Gregg Henson: Sources- Dave Brandon next domino to fall

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Saw this in the thread below this one. 

http://gregghenson.com/new-information-on-the-new-michigan-coach-and-ad/

This was just posted 20 minutes ago. He details his sources (without naming them), talks about the Regents not being DB's corner anymore and that they will not pursue a new HC without a new AD.

My three separate sources tell me that the next domino to fall is Brandon.  He must go before any potential football coach can be approached as he totally botched the Hoke hire, never offering the gig to Miles or either Harbaugh.  As a matter of fact, he never even returned calls to Les Miles when he was interested.  In his mind Hoke was the only option from day one.

The two names surfacing in the AD hunt are Ward Manuel the AD at Uconn and Brad Bates, the current AD at Boston College.

 

MIMark

September 23rd, 2014 at 10:29 AM ^

I'm a big Ravens fan so with that in mind, I'll say this:  John Harbaugh for Michigan head coach (if there is in fact a vacancy.)

 

Look at his record and look the Raven's play style.  How is he not a fit for M?  Also, he would most likely retain Mattison as his defensive coordinator.  I think Mattison is a guy we need to keep around here as he is truly an elite DC.  (And honestly if he were actually interested, I wouldn't mind Mattison taking over as HC but I can't imagine him being interested.)

Also, I've heard numerous times there is severe friction between John Harbaugh and the Ravens front office.  He wanted to cut Rice on the spot after hearing of the incident in Atlantic City and has wanted to cut him the whole way but the GM and owner superceded him leaving him feeling as though he had no voice in team management.  If that friction is indeed bad and one of the best coaching jobs in college is indeed open and there is indeed a better AD in place, I could see him ready to make the move to the college ranks and succeeding.

 

LSA Superstar

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:13 AM ^

I co-sign this.  Jim Harbaugh, as unrealistic as it might be, would be a complete home-run hire that would create a totally seamless gap.  We might get a recruiting BOOST from it as opposed to a salvage operation for this class, and long term his history of success is basically unimpeachable.  I also think his personality is volatile in a way that will actually be a positive for this program.

Don

September 23rd, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^

I think you're right, but I don't think Harbaugh is ever coming here.

FWIW, Jamie Morris stated categorically on the local Sunday radio show this past weekend that Harbaugh was never offered the coaching job. He was Harbaugh's teammate for two seasons so I would assume Morris would be in contact with Harbaugh enough to know, but he didn't state anything to that effect.

Also FWIW, a couple of years ago I was told in person by a former UM player from Bo's era that Brandon offered the job to Hoke at the spring 2010 UM golf outing. I know this seems bizarre since RR was still coach at that time, and it also doesn't make any sense since it took so long for DB to make a decision after he fired RR. This alumni player is a straight shooter otherwise so I don't know what to think.

Erik_in_Dayton

September 23rd, 2014 at 11:23 AM ^

John U. Bacon backs up the story that Brandon never met with Harbaugh.  That by itself was AD malpractice. 

I've never before heard that he offered Hoke the job in the spring of 2010, but if true, that's horrendous.  Hoke hadn't even had his 9-4 season at SDSU yet.  He was coming off a 4-8 year. 

The failure to meet with Harbaugh alone is enough reason to say that Brandon should not be the man to evaluate Hoke at the end of the year or conduct a coaching search.  I'm sure Brandon wants to win and thought Hoke would win, but he apparently has issues that prevent him from making the most informed possible decisions. 

 

Blue Durham

September 23rd, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^

At least one person, but I think a couple, said that during the charity golf tournament (in August I think) prior to RR's final season that Brandon told former players that Hoke was going to be coach the following year.

All very second-hand, I know.  But the way the coaching search was conducted, I thought very early on (and stated so on one of Brian's early coaching search articles) that the process was set up to make Hoke the next coach.  I thought Brandon was very disingenuous towards both RR and the public that fall/winter.

bighouse22

September 23rd, 2014 at 11:43 AM ^

I remember hearing Hoke's name start to get dropped on ESPN as speculation before a search ever started.  It felt like someone was greasing the wheels for him because his name did not belong intermingled with the other high profile candidates.  It sure seems like his mind was made up on Hoke pretty early in the process.

Wendyk5

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^

Aside from the Michigan connection, they appear to be "sure thing" hires. Everyone else is a question mark, and having gone through a non-Michgan Man coach and then a Michigan Man coach, which both turned out to be debacles, we're now all risk averse. Makes total sense why people are obsessed with the Harbaugh's and Les Miles. 

