Dear Diary is All CC Comment Count

Seth

Let's go right to the hot subject shall we?

Coaches

(FWIW I doubt we'll get Old Butthead out of Arkansas)

Fun Times in Cleveland: If you're in a certain radius of Cleveland you're probably seeing this ad I made last week linking to a January 12 MGoEvent. That's because the Cleveland Alumni Association is having Brian, myself, John U. Bacon, and former player Thom Darden at the Winking Lizard in Bedford to talk football and hoops, then watch the college football NC game. You get zero points for pointing out one of those speakers isn't likely to be as interesting as the rest.

CC: We probably don't need to keep labeling things with the "Coaching Change" tag, since it's pretty on-topic. Then again, it's useful so I guess keep it up. Also useful: all the reader content on candidates. Eye of the Tiger keeps ranking the top 12, which is as good a starting spot as any. He also continued his CC roundups with the fringe guys, getting only as far as Bob Stitt before getting into the jokes (Schiano, Chryst, Butthead, and Lane Kiffin). ReadYourGuard (a guy who played with Harbaugh by the way) recapped the firing process from Concussionaganza to today.

meyer-mullen
But what if Mullen is actually just like his old boss except fiercely ethical, and we get another 10-year war before Urban assaults a Clemson player? Did you think of that? [AP via NBC]

The other guy who's been providing consistent content on coach candidates is alum96, who went through the Football Outsiders stats on Dan Mullen, comparing him to Kevin Sumlin's star last year and suggesting the MSU (NTMSU) success comes from schedules with very few comparable teams:

12.5 months ago Mullen was sporting a 4-6 record with 2 games to go in year FIVE of his regime.  Those 4 wins were over baby seals Alcorn State, Troy, Bowling Green,and soon to be 2-10 Kentucky.   He did beat 3-9 Arkansas and won the Egg Bowl over 8-5 Ole Miss to finish off the year 6-6 before the bowl.  So his regular season included 1 win of note...in year 5.  Bret Bielema has done better in year 2 of his regime at Arkansas IMO in terms of upsets.

Miss State seemed to play a lot of really awful teams (which they beat) and a lot of really good conference teams (which they almost always lost to). The gist of the concern here is it may take Mullen four years to build a winner, by which time Michigan will have found enough reasons to run him out of town like we did the last two dudes.

I don't think it will take so long. Brady Hoke has left a team in relatively good shape; in the years to come we'll be talking about the devastating 2015 class (which fell apart because Hoke didn't win in 2013 and 2014), quarterback, and the safety and defensive line depth charts, the latter of which is another losing-related thing. As for the offensive talent, these guys were actually kinda good at running zone by the end of the season; you can absolutely teach them to do that in a spread offense. Also offensive line starts happen to be one of the better predictors of offensive success, and Michigan returns a ton of them in 2015 and 2016.

Shane Morris would probably fare better in a spread because the decisions are way easier, his legs are good enough to be something defenses have to account for, and his arm is more than adequate to be scary downfield. Malzone's talents are best used in a passing spread.

Etc. CLord on the karmic relevance of OSU maybe missing the playoffs for JT Barrett's injury. Basketball stats so far. Best and Worst. Inside the Box Score. Coach Schiano muses about stuff while waiting for the splosions.

[Jump for, well, more CC]

Best of the Board

CC THINGS THAT SPILLED

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Jim Mora Junior isn't a bad idea, but Gus Malzahn is just cumong: the not-even-remotely-leaving thing isn't the only thing; what happens when we demand the sweater vests stay in the South? I'm willing to bet all of the Cowherd-like "this agent is talking to this AD" stuff is just agents poking around potential raises for guys going nowhere. I don't know if Stoops qualifies as one of those.

Butthead turned down Nebraska; if Gary Moeller had to leave for being drunk and inappropriate in Excalibur, I doubt Michigan wants to test our patience with a dude who'll want to record Michigan Replay from Scorekeepers.

I do subscribe to the rumors of an actual Wolverine. You can't tell me he just surfaced in the middle of the most popular national park in America! Dude's angling for a position where his intensity will make him loved. Or perhaps a frozen carcass. Good news: we're both!

Put a gun to my head and here's the likelihoods:

  • 35% we get Harbaugh
  • 15% they hire Miles
  • 10% they get Mullen
  • 6% Stoops happens
  • 5% Mora comes
  • 4% They go for Herman
  • 2% Narduzzi
  • 1% Stitt
  • 22% Split among <1% candidates
    If you don't like those numbers point the gun elsewhere. Ron Utah is tracking your votes, with Les Miles at 49%, Mullen at 25%, Herman at 9% and everyone else into deep "other."
    Also Steve Sharik, one of the coaches we lean on for X's and O's around here, asks that we not do the Peanut Butter Jelly Time thing for the new guy. On that: that's a 2007 meme that was cool in 2007, which is seven years ago. In 2007. Also it was a reaction to the whole Sailboat Willy odyssey of that coaching search for ending on what appeared to be the "Chuck it up and Hemingway comes down with it" of results. Sharik wants Narduzzi. Defensive coaches gonna defense.

