Do send us DC candidates from the NFL, Jim

Submitted by maizerayz on January 17th, 2024 at 3:50 AM

Assuming Harbaugh and Minter goes to the NFL, one silver lining has to be the fact that he and John can continue to send Sherron smart, young DC candidates.

It's a win win for everyone.

  • Like John, Jim can get a promising you coach coordinator experience.
  • He'd still be helping his beloved program.
  • We obviously would be continuing what McDonald and Minter did.
  • The candidate would be jumping at the career opportunity
  • Between Jim and John, we might have a larger pool to choose from

 

Blinkin

January 17th, 2024 at 6:03 AM ^

I think it's been mutually beneficial in that the Ravens people have been getting needed experience at the lower level. MacDonald was not ready to be an NFL coordinator for example (or John didn't think he was), and Michigan helped him polish his resume and build that experience. I agree it's less likely to continue without Jim, but there's a chance that John likes having what amounts to a "football grad school" for young coaching proteges.  

It's a hope but a sort of plausible hope. 

1VaBlue1

January 17th, 2024 at 9:51 AM ^

Mike's path to DC was blocked in Baltimore because the Raven's already had a really good DC.  Suggestion Jim take Mike was a way for John to keep him available to Baltimore instead of losing him to the NFL writ large.  The fact that he got valuable experience with icing on the cake.  Minter was a stroke of luck - he was at Vandy for a couple of years because his path was also blocked in Baltimore.

Simply cannot count on that kind of 'pipeline'...

meeashagin

January 17th, 2024 at 7:53 AM ^

I'm sure Michigan will now have their own defense as they just won the national championship with it or that should be the goal by promoting from within. Just like Bama when Tommy Rees interviewed Saban told him you're here to learn and teach the Bama offense not what you were teaching at ND. It's why Bama struggled early on, Rees too had to learn on the job.

Michigan defense should closely mirror Ravens defense which I'm pretty sure was Wink Martindale. 

If all that's true Michigan should be able to hire the Ravens/LA position coaches which for them is a promotion and they don't have to teach your players a whole new system. I guess if you're in a pinch you could do what Bama does.

BlueKoj

January 17th, 2024 at 8:15 AM ^

Saban’s D is something that’s been consistent and roster independent for many years (obviously some small tweaks). I think on O he has both 1) changed with the times and 2) changed to fit his roster. Rees had to change his view on the QB room and develop Milroe-specific game plans. Plus, Rees may not be that good regardless.

lorch_arsonist

January 17th, 2024 at 2:15 PM ^

This connection to the NFL has been hugely beneficial. Keeping it open is one strong reason to let Jim have a lot of say about his successor in the event he leaves for the NFL. As stated below, being and having a proving ground is beneficial for both sides, but it has probably been more beneficial for Michigan. 

NotAMichiganSpy

January 17th, 2024 at 4:13 AM ^

Didn't Minter just say he loved coaching at Michigan and was looking forward to next season? He said that while knowing Jim was going to look at the nfl. I'm not so sure he'd leave with jim.

If he stays for next years defense he'll still be able to have tons of nfl DC opportunities. 

michengin87

January 17th, 2024 at 5:01 AM ^

Kalen DeBoer and Jedd Fisch both said that about their previous schools shortly before exiting stage left.

I'm sure that Minter would love to stay, but he might love the opportunity to be an NFL DC even more.  I hope and believe that the defense will play well next year, but things happen.  You have to jump when the timing is right.

NewBlue7977

January 17th, 2024 at 6:10 AM ^

If Harbaugh leaves, and to me it is still a big IF, I hope Sherrone Moore is better than the previous guy who replaced Harbaugh when he went to the NFL in David Shaw as a head coach.  Shaw had good teams at Stanford for the first two seasons with a bunch of Harbaugh recruited players, but it was nothing spectacular after that, especially with recruiting going downhill for him.  Michigan, just like Stanford, has high academic requirements which prevents many elite high school players from even being offered a scholarship, and not to mention NIL is still a wall in getting top 100 players. 

Replacing Harbaugh at the college level is difficult because of the connection he has with players, and all of his intelligence of the game.  

blueheron

January 17th, 2024 at 6:54 AM ^

"Shaw had good teams at Stanford for the first two seasons with a bunch of Harbaugh recruited players, but it was nothing spectacular after that, especially with recruiting going downhill for him."

