CC: JH/Lombardi Packaged Deal to SF?
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:44 PM ^
Is this a script for the Lifetime Channel?
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:20 PM ^
I like your analogy.
I don't want to go through this coaching dilema again next year but you def. can argue that keeping the offence the way it is has the potential to be legandary with Denard.
Hire another spread coach to recruit us some defensive players and let's get this going.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:31 PM ^
At this point, almost any coach would be more popular with the fanbase than RR. I'm sorry, but that's the truth.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:35 PM ^
I think rather than making a 'populist' choice - we need to make a choice which bodes well for the long term success of the program. If by retaining RR we give ourselves more time to seal a great coach next year - so be it.
This isn't politics where you hire the most popular coach and secure your AD seat.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^
Given that RR has the worst record in school history, that argument doesn't exactly fly, either. He has a horrible record and is incredibly unpopular. That's not a good combination. I would strongly advise you to give up the dream of RR coming back. I'll be stunned if it happens.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:46 PM ^
I am NOT lobbying for RR coming back.
I am only saying that IF we don't get a coach of our choice this round, it MIGHT be better to retain him than get a coach who enjoys half hearted fan support since 90% of the people want Harbaugh and he may not come to Michigan.
Nothing more to it.
I don't want the repeat of the Les Miles scenario when LC left.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^
more moer Les Miles drama
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:58 PM ^
Keeping in mind that we need to keep our next coach for at least 5-6 years (or else become Notre Dame), I really don't like the idea of just grabbing some coach if we don't get JH ... With RR, we're really only committed to him for another year or two.
I really hope DB didn't put us through the last 6+ weeks of craziness simply because he had a hunch JH would come.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^
Yeah but the way things have set up, anything other than Harbaugh appears to be a second tier or Plan B candidate. Sadly, this has turned into a pretty high stakes poker game between us, 49ers and perhaps Denver and losing the hand will be tough.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:34 PM ^
The fans may not be aware but higher ups could be feeling around for someone. A few fans have mentioned Va Tech's D-coordinator Bud Foster who fields a top 10 defense nearly every season. He hasn't stated interest, but it doesn't mean Michigan hasn't contacted him or a number of other coaches with similar credentials.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
yea, or better yet, maybe that James Madison coach is available.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:13 PM ^
better hide yo kids, hide yo wife, cuz they raping errbody out here.
January 4th, 2011 at 8:57 AM ^
Thats because you are reading CC threads. We are just fans speculating. No one on here knows the feelings of Harbaugh or any other Football coach for that matter. But I am sure someone wants to come to Michigan and turn this ship around.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:19 PM ^
RR's job looks a little more secure.
He should hire the right DC - one who is more engaged than GERG is. GERG seems to be in retirement mode with everything (at least I get the feeling)
I personally wouldn't mind this - though I can't imagine it being easy to RR given the sword of firing will continue to hang over him through the whole of next year unless he beats the traditional B10 powerhouses.
Anyways - Mr. Dave Brandon - I hope you can deliver the right HC to Michigan Football. Coming from Dominos I sure hope you know about 'delivering'
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
RR is done. The bowl destroyed whatever was left of his prospects for next year. Brandon can't sell another year of RR to the fanbase. Plan A is Harbaugh, and the backup plans are other coaches. Bringing back RR is around Plan L.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:31 PM ^
If we don't have solid Plan B - Plan L - we might be better off waiting until next year to hire a great coach rather than a stop gap coach (Brady Hoke).
While I know RR hasn't done himself any favors with the Bowl game display - I know that if we can't get the right coach (maybe the top 3 targets DB has set) its worth waiting until next year.
Of course DB is a successful CEO and I am sure he has covered all bases (with the right sauce).
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:37 PM ^
RR has gotten screwed in many ways, but the fact is is that if the fan base has lost faith in him, then it's pointless in keeping him around. He'd have to win the Big Ten next year to stand any chance of getting a fifth year and that isn't going to happen. It isn't fair but it's the truth.
As for Brady Hoke, I don't see why his name ever came up in the first place. There are plenty of other coaches and coordinators who Brandon would be better off hiring. Just because he used to be at Michigan doesn't automatically make him relevant. No one of merit has shown evidence that the two parties are in contact.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:40 PM ^
Yeah, we could wait until next year - with interim head coach Fred Jackson. RR won't be back. His base of support has vanished.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:47 PM ^
I didn't think of that - but its a good idea
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^
do you like RR as the coach or not? i've been trying to follow your posting history but it fails to reveal how you feel on the issue.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:52 PM ^
to hope we retain RR just for jmblue
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:13 PM ^
My rough estimate is that 40% of jmblue's points come from posting non-hyperbolic and relatively brief statements of his lack of support of RR. Because these posts are soberly worded he rarely gets negged; nevertheless, he really has nothing interesting to say on the matter, so he rarely gets big pluses either. It's just a constant drumbeat of anti-RR sentiment. Again, understandable and respectfully worded (looking at you, Wichitan), but entirely predictable and monotonous.
Anyway, let's say he averages 3 points per post, plus the one he gets for posting. He has upwards of 29,000 points. 29,000 * .4 = 11,600 / 4 = 2,900 anti-RR posts. Does that seem about right?
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:30 PM ^
You just spent way too much time on that.
January 4th, 2011 at 1:04 AM ^
Agreed. + 1
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:35 PM ^
Brandon's job is dependent on having a coach who wins. I doubt Brandon is going to go with Plan B - L unless he thinks they will increase our chances at winning.
