CC: Process Questions and DB Shoveling Fast and Furious
IIRC, the Detroit Lions got in a bit of trouble a few years back when they hired Mariuchi or Morningwheg or Marinelli...well...one of the "emms" anyway because Detroit did not interview a minority candidate. Something about "Millen wanting his guy and not taking a fair look at other candidates" or something along those lines.
- Does UM have to go through this process (I'm not saying it's a bad thing, btw) or is it strictly an NFL thing? Can Dave Brandon just hire whomever he wants without a committee or search or anything?
- How is it that this JH to UM thing is so quiet? Where are all the websites tracking airline flights (not a fan of this, btw) that may or may not be carrying UM interviewers or interviewees?
Also, if JH is not introduced as coach in the 'back half of the week' how badly does this reflect on Brandon? If there is no deal in place to replace RR with JH at this point, this is going to go from bad to worse in a heartbeat. Brandon has been talking about 'evaluation' for a while now. That has to be BS at this point and clearly a back up plan to JH bailing. However, after the bowl game, seems like the general feeling is that it's Harbaugh or bust at this point. No other coach will do. If the 'evaluation' has not been a cover up for a behind the scenes deal to hire JH after his bowl game tonight, UM football is seriously screwed, RR is hamstrung and Dave Brandon is responsible for at least this:
- Completely undermining his current coach (RR)
- The lack of focus in bowl preparations/game play due to coaching change
- General current and future recruiting fiascos (Zettel to PSU, Dee Hart decommit)
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^
the Chilean F-Bomb ... I can only assume, "Middle-Man" at this point in the corporate world career..
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^
Honest question, do you feel that the Gator Bowl would have turned out the way it did if there was no question about RR's job security? To me, it looked like a team that felt like it had to have a really strong showing to save their coach, and once things started going wrong, it escalated quickly. All season, I hadn't seen the exasperation on the faces of the coaches like I saw Saturday when the D gave up the last touchdown of the first half and when we missed another field goal.
One more question, would it have made a difference if Roundtree hadn't dropped what looked like two sure TD passes on fourth downs in the fourth quarter. 52-28 wouldn't exactly have been pretty, but it sure beats the hell out of 52-14.
January 3rd, 2011 at 2:09 PM ^
It looked like the team was exasperated. I figured the team would come out like a pack of wild dogs, in support of their embattled coach. I certainly don't think they quit on him. But I do think they very quickly determined they were overmatched. By the third quarter, they were flattened and all over the place, and I didn't detect a great deal of passion.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:05 AM ^
You assume Michigan would have lost 52-14 if DB would have come out post-OSU and said something like, "We've made progress, not as much as I'd hope, but I believe it's best for the program that RR is the coach next year, and he has agreed to make changes to the defensive coaching staff, and I'm sure we'll continue to improve, blah blah."
With the "Jim Harbaugh" watch thus removed, who's to say the coaches and team don't perform differently? The team seemed to collapse in the 2nd half under all the pressure of playing for their coach's job - instead, they could have just focused on playing and trying to win the darn game.
Please don't read this to say it definitely would have changed the Gator Bowl - it very might not have, as our defense is terrible across the time/space continuum. But things change and football's an emotional game. Look at Washington and Nebraska - they played earlier in the year and Nebraska beat Washington 56-21. They played later in the year and no one gave Washington a shot and they won 19-7. Why? It seemed like to me Washington let it all hang out & have fun b/c they had nothing to lose - the exact opposite of how Michigan seemed to play.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:20 AM ^
I'm sure that every "top-level" executive, especially one who considers himself a marketing driven leader( sound familiar?), knows this maxim: Perception is Reality. What is the perception of Michigan football right now? It's a laughing stock. If he were to be out in front of this thing, instead of asking all of us to believe that a guy who has never been an athletic director knows what he's doing, we might have a different atmosphere around this situation.
I would definitely say that DB has dug himself into a hole. What he has done is almost unfathomable for someone so seasoned. He's left himself only one out. If he doesn't/or is unable to hire JH the presumption and perception will be that DB completely and utterly mishandled this situation. The only thing that would possibly repair that perception is time...it's kinda funny if you think about it. That's the same thing RR probably needs to fix this team.
