yes plz
A World Held Hostage: Day Two
Filed under:
This is what I currently believe is going on, tenuously. Extreme caveat: this is nuts.
Seriously, people, the Jim Harbaugh boat has sailed. The latest awesome conspiracy theory is that Miami is going to bid Harbaugh up into the stratosphere so the 49ers hire someone else. Then Stephen Ross is going to say "whoops I apparently still have this Sparano guy around" and cackle his way to Ann Arbor with a contrite Harbaugh in tow. This is truly an awesome conspiracy theory. It's not happening:
Ross had dialogue with University of Michigan officials to ensure that he would not be competing for Harbaugh's services with his alma mater, sources said. Ross, who is one of Michigan's largest benefactors, was assured by a Michigan official that Harbaugh was not reciprocating interest in the college's now-vacant head coaching position.
"But that's what they want you to think!" Yes. Yes, that. Apparently we don't have to rename the school of business The Jerk Store, so we've got that going for us. That and nothing else.
…Unless it hasn't (but it probably has). I do have some stuff in the inbox second-hand from Harbaugh friends that says he's "likely to be coach by the end of the week" and that in mid-December he was asking people close to him in Ann Arbor about schools and whatnot. Given everything public—most prominently Dave Brandon all but screaming "JIM HARBAUGH WILL NOT BE COACHING MICHIGAN NEXT YEAR" during the press conference—I think the former is inaccurate but it does cite something I've heard from a reliable source: that the big issue was always going to be the amount of Harbaugh's buyout for the NFL in case he wanted to pull a Spurrier at some point. So there's at least some credence there.
The latter would indicate that Harbaugh did indeed change course recently, thus spurring the somewhat bitter/smarmy "NFL challenge" routine from Brandon yesterday and potentially explaining why we're at sea three weeks from Signing Day. An established source says "something terrible happened in the last two days"—those being Monday and Tuesday—that caused Rodriguez to go from 100% gone to possibly back if he can assure Brandon things are going in the right direction back to gone. Terrible thing seems likely to be Harbaugh backing out, no?
FWIW, that last source is still holding out hope that Brandon and Harbaugh can work something out. Dim hope, but hope.
Les Miles? Do I need to say this about a grass-eating nutcase pushing 60 who can't count to 85? In case I do: Les Miles should not be happening.
Yes, I have a crazy fourth-hand rumor that one of the assistant's wives says "Hoke and Miles" are the current the focus, but even the emailer says he's not sure why on earth a just-fired-assistant's wife would know that. Welcome to a coaching search. I also have a second-hand source saying someone you've heard of lists him as one of three main candidates along with Hoke and…
One mid-major P may be in play. An emailer from outside the Michigan fanbase who I've known a while is connected to one of those firms that conducts coaching searches and relates that Boise State's Chris Petersen "doesn't even return exploratory phone calls"—which is probably why he's never rumored to be a candidate anywhere outside of blogger lists. You can write him off if you haven't already.
On the other hand, there is a "sense that the TCU boys were finally ready to move on," though this was before they got the Big East bid. There is obviously a vast chasm between this and Michigan actually talking to Patterson and company, but the aforementioned person you've heard of says Patterson is the third name on the list.
Fitzgerald buzz continues to seem real. If you were listening to WTKA this morning you heard Craig Ross cite a couple of sources within the department saying Michigan was going to look at Fitzgerald, which makes something like a half-dozen independent corroborations that Michigan is interested. This is not on par with the Hoke stuff but it's obvious people would be pushing Hoke because of their personal relationship with him even if San Diego State had gone 0-12 this year. Fitzgerald does not have any in-house friends.
As to the question hanging over any discussion of Fitzgerald—will he leave Northwestern?—a second-hand source says Northwestern has a wealthy alum willing to fork over serious cash to keep him. However, while in the past personal conversations with Fitzgerald led the source to believe he would "never" leave Northwestern, recently that stance has softened and "he can't say that anymore." Still… that's going to be a tough guy to pull. Money won't be the reason Fitz leaves if he does.
