larry foote

We sent a photographer to cover an ISU game and this is what we got okay? [Bryan Fuller]

Mike Macdonald is back in the NFL after one season of genius coordination in Ann Arbor. As understandable as that is, it also puts Michigan back in the market. I don’t know whom they’re targeting, but I can produce a list of names of varying plausibility. Note that making this list in no way should be interpreted to mean Michigan is looking at him, or that he would have any interest if they did. I’m compiling this based on names the fans are throwing around.

We know the internal candidates and don’t know whom Michigan’s spoken to yet, so I’ll start with the big names, and then keep moving down the list as they fall off the table. Who knows—last time I did this they went and got the first guy.

I’m more doubtful they will this time, but let’s say his name anyways, because it frightens the children.

LARRY FOOTE, TAMPA BAY(?)

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CURRENT JOB: Outside linebackers coach, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SUMMARY: 42, brilliant up-and-coming NFL position coach and former star player for Michigan. Expected to be the DC pick under Byron Leftwich (currently the Bucs OC) when Leftwich gets an HC job. That could be any day if it’s Jacksonville.

History: Foote is the most Detroit person, a Pershing graduate who named his son Trammell and whose first tattoo was a 313. Throughout his career, Foote has come back to his city, and has been instrumental in keeping the Conant Gardens community going. He was a big part of the reason the entire city was rooting for Steelers over the Seahawks when Detroit hosted Super Bowl XL. Before that of course Foote was part of the legendary Michigan recruiting class of 1998 that included Drew Henson, David Terrell, Seth Fisher, Marquise Walker, and Victor Hobson, to name a few, and was the epitome of the tiny linebacker genre before Devin Bush Jr. took the mantle and Khaleke Hudson broke Foote’s single-game TFL record.

Foote finished his brilliant NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, following former Ravens assistant Chuck Pagano with the offer of stepping into a coaching role after the season. Pagano made good on his promise; Foote was the assistant LBs coach in 2015, then was promoted to linebackers coach under James Bettcher, and stayed on through one year of Al Holcomb. He followed Pagano again to Tampa Bay in 2019, now under DC Todd Bowles (they overlapped in Zona in 2014), and there Foote won his first Super Bowl as a coach after two as a player. His next move is expected to be to NFL defensive coordinator, with Leftwich’s rise seeming an obvious route to that.

HISTORICAL DEFENSIVE RANKINGS: Tampa Bay was 6th, 5th, and 9th out of 32 teams in Football Outsiders’ comprehensive fancystat DVOA the last three years. They were 2nd, 2nd, 20th, and 12th in Foote’s four years of coaching in Arizona.

PLAYERS: Probably don’t need to throw all the names at you. Foote’s credited with turning Chandler Jones into a 1st team all-Pro in Arizona, developed Shaquil Barrett into a regular all-pro  and Jason Pierre-Paul into a new one at Tampa Bay, and probably had a hand in developing Lavonte David and Devin White into one of the best ILB pairs in the game.

CONNECTIONS: Played here with Bellamy (who’s a year younger than us). Outside of the Lions—which is such a terrible organization Foote had to stomp out of there in disgust after asking to complete his career at home—Ann Arbor is the closest job to home, and the heart is definitely there.

PROS: Up-and-coming defensive mind, would solidify Michigan’s credibility in Detroit and would be a big draw in recruiting. Brings another Carr guy in-house, though Foote hasn’t always caucused with that faction. Linebacker coach when we need LB coaching.

CONS: Hasn’t been in college since Foote received his degree just a few spots after Fisher in December 2002. Hasn’t been a defensive coordinator. Has never recruited.

SYSTEM FIT? The Bucs’ system is not that far off from the Ravens, in that there and in Arizona Foote was a part of defenses that really leaned on the secondary. They base out of a two-high and bring a lot of pressure from the OLBs or nickels. But very much unlike the Ravens, the Bucs’ defense really shined against the most dangerous offenses, crushing the Chiefs and the Brees-led Saints. Having Ndamukong Suh helps.

WOULD HE TAKE THE JOB? Probably not. Sam says Michigan’s reached out($), and Foote’s name will be pushed by the Carr Revolt, but I think Leftwich is getting the Jacksonville job and pulling Foote up with him. If that doesn’t happen though, yeah, it’s a real possibility.

