that didn't fit RR's offense and it looked like it. Watching Threet trying to run the spread option was tough to watch, so was watching Sheridan trying to hit open receivers.

Michigan could offer the top rated QB's in the country (2009 class) immediate playing time. Which was a strong selling point for them to come to Ann Arbor. 5 star Kevin Newsome attended the Michigan Spring Game at Saline High School and decided he wanted to be a Wolverine. Shortly after that Shavodrick Beaver a 4 star QB said he was coming to Ann Arbor as well.

Both held true to their commitment for a few months and then both jumped to other schools. Newsome picked Penn State and Beaver Tulsa. Which sent the Michigan coaches scrambling to fill the QB void now in the class. Tate Forcier who was very high on the Wolverines jumped on board, which still left one open spot as signing day approached.

Michigan did get a QB commitment on signing day that year and it happened to be Denard Robinson.

Now jump back out of the time machine to current time:

•  Tate Focier was thrown out of school at Michigan due to academics after a long search has settled at San Jose State in the WAC.

• Shavodrick Beaver just left Tulsa for Midwestern State due to academics and playing time.

• Kevin Newsome just announced he is planning to transfer from Penn State after trying to do so after last season.

• Denard Robinson is going into his Junior year after playing two years for the Wolverines (1 as a starter). He was briefly a Heisman Trophy candidate last year and won the Big Ten MVP award in 2010. He also set the 1 year NCAA record for rushing yardage from a QB.

The last guy Michigan picked up that year turns out to be the best all around kid. The guy that most schools wanted to play CB instead of QB. Well Done Denard!

Michigan Tuesday: Thinks There is a 30 - 30 Documentary at WVU

So how is that West Virgina Football Program doing these days?  The Bill Stewart hire after RR left for Michigan has to be considered  a very poor decision after he blew out Oklahoma with RR's players in the Fiesta Bowl.  I remember a prominent booster said something to the effect, "they just hired the JV coach" when Bill took over the program.

Back in December, I predicted the 1 year coach in waiting would not work.  In fact, it was the most bizarre college coaching situation I have ever seen.  The first day of business school they tell you partnerships don't work.  This one didn't even last 6 months before Bill tried to go project "National Enquirer" on Dana Holgorsen.

Well done Bill!  Your first head coaching job you got fired for a racially-insensitive comment.  You get fired from your second head coaching job because you tried to air your coach-in-waiting dirty laundry in the media. 

I see now why the WVU fans were so upset when RR left.   It set the the program back years.    He is available for hire if the Mountaineers current coach goes on another casino bender.

Think about all the drama this program has had the past 3 years. 

• A healthy QB thump (or finger I don't remember) away from the NC game
• RR takes the Michigan Job
• The RR shredding documents thing
• WVU blowing out Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl
• Bill Stewart gets the head coaching job
• RR fights the buy out
• Michigan pays most of the buy out
• NCAA investigates RR practice schedule at Michigan and WVU
• RR fails at Michigan
• Dana Holgorsen is hired to replace Bill Stewart in 2012 and will be coach-in-waiting in 2011
• Bill Stewart releases "dirt" on Holgorsen to the media
• Bill Stewart gets fired  resigns

This has to be a 30/30.

• Pryor signs with Drew Rosenhaus.  Shocker, I guess Rob Pelinka wasn't available?

• Kyle Dodson a 4 Star Offensive Line prospect spurns the Buckeyes and committed to Wisconsin last night.  Michigan was also recruiting Kyle.  Many had thought he was a Columbus lock.

• Love this quote from new Wolverine Erik Magnuson on taking other visits:  “I’m not sure. I will definitely be going to Michigan for an official visit, and if coach is ok with me taking an official visit to place where I have friends at, then I might do that, but if not then it’s not a big deal to me. I’m going to Michigan. I don’t care about any other school.”

Wolverine Wednesday: The Evil Buckeye Empire is Crumbling

(sorry about yesterday's post, that real life stuff gets in the way sometimes)

When Michigan was going through its stretching and non-coaches coaching issues, I made a statement that if the media and NCAA come snooping around your campus they are going to find something wrong in your program.  A real life example is when your about to sell your home, the prospective buyer hires a Home Inspector for $400 to find things wrong with your house.  For $400 he will find something wrong with your home, no matter how big or small.

OSU now has every major media outlet in their backyard along with the NCAA and their foundation has cracked and water in the basement is starting to get pretty deep. 

