SEARCHBITS XXXIV: Assistants Home Stretch
I know I'm a millionaire many times over but let's go to Red Robin anyway
IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE… YET. Sam's source on Tyrone Wheatley is Tyrone Wheatley, so in a case of conflicting information I'm inclined to go with him, and we have that. Rivals' Brandon Brown reported that Wheatley was in the boat, signed, etc., last night, and then the above picture of Harbaugh and Wheatley hanging out at… sigh… Red Robin popped onto the internet and everybody's like WOOOO. Sam has some not so fast my friend:
Wheatley arrived later in the afternoon.He met with the offensive coordinator. It got late so he didn't have the chance to interview with Harbaugh, so they caught dinner. The interview with Harbaugh was then pushed to today. …
No contract. No done deal yet.
I think the reason Sam is putting this out there via Wheatley is that Wheatley doesn't want to give the wrong impression to the people who might be hiring him. It would be awkward to walk into a job interview and be asked why people think you already have it when you do not.
I don't think the cold water means anything other than that; Wheatley's going to be as serious and professional as a boss could want and this is part of the process of getting a job. I'd be surprised if he wasn't brought on in the near future—it makes too much sense.
WHOOPS. Also on Wheatley: Doug Marrone's Jets interview apparently didn't go so well and other gentlemen are believed to lead for it. He's being bombed by former assistants of his on the radio:
…when he takes a job, he already has his plan in place for his next job. Let me say this to you: I've said this before -- self-centered, selfish, greedy. He'll get a job because there's not enough qualified people with head coaching experience to get these jobs.
If Marrone did just pull an all-time employment boner that would mean Wheatley would not have the opportunity to continue as a part of Marrone's staff. Marrone's getting four million dollars this year either way.
DURKIN OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL OFFICIALLY, AGAIN. Is DJ Durkin official yet? Has he been official for weeks? I don't know. Last night saw another flurry of people confirming that DJ Durkin will be the Michigan defensive coordinator, something I thought we'd already… like… confirmed. Apparently not.
Anyway, it is officially official that DJ Durkin is Michigan's defensive coordinator. I look forward to the next and presumably last time it becomes official, when Michigan issues a press release on the staff.
We've also officially reconfirmed that Mattison is staying on. Someone reconfirm Harbaugh to Michigan. Not because we need it, but because it feels goooooood.
MICHIGAN'S DIRECTORY SERVERS ARE WORKING OVERTIME. Someone in IT who doesn't care about football is looking at a usage spike and wondering what the hell everyone is fingering everyone else about:
So there's a Greg Jackson in the directory now. Lotta dudes named Greg Jackson. But it's a new entry.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 6, 2015
Jackson served as Harbaugh's DBs coach with the 49ers, and reportedly contacted LA DE Jalen Bates on behalf of Michigan recently. With no other DB coaches popping up on the radar that hire seems highly likely.
THE OTHER JACKSON. Maize and Brew has some scoop on the other Jackson, the comparison-makin', beverage-coordinatin' one:
I asked my source whether Jackson has indeed retired and received the following: "He isn't sure yet. It's a possibility unless anything changes. He's not stressed about anything though."
With Wheatley closing in on the RBs job, Jackson's likely to stay retired unless Michigan has a DeBord-esque administrative position for him.
I HOPE THIS GUY KNOWS THE COLLEGE RULES AND HOW TO COUNT TO 11. Sam on the wildcard spot:
Look for Michigan to hire an assistant that will coach special teams exclusively. No position
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) January 7, 2015
That's interesting. It means that Drevno is likely to be the primary OL coach and that TEs are likely to get folded in with either the WRs or OL on someone's title. A couple of people have suggested that the gentlemen who would get that job is Florida ST coordinator Coleman Hutzler. Unless that's a law firm. Which it definitely is.
HARBAUGH HIRES ENTIRE FRIGGING LAW FIRM TO COACH SPECIAL TEAMS. You heard it here first.
Anyway: Hutzler is barely 30, spent three seasons as a GA under Harbaugh at Stanford, probably needs a job after Muschamp got axed, and is rapidly moving up the ranks. Also popular with the ladies.
