If not Harbaugh who is Plan B?
Not five seconds after the game ended my 63 year old brother was on the phone demanding that Rich be fired and Harbaugh be made the Head Coach. He said he was "embarrassed" yet again and as a Michigan alumni he didn't much like being embarrassed. He proceeded to list every play that went wrong and decided that they were all a function of poor coaching. When I tried to reason with him on the age of the team we were fielding he gave me the "but we're Michigan" rationale that age was no excuse. I listen to him for a while and then asked him "who do you want as coach if Harbaugh says no thanks". He had no answer.
I want to be VERY clear that I am still firmly in the keep RichRod camp. If I was Brandon I would tell Rich that Gerg and all the D assistants have to go and that we're going to throw as much money as we can at the best DC we can find and let him pick his team.
Now that I established where I fall on the coaching issue I have an open question to the anti-Rich faction of the board (and my brother). If Harbaugh says no - who's your plan B? Les Miles? Cam Cameron? Chris Peterson? Gary Patterson? Who? I think we need to look no further than South Bend to see what happens when you start making coaching changes without a solid replacement lined up.
There seems to be this presumption that Harbaugh would leap at the chance to come back home but what if he says no. Then what?
November 27th, 2010 at 8:06 PM ^
he can get to the root of the problem
November 27th, 2010 at 8:25 PM ^
we may finally fill some gaps on D.
November 27th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
will numb the pain of losing, at least.
"Now just relax and count backwards from 100."
November 27th, 2010 at 9:22 PM ^
I would brace yourself for some backlash from the alums, however.
November 29th, 2010 at 7:51 AM ^
To see our defense impacted.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:08 PM ^
He would need to take a close look to get to the root of the problem first.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:48 PM ^
we can crown him the savior of the program after he bridges the gap between new and old Michigan.
November 28th, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^
Touched a nerve
November 27th, 2010 at 7:31 PM ^
If DB concludes that Jim Harbaugh is the better long term option, and gets reassurance from the back-channels that he'll accept, then there is a reason for acting now before Harbaugh is gone. (Of course, there's a risk that Harbaugh will say yes through the intermediaries and then no formally, but there's no way around taking that risk.) Sometimes, you're just http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Moss at the wrong time.
"A coach from the list of good candidates" will still be there in 2011. Bailing on RIchRod without a high probability of acceptance from a concrete target is just panicking.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:36 PM ^
Or perhaps wait until after the Bowl games...
November 27th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^
If you're making a change, you do it now. Waiting until after the bowl is too long to keep everyone in the breach.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:31 PM ^
.
The Knowledge
.
yes
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November 27th, 2010 at 7:31 PM ^
IMO, it's Harbaugh or RR. I don't think another coach will do better at Michigan in the near term.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:32 PM ^
Oooooohhhhhh....I thought this was about birth control.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:34 PM ^
I've been thinking about applying for the position, sitting here in my over-stuffed chair I have found that I have been out coaching these guys on T.V. for years.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:36 PM ^
Sorry but I think my brother already has the HC locked down. But based on your qualifications I think you'd be an excellent addition to his staff.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:35 PM ^
Jerry Dinardo would be kinda cool
November 27th, 2010 at 7:37 PM ^
That's brave sir. I like your thinking.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
I have changed my mind, I prefer Lee Corso
November 27th, 2010 at 7:58 PM ^
Come on, if we're heading down this path, let's go with the TV personality who has won a championship, Lou Holth. Our players won't have to waste time showering after he spittle-bathes them during his rousing post-game speeches.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:36 PM ^
How many teams has he taken straight down the dumper as HC?
I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that RR will be willing to dump his WVU defensive assistants just because Brandon tells him to do it. Given the nightmare that the last three years have been in so many ways for RR (both for reasons beyond his control, and for reasons entirely on him), I could easily see him refusing to fire his buds—and get fired by DB as a consequence— just as a convenient way to end the ordeal without quitting per se. There will be some other program eager to hire him.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:39 PM ^
Hopefully DB would go the route of firing the assistants and letting RR chose to resign in this scenario. Paying his buyout would be real crapola after paying his last one.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:33 PM ^
If RR gets the boot, there's not a doubt in my mind that he would be uber-successful at his next gig.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:51 PM ^
...as an offensive coordinator.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:37 PM ^
and probably corect.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:16 PM ^
Thanks, Don, for voicing a recurring nightmare I've had (Cam Cameron as head coach at Michigan). I thought that was a possibility for many years during the BoMoCarr regime, with him being a MICHIGAN MAN and all that.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:38 PM ^
November 27th, 2010 at 7:38 PM ^
1. Keep RR and the spread.
2. Get the best damn D coordinator money can buy.
3. Recruit like crazy. Sell recruits on the new DC and early playing time.
4. Above all, don't go firing RR cuz you're pissed we lost another game. The D is the problem. Fix it. Don't fire the reason we won 7 games this year.