The "shell game" that was Tressel reputation continues to unravel.  The Columbus Dispatch reported yesterday that The Vest communicated often with Pryors non-family members:  After Tressel received an April 2, 2010, email from a former player warning him of potential NCAA violations, the coach exchanged 77 calls and text messages with and spent a total of 4 1/2 hours talking on the phone with Ted Sarniak, the hometown mentor of quarterback Terrelle Pryor in Jeannette, Pa.



Their longest phone conversation - 18 minutes - happened on Dec. 21, two days before OSU announced Pryor and five others would be suspended for part of the 2011 season for violations.


The two also spoke for three minutes immediately after the Dec. 23 news conference benching Pryor, Daniel Herron, DeVier Posey, Solomon Thomas and Mike Adams for five games and Jordan Whiting for one game.


Tressel and Sarniak exchanged text messages on March 8, the day OSU announced that Tressel had known about the violations for months.

Tressel also sent 91 text messages to Roy Hall, the current Jeannette football coach and another of Pryor's mentors. Hall previously told The Dispatch that he was not aware of the investigation and had not talked with Tressel about it.
 
Again the man with the clean reputation was anything but.  His cover up for Tattoo-gate went far and wide, which leads me to wonder how many other times did he have similar type of events and covered those up  (successfully) as well.
 
Pryor 
 
Raise your hand if you first thought was "Doom" when Pryor went to Ohio State?  That decision alone basically cost Michigan fans one season with combo QB play of Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet.  
 
Now 3 years later, Michigan has Denard Robinson one of the best kids in College Football and Terrelle Pryor is considering the CFL.   Wow, things sure have changed in 3 short years.  
 
Funny as it may seem Pryor not picking Michigan might have been the turning point for Michigan to retain it's roots and get back to playing Michigan Football.   I will admit, I was not a big fan of the way the Michigan Program was heading in Carr's last year.  He had a talented football team that came out of the tunnel on opening day not ready to play and got beat by App. State.   Lloyd had stayed too long and his program showed it.  
 
RR came in as the new hot shot coach ready to change the world.  His teams didn't play any defense and finally the Michigan faithful had enough.  If Pryor was here would he had got into the same type of trouble?
Who knows and who cares?  We might of had a few more wins and RR still might have a job.  But sitting here on 6/8 I am pretty happy with the direction of the program lead by Coach Hoke, Coach Mattison and on the field by Mr. Robinson.    Thank you Mr. Pryor!
 
The news of Pryor leaving was not really news, the Buckeye Blogs had it a couple of weeks ago.  He just made it official yesterday.   The news from ESPN that he made $20K to $40K in autographs is a new one.
 
So while USC loses it's National Championship and Tennessee's AD quits you start to wonder about Ohio State's NC and Auburn's as well.   Not a great time for College Football as a whole, let's hope Michigan is on steady ground and ready to move in the right direction.

Wolverine Wednesday: Hoke and Staff Focus on the Great Lakes State

One of the reasons the Michigan faithful is excited about Brady Hoke is because he gets "it".    Some might wonder what "it" means.  Here are two examples:

State of Michigan Recruiting

RR: Yes, it's important but we recruit nationally and Florida is a big focus.

Hoke:  The State of Michigan is the #1 priority. 


Ohio State Game

RR:  Michigan is unique because it's has 3 rivals; ND, MSU and Ohio State.   None more important then the other.

Hoke:  Won't even use the word Ohio State.

During the RR media hate-fest, there was a number of articles written that Michigan State had taken over instate recruiting with two 5 stars guys signing with the Spartans the last two years. 

It's clear that Hoke and staff are focusing on instate recruiting and will do everything it takes to recruit the State of Michigan hard.  One recent example was a coaching clinic in the City of Detroit on Monday.  The University of Michigan coaches spoke to coaches from all levels (High School, JR High, Peewee and coaches from outside of Detroit as well).

Accounts were that Coach Hoke gave a wonderful talk and there were a number of break out sessions where coaches could ask questions and get more details per position.   Brady met pretty much every coach in the room and invited them to attend any U of M practice that they would like to take in.

They also invited former Michigan players to the event to talk what it means to be a "Michigan Man".
These are the type of events that will make a difference in years to come.   Just another example of Coach Hoke understanding what it takes to win at Michigan.