Please tell me we're keeping hottie Coleman Hutzler in our coaching staff. He's the only reason I want to go to the Women's Football Camp
— Leslie T (@lab0822) January 3, 2015
So he's got that going for him.
NO. Expert type guy Scout Roussel says SJSU OC Jimmie Dougherty has been offered a spot as the QB coach, which isn't likely. If he does come in it would be as a WR coach—the position he had at Washington—unless Sam's wrong about the ST guy. Harbaugh does QBs anyway.
GUESSOCHART. Getting to the end here:
OFFENSE | COACH | confidence | DEFENSE | COACH | confidence |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
OC | Tim Drevno | lock | DC | DJ Durkin | lock |
QB | Jim Harbaugh | lock | DL | Durkin | lock |
RB | Ty Wheatley | probable | LB | Greg Mattison | lock |
WR | John Morton | maybe | OLB/DE | Roy Manning | probable |
OL | Drevno | lock | DB | Greg Jackson | probable |
TE | N/A | ST | Coleman Hutzler | low |
OTHERS: Jimmie Dougherty (WR)
January 7th, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^
Perhaps it's a character flaw, but I upvote anyone who posts that Jones quote.
January 7th, 2015 at 2:23 PM ^
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January 7th, 2015 at 2:36 PM ^
Someone who can spend every allowable minute with the QBs to get them up to speed. That gives Harbaugh more time to oversee the entire team and, rest assured, he will still have plenty of input on the QB position.
January 7th, 2015 at 2:26 PM ^
special teams coach. That would be a big upgrade. Our ST have blown chunks for years. I don't really care if this Hutzler guy is only 30 either. Just having someone on the staff dedicated to it will pay off.
January 7th, 2015 at 2:37 PM ^
January 7th, 2015 at 2:46 PM ^
$62.50 per hour from his home computer? Sorry - the first phrase of your post made me think of one of those come-ons...
On an entirely unrelated note, what is your father's stance on adoption? Specifiically of 40-something Michigan Alums.
January 7th, 2015 at 2:52 PM ^
January 7th, 2015 at 7:14 PM ^
That's how he got rich.
January 7th, 2015 at 2:44 PM ^
Tracking Searchbits titles with SuperBowls, I can only hope everyone found this one as exciting as the game.
January 7th, 2015 at 3:12 PM ^
Assistant coach searchbits is the methodone clinic of MGoBlog.
And thank God for that.
January 7th, 2015 at 3:28 PM ^
who put him on a blast was let go after one year and never got a coaching job after it.
January 7th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
I don't want to start a thread on this because it's FootballScoop, but they say Dougherty has accepted a position on the staff. I'm not sure if I believe them. I don't see it reported anywhere else.
January 7th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
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January 7th, 2015 at 3:56 PM ^
He has coached QB, TE and WR so he could fit one of those spots.
January 7th, 2015 at 3:57 PM ^
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January 7th, 2015 at 4:03 PM ^
Seems like it'd be WR or TE and maybe passing game coordinator. I don't trust FootballScoop as a source so I won't believe it until I see it reported by someone else.
January 7th, 2015 at 4:01 PM ^
SJSU speculating he was offered to be the QB coach.
January 7th, 2015 at 4:11 PM ^
I thought we had one of those.
January 7th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
is reporting Jimmie Dougherty has accepted a position at Michigan and our dear friend Al Borges with be OC at SJSU
Interesting
January 7th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
January 7th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
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January 7th, 2015 at 3:52 PM ^
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January 7th, 2015 at 4:07 PM ^
Current position on Wikipedia is listed as Michigan. FWIW.
January 7th, 2015 at 4:22 PM ^
Are you the one who edited his Wikipedia page?
January 7th, 2015 at 4:42 PM ^
Not real tech savvy. But I hope it's not a prankster. Seems like he would be a good fit.
January 7th, 2015 at 4:53 PM ^
everyone is fingering everyone
After 34 installments, Searchbits is finally delivering the type of news we need. 2015!
January 8th, 2015 at 7:22 AM ^
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January 8th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
Excited about having a special teams coach that can count to eleven.
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