Delayed Decision Helping in Retention (?)
It occurred to me that a delay in announcing the firing of RR and the ongoing coaching search has forced the team to wait in limbo while enrolled at the university. Given the fact that they would be required to sit out a year, this would help influence players to stay, no? IIRC (thanks Google! I is right!), Mallett and others were out immediately after the bowl game. Had RR been fired before the bowl game, we might have seen emotional reactions leading to exits rather than the current "wait and see" going on for the coaching hire.
Just a thought. An argument could be made that RABBLE RABBLE WE'D HAVE A #5 RECRUIT CLASS IF WE'D DONE IT EARLIER or, misguidedly, that such a delay led to Harbaugh not taking the job (funny how people said the delay meant JH was obviously coming, now the same people say the delay prevented UM from getting JH). However, I do think there's something to the fact that this entire roster is spending another semester with each other while the diehards (aka ones staying no matter what) get extra time to convince them to stick it out, etc.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^
To keep it simple:
If you announce today (or had you over the weekend), the hire would have been overshadowed by the BCS Championship Game.
If you announce Tuesday or Wednesday, you get more press and buzz around your program since there is no more College Football to be played.
So...
Brandon will announce probably late Tuesday or Wednesday.
Book it.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
You have to get a coach and have at least a verbal agreement on big contract details before you can start talking about timing for announcements and whatever. Stop putting the cart before the horse.....
January 10th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
What makes you think that this verbal agreement is not already in place.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW? TELL US DAMN IT!!!!!
January 10th, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^
For once, a weasel is right...
// No intended harm to any weasel, snitch or narc.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:50 AM ^
What about a rat?
January 10th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
I don't think a verbal agreement is in place because we are still talking to candidates.....If you already had one, that would stop, right?
January 10th, 2011 at 12:19 PM ^
Are still "talking candidates"--and so is the media. Brandon might not be "talking candidates."
I kind of like this theory--the waiting is keeping recruits from jumping just yet. Hadn't thought of it.
This class might still suffer, but get the right guy in and I don't think next year's does. Anyone you get in as already been recruiting for next year as well and will bring those relationships with him.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:52 AM ^
Disagree completely - when Rich Rod was fired ESPN took 90 minutes away from the Buckeye/Arkansas game to discuss. If announced today - ESPN would take similar time throughout the day and before the game to discuss giving some positive momentum on a National Stage.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:23 AM ^
I'd agree, but not this game....ESPN has so many resources on the ground in AZ and so much time and money on this moment that we'd be just a blurb between personal interest stories about how nobody wanted Clay Matthews and Oregon's wacky play call signs...If we announce it two days from now we control a 24 hour cycle and have tons of resources that now have a lot less to do foucesed on us
January 10th, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^
I think announcing yesterday or today would be ideal from a PR perspective, assuming the hire is a big name. You'd have the Michigan job getting discussed in a positive light at a time when everyone in the college football world is watching.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:03 AM ^
That is true, especially with a ton of recruits watching as well.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
... plus the HC posting went up last Wednesday, so you can't meet your UM HR week-long posting requirement by naming a HC any earlier than this Wednesday.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
Given that the posted job announcement says the open period is from 7 to 14 January, is it even legal to announce a hire before then? I know about the wiaver to the open job announcement rule, but a job opening has been posted. I work for the Fed gov, and though there are waivers as well, if the job has been announced with an "open period," no hiring decisions can be announced before the period closes.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^
Had we hired Les six weeks ago, he would have absolutely brought all 32 of his recruits (ranked #3). Combine that with our 3-star mafia and we would have had the #2 recruiting class (you simply can't mess with Texas at #1).
January 10th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^
First, what makes you think his 32 recruits can even get qualified to come to Michigan, much less that they would want to come here? Seriously, get real!
January 10th, 2011 at 10:33 AM ^
Yeah. You don't want your recruits, or any recruits, missing the announcement because of the national title game.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:34 AM ^
I am sure that some of the older guys and more "diehards" are convincing some of the others to stick it out and wait and ultimately stay at Michigan. I don't think we will see very many transfer out and go elsewhere personally, but you never know. If Miles comes in, I see many of the players staying at Michigan since he runs an offense that can be utilized by the majority of our athletes.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
since we were so lacking in players to fit the system a lot of these players haven't RSed. They would have to sit out a year, but wouldn't lose any eligibility.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:04 AM ^
That is true. I hope we don't lose any players, but it will depend on the new coach and what offense he runs.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
As many of you know, Jon Gruden is calling the National Championship game tonight for ESPN Radio - alongside Ann Arbor resident Mike Tirico FWIW (nothing). Likewise, Gruden's name has been mentioned by relatively trustworthy sources - according to Brian - for the job...
If Gruden was actually interested in this job, and DB was interested in announcing that he was our new coach, there is no way that a decision would come before the NC game because ESPN would never let an active coach call a game - HUGE conflict of interest (not that that's stopped them before).
I can think of no reasons why they would be delaying a decision on any other coaches if the decision has been made. But no news is good news for the contingency hoping Gruden takes his talents to A2.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
I don't think it's Gruden, but if it is, the topic won't even come up. If Gruden has no interest, Tirico will ask Gruden during the game and he'll say he's not interested.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:23 PM ^
I can't see tirico asking Gruden anything tougher to answer than "So John, how do you feel today?" Of course, Tirico will quickly add, "Not that I'm implying anything other than do you still possess the sense of being able to sense something when you touch it" "Oh dear God, did i say "touch it" on national television? I apologize if I've offended anyone with my sudden outburst here tonight. I hereby suspend myself from ESPN for five days."