• Another Loss at DB:  A rumor that I didn't put on the blog ends up being true.  Ray Vinopal, who played as a Freshman at safety last year has left the Michigan program.  There are some family issues back in Youngstown and Ray needs to go home.  This kid played with a ton of heart and just another loss in the defensive backfield for the Wolverines.   Good luck Ray, you will be missed.  I hope your family issues get worked out and maybe you can make it back to A2 in a year or so. 

It wasn't about everyone pulling in the same direction

I have now heard and read a couple of interviews by Rich Rodriguez since he was fired at Michigan.  He pretty much has repeated the same themes in both interviews.  Including an interview from today's ESPN Radio's show The Herd:

#1: He was disappointed that he didn't have more time
#2: The worst was past us and nothing but up side from here
#3: Everyone wasn't pulling in the same direction.

These are exactly why he didn't work out at Michigan.  He didn't get it and I pretty much agree with his 3 points.  Let me first break down why his 3 points are only sort of right:

#1 More Time:  Ok, 3 years might not have been enough but it's what he did in those 3 years.   Year 1 was a complete throw away now looking back.  If you remember, Michigan had a good defense that year and an offense that was lead by two QB's who were off the team the next year.   A complete waste of a year.  His "all in approach" on the recruitment of Pryor was a huge mistake.  His only back up plan was a Slot WR who preferred selling drugs then playing QB.  You can't tell me there wasn't another QB that year that RR and staff could have found in the 6 weeks they had.  Hoke and Company found one in two weeks.

Year 2 should have been Year 1 and son on.  That wasted year hurt his chances in David Brandon's office in early January.

#2 The Worst Was Behind Us?  I get his point.  21 starters coming back.  Guys back from injury on defense and the MVP of the league in his 3rd year.  This was his only real point in trying to save his job.  Having a Heisman Trophy candidate in Denard and those guys back from injury could equal a good 2011 campaign.   The problem I have with this statement is two things.  Defensive Coordinators and The Gator Bowl.   RR if retained would of had his 3rd DC in 4 years.   His clear lack of attention and bad DC hires killed any chance RR had at saving his job.  Defense is important and his bad hires, killed any chances of him saving his job. 

The second part is the Gator Bowl.  Michigan last year got worse as the year went on, not better.  In fact, you could probably make that case for all the Michigan teams under RR.  Having a month to prepare to work on defense fundamentals and everything else and then to get blown out by a fairly one dimensional mid tier SEC schools is un-acceptable.   To quote a reporter who I was sitting next to in the press box.  "all this game did, was make David's Brandon's decision and easy one".   I agreed with him and David's decision now.

#3: Everyone pulling in the same direction:  Sure RR had people against him from the beginning.  I never understood what the Freep had against him but his ride to the Michigan job was messy and full of accidents at every turn.   These events are off the top of my head, I'm sure there are plenty of others that I left out:

• WVU fans up in arms after he left for the Michigan job
• Allegations of shredding documents and lost player records
• The loss of QB Ryan Mallett
• Contesting his buyout from WVU
• Losing Pryor to Ohio State
• 3-9 Year 1
• Freep Allegations
• NCAA Investigation and Penalty
• Getting sued for a bad condo deal
• 5-7 Year 2
• 7-6 Year 3
• Josh Groban Fan Club Meeting
• Blow Out loss in the Bowl Game
• 0-3 vs. OSU and MSU
• Getting sued on the purchase of his home in West Virgina the day he was fired from Michigan.

If just one of the things happened under his watch, it wouldn't of been a big deal.  All of them together is a big deal.   I'm not sure the stance that everyone was not pulling in the same direction with all the history makes a lot of sense.  If RR was 10-2 and beating Michigan rivals he would still be the coach.  He didn't and he isn't.   Bottom line.

So RR take a gig at ESPN or CBS College Sports and save us the Michigan talk.  It's been a month, we have moved on and so should you.   Good luck at your next stop.

More News and Recruiting Briefs

With Some New Updates as of 4:30  today:

Seems Tate Forcier visited Montana to see if he was a good fit to be their next QB.  If Tate transferred to Montana he could have played next season.  Reports say he is more interested in a Division 1 program where he would have to sit out a year.  More on why Tate was kicked out of Michigan per his dad: Michael Forcier said last week. "Tate didn't flunk out, but he had two incomplete grades. If he was given a chance by at least one professor to make up the work and get a grade, he would be eligible." The schools he is looking at are: Miami, Washington, Baylor, San Diego State, Middle Tennessee State and New Mexico are among the FBS schools he is considering transferring to. Forcier said he is also considering lower-division schools such as Montana, South Carolina State and Florida A&M.