[After THE JUMP: Lost in the West]

I started a bit of offseason content during the long offseason so I might as well finish it. I'll post the 3-, 4-, and 5-star teams next to each other at the end and link a poll if you want to compare.

What is this? I'm making a team of Michigan four-stars since 1990. Offense is here. For the writeups I gave up on focusing on the recruiting rankings because compared to 3-stars (there's always a reason) and 5-stars (there's always a story), 4-star recruitments are boring. Instead I'll try to tell you something about the guy you didn't know.

More All-Michigan [Blank] Teams: 5-Stars, 3-Stars, Pro Offense/Pro Defense, 1879-Before Bo, Extracurriculars, Position-Switchers, Highlights, Numbers Offense/Numbers Defense, In-State, Names, Small Guys, Big Guys, Freshmen

Rules: Lower bound: must be a four-star to at least one major ranker of his era, and average over 4.0 stars on the Seth scale. Upper bound: cannot a 5-star to anybody or average higher than a 4.50 on the Seth scale. Since 1990 because data go back that far. College performance considered only.

Defensive Tackle

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Left: photo via Maize and Blue Nation. Right: Bryan Fuller

Mo Hurst (2013) burst into the consciousness of recruiters with a play he made while on offense, as the nation delighted in the fullback shrugging off eleven overmatched Northeastern schoolchildren for a 70-yard touchdown run.

The rest of the tape was the dude teleporting into the backfield. His coach used "yay" as an adjective.

The recruiting comp for Hurst was Mike Martin (2008), whom Brian described as "pulsing" and "a single twitching muscle." A wrestler and "crab person" for his perfect pad level, the Detroit Catholic Central committed to Lloyd Carr in June and stuck when the staff switched. In the interim he blew up, with his film showing a slab of muscle running down ballcarriers like a linebacker. Because Michigan had just experienced The Horror while this was happening, every recruiter checked in with Martin to ask if he's sure he wanted to "be on a sinking ship."

All of that negative recruiting might have helped Michigan keep Martin in the fold when Notre Dame made their serious run at him in November; according to Mike he was swayable right up until his Notre Dame recruiter started his visit by badmouthing Michigan. If everyone else started their pitch with why he shouldn't choose Michigan, that probably meant they knew Michigan had the most to offer. I have his contact so I might reach out about bringing back this shirt:

MGoBlog Profiles Six Zero | mgoblog

[After THE JUMP: Even I can't make Dan Rumishek interesting, but I can certainly make you appreciate uninteresting]

via the Michigan Daily archives

Previously: Krushed By Stauskas (Illinois 2014), Introducing #ChaosTeam (Indiana 2009), Revenge is Terrifying (Colorado 1996), Four Games In September I (Boston College 1991), Four Games In September II (Boston College 1994), Four Games In September III (Boston College 1995), Four Games In September IV (Boston College 1996), Pac Ten After Dark Parts One and Two (UCLA 1989), Harbaugh's Grand Return Parts One and Two (Notre Dame 1985)

This Game: Slightly abridged full gameWH highlightsbox score

Part One: Click here.

Is Joe Tiller ready for the second half?

He is now. While he chews, sideline reporter Dave Ryan relays some of his choice words from halftime: he's "very upset" about the "inexcusable" drops by Purdue's receivers.

While Michigan holds a 21-6 lead at the break, their 272-199 edge in total yardage is largely explained by Purdue's sudden inability to catch the football, and while the Boilermakers' late-half field goal may have been a disappointment given the starting field position, it gives them a chance to cut the game to one possession to open the second stanza.

Instead, the same issues that plagued Purdue in the first half remain present. After a confused Michigan defense allowed a 27-yard slant out to midfield, leading receiver Chris Daniels lets a deep shot slip through his fingertips before Todd Howard rakes it out completely—the third or fourth drop by Daniels alone today and, according to the broadcast, the team's seventh. Brees has completed 12 passes. Daniels is wearing his frustration:

Brees wings the next one high, then—for the third time in the game—gets caught not expecting the snap on third down:

That can't be a fun feeling. Brees gets a handle on the ball but can only heave it out of play. Another promising drive ends in disappointment.

[Hit THE JUMP for more of this, plus multiple savage postgame quotes.]