Could DB have possibly done any worse here?
I initially loved the DB hire. He seemed very smart, past success in the business world, former player, said all the right things, etc. Then, when push came to shove, he chased after money instead of maintaining tradition WRT B10 divisions. The day he tried to start pushing UM OSU before the last game of the year was the last day I ever trusted him. He very nearly diminished the importance of the most important game on the schedule and tried to make it palatable to the fanbase. Luckily, we rejected this dose of horseshit.
With his handling of the coaching situation, he has gone from someone I distrust to someone I intensely dislike. Seriously, could he have done any worse here? The choices are clear - hire Harbaugh or retain RR. If he wants H, he should already be coaching here. The backup plan is easy to construct - contact H and see if he's interested. If the answer is yes, then get him in here so he can damage control recruiting instead of acting like our performance in the bowl means a goddamn thing for RR's job security (hint: it shouldn't hold much sway). If H isn't interested, then DB should be frantically conducting a private search for a replacement if he feels RR must go for whatever reason. The moment the replacement is found, make the switch.
If he wants to retain RR (FWIW, my extreme preference), then he is seriously being a goddamn moron. He has unwittingly placed a huge amount of importance on a middling bowl game. Here are the scenarios:
- We lose the bowl game and RR is retained - DB looks weak and people are wondering why in the hell we waited for a data point that apparently didn't matter that much. Fanbase further fractured.
- We win and RR is retained - everything looks consistent, but the team just got weaker due to difficulty recruiting. RR must scramble to fill out the class with a lot of 2nd and 3rd choices. This makes it even harder to win the following year and leaves hypothetical replacement coach with less talent to work with if it comes to that following the 2011 year.
- We win and RR is fired - DB almost can't do this; it would tear the fanbase right in half. You can't give the implicit message of "coach for your job" then fire after a win.
- We lose and RR is fired - looks consistent but gives H less time to put a class together. I don't give a shit what's going on at his current school, if we want him he will pick up and leave immediately, bowl game or not. I give 0 regard to H's "tough situation."
The bottom line is that recruiting is the lifeblood of this program and DB apparently does not realize this. Uncertainty absolutely, positively kills recruiting. The kind of kids we want have a ton of choices in schools and no particular affinity for UM - why would they risk it? We are very close with a number of very critical recruits and they have pretty much no reason to pull the trigger on M at the moment. Meanwhile, Signing Day draws near and other schools' spots are filling up. I'm not freaking out about the Dee decommit - it sucks bad but I learned awhile ago not to place a ton of value in a committment. Our offense will be fine but make no mistake - our RB position just received a downgrade.
Are more decommits on the horizon? Probably. These are the most visible signs of the failures in DB's strategy here. However, I think the true impact will be felt in a way we can't directly quantify - lost committments from recruits that have been or would have been interested in M but for the shadow of the grim reaper that hangs over our program.
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:52 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:13 AM ^
Wildly spewing expletives into the air at people you don't agree with doesn't help you make your point, it just makes you sound like mommy needs to sit you down with some fels naptha to clean out your cake-hole.
And your last comment is so ironic. Support the Blue, eh? I'd argue that your support is more for the Pizza Man, than "the Blue". That's fine, but call it like it is. Don't pretend you're a better fan for putting your faith in the AD than the coach.
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^
I never disagreed with anyone's opinion, I strongly disagree with the path this board and the michigan fans have been taking recently and especially the past week.
And by the way, I put faith into (as you like to call it) "The Blue", not a coach or an AD.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:41 AM ^
I think DB really screwed the pooch on this one. Four weeks from now we'll still be the youngest and least experienced BCS team--not to mention the youngest and least experienced team going frickin' bowling--with the same terrible D coordinator.