The Michigan coaches seem interested in quarterback Tim Byerly. What's more interesting is what the Michigan coaches told Tim's head coach:  "They really liked him on film. Michigan said they had another quarterback visiting this week who felt like would commit to them. But if that did not happen, then they are going to really look at Timmy.”  I guess it's looking good for Texas QB Russell Bellomy who is on campus right now.

There was some thought that Teryl Austin might come back to Michigan to coach the DB's.  That seems out now, as it looks like he will be coaching the DB's for the Baltimore Ravens.

In the low blow of the week:  It seems Rutgers is blocking freshman QB Tom Savage from talking to Michigan about transferring.   The other schools they blocked are Miami FL, Florida, and Florida State.  This is such a "jerk" move by Schiano, none of those schools are on his schedule.

Brady Hoke will be visiting Jake Fisher on Thursday at his high school.

RR gets a gig with CBS College Sports for Signing Day.

New visitors for this weekend include: RB - Thomas Rawls, OL - Ryan Nowicki (a PSU commit), FB- Trayion Durham, LB- Antonio Poole, TE-Chris Barnett.

Greg Mattison in home with DT, Darin Cooper tonight.  Trying to get him on campus for a visit this weekend.

Michigan Monday: Recruiting Blitz

This is the time of the year where young men make decisions on where they want to go to school and play football for the next 4-5 years.  Before Rich Rodriguez was asked to hit the Railroad, Michigan was building a top 15 2011 recruiting class .

Most of the Wolverines fans were concerned with David Brandon's timetable for evaluating the old coach and hiring a new coach and how it might effect recruiting.  Both took too long and now the football program is starting seeing the effects of that process.

Going, Going, Gone?  

Kicker Matt Goudis - If you remember he was committed to Boise State and then changed to Michigan before Christmas.  He visited Miami this weekend and changed his mind again and is now committed to the Hurricanes.  A kicker that has been committed to 3 different schools?  Ok. This is Miami's second kicker in this class, which is also strange.

CB - Dallas Crawford:  Most recruiting insiders are saying that it's over with Michigan and Dallas.  Which is too bad.  Dallas seemed to love the former coaches too much.

OL - Jake Fisher: Has re-opened his recruitment.  He visited MSU last weekend and thinking about trips to Oregon, Florida, or Notre Dame.  Michigan was in early on Jake and he committed right away.  Now he has blown up and with the Michigan staff blowning up, he is going to take some visits.  Not looking good here either.

You put your left foot in you put your left foot out........

Tony Posada:  Took a visit to Mississippi State this past weekend and will be in Ann Arbor next weekend. 

Blake Countess: Visited Penn State this weekend.

Kellen Jones:  Visited Colorado.

All three guys seem to love Michigan and just need some love from the the current Wolverine coaches.   Let's hope that the current staff can lock them down.  The rumor mill is saying that the coaches will be down to Houston to see Kellen, Blake has already talked to the coaches, and Tony will be in Ann Arbor this weekend.

Ok, with the current class a mess, is there any new guys Michigan can get?

Yes, Michigan has two official visitor weekends left and this class will come down to the last second.  

LB/WR Kris Frost - still hasn't heard from Auburn (which seems like a bad sign for him).  Michigan has been in contact with him with the new staff.  Everybody and their brother is probably knocking down his door.  He will not be enrolling early and will graduate with his senior class this spring.

WR Hakeen Flowers - per TomVH at Mgoblog was planning to talk to Brady Hoke on Sunday.  He is planning to announce next Sunday.  Many believe Michigan has a great shot at landing him.  I'm not in that camp, I think he is leaning towards NC State or UCLA. We will see.

WR Devin Lucien - seems very interested in visiting Ann Arbor but the coaches haven't contacted him yet.  He visited UCLA this past weekend.  This is a 4 star guy and I hope the Michigan coaches call him soon to set up a visit to Ann Arbor. 

OL Chris Bryant - Chris has been on "commitment watch" for months, he really seems to love the school and the Michigan program.  Chris took a visit to Pitt this past weekend (many former Michigan coaches are now at Pitt).  He stopped by Ann Arbor on the way back to Chicago and met with Brady.  Chris and his father stayed the night in Ann Arbor, which we hope is a good sign.   Update from TomVH with an interview with Chris this morning: 

TOM: Did you and your parents come away comfortable with the coaches after the meeting?