There's a decent chance Scot Loeffler returns. Loeffler may or may not be out of a job in the aftermath of Florida's coaching search. Even if he's still the QB coach in Gainesville if the new coach wants him he will come back to Ann Arbor. This would make the recruitment of FL QB Jeff Driskel (who is kind of good) interesting. Since Loeffler is one of two Carr assistants to actually land comparable jobs at other schools (Eric Campbell is the WR coach at Iowa) and he's still carrying around that ability to recruit awesome quarterbacks anyone with pro-style inclinations should definitely hire him.
Mike Barwis may be staying long-term. Unlike everyone else who got the broom, Mike Barwis was kept on as S&C coach, "really likes Michigan," and may retain that job if someone amenable to keeping him is hired. Hoke might keep him; Miles—who seems incredibly implausible—would not.
Keeping Barwis would go a long way towards minimizing transfers, FWIW.
Dave Brandon did a good job with the players yesterday. Reports from the meeting with the players are reassuring after what was a very wobbly press conference. One anonymous player: "It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders." It sounded like there were plans bigger than "one of the usual suspects," but if it was a usual suspect it would be because he's earned the job.
January 6th, 2011 at 1:13 PM | 
posted from iPhone
posted from iPhone
January 6th, 2011 at 1:31 PM |
I thought it
I thought it
was a curse, not a proverb.
January 6th, 2011 at 1:36 PM |
It is a curse
It is a curse
How appropriate.
January 6th, 2011 at 2:01 PM |
The Chinese word for curse
The Chinese word for curse
Is also the word for proverb.
Okay, it's not. But now I want to say that enough in the right places to make it a widely-accepted misconception, like the crisis/opportunity thing.
Sportscenter.com raves: Sgt. Wolverine, "Michigan's biggest fan"!
January 6th, 2011 at 2:01 PM |
Day Two
Day Two
MGoBlog has become Nightline circa 1979. But we're the hostages this time.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
January 6th, 2011 at 4:02 PM |
Fess up.
Fess up.
Fess up, you learned that from "Star Trek: Voyager", right?
We ARE Michigan....COME GET SOME!!!
January 6th, 2011 at 1:37 PM |
posted from iPhone
posted from iPhone
As long as the current players are still in that is what matters right now. As far as recruiting, well it will be hard to tell anything as of now, so no use worrying. I would like to think a suit case full of cash and an opportunity to coach at michigan will lure in a big fish. Just can't imagine for the life of me who it might be.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:04 PM |
Don't know why
Don't know why
Don't know why but the first time I read:
I would like to think a suit case full of cash and an opportunity to coach at michigan will lure in a big fish.
I read it as, "I would like to think a suit case full of cash and an opportunity to play QB at an SEC school will lure in Cam Newton."
We ARE Michigan....COME GET SOME!!!
January 6th, 2011 at 1:46 PM |
WSJ John U. Bacon article
WSJ John U. Bacon article
Inside a College-Football Tragicomedy
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142405274870472310457606216314043180...
January 6th, 2011 at 1:59 PM |
Interesting tease for the book
Interesting tease for the book
I look forward to reading and discussing it when we learn more.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
January 6th, 2011 at 3:45 PM |
Bacon - good article
Bacon - good article
Interesting anecdotes....adult men chasing down Denard at 10pm with glossy photos to autograph...get a life.
January 6th, 2011 at 1:52 PM |
The 3 B's
The 3 B's
If this is scuttled because of a buy out, Brandon should be strung up. Give him a $0 buyout for the NFL. Heck, make it do he can leave for free if Jimbo wins X games, more if he wins less. His ego couldn't pass that up. If he wins us a title and wants to then coach the Lions...good luck! Easier to keep him if you actually have him first.