Yeah, he said he would evaluate after the season and he's sticking to his plan. Sometimes in business (and in life) consistency isn't the most important thing. The common sense reasons to change his plan (and IMHE give RR and the student-athletes that would do anything for him a vote of confidence) are well outlined above. Even if he was gonna go the other way, at this point it's insulting to RR, the team, and the fans to hold off on a decision. The shit has hit the fan, and one additional data point can't significantly change a genuine evaluation.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:39 AM ^
I agree with you on Options 1-3 for the most part. Regarding Option 3, I think you can fire RR after a win unless we totally blow them out of the water. If the defense continues to look like crap or turnovers stall the offense but we pull out an ugly win al la Purdue or Illinois game, I think you can still fire RR. Now if we kill Nebraska say 47-7 or something, then it becomes tricky.
If RR is to be retained I'd really prefer we move now. Extension, make it clear to recruits he's locked in. Start looking for a DC, etc. Heck maybe make Tall the DC for the bowl game while starting to talk to targets. People like me will scream over an extension after that tOSU ass kicking, but if we're going to retain him just man up, do it, let people scream but make it clear to the recruits RR is your guy.
Regarding Option 4, if that is Brandon's path I'm okay with this. Assuming Brandon's big take away lesson from our last coaching search was "Play it close to the vest" and he basically already has a deal with Harbaugh but Harbaugh won't leave until after the bowl then I'd rather we keep our mouths shut. As opposed to putting Harbaugh on the hot seat at Standford for the next 30 days and letting the media go nuts.
With Option 4, we have Harbaugh announced by say Jan 7. So he's lost a month of recruiting. He is however coming to Michigan and hot off a BCS Bowl Win (I hope). Big name, big school, young team. He should be able to shore up a decent class between now and LOI day. A lot of our talent is also at the junior and soph level so if we have a slightly subpar recruiting class we can recover from it.
Basically I see Option 4 as: possibly weaker recruiting class in exchange for avoiding a Les Miles hiring style debacle. I'm okay with that.
If on Jan 7th though RR is given a contract extension I'm going to be like "Well you could have done that a month earlier....". I'm not in favor of retaining RR, but if Brandon wants to make that move he should do it right.
Oh and in regards to Option 4, if we're firing RR and cleaning house we should really scale back bowl practices heavily, might make us tank the bowl but get that NCAA punishment time cleared out. That way when the new coach comes in he doesn't have as much reduced practiced time during his first summer camp.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:43 AM ^
I have almost reached the point where I want the MGoBoard shut down until after the bowl game. This is becoming a farce.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:44 AM ^
sounds like something Hitler would say
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:20 AM ^
Hey, if you don't agree with it, censor it, right?
ORRRRRR, you could just stay away from the threads that cause you irritation.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:45 AM ^
Recruiting tends to work itself out. As long as their is some time between when a new coach comes in to national signing day, everything will be fine. McGuffie and Stonum still came here even though they originally committed to Lloyd.
Everyone just needs to breathe. Just think of it this way, anything you think, say or do will have absolutely no effect on what happens, so why worry about something that is completely out of your control anyway?
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:52 AM ^
So one recruit might be de-committing and it's time to fire our AD? C'mon now. Have a little faith. Trust in what he is doing.
Also, Brandon was doing what any AD would do regards to the game; he tried to soften the blow. I honestly think he was also trying to indirectly show the Big Ten how much this meant to both Universities and how upset people would get. I don't think he was advocating moving the game, he was telling people, "Don't be shocked if this happens, it very well could."
I feel like you are wrong that if he wanted Harbaugh he would already be the coach here. Maybe Harbaugh wants to coach his team in the BCS bowl game he coached them too. Maybe Brandon is staying true to his word that he is waiting until after the season.
I don't understand how him keeping Rich Rod if we lose the bowl game makes him look weak? It just means he felt there was enough overall progress and was not basing his decision on one game.
I also don't see how keeping Rich Rod after winning the bowl game would be bad. Most recruiting is close to being over. I think most of our high major projects are either committed here or elsewhere. I don't think there are many of our first choice that we are either are not in a good position for or are already committed here.