CHRIS: My parents are both comfortable, and so am I. They asked their questions and said it was a great conversation overall. I feel comfortable with him too. He was a funny guy, he's a player's coach. He's someone that you would want to coach you.


TOM: Feeling comfortable with the coaching staff now, do you still feel the same way about Michigan overall?


CHRIS: I had a good relationship with the coaches there before, but coaching is a business. It's just an adjustment and you need to go on with it. Michigan is Michigan, and they're not going to just bring anyone in. I still really like Michigan.

DB Floyd Raven- Another 4 star guy and was just offered this weekend.  He might visit Ann Arbor in the next two weeks.  

Coming in this Weekend:

• Frank Clark TE from Glenville.  Michigan needs a TE in this class could it be Frank? 3 Star Prospect
• CB Raymon Taylor, a local Michigan prospect who was committed to Indiana.  Raymon has been a Michigan fan growing up and really has wanted to take a visit for a few weeks now.  He is a 4 star prospect.
• Tony Posada - mentioned above
• DB Stefan McClure is a new offer and will be visiting this week.  McClure is a 4 star DB and Army All American.  Great to see new 4 star guys in the loop.
• A new kicker offered and will visit:  Matt Wile from California.  He is a 2 star prospect like Goudis and another Army All American.

Getting guys on campus and securing all of the current verbals will be very important for Brady and Staff.  Speaking of staff, Michigan needs to really finish off their defensive staff.   A high profile defensive coordinator wouldn't hurt. 

It seems Michigan's recruitment of Zettel and Arnett seem to be a lost cause at this point.  Things also don't look real good for a QB in this class, with the loss of Forcier is now a big need.

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. 

Some Reactions to the Day

Mike Martin:  "It's something not in my control or our control as players," Martin said. "It's just something we have to deal with as a team. It's really hard on all of us. "He's my coach and he's been here since I've been here. I've built a relationship with him off the field as well as on the field so I'm always going to be with coach (Rodriguez)."


Thomas Gordon:  "Definitely I'm surprised," said Gordon. "I have a lot of love for Coach Rod. He's the guy who brought me here. He's a guy I definitely respected and I loved him as a coach."When asked what his future plans are, Gordon replied, "I'm here. I came to school for Michigan."Said Gordon: "Yes it is surprising, but it is what it is. You've just got to move on."

Denard's HS Coach Art Taylor:  "It just happened, so I haven't had time to talk to him," Taylor said. "I would advise him to wait and see who's coming in (as head coach)."


2011 recruit Dallas Crawford:  “(Michigan) is still number one right now, but I have to open back up and explore my options,” Crawford said.“Officially I haven’t talked to the coaches yet,” Crawford said. “In my mind, I am decommitted.”

Army All American Wayne Lyons:  "I'm still considering them because you have to pick the school and not the coach and Michigan is still a great school and a great program," Lyons said. "They're still in it. (The firing) is not a surprise. I kind of expected it. It's a great learning lesson because a lot of top schools for me like Stanford might get a new coach, Florida has a new coach and Michigan is getting a new coach so it goes to show the school is more important than the coach."

Army All American Kris Frost:  "It has a big impact," Frost said. "With him being fired of course it's going to make me think twice about it but at the same time people go to colleges for colleges. "I love Rich Rod and I love what he did offensively and defensively with the defensive coordinator. I feel like given another chance, they had so many young players, it would have helped out more to give him another chance. It's a business and we understand that."


"I'm going to rethink some stuff but at the same time the ultimate decision won't change on where I've been thinking about going or where I was planning on going with Auburn, LSU and Michigan," Frost said. "I have to reevaluate things when my mom and dad get here (Wednesday) and I'll make my decision from there.

Army All American and Verbal Commit Blake Countness:  "Right now I'm worried about winning this game, I'm going to focus on this game and then go back home and talk to my parents and see how things go but right now I'm sticking with Michigan," Countess said.



"I fell in love with the school so right now I'm staying with Michigan because of the school but hopefully I can build a relationship with the new coach. I'm just going to focus on this game and then evaluate what's best for me and my family."


"I don't eliminate them. Just the bond I had with the school, not the program, I don't eliminate them but you have to think about that kind of thing because it is about college and the education at Michigan is going to be great. At the same time, I don't want to waste four years of my football career."

Army All American LB Lamar Dawson: "It just eliminates them," Dawson said of the Wolverines. "I was going to take my official up there but since he's not up there I'm not going to do that anymore. "If he got fired I wasn't going to consider them. If he stayed I was going to consider them and take my visit up there."

