CC - YOUR choice

Submitted by Ron Utah on

The board's choice for our new head coach is pretty clear: Jim Harbaugh.  But who comes in second?

It turns out that's also pretty clear:

Les Miles won the board poll by a hefty margin, garnering an even 49% of the vote.  The runner-up, Dan Mullen, mustered barely better than half that number (24.79%) and from there it's a steep drop to any kind of third place.  Here are the results, followed by a few thoughts:

  1. Les Miles - 342 votes (49%)
  2. Dan Mullen - 173 votes (24.79%)
  3. Tom Herman - 64 votes (9.17%)
  4. Other - 64 votes (9.17%)
  5. Todd Graham - 23 votes (3.30%)
  6. Jim McElwain - 19 votes (2.72%)
  7. Greg Schiano - 8 votes (1.15%)
  8. Craig Bohl - 5 votes (0.72%)

I would attribute the lower number of votes to yesterday's news--before the confirmation of Hoke's meeting with Hackett, the votes were coming in much, much faster, but the board got understandably focused on other things by the afternoon.  That said, the trends were clear: Miles stayed around 50% the entire time, and Mullen was always the clear runner-up in the 25% range.  Tom Herman was a bit surprising as the #3 choice, even if he was dead even with "other."

The Problem

Jim Hackett's press conference was flawlessly executed.  That said, he built an idealistic picture of a coach that's going to be awfully hard to find.  It seemed he weighs on-field success and character about equally, and even Jim Harbaugh has plenty of detractors in the latter category.  Don't get me wrong--if Harbaugh wants the job, he's got it.  But Hackett's focus on integrity is going to give the media lots of excuses to try to dig up dirt and question his commitment to character.

For that reason, I strongly believe that Les Miles will NOT be considered a serious candidate for the job.  If all you know about Miles is that he has been extremely successful in CFB's best division, you only know some of the story.  Les has been the subject of many rumors of scandal and impropriety over the years, and, while I'm sure not all are true, there is plenty of ammunition for the media to throw in Hackett's face should he hire Les, creating another press-fueled shitstorm the university does not want.

Our #2 guy isn't without warts either.  Dan Mullen's recent scholarship withdrawal from QB Chason Virgil--whom Mullen had asked to enroll early and is just a few days from graduation now--didn't please the recruit's coach:

Chason Virgil -35 tds/6int passing -8td rushing. One of the best young people I've ever coached -only flaw was trusting "coach" Mullen.

— Coach Jeff Neill (@neill_jeff) November 21, 2014

Tom Herman seems clean so far, but he hasn't run a program yet.  Todd Graham switches jobs more than Taylor Swift switches crushes.  McElwain also looks clean, but is a front-runner for the Florida job.  Schiano has his detractors--though more in the Harbaugh vein of abrasive intensity--and most people don't even know who Craig Bohl is.

What I'm getting at here is that I believe it's likely that there is a candidate who has a good shot at winning the job that we are not currently considering.  A good point was made by a poster last night that Bob Stitt might be a better fit for Hackett's criteria than many names we've on which we've fixated.  Here's a good place to learn a bit about Stitt.  He makes no secret about his desire to coach at the top level.

I have no idea who it might be, but it may be time for us to think outside of the names we've gotten used to in the past few months.  Then again, it may just be Jim Harbaugh.

PeterKlima

December 3rd, 2014 at 11:49 AM ^

The ONLY reason he is high on the board for people here is because they are SICK of losing.  If pushed, they would likely admit they don't care about character at all anymore and just need winning back.  It's a little bit sad and pathetic IMO.

In reply to by PeterKlima

mGrowOld

December 3rd, 2014 at 11:54 AM ^

Absolutely 100% correct.  I could give two shits what Miles does or doesnt do in his personal time cause I'm looking for a head football coach - not leader of the church choir.  You are damn fucking right I'm sick of losing and if Les can turn that around then (and I think he would immediately) then bring him on board yesterday.

If being sick of losing makes me "sad and pathetic" then guilty as charged.