This isn't coach for your job with the bowl game. Brandon is looking at the entire season, not this one game, to come to his decision. If Brandon does not think there has been enough progress, then he will fire him. This is Brandon sticking to his word and what he wants to do. I'm sure Brandon is leaning one way or the other, and I think although this game could potentially sway his decision, I think he is sticking to what he said and going to judge based off of the entire season as a whole, bowl game included.
I don't know why you think Harbaugh will pick up and leave immediately, maybe he wants to finish his season with his team. And honestly the transfer from spread to pro style is much easier than pro to spread, so I do not think the recruiting is a big deal. Honestly the only player I think that would be effected by this would be Sousa.
December 3rd, 2010 at 12:57 AM ^
I apologize, but this is going to be long because I couldn't hold it in anymore in regards to everything that has been happening on this board for the last 6 or 7 hours. If you don't want to read a long post, please skip this instead of reading it and then chastising me for it's length after you are finished.
If Jim Harbaugh is giving the University of Michigan a timetable and we are following it, that is truly a shame (not that I believe this to be true). There is no coach anywhere, not Paterno, Bowden, or any coach in history that is bigger than the program he coached/coaches at. The only timetable that should be followed in this decision is that of the University of Michigan. Stanford's bowl game should be irrelevant in this situation and our bowl game should be irrelevant in this situation. The way college football coaching changes work is pretty simple, they happen after the regular season and before bowl games. The decision to fire/retain a coach happens immediately after the regular season and the replacement coach is hired ASAP. The reasons for this are obvious and that is why EVERY school does it this way.
Yes Dave Brandon has said that he will evaluate every program after their season, I understand this. I also understand that no one was freaking out in August when he made that comment. However, did anyone really think that the ENTIRE fan base would be in such a craze right now over the things that are happening? I am all for people sticking to their word but sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise and this is one of those times.
There is absolutely no other evidence to be had in this trial. The judge needs to come to a verdict and let it be known. It does not matter which coach you support at this point, Harbaugh or Rodriguez, because whoever is the coach at our beloved institution is going to suffer for this waiting game when NSD comes around in February. We won't know who are coach is going to be until January and neither will any recruit who is on the fence right now and that puts us in a very bad situation.
Maybe Dee Hart is a future Heisman winner or maybe he is the next big time recruit who doesn't quite pan out. However, the fact remains that he has the POTENTIAL to be a program changing type of player and we will not have him in maize and blue for the next four years because he can't commit to a program that is up in the air. Rich Rodriguez busted his ass for 3 years to sell Michigan to this kid against teams like Alabama, Auburn and Florida that had the ability to sell recent championships, undefeated seasons, proximity to home and just about every asset a big time recruit is looking for, all things that Michigan could not offer this kid. Despite all of that he has wanted to be a Wolverine for 2 years now because of Rich Rodriguez, his staff, and our great institution. Now he doesn't want to be a Wolverine because he can't commit to a place that doesn't know where it's going. I can't blame the kid. Would you commit to Michigan right now if you were an impact recruit? If the guy recruiting you for 3 years is getting shit on by everyone in the entire country other than a few loyal supporters and his own family?
Our fan base is divided. Fans on both sides of the fence are clueless as to what is going to happen. We are losing potential impact football players and whoever is the coach come January is going to be up against it on the recruiting trail.
Finally, there is absolutely NOTHING that is going on in our athletic department that is more important than this situation right now. Even if every other active sport was playing in it's respective national title game right now, it is not as important as the situation involving our football coach. I do not mean to disrespect any other sport at Michigan as I love and support all of them but the football program is the most important topic in any given month of the year and it always will be. Let's face it, Dave Brandon could damn near botch the handling of every other sport at the university, but if the football team had won 6 straight national titles, he would get a raise, and deserve it.
Thanks for reading.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:34 AM ^
If Jim Harbaugh is giving the University of Michigan a timetable and we are following it, that is truly a shame (not that I believe this to be true). There is no coach anywhere, not Paterno, Bowden, or any coach in history that is bigger than the program he coached/coaches at.
As off-putting as it may seem to you, elite coaches coaching top 5 teams simply do not come at the drop of a hat. You have to play by their rules.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:33 AM ^
that was well put.