How can a bad day get worse for RR and family?  Today they were notified they are being sued over the sale of their home in West Virgina.  I guess one room has a water leak and Rich Rod's boat wasn't included in the deal.   Well maybe they now can just move back in to the $1.3M home.  I would fix the water leak with his new check from U of M. 

Who is Michigan's Next Head Coach?

That's the $3M question right now.  Whose next. 

#1) Jim Harbaugh - With his recent success and all the NFL attention, his ego could float in the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade.   Don't forget about his DUI and him throwing Michigan "player" academics under the bus a few years ago.  Still is the fans #1 choice.  Prediction: Jimmy goes to the 49ers at about $6M a year.   Even David Brandon thinks that.

#2) Brady Hoke - seems to every ones favorite to win the job.  Why?  I guess because he spent 7 seasons in Ann Arbor as the defensive line coach.  Brady had one nice season at Ball State and turned a bad San Diego State team around.  He has a losing overall record and not nearly ready for the Michigan job.  Prediction = Doesn't have enough experience to take over Michigan.  You don't fire RR to hire Hoke.

#3) Les Miles = Les is not more, it's Less.  Les has a good team and shouldn't even be on this list.  The mad hatter as he is known is not a bad coach but does come with a lot of baggage.  The LSU faithful would love nothing more then to send Les and his big contract to Ann Arbor.  Michigan is looking for a coach for the next 10-15 years, not sure Les has that type of time.  Hasn't been contacted by Michigan either. Prediction: The Mad Hatter continues to eat grass in Louisiana. 

This is where the Michigan Man Coaching Tree breaks down.   Here is a list of the other coaches in the NFL with Michigan Ties (only Cam Cameron has any HC experience):

Harold Goodwin, Assistant Offensive Line Pittsburgh Steelers: Cam Cameron, Offensive Coordinator Baltimore Ravens: Jim Herrmann, Linebackers New York Jets: Mike DeBord, Tight Ends Chicago Bears: Jerald Ingram, Running Backs New York Giants: Terry Malone, Tight Ends New Orleans Saints: Andy Moeller, Assistant Offensive Line Baltimore Ravens: Bill Sheridan, Inside Linebackers Miami Dolphins: Mike Trgovac, Defensive Line Green Bay Packers.

I would take Trgovac as Michigan's next DC for sure.
 
So if it isn't a Michigan Man then who?
 
Jon Gruden - He turns everything down and zero recruiting experience
 
Urban Meyer - Just left the best program in football.  Not happening.
 
Gary Patterson - Good coach, but heading to the Big East where they will dominate.   Doesn't have strong recruiting ties to the area.
 
Chris Peterson - He is not leaving Boise for any job.
 
Kyle Whittingham - Utah is heading into the PAC 12 and will have a chance to compete in that conference.   A good coach (maybe the next Urban Meyer?) but doesn't have any recruiting ties to the area.  Did get a win in the Big House.   Might be worth a conversation.
 
Pat Fitzgerald - maybe the best young coach in the Big Ten, recruits the area and very well respected.  Does run the spread and could keep Denard happy.   - Definitely worth a conversation.
 
It really doesn't leave many choices for the quick right decision.  Not having a top tier coach already signed up is a major mistake by Brandon.  This is very bad timing.   If Harbaugh is not coming to Michigan then I expect Hoke or Fitzgerald.  I would pick Pat over Brady.  I also think Whittingham should get a serious look. 
 

RR = Train Wreck at Michigan

So its over.  3 years of losses and embarrassments.  3 years of NCAA Probation underway.  3 years of the Rich Rod era. 

David Brandon just concluded his press conference and was his regular professional self.  In where he makes an announcement and then answers an hour worth of questions that really doesn't tell us anything. 

In reading between the lines, David was clearly upset at how Michigan played in what he called "red letter games" against ND, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan State, and Ohio State as well as the bowl performance. 

David also made it clear that the new coach would need to understand what it means to be the Michigan coach and the expectations that comes with that.   Maybe RR didn't understand the rivalries or thought his rebuilding process could have taken a few years longer. 

Obviously, a new coach was not named during the press conference and it seems that DB has been in contact with Harbaugh and the people close to him.  Maybe Harbaugh had a hand shake agreement with Brandon and broke it or maybe he didn't.  He clearly seems off the table now. 

