Al Borges Fired
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Per the Athletic Department, offensive coordinator Al Borges has been fired. Here's the entirety of the press release:
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan head football coach Brady Hoke announced today (Wednesday, Jan. 8) that offensive coordinator Al Borges will not be retained for the 2014 season.
"Decisions like these are never easy," said Hoke. "I have a great amount of respect for Al as a football coach and, more importantly, as a person. I appreciate everything he has done for Michigan Football for the past three seasons."
Prior to joining U-M in 2011, Borges was a member of Hoke's staff at San Diego State in 2009 and '10.
The Wolverines will begin spring practice on Feb. 25 and finish with the annual Spring Game on Saturday, April 5, at Michigan Stadium.
The fallout will be covered in exhaustive detail in the coming days. One interesting candidate—coincidentally, from Borges' former school—is rumored to have been contacted by Brady Hoke regarding the now-open position, according to coachingsearch.com:
A source tells me that Brady Hoke has reached out to UCLA offensive coordinator / quarterbacks coach Noel Mazzone and at least one NFL assistant, though Mazzone isn't likely to leave for Ann Arbor.
Mazzone runs an "uptempo no-huddle spread," according to Chris Brown (Smart Football); even if he's not interested in the job, moving in that direction would certainly please the people who write for this here blog. As for recruiting, it's unlikely the class of 2014 will be affected much, if at all, and there's plenty of time to make up any lost ground in the 2015 class. Again, we'll have much, much more on this in the coming days.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^
We fired a coordinator, not a head coach. Hoke is still in charge of what the team runs and won't hire someone who does what you fear unless he literally wants to be fired. This fear is silly.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:14 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:08 PM ^
I don't think Borges was the only reason for the poor play this year (it was a number of issues), but if the players perceived it that way, then he might have become toxic.
The new coordinator will likely look very good next year because just regression to the mean should result in what looks like "improvement."
I also hope there aren't a lot in transition costs as well, mostly with the receivers and Gardner and their route running.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:09 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:16 PM ^
is that Hoke is not offensively minded. He is the guy who brought Borges on board and gave him the play calling duties. He better get it right this time or he is gone.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:09 PM ^
Glad to see that Hoke was able to make this move. It must have been difficult given their history together. I am curious to see who we hire and if any other offensive assistant coaches are let go with the new hire.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:10 PM ^
Hoke still needs to find a replacement. And those who say that literally anyone is better than Borges...well, you're wrong, frankly. There are several candidates out there who on paper look like a very bad idea.
Let's not forget that the last time a MIchigan coach fired a coordinator, GERG was the replacement. We all know how that worked out.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:38 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
So will next year be another "rebuilding year" that is written off as the offense learning a new system under a new OC? Is 2015 the new target? 2016? If they get someone really good, then I think that person's impact should be felt immediately. I am not too keen on another year of excuses.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:18 PM ^
Oh good, the unrealistic expections are already being set for the as of yet unnamed new guy.
January 8th, 2014 at 11:01 PM ^
for one more season, then fire Al if he had another 4 or 5 loss season. I think this move will actually put more pressure on Hoke next season. He will have no more excuses with a new OC!
January 8th, 2014 at 11:02 PM ^
for one more season, then fire Al if he had another 4 or 5 loss season. I think this move will actually put more pressure on Hoke next season. He will have no more excuses with a new OC!
January 8th, 2014 at 7:11 PM ^
Holy. Shit.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^
After the bowl game, Drew Dileo was interviewed on camera, and was asked a question about the playcalling. While he didn't throw Borges under the bus, he certainly didn't defend him either. To me, that was the tip that the team wasn't completely with him. When Dileo shrugged his shoulders and said (paraphrasing), "I don't know - that's what was called and so we did it."
January 8th, 2014 at 7:26 PM ^
Something must have been wrong in Fort Schembechler
January 8th, 2014 at 7:14 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:16 PM ^
Denard wasnt still here! Kudos to Hoke and Brandon for making an obviously tough decision for the betterment of the team, the team! I believe optimism with now reign in Ann Arbor. Go Blue!!