I think that's off. Here's what it actually looked like:

He didn't fall off a cliff after 2012. 2019 (eight years after Harbaugh left) looks like the significant point.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Shaw_(American_football)

One other thing: Michigan has standards, but they probably aren't as high as Stanford's.

 

NewBlue7977

January 17th, 2024 at 8:28 AM ^

Thanks for this list.  I was off on length of good seasons he had at Stanford.  Up until 2015 his record was excellent with the exception of 2014.  I don't think this fanbase will be okay if Moore goes 10-3, 9-5 and 9-4 in his 6th, 7th and 8th seasons as Michigan's head coach after Harbaugh went to three straight playoffs here.  Football is valued more with the Michigan fanbase than the Stanford one.  This is not a knock on Moore because I would love to see him as Michigan's head coach, or somewhere else if Harbaugh stays.  He is young, can recruit well, develop well and a hell of a coach and human. 

My humble opinion is that Moore has the potential to build a dynasty here given the resources possible.  However; the risk is there that it could not workout.  Replacing a legend like Harbaugh will be tough, and it worked out for a bit at the previous FBS school Harbaugh coached, but not like what I believe the Michigan fanbase will want.  Winning more than 10 games at Michigan every year should be a goal, not a ceiling to win upto 10 games, and with conference realignment, NIL, and the transfer portal, it makes it that much tougher. 

Yeoman

January 17th, 2024 at 11:58 AM ^

Stanford's a completely different baseline. They'd had two winning seasons in the last ten when Harbaugh was hired; we thought we were at a historical low because we'd only had seven in ten. They'd only been to one major bowl since Jim Plunkett graduated. We had nineteen between Plunkett (ugh) and Hoke's departure.

Historically they're basically Minnesota, holding on in the top-50 in all-time winning percentage thanks to the glory days of Pop Warner.

5th and Long

January 17th, 2024 at 11:56 AM ^

The Transfer Portal became a thing in the fall of 2018.  From that point, through 2021 (when NIL started), Stanford saw 18 players transfer out and 0 transfer in (13 of them in 2020).  With it's academic standards, and a smaller group of candidates to recruit from initially, losing 3/4 of a recruiting class and not being able to replace any of them was going to make winning very difficult for Shaw or any coach.

 

EGD

January 17th, 2024 at 11:46 AM ^

Eh, what you said implies that you had a minor detail incorrect but that your larger point (i.e., that the last time Harbaugh appointed his successor before leaving for the NFL, the successor did not have much success) was still valid. And then you doubled-down on the original point in an ensuing post. 

If Harbaugh appoints a guy who keeps the program running at a high level for eight seasons and then runs into problems in year nine, kind of ridiculous to then point the finger at Harbaugh and say "see, he should have known that wasn't the right dude." Not to mention this is Stanford we are talking about--very difficult place to win consistently.

Romeo50

January 17th, 2024 at 6:56 AM ^

You don't even need to check that it's a gift (John Harbaugh return policy worked flawlessly last time). We don't mind knowing what we're getting.

Mich1993

January 17th, 2024 at 7:55 AM ^

Harbaugh is not leaving!!!

He is negotiating with one team (us).  They have agreed on a dollar value and years (lots and forever) and are dickering on terms.

He has talked on the phone to two other teams where the follow-up was we talked on the phone, not he is about to be hired.

He is happy here and is listening to other options like he said he would.

Chill out, please.  :)

Mich1993

January 17th, 2024 at 12:24 PM ^

Yes, he had an interview with both teams.  My assumption is the interview was on the phone and that Harbaugh has not bothered to leave his office to interview with these teams.

If Harbaugh was flying all over the place, the articles would say Harbaugh was in Atlanta or LA for an interview.

An in-person interview would reflect a higher interest on Harbaugh's part.  

abertain

January 17th, 2024 at 8:12 AM ^

Kalen DeBoer, given his success at all stops was the slam dunk hire of this hiring season. He was the only candidate I'd have taken over Sherrone and the continuity offered by keeping most of this staff together. Minter has obviously been more effective as a coordinator, but it's not nothing that the team and Harbaugh are behind Moore, who could be that CEO type coach.

Anyway, if Harbaugh goes, I'll root for Moore and continuity because the whole staff was really damn good this year. The LB's got better, Clink has been great, DL under Elston has been awesome etc. Great staff.