I don't give a rat's ass about Stanford and if Harbaugh was as in love with Michigan half as much as so many deluded fans think, he'd be here. Miles would have come if our moron of an AD had taken his calls at the time.
And it's not JUST about Hart, or the other early enrollee recruits who keep getting ignored in this. It's also about the current coach of the Michigan football team. If Harbaugh turns us down, and this team has a nice bowl game, DB isn't bringing in anyone else, so all you've done is treat Rodriguez like crap and make it that much harder for him to do his job by hamstringing him in recruiting.
Sorry, I'm not lauding Brandon for the latter.
It's not the end of the world, or the Michigan program, but unlike the NCAA investigations or personnel loss, this drama is directly controllable by our AD.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:03 AM ^
I don't understand all the DB bashing. He is doing what he said he was going to do. Everyone is so upset that Hart may decommit. It happens all the time. It's recruiting.
Everyone needs to relax.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:17 AM ^
>>Everyone is so upset that Hart may decommit.
It's no longer a question. Rivals lists him as an Alabama commit.
>>Everyone needs to relax.
People are understandably upset. We just lost a recruit listed as one of the top RB's in the country. People have been complaining all year that we don't have an explosive RB to complement Denard. Remember all the "Denard is getting too many carries" comments?
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:04 AM ^
No.
I think it's well established that our secondary has been awful.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:05 AM ^
Unfortunately (in my opinion) the actions of DB make perfect sense. There is no reason to believe our performance in the bowl game makes any difference in deciding whether or not to bring RR back next year. One additional data point will not influence the decision. No announcement can be made at this time because our next head coach is preparing for a bowl game himself.
Whether it is Harbaugh or someone else doesn't matter with respect to this posting. Brandon knows very well the Miles debacle we endured three years ago and is determined not to repeat it. He has stated the players and coaches have earned the right to play in and enjoy the upcoming bowl game and he will not spoil it.
He has also implied that any damage to recruiting is of secondary importance to the long term success of the program. If RR were returning we would all know by now.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:09 AM ^
Just because someone does what they say they are going to do does not make it the right thing. Yes decommits happen, but when they happen for a reason that you have total control over, you can prevent them from happening.
The important thing to remember here is not that Dee Hart decommited. It is that now our chances with any recruit out there who is debating between M and another school, has even more reason to choose that other school. Like it or not, a large part of a kid picking a school has to do with the coaches who recruit him. When kids do not know if that coach is going to be there for even their freshman year, it makes it pretty hard to commit to that program. This is about Zettel, Frost, Countess, Walls, Lyons, Hart, every current commit, and every potential 2011 commit. They are all affected in a negative way and there is really no reason for it, whether it was someones word since August or not.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:15 AM ^
I agree with what your saying, but this decision is much bigger than this year. It could affect the team for years.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:38 AM ^
were full of 4 year veterans and stars at most positions, your comments would bear more weight. An already solid recruiting class COULD vanish and a lot of players COULD leave.
Imagine this decimated team then with a "better" coach. How does that set up for 3 years, not 10, because that's how long Rodriguez got.
Or..
Rodriguez with these players, this class intact, a new DC or 3-3-5less scheme, older players on defense.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:21 AM ^
Signing day isn't until February.
What if all the commits who are now in limbo become commits again once a coaching decision is made?
I like Brandon a lot. I've heard him speak in person and seen his pressers.
I really wonder if there are other workings in the athletic department that are causing the delay.
On a somewhat related note, all the Harbaugh talk honestly reminds me of how Notre Dame fans were talking about Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer last year. Count me as being very, very surprised if he ends up here.
December 3rd, 2010 at 2:56 AM ^
I really wonder if there are other workings in the athletic department that are causing the delay.
Now there's some conspiracy controlling DB too?
December 3rd, 2010 at 3:17 AM ^
I'm just wondering if he's waiting for paperwork to clear, or a phone call to be returned...it's very possible he wants to come out and make a statement, but is waiting on someone else to do their job.