January 3rd, 2011 at 10:59 AM ^
DB wants to keep RR? Maybe his evaluation involves discussing Defensive C's to replace the current. Maybe he is thinking JH option A and keep RR w/new DC option B.
He could be thinking, if we can get a high value DC (unknown) to go with a Great HC/OC (RR) we could be okay.
I have a feeling we are all going to be surprised when we hear what he has to say this week. I think it will be more along the lines of...We're keeping RR. We're just going to go a different direction on our Defensive side of the ball. This is a difficult decision as RR has had his staff intact for quite some time. However, we feel it is best for the program and we like the direction our O is heading and the unity of the team.
This would alleviate the pressure on DB of not doing anything. Also, it will keep most fans happy because a change was made to the most crucial phase of our game! Then DB buys at least one more year or two with having directed a change and not really falling backwards. One thing that is pretty solid, we are going to improve on D with just having experience and guys healthy. And, our offense is still really young and still learning/improving.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
I would love for this to happen, but it would severely reduce my confidence in Brandon.
January 3rd, 2011 at 12:39 PM ^
as Don and others have pointed out, Rodriguez may not be willing to go along with firing Gibson and Tall (the defensive coaches he brought with him from WVU) -- especially Gibson.
So while yours is a perfectly reasonable solution, it may not be possible. Firing Rich may be the only way to replace more than just the coordinator on that side of the ball.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:00 AM ^
The fans are the ones who are thinking JH or bust. DB has never implied that he would be hiring JH if he were to fire RR. Clearly JH has has done a great job at Stanford but DB is probably going to consider other coaches as well. It is also possible that DB will keep RR with the condition that he must bring in a new defensive coordinator who will have the say in who is hired on his staff as well as what schemes to use.
I agree that the timeline was lousy and created too much uncertainty for everyone. Should he decide to fire RR there will be several great coaches out there for DB to consider. Also remember that very few people expected Bill Martin would hire RR as the coach in late 2007. DB could surprise us all with someone very few people have considered.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:04 AM ^
would absolutely be a viable candidate. And a big plan B hire, if DB could pull it off.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
I wanted RichRod to work, it didn't, so now we change course.
Relax, DB has a plan. I mean you are talking about the guy that was able to change the taste of Domino's from cardboard to edible.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
If you buy that there is already an agreement in place between Jim and Brandon and you also buy that Harbaugh was firm on his desire to not discuss anything but his team and bowl game, this all makes sense.
The delay isn't all that fun and we'd like it to be quicker, but if he is your guy, you do as you are told.
If you believe that to be true, Brandon has done a pretty good job here.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
If you believe that to be true, Brandon has done a pretty good job here.
Yep, if that's true, he's done about all he can do. Making the best of a tough situation.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
What I’d say is that his strategy is past the point of no return. Many potentially successful strategies are like that — the decision to “go for it” on 4th down, for instance. But that doesn’t mean you’ve dug yourself a hole, only that you’re committed to a particular direction.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
FWIW, the FreePress, (Yes them), is reporting that "the JH to UM breaking down story" IS NOT TRUE.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
this is the link for anyone who cares. I have a hard time respecting anything that the Freep types but I suppose they probably have a descent idea aobut what is going on behind the scenes. mixed emotions here.
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
DB has stayed very secrative about this to the Nth degree from the start of the season and we have all run off at the mouth (or keyboard as the case may be) with the speculation that JH would be the next coach at Michigan. The media has certainly added fuel to that fire, but I just wonder if there isn't something else that DB has planned. Maybe he has already made the calls and has it all lined out. Maybe it has been JH or another year of maybe it will get better next year all along but let's just not rule out the possibility that DB left himself more than one option. and not just the Hokester
January 3rd, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
Fans will practically riot if DB brings back John L. Smith -- er, Rich Rodriguez.
January 3rd, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^
"I believe culture drives performance, and who you hire and how you hire them has a great impact on the overall high-performance nature of your organization. The positive energy you create in any organization is going to manifest itself in results. How do we create a stronger, more trusting, high-performing culture?"
--Courtesy MGoBlue.com