Don't forget Vance Bedford, who's actually a DC now (As is Austin, but he wasn't on the last staff). Technically English moved up too, if you want to count EMU as a step up.
If Barwis stays, I can only think it's as long as it takes for Rich to find another job.
"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk
January 6th, 2011 at 2:24 PM |
Amen to that my brother
Amen to that my brother
Which is better
1) A really good coach for a short time followed by the possibility of an only mediocre coach afterwards
2) A mediocre coach starting RIGHT NOW!
To me 1 clobbers 2 like it was a little girl. It's what people in psychology call a
"dominated alternative."
January 6th, 2011 at 2:48 PM |
posted from iPhone
posted from iPhone
Is there a possibility that Ross is meeting with Harbaugh today to try and convince him to take the michigan job? I wouldn't count it out as a possibility
"Those Who Stay Will Be Champions"
January 6th, 2011 at 3:52 PM |
No.
No.
No.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:19 PM |
Has anyone told you...
Has anyone told you...
Has anyone told you that you're one eloquent sonofabitch?
Actually, care to elaborate?
Intensity is a lot of guys that run fast.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:29 PM |
Ross isn't meeting with
Ross isn't meeting with
Ross isn't meeting with Harbaugh to lobby for Michigan any more than Elway is trying to get in his ear to persuade him to stay at Stanford. This theory is only slightly less loony than the one Brian described above.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:03 PM |
Diaz to Texas
Diaz to Texas
Note from the linked article on Driskel: Manny Diaz is off to be the new DC at Texas, making it very unlikely a hypothetical Mullen hire would bring Diaz too.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:03 PM |
Or maybe it makes it
Or maybe it makes it
more likley Mullen could be swayed elsewhere... like here where he could reunited Austin and Heater from his Florida days to be DC and position coaches... I just don't think that Diaz going to Texas is necessarily a bad thing from our point of view.
"So I come out of Ohio Stadium after we beat the Buckeyes, and right there on the hood of my friend's car, some one took a dump, in the shape of an 'O'. no shit. Oh, sorry, bad pun."
January 6th, 2011 at 3:16 PM |
Sorry if mentioned earlier
Sorry if mentioned earlier
As much as I have tried to keep up with the millions of posts, I may have missed this.
Has anyone mentioned Pat Fitzgerald's connection with Michigan? His D-Coordinator is Mike Hankwitz who played under Bo in the 1970's.
He isn't my first choice but if he is the choice maybe this will help those stubborn "Michigan Man or bust" people.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:18 PM |
To be clear
To be clear
Fitzgerald is not my first choice, wasn't suggesting Hankwitz was a viable head coaching candidate.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:48 PM |
Les Miles
Les Miles
Let's be serious about Les Miles. Are we really going to say that not following Big Ten rules while coaching in the SEC is a disqualifier? The man has done a great job in the SEC, and won a national championship. Think about that...Harbaugh's absolute best-case scenario is to have a career as good as Miles' has been.
Further, he meets all of Pizza Dave's criteria: head coach, defensive orientation, understands "Michigan," adapts schemes to his players. Beyond that, he has a tremendous record for hiring excellent assistant coaches.
We would be beyond lucky to land Les Miles, even if he is a goofy bastard who eats grass and would cause a few heart attacks with his decision making.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:56 PM |
I want
I want
Les Miles. IF Harbaugh isn't to be, Les is the best candidate out there. Give us 5 good years Les, right the ship, and then we'll elevate your best assistant.
Biz hundert azoi ve tsvantsik
January 6th, 2011 at 4:09 PM |
Les Miles is 60 years old and
Les Miles is 60 years old and
Les Miles is 60 years old and makes terrible decisions. We can do better.