December 3rd, 2010 at 1:41 AM ^
It hasn't even been a week since the end of the regular season people!
I agree that if DB really waits until after the bowl games to make (read: announce) his decision it's bad for RR. He's probably waiting on JH to coach his bowl game. Understandable IMO despite the fact it could hurt recruiting to an unknown degree.
I still wouldn't be surprised to hear an announcement that RR was staying sometime between today and the end of next week.
If either happens all of this "woe is me" garbage will look pretty silly in retrospect. We'll either have had a month of recruiting uncertainty while going to an entirely new staff. Or a week or so of uncertainty while keeping the current staff (at least the HC and offense).
December 3rd, 2010 at 2:02 AM ^
this is crazy,i don't know what to say.If we win are bowl game and that was enough to bring rich rod back then fine.Because i believe that what he is waiting for to see how we peform in the bowl game,well damm.Go Coach!!!
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:51 AM ^
If the "pimp hand" talk set off bells for me before, something like this pic is a four alarm blaze. I really, really don't understand why people want to think of the AD as a metaphorical beater of women.
December 3rd, 2010 at 3:14 AM ^
"it would tear the fanbase right in half."
Aren't we already pretty much there?
December 3rd, 2010 at 3:33 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:09 AM ^
responses like this and already addressed them.
Look, not everyone has been solidly in DB's corner and parroting the stupid pimp hand crap in every thread fawning over how DB TOTALLY said the right thing at a banquet. As I said, he lost me with his handling of the divisions. He has done some good things (stadium lights, apparent progress on new scoreboard, etc.), but the most important things he has screwed up badly - divisions, handling of coaching situations.
The caution re: recruiting over this month clearly focuses on recruiting as a whole rather than 1 guy. Losing Dee (our top guy) is evidence of my overall point. It's not scapegoating to point out the flaws in the decisionmaking process of the only guy with the power to make a decision.
It's pretty easy to lump together disparate arguments made by various posters (without attribution) and then rail against "you guys."
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:06 AM ^
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:50 AM ^
true, the job has to be posted publicly for an appropriate period. However, there is nothing stopping DB from making a verbal agreement before hand performing a half ass interview period just for show.
December 3rd, 2010 at 7:43 AM ^
Losing Dee Hart is tough to deal with, but after thinking about it I believe it's clear that one player is not program-changing. Especially if that player has never gained a yard outside of high school. I am not so pessimistic about the future of the Michigan program to hang my hopes and dreams on Dee Hart. I think DB has more vision than that too and doing things right-as he is- can't be compromised by how a particular potential future football player may feel about the coaching situation..... and we don't even know if that's why Dee changed his mind anyway.
Recruiting hits goes with the territory when a coaching change is imminent. Collateral damage. I see this as nothing compared to if we were to lose some key Michigan men that are on the roster altready., but that may happen too.
These are tough times for our beloved football program, and we better all get behind someone. It's clear not everyone can get behind our head coach. How about everyone get behind our AD. He just may be bringing in guy who has a top ten recruiting class at Stanford. Who would be more important, that guy or a high school kid? Get real.
We have an AD who is trying to do what he feels is best for Michigan- long haul- and do it in a classy way. What the hell more could anyone want?
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
You made good points and you are right DB is thinking bigger picture about this than any of us can fathom. Dee is important but no one person is more important than the program. However, I think fans are concerned because of what this does to the brand. The other thing is that a recruiting class is the life blood. Losing Dee is important, but not gaining some much needed help on defense or having many other decommit will damage us longer term. Perception is overtaking reality right now and the problem most likely will get worse.
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:09 AM ^
DB could have done worse if he had kept RR. Hey, Master of the Obvious -- RR is gone and JH is coming Jan. 2. It can't be any more obvious.
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:46 AM ^
Well when he keeps RR in January you will be pretty surprised, no? We will see, I wouldn't start breaking out the old Harbaugh jersey yet. Dave Brandon has made no indication that Harbaugh is the coach of the future.