It seems DB is looking for a head coach with head coaching expertise, that can recruit in the Midwest and nationally and that can win right away.   I'm really worried about two groups of people: the current Wolverines and the 2011 recruiting class.  As David Brandon said in his press conference: "they will have to trust I will make the right decision for Michigan"  He said he was going to be very active in communicating with the players and has an open door policy.  

This time table has been a total failure by Brandon IMO.  It seems his first choice did not work out and now he is left with few to no options and the potential loss of valuable players and an entire recruiting class.  How are those odds for winning now?  He did say he is willing to "pay" for a good head coach.  So we have that going for us. 

It is time to question everything and anything can happen from here.  This is a sad day for the Wolverines who are creeping towards (if not already there) towards Notre Dame status. 

As for RR, I expect that Pitt and UConn will be very interested in having discussions with him on his next job.   Or he can just sit home and count his $2.5M.  Those WVU payments he had to make sure do suck for him.

Breaking News Again: RR is Gone

There is a 12:30 press conference scheduled to announce the firing for Rich Rodriguez.  If there is a new coach named at that time, most expect it to be Brady Hoke.

Unbelievable. 

Wolverine Wednesday: Memo To David Brandon

January 5, 2011

To: David Brandon, Director of Athletics - University of Michigan
From: Big House Bob
Subject: Head Coach of Michigan's Football Program

David, I first would like to congratulate you at taking the AD role at the University of Michigan.  Not too many people would leave a CEO role and a multi million dollar salary to become the AD at his alum mater.  I personally believe you a perfect fit for this role.

With that said, I need to openly question your decision process on the head coaching position in Michigan's football program.   I understand your process and the decision you are trying to make.  I also had a lot of confidence that you had a plan on whether you were going to keep current coach Rich Rodriguez or relieve him of his duties.

Many have wondered why wait until after the bowl game?  Your response was you wanted to judge his performance on the entire body work from the season.  Which makes sense, but it also doesn't.  You can't judge the football head coach like Michigan's golf coach.  The month between the OSU game and the Bowl game is when many head coaches get hired and fired.  I understand keeping the staff together for the bowl game but it was assumed you had a plan and that you were sticking by it. 

The plan could have been a number of things.  1) You could be keeping RR and making him rework his defensive coaches  2) You could be planning to fire RR and have a Jim Harbaugh type locked up to replace him.  What the plan couldn't be is really trying to make a decision the first week in January and then go fishing for a new coach.  You can't fish in January in Ann Arbor!  Your big fish won't be there.

Fast forward to yesterday.  You sit down with RR and before you get your second cup of coffee during the meeting, Fox 2 in Detroit runs with the story that you have fired him.  That of course was not your mistake but now instead of you owning a decision on the future of the football program, you sir now own a circus.

So Dave you are now damn if you do and damned if you don't.  If you keep RR your going to be second guessed all day.  If you bring in Brady Hoke, you will have gone from a good well known coach to a un-proven head coach with his only ties to U of M is that is was the D-line coach for 7 years.  You sir have one way to get out of this mess and his name is Jim Harbaugh, anything less is a huge failure.  Which would be the second huge failure regarding this decision from the Michigan Athletic Director in 3 years.

Les Miles should not be an option either for a number of reasons (including cutting scholarship true freshmen as the move into their dorm room, zero time management skills, eating grass, the list goes on and on).

So now what?  Your meeting today with RR and I hope and pray you have solution to fix this mess.  If you don't, it's only going to get worse and this Circus will need Big Top Tent.  So please be careful and good luck on making the right decision. The one thing you can count on is that everyone won't be happy with your decision. (unless you convince Jon Gruden to come to Ann Arbor to coach!).

Breaking News: Not So Fast on the Firing...........

Well done Fox 2, it seems that you just can't guess at something and report it as fact.  Now, it's all over everything which is based on their report that seems to be either false or at least premature. 

Rivals is reporting that nothing will happen today and the players meeting as been re-scheduled until 4:00 on Wednesday. 

Three thoughts: 

1) This might be a hard run at Jim Harbaugh who clearly has mixed feelings about taking the Michigan job. 
2) This gives Brady Hoke enough time to fly in
3) Maybe David Brandon gave RR the ultimatum to fire his entire defensive coaching staff and continue as head coach or leave altogether.

Breaking News: Rich Rod is Fired

Sources are saying Rich Rodriguez has been fired.  Now is the time to panic, if your into panicking.

Bartender, please make it a double!