The_Mad Hatter

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^

I know what the rumors are about him and Mo's wife back in the day, and unless he drugged and/or raped her, I don't care about it at all.  Everyone involved in that alleged situation was an adult.  And how do we know that our other candidates don't have similar "character" issues?  How many of them have been divorced?  Was there infidelity involved?

Now if someone wants to make a case about him over signing and engaging in other things of that nature, fine.  But then you have to disqualify any coach that has ever coached in the SEC.  Because that's what it takes to win there and they all do it.

Miles went to Michigan.  He played at Michigan.  And he coached at Michigan.  So like it or not, whatever his values are, they are Michigan values.

Brodie

December 3rd, 2014 at 3:02 PM ^

do they all do it?

Florida doesn't and hasn't

Georgia doesn't and hasn't

Nobody does it to the extremes of Alabama, LSU and South Carolina

THERE WERE ESPN SPECIALS ABOUT LES' SLEEZY RECRUITING PRACTICES

THE NEW YORK TIMES WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT HIM AND SABAN SPECIFICALLY

Brodie

December 3rd, 2014 at 3:00 PM ^

what about what he does to recruits? Why is Mullen unacceptable because he tried to get one kid to grayshirt but Les doing this repeatedly, to the point of kicking a kid out after he moved onto the campus, totally fine and cool?

Admit that you have different standards for Les, because he's a Michigan alum and because getting him would make you feel better, and I'll stop bringing it up. But right now we're just seeing hypocriscy writ large.

mGrowOld

December 3rd, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

Not with me your not.  Mullen is my #2 choice behind Miles and that's only because I think Miles has a better body of work than Mullen.  As a matter of fact I'm not so sure I wouldnt rather have Mullen than Miles cause it would set up wonderfully a-la the Woody-Bo rivalrly between him and Urbs.

In reply to by PeterKlima

Tater

December 3rd, 2014 at 2:46 PM ^

People who want Miles still think that someone with Michigan ties is a superior candidate over those who don't.   That is a huge mistake to make.  If you polled LSU fans right now, I am guessing that close to 80% would love to see Miles quit and go to Michigan.

MGJS SuperKick Party

December 3rd, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^

Great read. Great post.

I would love Harbaugh here, but he is not my number one. My biggest fear is that the NFL would come knocking in two years and he would leave, leaving us in the same mess we are in.

My number one choice is Bob Stoops. He's a winner, but has the relationship between him and Oklahoma gone stale since he hasn't won a national title in a long time? I feel like he might be willing to listen to offers, and we would get a great coach who we know can coach up talent.

WolvinLA2

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:34 PM ^

I don't think Harbaugh leaving after 2 years is a major possibility.  The NFL will be calling THIS YEAR, so if that's really what he prefers, then he'll just stay there.  If he comes to Michigan, it's because he has decided he'd rather be at Michigan than in the NFL.  Now, it's possible that after bringing Michigan back and winning championships, that he wants to try his hand at the NFL again, in which case we'd probably all be OK with that considering where we're at now.  He'd probably leave us with a Mike Shaw like he did at Stanford, which is still running pretty smoothly without him, and doesn't have the Michigan tradition speeding it along.

Dubs

December 3rd, 2014 at 1:17 PM ^

NFL will certainly be calling this year, but if it's the Jets or Raiders, you may want to send it to voicemail.  He can do better, and sure doesn't need the front-office issues that both those franchises have;  especially after what's going down in San Fran right now.

MGoSteelers

December 3rd, 2014 at 11:53 AM ^

I think you're making too much about the extreme focus on character and the media's insistence on digging it up. As you said, those things aren't a secret. But ESPN isn't going to run a story about how Hackett said he wanted a high-character coach and then went with Les Miles.. oh no!!!!

