CC - Would Todd Graham be a long term solution ?
On paper, Todd Graham appears like a hell of a coaching candidate. An overall career record of 74-39 and success at multiple levels (Rice, Tulsa, Arizona St). In addition he is still only 49.
He has been mentioned on many tier 2 or 3 coaching lists on this site. For some reason I get a bad vibe about him. Maybe its the way he bolted on Rice only days after a contract extension or Pitt after only 1 year.
He seems that he would take the Michigan job if offered (because it is an upgrade) but might look to jump to the NFL the first chance he gets. Maybe that is ok becuase it would mean he had success here.
Anyone out there think he would stay at Michigan longer than 4-5 yrs if he is successful ? I personally do not.
November 5th, 2014 at 8:45 PM ^
I would have no problem with Todd Graham coming for 4-5 years and then bolting to the NFL. The NFL only hires college coaches with a lot of success, so that would mean Michigan was good again and we could hire another top coach.
November 5th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^
PSU was certainly a special case, and you could argue BOB still put them in a much better spot. But I'm not counting him. When I said "college coaches" I meant guys who have always been college coaches, not a guy who spent his entire career in the NFL with the exception of the last two years.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:09 PM ^
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=11735918.
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November 5th, 2014 at 10:05 PM ^
just sayin, can't hate the guy.
November 5th, 2014 at 10:53 PM ^
O'Brien coached at Brown, GA Tech, Maryland and Duke before jumping to the NFL. I wouldn't say that he "spent his entire career in the NFLwith the exception of the last two years". He's actually a college coach who moved to the NFL......not the other way around.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:53 PM ^
Greg Schiano?
November 6th, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^
but if he's good enough to get a head job in the NFL after 4-5 years at Michigan I would sure as hell take that after the last 7-10 years.
November 6th, 2014 at 5:37 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 8:50 PM ^
No, but I'm biased. He sucks.
November 5th, 2014 at 8:56 PM ^
Is that because he left Pitt? If so, OK. But if it has anything to do with his coaching ability, I disagree. In 2.5 seasons in Tempe he has won 25 games after taking over a team that was not good (hadn't been over .500 since 2007). If he finishes this season 10-2 or better, he will be one of the hottest candidates in the country. He's no Harbaugh, but he's solidly tier 2 for me.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:06 PM ^
>Is that because he left Pitt?
Yes. He texted the team to tell them he was resigning from Pitt and taking the HC job at ASU.
Texted them. On his way to Tempe.
I don't care how good or bad of a coach he is these days, that's not a guy I want in charge of Michigan football.
more here if you're interested: LINK
November 5th, 2014 at 9:15 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:35 PM ^
Yeah, another guy none of us want to coach Michigan.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:48 PM ^
Well Hoke is on the way out ...
November 5th, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^
Who is this "Hoke" you speak of...
November 5th, 2014 at 10:00 PM ^
November 6th, 2014 at 9:34 AM ^
False allegations. You're allowed to turn your electronics back on at a certain point.
November 5th, 2014 at 8:51 PM ^
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November 5th, 2014 at 8:55 PM ^
and he runs more of a spread offense. So maybe another transition would be involved.
November 6th, 2014 at 6:12 AM ^
are the transitions back to winning and escaping the mediocrity of the last several years.
November 5th, 2014 at 8:53 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:07 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:38 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 8:58 PM ^
I agree with you. Graham is an opportunist to the 10th degree. I would be ashamed to have him as our coach after the way he left Pitt.
November 5th, 2014 at 8:59 PM ^
Maybe they dont like my Hat
November 5th, 2014 at 9:01 PM ^
Why is leaving one job for a better job a bad thing? Sure, the guy has hopped around a bit, but when you get offered a better job, you don't say "I need to work here at my inferior job for a little while first."
November 5th, 2014 at 9:17 PM ^
Let's see. Two weeks before he bolted, he called three of his own assistants "mercenaries" for joining RR in Arizona. He didn't ask for permission to talk to ASU. He resigned without even talking to Pitt's AD, instead flying to Arizona and then sending him a letter. His players dumped on him after he left. My favorite quote from one of the players: "Todd Graham's coaching committments last as long as Kim Kardashian's marriages." And, from another player, "For someone who said they read the Bible every day, he must have missed the page that said 'don't lie.'"
Just about everyone he encountered during his brief stay in Pittsburgh believes the guy is a total tool.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:19 PM ^
(and I certainly wouldn't), he won't leave anyway because he said ASU was his "dream job."
November 5th, 2014 at 9:02 PM ^
If we miss out on the Harbaugh sweepstakes I think it has to be Gary Patterson, Todd Graham, or Dan Mullen.
Anyone else would be very underwhelming, Les Miles included.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:18 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:40 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:15 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:17 PM ^
It's not leaving one job for the other, it's the way he chose to do it
November 5th, 2014 at 9:24 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:27 PM ^
My opinion on hiring Graham is that he would be a definite upgrade from Hoke, but not a Home Run hire. I feel he is the leader in the pack of "good coaches" that could do well here, but is significantly behind the likes of Harbaugh, Mullen, and Patterson. I would actually be much happier if we hired someone like Gundy over Graham. To be honest, Rich Rod was a better hire in 2007 than Graham will be in 2014 (although I would expect the results to be better).
I believe Michigan has the talent to turn it around in one year with a great coach (JH in particular). We could see an Auburn-like turnaround with a great hire.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:27 PM ^
for his next great opportunity. Graham and Petrino are Nomads. They are chasing money. Neither is quite good enough to stay in a good place long enough to succeed. Graham might have a little more upside than Petrino because he does less stupid shit, but Graham tends to bolt before getting to comfortable.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:37 PM ^
the same way about Graham. Not worth the risk unless all other top candidates are out.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:51 PM ^
I know plenty of very good human beings who constantly jump from one company to another, in search of more responsibility & more opportunity (not short term money). Clearly, I have never met Todd Graham and he could be a scumbag, but job hopping doesn't mean anything nowadays.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:31 PM ^
He won't say no and would love to retire from coaching at his alma mater
Harbaugh is what we need to salvage this program. All those midlevel guys like McElwain, Stitt, Hoke, Graham, they are what this uninversity and program aspire to. We don't need a guy to get us by, we need the guy to take this program back to prominence.
It's either now or never. If we don't succeed with this hire, it will be 25k empty seats for years. and 3* recruits.
November 6th, 2014 at 9:03 AM ^
and No once more.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:44 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:49 PM ^
Can't blame a guy for job hopping for promotions. We'd all do this.
November 5th, 2014 at 9:49 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:58 PM ^
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November 5th, 2014 at 11:15 PM ^
Not under this coach!!!!
November 6th, 2014 at 7:01 AM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 9:52 PM ^
November 5th, 2014 at 10:20 PM ^
Graham is a definate upgrade and if he did well here he would probably stay a long time. There are no assurances whoever we hrie is going to stay long term . . . Even Jim might leave when the right NFL situation arose. Lets make the best hire and worry about all this other stuff if and when it happens.