December 2nd, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
Obviously grain of salt coaching search information but from the people I know who follow MD now that richt and Mullen turned them down officially Durkin is the top choice and going to receive an offer. Highly doubt he turns it down.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
Shafer not running the 3-3-5.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
What about the Gerg redemption tour???
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:48 AM ^
how about Bud Foster?
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 3:52 PM ^
OSU averaged 10 yards a play in Blacksburg this year.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
It seems Bud Foster is being retained by the new staff.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
Pruitt is a beast of a recruiter. Would be nice to have him as our recruiting ace to succeed Mattison.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
You can't hire based on one recruit. Still, if Pruitt was DC, that would make it a slam dunk for Mecole Hardman to come to Michigan.
My personal hope obviously is that Durkin stays at least one more year. Our defense was good this year, but exposed by the three injuries on the DL and the lack of raw talent in the LB corps.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:03 AM ^
Georgia was a top 5 D last year and top 15 this year. I believe the 1 year he was DC at FSU they won a NC. You are not getting him for Hardman - you are getting him because he delivers good defenses.
p.s. your rationale for Durkin staying might get exposed even more next year as the LB core could be the same or worse and you never know on injuries. Maybe Lewis or Peppers is inured next year and then your DBs are a weakness along with LBs. Or 1 of the only 2 proven safeties goes down. There will be injuries every year - and we have a thin team outside of DL to absorb them. Etc.
That said I hope he stays but I dont expect a massive jump in D next year due to similar holes. It was a top 5 D most of the year - hard to improve much on that with a LB core that currently consists of Gedeon and pray. Hard to improve on top 5 period.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
Pruitt sounds like he's a real asshat, but recruits love him. I doubt he'd get along with Jim if he can't get along with Richt.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
Or maybe he is a younger Jim Harbaugh in personality. I imagine Jim as a coordinator would have rubbed some people the wrong way- both are bulls in a china shop. Just speculating - Jim was never a coordinator so we don't know.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:09 AM ^
I could definitely see the comparison...but I also don't think Jim Harbaugh could work with Jim Harbaugh. He did almost drawn the closest human being to Jim Harbaugh, whilst on vacation.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:21 AM ^
ha very true. Jim 1 and Jim 2 would clash.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
Apparently Pruitt didn't get along with UGAs other coaches, but they were apparently a laid back staff there. Pruitt was pretty intense. Harbaugh gets called an ass for his intensity, so maybe Pruitt would fit in well here.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^
Vic is not coming here. He has been an NFL guy all but 1 year of his life and he went to Stanford for 1 year due to being out of work. That said it was by far the best defense Stanford had that 1 year.
I'd like Shoop or Pruitt in a dream world but dont see those happening this year.
No on Mattison because he wold have been offered to stay as a DC if thats what Harbaugh wanted.
I think Wisconsin's young DC is also very good - he doesnt get the talent level UM OSU or even MSU gets but they have generally good defenses when not playing Ohio State in a Big 10 championship game. He has developed some incredible players like their LB this year and Wisc is generally top 20 in D every year with him there.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^
but I would guess Lance Anderson gets the first call and if he decides to stay at Stanford then Shafer would get the second.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
Wasnt Anderson called last year and decided to stay at Stanford?
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
He was going to be co-DC with Durkin or something similar. Having the position to himself might sway his mind.
December 2nd, 2015 at 12:03 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
Unless they're Ohio State...
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:35 AM ^
But then again, an eternity would be too soon for that
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
Jeremy Pruitt fits that bill.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
have we ever had a core of 2/3 top end LBs at one point? That would help. We usually have 1 very good LB at a time surrounded by some "solid Big teeeeen" types. I agree with others it doesnt need to be straight line speed but look at MSU LB core - they diagnose and flow to the ball faster then we do almost every year. They are not all elite athletes as shown by their NFL prospects but we need to evaluate, teach, and find the right guys who react and attack faster then we have had for yrs.
We are not going to stop a great pass spread / air raid - they just are built to score - you have to contain them to 30ish but not give up 40-50. But great LBs combined with a very good DL will help with a run spread like OSU runs. And we need to focus on stopping OSU.
December 2nd, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^
Prescott Burgess & Shawn Crable.
December 2nd, 2015 at 12:29 PM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:53 AM ^
Teryl Austin
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
I bet he would be a great recruiter, and he fits the whole NFL coaching staff that Harbaugh is trying to build. If we couldn't get a Pruitt, I would not complain anout Austin.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
He's worked at UF and with the Ravens. Just like Greg Mattison. He's been at Michigan before, so he knows what we're about.
I'm sure he knows just about everyone on our staff and has probably worked with a number of them.
Seems like a seemless transition to me. Not to mention he a very solid football coach. I'd take him in a heartbeat.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:08 AM ^
Isnt Austin going to be a top HC candidate in the NFL? The Lions have actually played good D last month after a great year last year - he is doing it without both Suh and Levy which is impressive as heck.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
Doesn't get a HC job and Harbaugh backs the truck up and we get him. Could be wishful thinking...I don't know. Admittedly, I don't follow the NFL very closely.
That said, I'd like to just keep Durkin and keep rolling (assuming he's learned his 3-3-5 lesson from the OSU game).
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
Totally agree - he would be a very seemless fit for this particular staff. He is also would replace some of Durkin's best attributes, namely high energy and recruiting. During our CC period, Austin was one of my top choices if we didn't land Harbaugh.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:18 AM ^
Totally agree - he would be a very seemless fit for this particular staff. He is also would replace some of Durkin's best attributes, namely high energy and recruiting. During our CC period, Austin was one of my top choices if we didn't land Harbaugh.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:04 AM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
I can't see him leaving. Next years Big Ten Championship will look good on his resume.
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:17 AM ^
What about you, John?
December 2nd, 2015 at 11:37 AM ^
I like your avatar, hunterjoe
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:55 AM ^
The insane value of our coaching staff this year stemmed from everyone's wild over-qualification for their current jobs. 7 or so former NFL coaches. A bunch of guys who accepted hierarchically lower positions here than at their last gig just to work with Harbaugh.
Moving GMatt to DC makes our DC qualified, not overqualified, and opens the possibility that we replace him with a "merely" qualified DL coach as well. No thank you.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
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December 2nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
Although it's far from necessary to find #2 and searching only for that would miss the point, #2 is FAR more likely than #1, which we might as well call impossible.
December 2nd, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
To be clear, I'd be thrilled with either Fangio or Pruitt. But if Durkin leaves, I have full faith that Harbaugh will hire an excellent candidate.
Look at how he put together the current staff. Durkin and Drevno weren't on our radar until they were hired, and they've been great. Harbaugh is respected throughout the coaching world, and the fact that Durkin is in consideration for a top job after just one year here is a huge selling point for other young star coordinators.
He'll hire somebody good, and I have a feeling it won't be anyone we're thinking of.
December 2nd, 2015 at 12:02 PM ^