If you are reading into this as something more than DB sticking to his original timeline for the evaluation of coaches, you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. Brandon has stated from day one that he has a timeline in which he evaluates the coaches of all sports and now everyone is surprised he is doing just that? He is a man that sticks to his plan, if he changes his plan for football, he loses his integrity. How can the U of M coaches in any sport take him seriously if his word is compromised?
I understand why so many of the fans are mad about DB's insistence on sticking to his timeline. It does cause some problems with recruiting. Why not look at this as a test to the recruits we have gathered? If there are recruits who run this easily away from Ann Arbor then let them go. We want real leaders who can handle pressure and aren't coming to play just for the coach. I want players that love everything about this place, those kinds of players are usually the most successful. Players who run at their first opportunity will find some excuse to transfer or fold under pressure anyways.
Dee Hart seems like a great kid and a very intelligent kid who I thought loved the university, not just Rich Rodriguez. If he wants to play with his friend at Alabama then good luck to him and bring on the real Michigan people who are all in for everything this university stands for. I mean I love RR too and want him to stay more than anyone but I've loved Michigan football my whole life. I'd rather find players who are passionate about everything that this amazing university has to offer. I'm still very optimistic about 2011 and all of the talent we have been gathering finally maturing. I still believe RR will finish out this recruiting class strong and have a very good season next year. Keep your heads up! GO BLUE!
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:18 AM ^
not been his criteria for every sport. It's something I forgot to mention in the bloated OP, but DB has already fully endorsed JB, before the season even starts. And this is before a season that could be very very bad. I have no problem at all with retaining JB (I support him fully), but comparing that situation to his handling of the football situation is night and day and makes DB look inconsistent...again. JB is installing a new system, is struggling, and has ample breathing room. BB recruiting continues to do well, all things considered.
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:59 AM ^
JB is an entirely different situation. I've addressed this before but Dave Brandon has spoken out on this before in the media. He is quoted to have said that John Beilein is going to be given more time than the other coaches because of the poor facilities that he has been given by the university. In other words, the univerisity itself has already assumed resonsibility for putting JB at a competitive disadvantage. I assume he would also have given the woman's basketball coach time as well but wasn't asked this by the man doing the interview. The other sports are not being put into a competitive disadvantage so they are in his normal timetable as far as coaching decisions go. If Brandon didn't feel the university itself was responsible for the state of the basketball program then there would be no special consideration for basketball coaching situation.
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:33 AM ^
One scenario you forgot:
DB has contacted Harbaugh and Harbaugh wants the job but asked that he be able to complete the year as Stanfords coach without a media fiasco. Dave Brandon being a honorable man waits until after the bowl game to hire Harbaugh. Lastly, DB saves the Athletic Department something like $1,000,000. Sounds like a perfect way to handle it to me. I think you are wrong about how he is handling it.
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:52 AM ^
Or Dave Brandon is a man of principle and will do exactly as he has said all along. He is going to wait to talk to the coaches and evaluate the program after the entire season is over. It does not mean he is waiting for the bowl game performance to decide RR's fate, it just means he likes to have the whole picture before he starts making decisions. I'm sure he would like to sit down with RR and go over the state of the program and what his plans are for the future. With the season in full swing it's too premature to have that discussion. Fans are just reading too much into something that DB has been consistent with from day one.
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:21 AM ^
then he needs to be here now not in a month. If he wants to coach Stanford then stay there. JH already threw the school and football program once when talking about academics which isn't something you would expect from a former player and alumni. Good thing Bo wasn't alive to hear it or he would have kicked his ass. What is to stop him from doing it again?
December 3rd, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
Can we stop talking about the money. If $1mm dollars is a problem for the university or the AD, then we have bigger problems than who is football coach at Michigan.
December 3rd, 2010 at 8:38 AM ^
Bill Martin thought exactly as you do. That is why Les Miles is at LSU and we are 15-21. Takind Dee out of the equation probably actually makes the decision a little easier.
December 3rd, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^
Martin was naive and Brandon is supposed to be a "pimp", yet appearances are the same.
We'll see.