Route66

December 3rd, 2014 at 11:58 AM ^

A mentor of mine who is close to the program (played at UofM from '73-76') and has ties to Stanford said that Harbaugh is not the head case the media makes him out to be. That combined with another friend who worked grounds for the Colts' summer camps, said he was a very good guy. Word on the street is that Hensley his SF assistants go on date nights while he watches their kids. I don't beleive these are fabrications so I'm not too worried about his character.

True Blue Grit

December 3rd, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^

I'd be shocked if he was named the new coach based on what Hackett said at the press conference and what Schlissel has said too.  Miles has too much baggage that the new administration is not going to want to deal with. 

Don

December 3rd, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^

Zip, zilch, nada. That some people have enthusiastically seized on his name is an indication of the level of desperation around here.

LSAClassOf2000

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^

Regarding the Miles thing, from a football standpoint, as some have said here, he probably is not a bad consolation prize after Harbaugh if indeed that is the desired order of preference at Michigan. That being said, the entire middle of Hackett's statement was essentially centered around a continuance of several aspects of the culture which had been fostered in the program over the last few years, something which told me Miles might be farther down the list or perhaps not even on it. That presser did change my thinking on who they might target a bit, I will say that. 

Everyone Murders

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^

He is, after all, a grown-ass man. 

He's also a really good coach, who - to my knowledge - runs a clean program.  I know that T. Boone Pickens would open the checkbook to keep him, but OK State is never going to be anything other than a second-tier job.

M Fanfare

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:02 PM ^

If Miles was 5-10 years younger I might view him more favorably. He's 61, and most college coaches retire sometime in their sixties. I did an analysis a while back about retirement ages, and almost all of the great coaches retired right around 65, and those that hung on past 70 had a winning percentage that was significantly lower than the winning percentage for their overall career.

The reason that's important for us is we need someone that will give us stability, meaning someone who will coach for 10+ years and hopefully groom his successor. We didnt get a viable successor from Carr's coaching tree, and the two coaches who succeeded him flamed out fairly quickly. We need someone who will settle things down and build not only a program, but also establish a coaching tree that will continue his own success once he's done. A guy like Miles who is already in his sixties is a short-term solution (and a somewhat dubious one at that) that could leave us looking for another coach sooner than we want to because of retirement.

WolvinLA2

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:45 PM ^

We do not need someone to coach here for 10+ years to instill stability.  Miles is 61.  He can absolutely coach until he's 68-70, then retire.  He doesn't need to stay till he's 75, but if he comes for 7-9 years and leaves us in a good spot, perhaps with a bit of a coaching tree in place, that's stability.  Art Briles is 59 and going strong, Nick Saban is 63 and doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon (and we'd all take him, given the opportunity).  Steve Spurrier is 69 and Bill Snyder is 75.  Those last two are close to retirement, but they've certainly had great football teams lately.  

Point is, 61 isn't that old.  He could still give us 7+ years, and leave us with a coach in waiting.

Brodie

December 4th, 2014 at 2:02 AM ^

my problem with this logic is that each circumstance is different. Saban seems like the type who will keel over within six months of retiring like Paterno or Bryant. Spurrier is clearly coasting to the finish line and I almost can't believe he's coming back for another season, having been at USC as long as he was at Florida. Briles is 59, but there's a reason he wasn't a candidate at Texas last year. Snyder is the only man who will ever be able to win at KSU.

What I fear is getting a Miles who, finally having reached the summit of his career, is merely looking to coast his way to retirement. Take another look at Spurrier's tenure at South Carolina, especially his first 5 seasons. This is a coach with a strikingly similar pedigree to Les, hired at almost the same stage in his career... contentedly going 35-28 on autopilot. I fear him bringing along Cam Cameron and engaging in some kind of good ol' boy reunion with some Ann Arbor buds (hey there DC Mike Trgovac!) instead of properly planning to transition to the right coach in 5-7 years time.

Also, I don't believe the hype on him as much as others do. I think as soon as he left and LSU plugged Mullen or RichRod into that hole that they'd start contending for titles on a pace with Alabama. I also doubt his name will strike any fear into the hearts of Spartan and Buckeye fans like many here seem to expect.