January 8th, 2014 at 7:19 PM ^
Did he take the coyote with him? Please.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:22 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:23 PM ^
I liked Al and I wish him well.
He is a smart guy and a great offensive play designer. However, he did not seem to be that good of an offensive teacher at the college football level.
I think he would actually do quite well on a pro team where all the players are capable of running his schemes right away.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:16 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:24 PM ^
Probably a hire from within
January 8th, 2014 at 7:34 PM ^
nope. sam webb says it isn't hecklinski and he's the only guy that would've been considered.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:26 PM ^
So many posters on this board, including myself...
January 8th, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^
I am somewhat surprised, but also somewhat happy Hoke made this decision.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:34 PM ^
I actually step away from MGoBlog for a couple hours to, you know, earn a living, and this is what happens.
Question (apologies, I didn't read through every single post to see if this has been asked and answered): what does this mean for the offensive assistants? Are they gone as well? Or is a new OC supposed to work with the pre-existing staff? If the answer to the latter is yes, that sounds like a recipe for GERG. OC should get to bring in his own staff to the extent the HC signs off on the hires.
Support the move (because obviously) but now that it's happened, I actually feel kinda bad for Al. I always liked him personally, and the impact on the families of the position coaches (if they're out the door as well) is rough. Wish Al and any others the best of luck.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:35 PM ^
Whenever my phone is inexplicably buzzing out of control, MGoServers crash....Crazy.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:35 PM ^
I get that a change was preferred by most fans. But I think that the players probably believed in him. Hope this doesn't induce Derrick Green or the young o-linemen to rethink their futures. They signed up to play for this guy, in his offense. Damien Harris can be re-recruite, and if needed, replaced. We can't afford to lose the guys we've already invested in.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:44 PM ^
Not only is this an unevidenced claim, but there's a few decent reason to believe it's not true.
Furthermore, when was the last time a shitload of players, especially those looking at extended playing time, jumped ship because of a fired COORDINATOR?
January 8th, 2014 at 8:23 PM ^
Well, there was...yesterday, when 3 4-star DL all decommited from Texas after the DL coach left town.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:29 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 8:31 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:47 PM ^
Will be nice to have some other football stuff to look forward to instead of just NSD.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:53 PM ^
He's a guy who has spent the better part of 10 years coming up with pro style takes on common spread concepts. Aka, what Borges has spent the last 3 years trying and failing to do.
The only school with comparable resources as Michigan who had an OL as inexperienced was UCLA. They won 10 games in a stacked Pac 12. Yeah, that would be a kick ass hire.
January 8th, 2014 at 9:34 PM ^
He also has been a journeyman, fired multiple times, and a few short years ago was coaching high school football. Yeah...no thanks
January 8th, 2014 at 7:57 PM ^
...that there is not a Al Borges Fired Posbang Thread or an Al Borges Appreciate Thread.
Good work MGoBlog, both would be in poor taste.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:57 PM ^
I don't think you can get rid of Borges and keep Funk around.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^
see what I did there?
January 8th, 2014 at 8:42 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:58 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 7:59 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 8:07 PM ^
I can say I didn't push for it but I can also say I won't shed a tear or lose any sleep.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:10 PM ^
Bye bye Borges!
January 8th, 2014 at 8:15 PM ^
Someone call up Rich Rod! :)
January 8th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^
Nice guy and represented the university well but by golly am I happy he's outta here. Never showed the ability to make in-game adjustments/offensive regression in every year since he arrived. Very happy to hear the news and looking forward to seeing who our replacement is and how that may affect the offense!
January 8th, 2014 at 8:22 PM ^
though I must admit, it is hard to celebrate someone being fired.
all the "Yeah!" responses above give me the wrong vibe.
Hopefully the next guy will be better.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:25 PM ^
January 8th, 2014 at 8:31 PM ^
Now that that's done, I don't think a big change to a spread hurry up guy is smart. We need to limit the transition costs and find someone who can use the guys we have well and not cost us recruits. The new OC has to succeed. Another GERG hire would be disaster.
I hope they already have a guy lined up. We do not need a "process."
January 8th, 2014 at 8:36 PM ^
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