January 6th, 2011 at 6:53 PM |
There is no way M will even talk to Miles
There is no way M will even talk to Miles
Much less offer him a job. It has nothing to do with coaching, counting, recruiting, or any other football related issue. You can forget it. Period.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:51 PM |
ITS HARBAUGH
ITS HARBAUGH
check out the flight tracker... http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N469RJ
tues the plane goes to miami (harbaugh and dolphin's part owner stephen ross)
wed it goes to palm springs (harbaugh's agent jack bechta based in la jolla)
thurs today it goes back to miami
ross is gonna deliver harbaugh to us on a silver platter. there is no way the nfl wants to pay a ton of money right now with a lockout looming, evidenced with these interim coaches being retained.
and dont you find it odd that four michigan alums in the media (desmond, shefter, rosenberg...) all at once, come out and say on tues that harbaugh isn't coming to michigan? and john harbaugh, jims brother, says "the michigan THING is over".. thats the telltale sign, the smoking gun... a harbaugh would NEVER refer to michigan so disrespectfully.
harbaugh is coming fellas.... figure next thursday.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:13 PM |
posted from iPhone
posted from iPhone
"a Harbaugh would NEVER refer to Michigan so disrespectfully"
Are you dumb, ignorant, or both? Jim Harbaugh himself has done exactly this in the past.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:21 PM |
Lol bless you sir.
Lol bless you sir.
Lol bless you sir.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:28 PM |
Dolphins
Dolphins
a local sports radio station in South Florida (790 The Ticket) has just reported that Jim Harbaugh has agreed to coach the Miami Dolphins
Alright my name is Rudy but I hate Notre Dame
January 6th, 2011 at 3:52 PM |
So this "person we've heard of"
So this "person we've heard of"
is Lloyd Carr right? I'm going with Lloyd.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:56 PM |
I think the Harbaugh ship has
I think the Harbaugh ship has
I think the Harbaugh ship has sailed. At this point, I'd like to see them try and pull in Patterson even if he doesn't meet one of DB criteria with no "local understanding". At this point, it's time to make compromises while still getting somebody good,.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:57 PM |
It's Les Miles
It's Les Miles
I was a Jim Harbaugh advocate when RichRod was hired but Michigan turned a deaf ear and went with the flavor of the month. Now look at Harbaugh. My wife met RichRod at the UM women's football camp prior to his first season and said "he's John Cooper". And she was right. So now the RichRod dismissal is a fair accompli (three years and a cloud of dust") but what does Michigan do now if Harbaugh says "no"?
They have one option - Les Miles. Yes, he's an ass clown. But he beat Ohio State in the BCS NC game. And he's the one true linkage to Bo that's actually viable and Michigan needs that lineage now more than ever. Michigan needs to rebuild the proud tradition that eroded under RichRod. And Ohio State fans will love to hate Les Miles. A guy like Brady Hoke will not get the same immediate respect and will not get the juices flowing on either side of the Toledo border.
So why would Miles leave now? Miles has to see that the rise of Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas (and Mississippi State!?) in the SEC West will make his life much more difficult in the years ahead. He has already been to summit at LSU but their fans are already asking "what have you done for me lately?". On the other had, he can be the Michigan savior and compete in a less intense environment within the Big Ten's Legends division (against his former defensive coordinator Bo Pelini).
In my view, Dave Brandon has choreographed this well. If you don't know where you're going, stay where you are. But he moved. Based on what happened last time, the Les Miles hire will not leak prior to LSU's game against Texas A&M . And Brandon will not be incommunicado on a yacht in the near term. So I would expect an announcement sometime after LSU's Bowl game so that Michigan doesn't have replay of the last hiring fiasco.
I will be shocked if Les Miles is not the next Michigan coach.
Zingerman's #27
January 6th, 2011 at 4:19 PM |
Coach Miles will not be
Coach Miles will not be
Coach Miles will not be Michigan football's next head coach.
I will eat my hat if this is wrong.
I will also have to go out and buy said hat.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:34 PM |
Being a JH advocate last time
Being a JH advocate last time
means you lose credibility to me. That was a shot in the dark, he had proven nothing yet. He had 3 seasons of HC experience, in 1-AA. Congrats on getting lucky and being right about Harbaugh.