****It seems the firing is not official yet and that maybe someone at Fox 2 pulled the switch a little early.  David Brandon has not made an announcement and Rich Rodriguez has not notified his staff yet.  Sources are saying they are still meeting.


Brady Bunch?  I am starting to hear it's Brady Hoke and it might already be a done deal.  Again nothing offical just a rumor at this point.  

Michigan Tuesday: Jimmy Has Some Decisions to Make

So Monday night Stanford won a BCS Bowl Game by playing good defense and beating Virgina Tech in the second half with a balanced offense.  Congratulations to Jim Harbaugh and Stanford on winning the Orange Bowl. 

Now what?  The best analogy I saw on Twitter yesterday was that maybe Jim would hold a press conference and have a 49ers, Broncos, Carolina, Stanford and Michigan hats all on a table.  He would then pick one and say he is committing to that organization.  

Reports are all over the board from, "if Michigan offered he would take it" to "Michigan is off the table and he wants to stay at Stanford or go the NFL".

Here is my take on his decision process:

49ers:  Pro's:  Close to home and comes with the largest paycheck.  Con's: In the NFL coaches are hired to be fired.  Could be there just for a few years. 

Stanford: Pro's: Build a very nice top 10 program there.  Con's: Will he ever make the money he wants at a private University?

Broncos: Pro's and Con's = John Elway.  A Hall of Famer who has never been an NFL executive.   Could be a good or bad thing, jury is still out.

Carolina: Pro's: Could draft his QB Andrew Luck.  Con's:  How far is that franchise away from being relevant again in the NFL?

Michigan:  Pro's: He is an Alum and former QB, his coaching mentor is Bo Schembechler and Michigan has been rumored to be his dream job.  Could be his 1 and only job for the next 10-20 years if he is successful.  Con's:  Did you watch the Gator Bowl?

I think all this insider stuff is BS.   We will know things when they happen officially.  I wouldn't expect Michigan to let RR go if they didn't already have at least a hand shake agreement with a new head coach.   Brady Hoke would take this job in a New York minute, I don't think Les Miles is a candidate.   Wild card could be someone like Pat Fitzgerald for example. 

My gut is telling me that its Harbaugh or Michigan keeps Rodriguez with a new defensive staff.   We should know something soon.  We need to because Michigan's 2011 recruiting class is hanging in the wind with official visits set up for this weekend and 2 big all star games coming up.

Michigan Monday: What is a Michigan Man?

There has been complaints about Rich Rodriguez as soon as he took his first steps on the Michigan campus. Why? Because he wasn't a Michigan Man. 

So the question remains: What is a Michigan Man?  It goes back to when Bill Frieder took a job at Arizona State before the NCAA Tournament began.  Bo Schmeblecher at the time was the Michigan Athletic Director and said, "He wanted a Michigan Man coaching Michigan".  He let Frieder go to ASU right away and the Wolverines went on to win the National Championship.   The legend of the "Michigan Man" term began.

So when it comes to football a "Michigan Man" is a former Wolverine player or coach.  After Bo retired, Michigan never left the family for it's head coach.  It was first Gary Moeller but he drank his way out of the job, then it was Lloyd Carr who after some initial success needed to walk away from the game, now it's Rich Rodriguez.   What name doesn't fit with the others?  There is a coaching theory that you never want to be the coach that replaces the legend you want to be the guy that replaces the guy that replaced the legend.  Rich Rodriguez is really the first coach to replace the Bo Schembechler family tree.

Most people look at Bo as The Michigan Man, he came to Michigan from Miami of Ohio.  He also was an assistant at Ohio State under Woody Hayes.   That's right, The Michigan Man had Ohio State on his Resume twice!  (1952 and then from 1958-1962).  He wasn't a Michigan Man when he was hired.

My point is I understand the idea around being a Michigan Man, I understand the tradition and philosophy.  Michigan fans are also lucky (or un-lucky) right now that the hottest candidate in the nation is a Michigan Man who is a former Michigan QB and current Stanford head coach.   What if Jim goes to the NFL, then what?  Do you make a reach for a Michigan Man that might not be ready?  Would TCU's head coach not be successful here?  What about Urban Meyer?  I'm sure he wouldn't be successful, right?  Chris Peterson? (I'm not speculating that they are candidates).  My point is if you limit your pool of coaches of this football program to Michigan Men, you better hit a grand slam with Jim Harbaugh or you might just strike out.

I wish David Brandon all the luck in the world, he is basically up to the plate.  I hope he is a power hitter. 

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.