My ex spent some time with Notre Dame's Athletic Director and his wife. They said most of the speculation that went on when they were loosing Weiss was false. His wife said that he parked his car at the school and got a rental car for weeks to trick the media.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:34 PM ^
But 'sell' is the right word. Lots of tickets to sell, lots of luxury suites to lease. And lots of Div-1 athletic programs to fund. There's an incredible amount of risk to keeping RR. I realize bringing in Harbaugh is no guarantee of sucess on the field, but it would be a guarantee of improved fan interest in the program.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:40 PM ^
Yes - it is a good PR measure to sack RR.
In fact - it will be a good measure for everyone - I don't think RR himself is comfortable in the locker rooms anymore.
But - if we can't land the right HC and if waiting until next year gives us a better chance to evaluate options and avoid any rash decisons I'd rather go that route.
Also - if disgruntled fans leave - I think they'll come swarming back next year with the coaching change. I don't think one year will make or break a fan base.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:58 PM ^
DB has talked about having a long-term focus...maybe that means enduring a lame duck season next year in the hopes of landing a big name coach a la urban meyer. (not saying I want Urban Meyer, but it would be a big hire)
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:02 PM ^
I don't want Michigan to go 7-5 for the next 10 years.
That makes me a sad panda :(
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
for the next 10 years... if it involves beating tOSU each year.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:17 AM ^
You can have it. I'd rather have double digit wins and BCS contention.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:23 PM ^
How long have you been around? Attendance over 100k isn't a birthright -- it took consistent winning Michigan football under Bo to get us there. And now there is debt to finance with the renovations of the Big House and the new hoops practice facility, etc. If Michigan wants the Athletic Department to stay in the black, with the football team funding almost all of the operations (hockey being a slight positive, maybe basketball chipping in again someday), they need butts in seats, both regular and luxury. For the past 'big' games (OSU in '09, MSU, Wisconsin) many of those butts were of opposing fans -- more than usual. If season ticket holders are willing to scalp a ticket to a 'big' game, how long until they're willing to scalp their whole set? Or just decide that paying the seat licensing fee isn't worth it? Sure, it may be a short term blip, but I think it's equally ignorant to expect Michigan football to bring in the revenue it has if it reeled off 10 straight 7-5 seasons.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:14 PM ^
correct. But the question is who?
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:30 PM ^
This isn't "news." It's hypothesizing about what it will take for the 49ers to get Harbaugh. And unfortunately, I agree with the above post that RichRod is all but done. "Plan L," so to speak.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
What decent D coordinator would come knowing you have all of one year to improve, and even then might get kicked out.
What if we hired Hoke as D coordinator, with the idea that he replaces RR if things don't improve?
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:30 PM ^
First, holy crap, what a play by Taylor/Tech.
Second, interesting artcile here: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040324/news_1s24harbaugh.html. Wonder if any of it still holds true (new wife, no young sons, etc.).
Being an NFL assistant – working with the Oakland Raiders quarterbacks in 2002 and '03 – had its advantages. It was all football all the time, and Harbaugh briefly considered a rise through the NFL coaching ranks.
But that is not what he knows, not what he is comfortable with.
"This is more the way football should be," said Harbaugh, recalling how his dad seemed to enjoy his job most when he coached at the I-AA level. "It's an activity. It's important to the guys who play and coach. We want to be great. But it hasn't gone goofy. No. 1 is still graduating. It's about a great football experience, being a great person the campus can be proud of.
"It's not out of whack. Football is supposed to be an enhancement to your college experience. It's basically just leadership training at 3:30 on fall afternoons. It's not life or death. It's not anything else."
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:39 PM ^
There was a more recent (June 2009) quote from Harbaugh (which I posted in a thread yesterday) in which he expressed a preference for college coaching over that of the NFL:
Another interesting response came when Harbaugh was asked about his potential future as an NFL head coach. While one would expect Harbaugh to say he will stay at Stanford forever, I was surprised by the way he denied his ability to coach in the NFL. "I consider myself a collegiate coach." He followed that up later with "I think I am a college guy."
Source: quote from a post at ESPN's Pac-10 blog.
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^
Les Miles?
Somewhat sarcasm
January 3rd, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^
half the fanbase going "Screw Les Miles"
He rejected us earlier.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:10 PM ^
My dislike for Les Miles doesn't come from him "rejecting" us. It comes from him being probably the worst clock manager I've ever seen as a coach, and a complete dirtball when it comes to oversigning (and potentially negative recruiting against LC a few years ago). I think many share this view.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:01 PM ^
also the whole "I don't know who told him to clock it" fiasco
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:15 PM ^
He is too quirky for the fan base at Michigan. People freaked about RR at the bust but that's just the tip of the iceberg of what Les Miles does. "But he's a Michigan Man!" Yeah, a Michigan Man who eats grass.
He's weird, like John L. Smith weird.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:39 PM ^
eating grass is way cooler then what Rich did at the bust. Its bad when Josh Groban makes fun of you.
January 4th, 2011 at 12:14 AM ^
Josh Groban should show some gratitiude. It's because of RR that people are even mentioning that cheese fest he called a song.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:34 PM ^
Report out of Cincinnati says Niners have an interest in Marvin Lewis should he step away as Bengals HC, which is likely. Any Niners rumors that don't mention JH are fine by me.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:02 PM ^
Rooney rule...do you know how many teams were "interested" in Marvin Lewis for years before the Bengals actually looked at him for real?