January 10th, 2011 at 10:52 AM ^
I for one, would be super happy if this were the case. I have my doubts but I also have my hopes.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^
Gruden is calling the game on radio. I can't imagine ESPN would be all that worried about conflicts and what-not with a just hired coach broadcasting in a medium that no one is paying attention to.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
You'd have a ton of recruits watching..
January 10th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^
Football is basically over or the year, so if you transfer now or in June it would not affect when you coud play football again. The one thing that a player might be concerned about now is, with signing day approaching, is there a slot for them at the school they wnat to go.
January 10th, 2011 at 10:50 AM ^
do you have to wait a calendar year (like in basketball) or not? transferring around Jan 1-5 and enrolling elsewhere might make someone eligible to participate in Spring practices, etc, at the other school.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
But I think they would still have to sit out a year. At that point, a spring practice may not count much since they have to wait a year before playing.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
My understanding is that you can't play, but you can practice. So, transferring after the bowl game or in the middle of January makes no difference because you only have to sit out next season's games.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:10 AM ^
scenario playing out where our program was better off with DB delaying the decision to fire RR, unless he nails a "BIG" name as the successor. He's going to have to come up with a name like Gruden that would undoubtedly send recuits flowing our way. Otherwise, the delay wasn't fair to RR, the players or the fans.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
Mallett was an unusual case in that Arkansas had always been his favorite school. A quarterback transferred out of there right when our change was happening so him bolting was even easier. Boren left when he didn't like the workouts or whatever. Arrington and Manningham went pro. What I'm saying is transfers to other schools aren't as much a given as they are made out to be here sometimes.
I do agree that having our school term already started is a plus, and possible transfer deterrent, though a player could still transfer elsewhere as most other school terms start in the third week of January.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
It had to do with Boren wanting to go home for a week to plow snow or something like that with his family. Apparently Carr let it slide, but RR said that leaving could affect his starting spot. That pissed Boren off and that's where the family values thing came in.
January 10th, 2011 at 12:02 PM ^
Let me clarify a couple of things:
- Mallett: Both Mallett (#2) and Mustain (#1) wanted to go to Arkansas for college. The Razorbacks chose Mustain, and Mallett bolted for Michigan. With a new coach coming in, that runs a spread offense, the writing was on the wall in Mallett's head. He decided to transfer. Could Miles have kept him? At least a non-zero chance (so it is not entirely "Mustain left, so Mallett jumped ship to Arkansas".
- Boren: False, false, false. This is what the uninformed fans believe. Boren bolted because of his dad. UofM didn't want to offer his other son, Zach, a scholarship (RR's offense doesn't really use a FB) - so the father pulled Justin out of Michigan and put him at OSU (where Zach got his schollie). Boren made some BULLSHIT speech about family values - when in fact, it was his own family's values that were questionable.
- The others: Manningham/Arrington left one year early because of a combination of being borderline ready for the NFL, new coach coming in, and issues during their junior seasons with suspensions. Henne/Hart/Long all graduated as seniors. It sucked.
January 10th, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^
This is what the uninformed fans believe. Boren bolted because of his dad. UofM didn't want to offer his other son, Zach, a scholarship (RR's offense doesn't really use a FB) - so the father pulled Justin out of Michigan and put him at OSU (where Zach got his schollie).
If some pretty credible people are to be believed, you've got it backwards. The "not offering the brother" story is false.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
Last search he laughed it off when rumored and said he had a coaching job with Tampa Bay. When it came up with the Miami Hurricanes last month, he came out and said not interested. He hasnt said anything this time.
To me, the silence is encouraging.
While the recruiting class is deteriorating, getting the right guy is probably more important. Clearly, if he wanted to fire RR, he should have started this in November so we could have had more time to find the right guy and have built/kept the recruiting class.
January 10th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
I really don't think an announcement before the 7 day period closes would be a huge problem. Who legitimately would sue and what sort of relief would they be seeking? No court would give a plaintiff monetary compensation if they didnt lose anything by having the announcement made before the period is closed. Moreover, given that previous major college head coaching experiences is a requirement, I cant fathom a plaintiff who has both standing and the inclination to actually bring suit.
In short, someone could sue (seeking injunctive relief), I just dont see it happening or being a huge concern for the GC, unless hiring before the open period closes is something that is a problem and the GC is worried about setting a precedent or a potential suit about another job opening.
January 10th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^
Fordschoolba09;
You’re missing the point entirely. It’s not about who or who would not sue, it more about there being a rule to follow. Doesn’t Michigan strive to carry itself a little differently than others in working towards following the rules? Did you miss the uproar caused by practicing 20 minutes longer than we should have, while others look beyond a few scholarship over signings, a father cashing in on his son’s “talents,” and an AD and HC all but excusing the selling of a few gold pants? Why should Michigan risk creating another “opportunity,” to be painted negatively?
January 10th, 2011 at 2:55 PM ^
If staying is not in their best interest, I would hope that the interest of the of the student athletes is more important than retaining them for our own purposes and that we wouldn't keep them in limbo unecessarily. This could possibly hurt their chances at finding open slots on a team more favorable to their situation the closer we get to signing day for recruits.
I would also hope than any transfer requests after a coach is announced would not be denied in any way as these kids have been through enough and should be afforded an opportunity to play where and how they want if they are through with this mess.
January 11th, 2011 at 5:02 AM ^
It's plausible that the delay is holding players at Michigan. On the whole, the team did seem to handle the media rather well this year. (Coaching?) They could be in their own secret talks and just playing it close to the chest. I do hope they stay if that's what they sincerely want to do.