5 Other Head Coach Candidates

Submitted by MGoVoldemort on

 

Les Miles:

If there is in fact a new AD at the end of the season (as is almost guaranteed), Les Miles likely jumps to the top of the list, even at the age of 61. I'm going to have to disagree with our fearless leader on this one, I think Les is the top candidate. If Ward Manuel becomes the new AD, I think Michigan fans should prepare for the Mad Hatter to come north. "I'll never say no to Michigan", and I think that comes to fruition this time. Although if I were the AD, I'd like Les to answer for this: "I'll never forget what he said," Weems said. "He had that twinkle in his eye as he often does and said, 'Why would anybody leave LSU to go to Michigan?' I knew we had our guy."

http://www.thenewsstar.com/story/sports/college/lsu/2014/08/30/miles-ma…

 

Jeremy Pruitt

Given his age, pedigree, and ability to recruit, Pruitt's name could likely be at the top of any number of school's coaching searches. If Michigan wants to go into a new direction, this would be the guy they should go with. Has been wildly successful at Bama, Georgia, and now FSU.

 

 

Philip Montgomery

Art Briles too old? Then how about his offensive coordinator? He's considered "cutting edge" in the rise of the passing game, and he runs the fastest-paced offense in the country. Wildly popular name right now, and he likely makes the jump to head coach this off-season.

 

Gus Malzahn 

He's only making 3.85 million at Auburn, and may consider being in a different state than Nick Saban a good thing. If Michigan comes calling offering between 5-7 million, he may jump. In my modest opinion, this may be a name to watch.

 

Jack Del Rio

Still one of the best defensive minds in Football, and still relatively young. Given Jim Mora Jr's success, a move to Michigan may appeal to Del Rio. 

 

Other outside candidates

MARK HUDSPETH: Give the guy a chance! God damnit.

 

 

 

 

funkywolve

October 1st, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^

times has a acoach from a Top 25, if not Top 10, program in a power conference left to go to a school who isn't a Top 25 program (UM has only finished the year once in the Top 25 over the last 6 years).

Beilema and Saban are the only ones I can really think of.  Beilema left because Wisky he was tired of watching his assistants leave and felt Wisky was being cheap and wouldn't pay his assistants more. 

 

MGoVoldemort

October 1st, 2014 at 12:37 PM ^

Boise to Washington isn't a "clear step up". You'd be hard pressed to find someone who sais Washington's program was better than Boise even with Sarkisian. Given Penn State's struggles, and sanctions at the time of the hire, I'd hardly call Penn State a "clear step up". As for Louisville to Texas, if Texas were such a premier job these days, then why did they have to settle for Charlie Strong? Michigan is a better job than Auburn plain and simple. Michigan has better facilities, a national foot print, and a football infrastructure, like Texas, that would be dominant if the right coach was behind it.

LS And Play

October 1st, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^

You used facilities, a national footprint, and a football infrastructure to say Michigan is clearly a better job than Auburn. So that should make Washington clearly a better job than Boise State, no? Same with Texas over Louisville and Penn State over Vandy. Not to mention the fact that Auburn has a solid football infrastructure, a national footprint and good facilities just like a Michigan or an Ohio State does. Point being, Malzahn isn't coming here. If he does, I will tip my hat to you and say how wrong I was, because I'd be thrilled to have him. 

funkywolve

October 1st, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^

Chris Peterson didn't leave a team in a power 5 conference.

Sarkisian - Washington never finished ranked in the Top 25 in any of Sarkisian's years.

Franklin - in his tenure at Vandy they were only ranked in the Top 25 two weeks.

Strong - iffy.  When he left Louisville was technically in the American Athletic Conference.

MGoVoldemort

October 1st, 2014 at 12:49 PM ^

Is that major Power 5 jobs don't become available very often. Rich Rodriguez comes to mind, and Lane Kiffin left Tennessee for USC, so they do happen. Rich Rodriguez was also set to take the Alabama job a year before the Michigan job, and the Alabama program was extremely run down.

funkywolve

October 1st, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^

Michigan was a Top 25 program when RR came here.  USC was a Top 25 program when Kiffin went there. 

Michigan right now is not a Top 25 program which goes back to what I said - rarely, if ever, do coaches leave a Top 25 program in a Big 5 conference to go to a school which isn't a Top 25 program.

funkywolve

October 1st, 2014 at 1:18 PM ^

When Kiffin took the job at USC, the NCAA hadn't even handed down the sanctions yet!! USC had finished ranked in the Top 5 at the end of the year 7 of Carroll's last 8 years.  Tennessee had lost at least 4 games 5 of the last 7 years Fullmer was there and lost 6 games the only year Kiffin coached in Knoxville.

MGoVoldemort

October 1st, 2014 at 1:08 PM ^

Franchione left Texas A&M when, at the time, they were simply a better program than Alabama. Nick Saban left Michigan State for LSU, and the argument can certainly be made that State was the superior program at the time.

funkywolve

October 1st, 2014 at 1:20 PM ^

Did you not see in my intial post that Saban was one of the two examples I cited as exceptions to the rule that coaches don't leave Top 25 programs in a Big 5 conference to go to a school that isn't a Top 25 program?