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:01 AM ^
The only ways to interpret Dave Brandon's actions are...
1. He is a moron of truly epic proportions who has no business running an athletic department because he doesn't understand the consequences of leaving the program in limbo like this for a month, and he is an inept, beauracratic dipshit who is unable to break from his rigid and impractical timetable.
2. He has Harbaugh locked up, but for various reasons he is keeping it close to the vest. One reason that has been proposed is RichRod's buyout. I can understand this strategy, given the terrible economy, but it's risky. Another reason is that Harbaugh wants to coach the bowl game. If this is the case, I hope that Brandon put a lot of pressure on him not to. You can't afford for the recruit population to not know who the coach is going to be for this critical month. Especially Dee Hart, who is arguably our most important recruit of the past two years. The majority of coaches who get hired away for a better job nowadays don't coach their bowl game. It's not practical for a guy to be the coach when half of his mind is elsewhere, and his new program needs him as the guy.
I have gotten bad vibes from Brandon from day 1, so unfortunately, my instinct tells me that it's #1.
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:29 AM ^
No I don't think it's moronic to have a plan. The program isn't in limbo at all. Fans and media who speculate may cause some recruits to worry but who cares since they really weren't solid in their passion for Michigan athletics anyways. Dave Brandon has never come out and said he is considering hiring anyone else for the job or that Rich Rodriguez is in jeopardy of losing his job. So when fans and media read into every little thing then of course people think the program is in limbo.
For all we know Brandon isn't considering firing RR at all but instead evaluating what options might be in place for next year if Michigan regresses on the field. At some point David Brandon has to stop pandering to the media and fans and stick to his plan. If he evaluates coaches at a certain time period every year, that is how he does it and that gives consistency to the program. This is a good thing in my opinion. He is putting his foot down and telling people in the media and fanbase that he has a process for how he handles things. If he has to come out and give RR the thumbs up every week this is a sign of weak leadership. Weak leaders would bend to the pressure of the fanbase or media and I don't want a weak leader in charge of the athletics at the best university in the world.
Let's say DB evaluates the situation after the bowl game and comes out at a press conference and says that he never considered firing RR at all. A lot of fans would be shocked and cry about how it was stupid of him to not come out and say that right away. Dave Brandon could simply say to the media, let this be an example of how I run the athletics at this university. I don't pander to fans and media, I have a process I stick by and that's how things will be done for ALL SPORTS. Right away he could put his stamp on his tenure as the AD and let people know that he, and he alone, will make the decisions he feels are correct for the university. I don't want some leader who compromises what they believe in just because segments of the media or fanbase are unreasonably upset over a coach who is rebuilding the team from the ground up.
December 3rd, 2010 at 9:04 AM ^
that the choices are clear, retain RR or hire Harbaugh is flawed. Jim Harbaugh has unquestionably proven himself a competent coach, but to assume him college football gold for performing well in the weakest conference aside from the Small East is misguided.
If Rich Rod is going to be fired, he is being fired for a cumulation of factors both on the field and off, and Harbaugh's availibility is not related to whether those factors warrant firing. Harbaugh being available may make the process and transition easier, but it is not as cut and dry as Harbaugh or status quo.
Brandon has not pulled any triggers yet because any way you cut it, making a move now is both unclassy and desperate. The last hire involved making a move on a coach preparing for a National Champioship game, that went well, and then snatching a coach that had led their team to a BCS game, contract and buyout questions be damned. If DB is making a move, the move itself has to be done correctly as well as the actual hire.
If they are making a coaching change and Harbaugh is out, the next option is not going to be going after the next hot comodity out there anyway as that has proven itself to be a flawed approach here. It is finding a guy, likely with Michigan ties, that wants nothing more than to coach Michigan, and that person will be available after the bowl game. True, recruitng may take a hit with that approach, but we have a lot of young talent right now that will be molded without adding a top ten class, many of which were wearing a comfy red shirt all year long.
My personal opinion, Harbaugh is going pro, M is going to smack down a good opponent in their bowl game, and problem solved.