Your Moment of Zen:

From the favorite moments of the Hoke era thread:

Runner up.

Comments

Benoit Balls

December 5th, 2014 at 1:38 PM ^

on the 12th.  That Winking Lizard is right in the middle of my old stomping grounds. There's a Crazy Horse a couple doors down as well, if anyone is interested.  For now, please enjoy this hastily made Cleveland tourism video:

Benoit Balls

December 5th, 2014 at 3:18 PM ^

I prefer the first version because the "all of our fish have AIDS" line rubs me the wrong way. Not sure why. I grew up in Cleveland and normally have a good sense of humor about my hometown (self-depricating humor is ALWAYS funny, to me) but that just made me mad for some reason. Totally irrational, I am

michgoblue

December 5th, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^

No, he is being serious.  That was what Cowherd just tweeted.  Obviously, we all can call BS.

OP, I also just upvoted you for not starting your own thread for such uselessness.  Good restraint.  Hey, can you coach football, because if so, I may have a job for you. 

Wendyk5

December 5th, 2014 at 2:21 PM ^

If I recall, Read Your Guard has been forcefully asserting that JH is not coming here. Should we be taking him more seriously since he played with the guy? Read Your Guard, what say you?

markusr2007

December 5th, 2014 at 2:22 PM ^

fi·as·co

/fēˈaskō/

noun, noun: fiasco; plural noun: fiascos

definition: a thing that is a complete failure, especially in a ludicrous or humiliating way.
 
 
 
I guess it is a "fiasco" for Michigan in the sense that firing Brady Hoke became self-evident and necessary, and a huge contingent of UM fans, media and alumni supported the guy, and  are now "humiliated" by being so wrong about Hoke's coaching ability and W-L performance.
 
At the same time, if Michigan lands a top prospect like Harbaugh, Miles or Mullen, I'm not convinced "fiasco" applies as much this time.
 
 
The good news:
We'll soon see because there's plenty of time on the clock for this to be a real "coaching fiasco" (again) or a "coaching triumph".
 
 
It's still hiliarious that there was a time when Brady Hoke AND Kirk Ferentz were on the radar for the Michigan job. 
 
 
It's OK.  We can all laugh about it now.

Steve in PA

December 5th, 2014 at 2:41 PM ^

"The gist of the concern here is it may take Mullen four years to build a winner, by which time Michigan will have found enough reasons to run him out of town like we did the last two dudes."

I see him more as a hot coach riding a RS Jr Qb who is playing great.  As I coach I think he's Sumlin with Manziel.  I don't dislike the guy but I really do think Michigan should strive to do better with this hire.  I still don't think personality stops him from going to Fla if Fla really thought he was the guy to take them back to dominance and I don't think Nebraska hires Mike Riley if Mullen is a vastly superior coach.

We hired a coach with a better history of winning and ran him out after 3 years then ran a perfect cultural fit out after 4 because he couldn't win games.  Michigan is already into ND territory with coaching carousel.  This one MUST be right and I personally don't see Mullen as that guy.

The FannMan

December 5th, 2014 at 3:23 PM ^

I can't watch that enough.  

I just noticed how Gallon looks over his shoulder at the end.  I imagine him asking, "Where'd those dudes go?" And Chesson answers "I destroyed them."

Wave83

December 5th, 2014 at 8:52 PM ^

I am absolutely thrilled about the event at the Winking Lizard, which is only 2-3 miles from my house.  I had the opportunity to meet John Bacon at an alumni event at the same place a few years ago during the Three and Out tour.  As I recall, it was hours after the news of RR's hire at Arizona broke.

I'm looking forward to seeing John again and meeting Brian, Seth, and Thom.

Seth

December 6th, 2014 at 7:24 AM ^

Top row from left: Lane Kiffin, Gary Andersen, Steve Addazio, Jim Mora Jr., Mike Gundy, Bret Bielema, [block M and Jim's hat], John Harbaugh

2nd row from left: Bob Stitt, Tom Herman, Dan Mullen, Pat Narduzzi, John Gruden, Butch Jones, Art Briles, JIM HARBAUGH, Mark Stoops, Kyle Whittingham

Front row from left: Greg Schiano, Les Miles, Bob Stoops, Gary Pinkel, Guz Malzahn, Paul Chryst