5. Get off the ledge!
November 27th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
We did nothing against Wisconsin in the first half and only scored 7 against OSU. I would say there are some problems on offense as well. The best DC you could find wouldn't win that game with only 7 points from the offense.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:07 PM ^
We were missing my favorite WRs (Hemingway and Tae)... and Roundtree developed the dropsies today. Not to mention, our RBs decided that actually running through a tackle is too damn difficult
November 27th, 2010 at 8:08 PM ^
our young WR corps getting a case of the dropsies didn't contribute significantly to that. or the fumbles. or, etc. i love how everyone thinks RR should be able to be Patrick Swayze in Ghost and just guide the player's hands into catches, etc. Roy Roundtree is not Demi Moore!
November 27th, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^
has a much deeper voice than roy
November 28th, 2010 at 4:44 AM ^
Roy needs to go practice catching some balls in cold weather. That's the way to fix it.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:40 PM ^
Why not Chip Kelly? (Honestly tell me why, I don't know) He has had success and is an innovative coach (I know, I know). the transition would be easy and it would be fun to watch. ( I know, I know)
November 27th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
Chip would not leave Oregon right now. I know you already know that.
Plus he's a dick.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^
November 27th, 2010 at 8:53 PM ^
With the endless supply of Phil Knight money, I think Oregon is likely to be one of the perpetual powerhouse teams nationally for a very long time. Michigan is a step up from a lot of programs, but I think Oregon is on the verge of being a de facto peer.
November 27th, 2010 at 9:28 PM ^
Oregon is "on the verge" of being a peer? Oregon is a better team right now (by far), and a better program. There is no verge-age about it. Michigan is "on the verge" of dropping to Illinois-type status in terms of national regard.
November 27th, 2010 at 10:03 PM ^
This is Michigan; still the Big House, still the most wins in the history of College Football and still the Leaders and Best.
Easy Tiger.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:41 PM ^
Ferentz
November 27th, 2010 at 7:49 PM ^
I wanted Ferentz, it's a moot point now - he's not leaving Iowa. It will be interesting to see who he gets for a DC - Norm Parker has to be out. If RR stays, we may be competing against Iowa for a DC hire.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:57 PM ^
Why would you want him? His senior-filled team went 7-5 and obviously gave up at the end of the year. They lost to several teams who were without a doubt worse than them.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
If we are indeed cleaning house completely and Harbraugh is unavailable (no comment if that is good or not), I hope we Patterson. The man knows defense and consistently shows he can make 2nd half adjustments. He's also great at developing talent. This and his ability to field a respectable offense makes him a good choice.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:44 PM ^
Hasn't Harbaugh been recruiting some of the same guys as us? If he did come maybe we wouldn't lose a lot to transfers.
November 28th, 2010 at 5:11 PM ^
he recruits basically whoever he can admit to stanford, their net is very wide
November 27th, 2010 at 7:43 PM ^
a new def coordinator and Rich Rod get a contract extension. Recruiting is gonna get even more difficult without some real coaching stability and I feel that RR has the program headed in the right direction.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
I would hold out on the extension until after next year when we compete for the Big Ten championship.
November 27th, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
I think Plan B energies should be focused more on finding a new defensive coordinator and letting him run recruiting and calling his own defense (not the 3-3-5). My thoughts on that would be:
Vance Bedford (former UM DB coach and current Louisville DC - 11th in the nation in total D)
Randy Shannon (once Miami does the predicted but stupid firing of a good guy who has cleaned up their program - but didn't "win enough"
Bud Foster (Okay he'd never leave VT - but make the offer with some serious money tied to it).
TCU's defensive coordinator?
But if Rodriguez doesn't get another year and Harbaugh doesn't come home then Plan B is the following:
Pat Fitzgerald (continues to win at Northwestern, school has no support for the football program, academic focused school experience, consistently runs a spread offense, knows defense). He's too good to stay at a school with such high football apathy. Someone will make him an offer he can't refuse. Rather it be us than another school.
Mike Leach (guy can coach, the Adam James thing was a farce, I'm sure he can find a way to use Denard - maybe make him even better, entertainment value is really high)
Art Briles (baylor coach - inventive on offense, solid character, lets see what he can do with actual talent)
Brady Hoke (particularly if he brings along his current staff at SDSU - like Rocky Long to coach defense)
I'm not putting Peterson or Patterson on the list because they'd be crazy to leave their schools.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:31 PM ^
LOL Mike Leach? Really? Looking at the way many associated with Michigan react to RR, and hate him for the cultural differences from the status quo that he's brought, shit would hit the fan with them if we hired Leach.
I personally love Leach, and, if RR did get fired (don't want it to happen) I wouldn't mind seeing him at M, but dude, all the elitists who want a "Michigan Man" would throw a hissy fit that would make their reaction to RR seem like nothing in comparison.