Reading the tea leaves: it'll be Gattis
The evidence:
1. Harbaugh supposedly was transparent and told recruits that he would entertain offers from the NFL, yet we pulled in a really good recruiting class - on early signing day, no less - despite that uncertainty. Why would you sign early if you knew the HC was planning to explore going to the NFL? Why not wait and see, knowing you can always sign today? Perhaps those recruits were reassured, confidentially, that Gattis would get the job if Harbaugh left. Gattis is apparently a very good recruiter and quite charismatic, so recruits might have been ok with that as the back up plan.
2. Gattis is the Broyles award winner and the OC on a team that won the B1G and made the CFP, putting up 42 points on OSU and Iowa along the way (both had good Ds, despite OSU having a down year for them). Despite the fact that we were in the CFP, you'd think there would have been some rumors that he's a candidate at a variety of places, but there really weren't (other than a few posts here). And being in the CFP didn't stop Dan Lanning from talking to and eventually accepting the Oregon job. Perhaps that's because Gattis had already been given the reassurances that he's next, and he wouldn't talk to anyone as a result?
3. MacDonald left. Sure, being the DC of a team in the NFL was probably more appealing to MM than being DC for us, but he was under contract for another year, iirc. I can't imagine that John would steal back MacDonald that fast if Jim hadn't told him he was looking around, and the assistants clearly knew anyway (see #1 above). If Macdonald had been told Gattis is getting the job and he wouldn't, all the more reason to go, and all the more reason for U-M to do the right thing and let him talk to the Ravens.
4. Harbaugh's legacy. It's rather late for a college team to be starting a search for a new HC, so leaving U-M without a coach at this point would hurt the program. Would JH do that to U-M? If his successor is already in place, not so much of a problem.
Not a lot of evidence and all of it circumstantial, but there it is.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:25 PM ^
And Chris Partridge as the DC - I am calling it now.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:27 PM ^
Good recruiter but Ole Miss did not have a very good defense this year
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:29 PM ^
They were ok but they made a big leap from previous years where they were terrible.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:12 PM ^
This seems to fit here.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:20 PM ^
This was my very first thought reading that comment! Glad you posted it.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:39 PM ^
Partridge would also make sense with Rhule. Both northeast guys. I’m sure they crossed paths when he was at Temple and Partridge was at Paramus.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:48 PM ^
Sam Webb stated this morning on the radio trust he had been in contact with partridge but didn't elaborate.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:25 PM ^
No. Not ahead of Clink or Elston.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:27 PM ^
True - Partridge and Clink would be co-DCs
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:28 PM ^
I don’t pay much attention to Ole Miss, but I was under the impression his defense was very similar to that of Don Brown… in which case, I’ll pass.
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:24 PM ^
He is already DC of a good SEC program, why would he take a lateral position.
And besides... something about the Ted Lasso show made me think that Nate was the fictional character of Partridge, who Harbaugh groomed and left on bad terms, and Sudeikis got the idea from Jim. I have no proof of this.
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:32 PM ^
I'm not all that convinced Partridge is going to get an offer, but if it pays better than Ole Miss I'd imagine he'll take it. And Michigan can absolutely offer better compensation if that's the guy they really want.
February 2nd, 2022 at 7:09 PM ^
Any hire not named Luke Fickell that doesn’t follow a story that Fickell turned down an offer that would have made him the highest paid coach in CFB is a mistake of epic proportions.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:26 PM ^
You may be right, but if recruits were told this was the plan we would know about it by now.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:44 PM ^
This has been the best kept secret ever.
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:51 PM ^
I sometimes wonder if Harbaugh was thinking along these lines a few years ago when he brought Gattis on. This is not saying he did or that I believe it. I just wonder if he came here with the idea that he would want to go back to the NFL once he righted the ship. ?♂️
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:27 PM ^
Uh...OK. As good a guess as any of the hundreds already floated on this board. No better or worse a guess than Hart. Or Ruhle. Or Flores. Or Goodwin. Or Campbell. Or Jaybaugh. Or my mother-in-law.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:31 PM ^
But not the armadillo - or Scott Frost's mom.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:32 PM ^
It probably is a better guess than your mother-in-law.
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:47 PM ^
She’s actually a good guesser. Does the “guess your weight” game at the County Fair. Not many prize winners while she’s on duty.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:39 PM ^
I think we can safely presume Gattis is a more likely replacement than Jaybaugh or your mother-in-law who is very happy with her current position on my staff.
BOOM
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:40 PM ^
Coordinator is a bit of a stretch, but can your M-I-L coach D Line?
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:43 PM ^
Idk about d line but she can coach DN
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:28 PM ^
HARBAUGH drinks milk - not tea. This intel is garbage.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:28 PM ^
welp, several other sites are saying Gattis is NOT a candidate after some internal vetting.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:53 PM ^
Maybe so, but why use internal vetting and real sources when you can make massive assumptions with your world-class deductive skills like lsa84??
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:07 PM ^
They probably found out he's a furry or something. Not acceptable for a school without a mascot.
If it's internal hire, my bet is Hart. Which at least means we won't lose to MSU ever again.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:27 PM ^
That seems to be just on3. 247 is basically pitching Gattis as the frontrunner.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
Depends on the tea.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
Never cared for tea, just give me some agua.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
Circumstantial is a generous assessment of your evidence. There are so many frank assumptions on this snowflake-level post that would annoy a friend in conversation, let alone a whole blog community.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
You people have lost your minds and the coaching search hasn't even started yet.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:39 PM ^
To counter that…it likely has started. And it should have. Just as harbaugh was testing the nfl waters (and it appears he was actively reaching out) Warde has/had to do the same.
Unless Warde is woefully inept the “soft search” is surely underway.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:03 PM ^
I'm not sure the comment needed to be countered, but yes, I'm sure Warde is aware of the situation and competent enough to think about next steps.
February 2nd, 2022 at 7:19 PM ^
I just received a note from Warde. He is asking us to refrain from calling him Shirley.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
You know what we really need? More threads of uninformed speculation by non-insiders. Really elevates the dialogue.
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:36 PM ^
BIG FACTS
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:31 PM ^
Nothing you said compels me to think it’s Gattis.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:41 PM ^
I feel like everyone would be saying It’s going to be gattis if the choice was going to be gattis. I Still think he’s too green for the job.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:31 PM ^
Unlike oolong, this will age poorly.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:32 PM ^
I don't know if any of this is true but I do hope it's Gattis.
It would be especially great given all the experts saying he has no chance
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:32 PM ^
Both Harbaugh and the athletic department had a full year for succession planning. I don't think Harbaugh would intentionally leave Michigan in a tough spot and my completely ill-informed guess is that what is happening this week was discussed thoroughly a year ago when the contract was renegotiated.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:43 PM ^
Harbaugh is a strange guy. Who knows what he has been saying. I’m hoping Warde has someone lined up.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:45 PM ^
How'd it work out the last time M had a full year to think about candidates?
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:28 PM ^
Exactly. If Michigan has not learned from recent searches, we have bigger issues.
February 2nd, 2022 at 6:46 PM ^
Bill Martin was too busy with other stuff to do his job. Warde is a far more effective AD.
February 2nd, 2022 at 7:28 PM ^
Too soon.
February 2nd, 2022 at 4:34 PM ^
my tea leaves are laced with absinthe and say that michigan is going the way of the Chicago Maroons and cancelling football
February 2nd, 2022 at 5:25 PM ^
That’s an awfully big college soccer stadium