Also congrats on explaining why Les Miles is the only option. Oh wait, you didn't do that at all.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:57 PM |
plans bigger than "one of the usual suspects,"
plans bigger than "one of the usual suspects,"
follow me on this one guys:
let me say first that i'm a recent mich alum but not a big NFL guy or a college football guy outside of the wolverines. that said this quote from the article (plans bigger than "one of the usual suspects,") stuck with me and made me think that maybe we're looking at the coaching choices wrong.
this would indicate a 'left-field' choice that would make us happy (if brandon was able to assuage the players doubts it seems like it would be a high profile hire). i think that this would point in the direction of an NFL coach.
who are NFL coaches that would make a big splash? tony dungy? jon gruden? bill cowher?
is this crazy?
January 6th, 2011 at 4:14 PM |
Bill Cowher would be interesting
Bill Cowher would be interesting
There's been no buzz about him for the open NFL jobs, for some reason.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:25 PM |
Miami
Miami
Rumors had Ross trying to hire Cowher prior to Harbaugh
January 6th, 2011 at 4:16 PM |
Interesting...
Interesting...
Very interesting take on that quote. I could see Brandon trying to make a splash by throwing cash at a big name [via mentioning that you pay for what you get]. All three of those guys have been out of the game for years and could be itching to get back. I don't know that any of them would want to go to the college game, but if I had to pick between any one of them and Brady Hoke or Les Miles I'd definitely roll the dice on an NFL guy.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:16 PM |
Being from Indy
Being from Indy
I will throw a crazy one out there. How about Tony Dungy...
A Michigan Man showed the world that a 1% chance is possible - Dedicated to Brock Mealer
January 6th, 2011 at 4:00 PM |
Really pulling straws when it
Really pulling straws when it
Really pulling straws when it comes to Harbaugh now.
Time to move on and realize that we all have to be "in" for the next head coach for the Univeristy of Michigan.
A wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool because he has to say something. - Plato
January 6th, 2011 at 4:10 PM |
Clarification on the Les Miles buyout info
Clarification on the Les Miles buyout info
Just FYI from Tigerdroppings.com, Miles has two "buyout" clauses in his contract:
1) if he voluntarily goes to Michigan, Michigan / Miles owes LSU $1.5 million
2) If Miles gets fired, LSU owes him a $12 million buyout package, prorated, starting from the 2008 renegotiation
So just as a data point, the buyout for Miles is NOT a prohibitive thing if Michigan wants him.
"So I come out of Ohio Stadium after we beat the Buckeyes, and right there on the hood of my friend's car, some one took a dump, in the shape of an 'O'. no shit. Oh, sorry, bad pun."
January 6th, 2011 at 4:15 PM |
I, for one, would be totally
I, for one, would be totally
I, for one, would be totally okay with Patterson at head coach and Loeffler and Barwis on staff.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:16 PM |
Harbaugh is going to Miami,
Harbaugh is going to Miami,
Harbaugh is going to Miami, to coach the Dolphins. Ross is dedicated to Michigan, but when the University tells him there is no chance of a coach coming to Michigan, I think it is safe to say he is not coming to be our coach. I agree with the earlier post that the comment made to the players means we have a BIG fish lined up. Perhaps a Bob Stoops or a John Gruden type could be headed our way. Lets just hope its not Urban Meyer. I am not sure the jail is big enough in AA to accomadate and Urban Meyer team.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:21 PM |
Tate
Tate
Tate being ineligible was big news prior to the bowl game and obvs got brushed aside for much more important stuff, but curious is he is still enrolled. Anyone know? Obvs even if he is he could still transfer, but was curious.
"May you live in interesting times." -- Chinese Proverb
Every time an MGoBoard poster complains about a thread topic, God kills a baby panda.