MGoVoldemort

October 1st, 2014 at 1:45 PM ^

The top 25 premise is so damn subjective, and even in your own example, there was a flaw. State was consistently not a top 25 team in Saban's tenure. This is the thing, all of the examples I've mentioned you'll completely ignore because they don't fit your argument, no matter how accurately they prove my point. I never said it was a common occurrence, I said it's not like it never happened.

westwardwolverine

October 1st, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^

Regarding Gus Malzahn...I mean whats the harm? Throw a large sum of money at the guy, if he says no, whatever, you weren't expecting it anyway and if he says yes, well then hey, we have one of the best coaches in the country. 

michgoblue

October 1st, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^

Outside of one of the Harbaugh bros, I have Les as my top candidate.  Why?  Michigan ABSOLUTELY cannot afford to mess this up.  There is already going to be some attrition and this incoming recruiting class could be another bad one.  If we bring in any of the guys that Brian mentioned in his Part 1 post before, we are taking a risk.  Les is a proven winner, a huge name that is up there with Urban Meyer, will know how to win head to head battles with SEC / OSU teams and creates instant buzz factor.  Make no mistake that after this media shit storm, we need positive buzz factor.  Aside from the fact that Urbz happens to be a great coach, OSU got it right because they were coming off of a scandal and brought in a huge name that instantly excited the entire fanbase.  We need to do the same here, and unless we can pay Harbaugh (either) enough to jump from the NFL, Les is the only name out there to consider.

SC Wolverine

October 1st, 2014 at 12:59 PM ^

I agree with everything you have said.  The set-up is perfect for Miles.  1)  We are desperate and as you say cannot take a risk.  Les can coach; 2) Les will not lose many players.  He will ride in give a hilarious speech, talk about things Bo told him personally, and the players will buy in.  The lost recruits are not too bad a hit because we have so much young talent already on the roster.  Les will keep the players; 3)  Les gets to come back and be the white knight that he longs to be.  This is perfect.  At 61 he can give us 7 or 8 years and return the glory before he leaves; 4) Les has been in Louisiana long enough.  They have lost their appreciation for him and there is no new glory for him at LSU.

All this tells me that the Mad Hatter is likely to don the maize and blue again.  If he does, it will maddening but fun.  And there is no question that he can coach.

trueblue262

October 1st, 2014 at 3:43 PM ^

with some LSU fans, and they had nothing but great things to say about Miles. "The program has been nothing but stable since he has been here", and" the kids love him".

The only complaint was his crazy clock management. From where we're at right now? That coach looks like Nick fucking Saban to me right now!!

UMCoconut

October 1st, 2014 at 12:20 PM ^

Les Miles just isn't going to be coaching at Michigan.  There are a lot of reasons outside of just age.  The guy does not fit the mold that Michigan prefers in a coach, particularly with Schlissel now at the helm (although it's more possible than it was under MSC).

Regardless, I wouldn't get your hopes up about Miles.  

RobSk

October 1st, 2014 at 12:55 PM ^

Do you know what mold Michigan prefers in a coach at this point? Heck, we don't even know who the AD will be. The president of the univeristy is brand new.

Speculation on this topic is cool, but it's a bizarre assertion to say you know what kind of coach these two (new and unknown) people will be looking for.

    Rob

 

 

UMCoconut

October 1st, 2014 at 1:54 PM ^

Perhaps I made that assertion because I'm not guessing?  Do you think that just because you don't know something and aren't privy to information that nobody else is? Yes there's a reason why I stated that they will not hire Miles. No I obviously am not comfortable going into the details of it, or I would have expanded on it. 

MSC and DB didn't exactly make it a secret within the AD (and other departments) on the reasons they were not interested in Les Miles the last two times around. I suppose there's a non-zero chance if the entire AD is swept out that Miles could be hired, but from what Shlissel has communicated to various groups within UM, he has an even more hard-line stance than MSC did at this point in time.  

So no, this isn't a 'bizzare assertion'.  It's one of those fact-based claims...stupid facts

 

Hannibal.

October 1st, 2014 at 2:03 PM ^

You might be right, but massive portions of humble pie have been dished out since the MSC days, and there's reason to hope that there will be at least a bit more accountability at work this time.  His age is definitely an issue though. 

I think that the fan base will be in full on riot mode if the next guy is not hired solely on his ability to win football games. 

RobSk

October 1st, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^

When you make an assertion based on information you don't share, and further, on information the veracity of which I have no way of evaluating, it looks a lot like a statement made out of thin air. Indeed, your response hasn't done a lot to change that. Am I claiming I *know* that you don't know? Of course not. But as long as you are coy with the facts, as you have been...

  Rob

michgoblue

October 1st, 2014 at 12:30 PM ^

I don't like Les Miles.  At all.  But, aside from Harbaugh (who you and I both have as our #1 candidate, but who, if we are being honest, isn't likely to come), who else can you name that is even remotely realistic and who would bring the necessary star power to turn this program around quickly? 

True Blue Grit

October 1st, 2014 at 2:22 PM ^

But over the last 6 years, my level of pickiness has steadily declined.   Michigan may not have many viable choices if our season continues to go like this and we're an even bigger dumpster fire.  Miles might be able to stabilize things and maybe even get us a B10 title.  Then after 3- 4 years, we could find a longer term solution.  But, I'd rather get a younger successful coach if given a choice.