 

snackyx

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^

This time around, I think if Les Miles was OFFERED the job he would take it.  But, and this is the ringer, the gravatational pull of the stll lurking Lloyd Carr regime wants nothing to do with Miles.  Hackett seems to be friends with Les, but it may be deemed  too divisive of a choice for the program as a whole.  Just like the "Michigan Man" meme that has to go away, so should the desires of a former coach who still may be grinding an ax.

Stay.Classy.An…

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^

J. Ira and Nikki Harris Family Head Football Coach Bob Stitt or JINHFHFCBS for short! 

In all seriousness though, I understand that some people cringe at the thought of Les Miles being our football coach based on some questionable morals and ethics. I don't agree with some of the things he has done, however, isn't that an easy thing to correct if Michigan was to offer him in the job? Obviously we cannot correct someone who is completely morally bankrupt (I don't know Les personally, but I can't imagine he is the devil incarnate), and at the same time I think Hackett can explain to Les what is expected of him as HC of Michigan and what will and won't be tolerated as far as scholarship elimination, etc. Maybe I'm just a wishful thinker, but if Les can't agree to do things the "right" way, then we don't make him the coach. Doesn't seem that complicated to me.

TheMadGrasser

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^

I have a relative who went to MSU undergrad and OSU for grad school who worked with Les when he was the O-line coach at Okie State. He said he thought the guy was awesome and that all the players loved him as well. Didn't seem to think he was dirty.

Now some things may have changed, but I think if you make it clear that none of that stuff goes on here, then there's no problem.

WallyWallace

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^

seem to match much of the academics/values qualities that Hackett talked about. May not be big-splash hires but good choices IMO if 'Les Harbaugh' doesn't pan out. I could envision Carr-like win totals and being competetive against OSU and MSU, perhaps not national title status though. 

I see Shaw went to high school in Rochester Hills so the state isn't totally foreign to him. 

Joshisbowler

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^

listen to the fans and give the people what they want. He would basically kill three birds with one stone: 1. Get back to winning 2. make the fans happy 3. make more money for the department since there will be a higher demand for tickets.

MIMark

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^

I do believe we will land a big name, and it could be a big surprise name.  M is one of the biggest few destinations in the sport.  Even if we don't hire one of the Harbaugh brothers or Les Miles, I do believe we will land a big named coach.

Think Arkansas two years ago.  Nobody in any corner of the sport saw Bielema leaving a good position for Arkansas.  I could see a similar thing happening here.  Nobody in any corner of the sport could imagine Stoops, Gundy, Pinkel, Richt, Malzahn, Helfrich, Mora, etc. leaving such a good job for Michigan.  I find it more likely that we hire a seriously big name guy leaving a stable position than an up-and-comer like Holiday or Bohl.  Not that there's anything wrong with Holiday or Bohl as I like both a lot, but I think a bigger name is coming.

ama11

December 3rd, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^

I don't know why character would be in question for Harbaugh. He is honest (to a flaw, possibly, because he rubs people the wrong way with his blunt honesty), emphasizes academics, and wins. His character is in question because he doesn't take crap from people outside the program and doesn't answer how the media wants him to answer. He has done nothing but produce quality players and people through his programs. I don't hear about former players from his college teams getting into trouble. The only former player in question is Richard Sherman, but is he a bad guy or just confident in his abilities and not afraid to say it?
Harbaugh does charity work in the off-season and is an avid catholic. Being a person with a spikey personality doesn't mean you're of questionable character, it just means you can come off like a jerk at times. Bo is an example of all this as well.




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Ron Utah

December 3rd, 2014 at 1:13 PM ^

Unfortunately, we live in a world where hurting peoples' feelings seems to equal having bad character.  Harbaugh, like Bo, is honest to a fault, and will not sacrifice honesty in order to be sensitive.  This is most definitely seen as a character flaw by many people, especially those who like to be coddled.

FWIW, I have zero issues with Harbaugh's character, although I do think his competitiveness gets the better of him sometimes.