Sideline

September 23rd, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^

I still FIRMLY believe Miles was the top target in 2007. Timing is what threw it all off. I believe (If memory serves me correctly) that news broke the morning of the 2007 SEC Championship game, Les Miles had to have a press conference saying "He was the coach at LSU, and he was going to be the coach at LSU" with no definitive statement on how long... and then went on to say he had a "damn strong(!)" football team and needed to prepare them for the game. Once all that mess happened, we were in a search and landed Rich Rodriguez a week (?) later...

Sideline

September 23rd, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^

Not saying he wasn't the hottest coaching commodity, but the wheels didn't fall off for him at West Virginia until they lost to Pitt on the night of December 1st. Herbstreit broke with the news of Hiring Les Miles the morning of November 23rd before Les' Tigers were taking on "Ar-Kansas"... either way, goofy situation.

Hannibal.

September 23rd, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^

You are right about that.  RichRod's failure at Michigan was shocking to me.  To this day, I am still befuddled by it.  I am still in utter shock and amazement about how bad the defense and special teams got and how completely inept RichRod was when it came to finding a solution.  I don't understand how a guy whose job is on the line could look at what Tony Gibson did for the DBs and say "that guy has been so successful I'm going to let him coach special teams too!"  For the past 7 years there has been a haze of stupidity hanging around Ann Arbor that has spared nobody as just about everyone associated with the program has made the worst decisions of his lifetime at Michigan.

With that said, Harbaugh is as close as it gets.  . 

EGD

September 23rd, 2014 at 8:55 AM ^

I'm also in the "hope it's true, but don't trust this article" camp. Thing is, as much as Brandon's marketing antics and douchey personality annoy me, the predominant reason I want him out is the same one in the article: top football coaches won't want to work for Dave Brandon. Whether or not the article is BS, I do hope the regeants get that and care enough about athletics to do what needs to be done.

BlueRude

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:04 AM ^

SN reports that d Issa will conduct a hearing on this and Condi Rice takes over.
Give DG another 2 3 games if no progress Morris will assume the role. BH will give a presser and tell us the pro style is now ready for 2015.

Njia

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:05 AM ^

There's a possible reason for that (though god forbid this should come across as defending DB, because NO): there may well have been a discussion, at least with Harbaugh. When it became clear that Jim wasn't walking through the door of Schembechler Hall, there is no sense in making an offer. As AD, Brandon would not want to be put into the position of saying (or the story making its way to the media/fans/Regents) that the the HC position at Michigan was turned down. The optics of that, as they say, would have been terrible.

Hannibal.

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:08 AM ^

There has never been any evidence of a discussion with Harbaugh.  No smoke.  Nothing.  People have always simply assumed that there was a discussion because nobody could possibly be stupid enough to not try and hire him.  Turns out, Brandon is actually stupid enough. 

gustave ferbert

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:58 PM ^

because after he was basically purged from the athletic dept. after the book came out, he mentioned on "Off the field" that all Harbaugh could talk about was Michigan before the Rich Rod firing.  Then he took the job offered by the 49ers.  Bacs made it seem that the disconnect was so strange.  

 

I happened to believe Bacon on this one. 

UAUM

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:23 AM ^

DB just started a huge expansion project that will run through about 2019--I can't see him leaving before then. And the new President has no background in athletics and frankly doesn't understand why we spend so much on athletics or how athletics helps the University. That's what so many people in the public don't get. If DB is fired, the President isn't likely to go out and hire a big name AD or coach.

LJ

September 23rd, 2014 at 10:33 AM ^

What makes you think that the President "doesn't understand why we spend so much on athletics or how athletics helps the University?"  One single thing he said about athletics not being part of the University's mission statement?

LJ

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^

Though he was gone before its completion, the Michigan Stadium expansion was all him.  It was done in fall 2010, less than a year after he left.  IIRC, he didin't leave until the Crisler rennovation was finalized (as far as planning) either.  BM wasn't perfect, but one of his big successes was getting our outdated facilities back into shape.

Alton

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:27 AM ^

Let's be realistic about the timelines, though.  If Michigan hires either Mr. Manuel from Connecticut or Mr. Bates from Boston College, the search/vetting will take a minimum of a couple of months and either one would more likely than not insist on serving out the remainder of the academic year at their current school.  Athletic Directors are not like coaches, who are almost always willing to pack up and move at a moment's notice.

I wouldn't think a realistic timeline would get us a new athletic director actually installed into the offices on State Street before June 30, 2015.

 

teldar

September 23rd, 2014 at 10:15 AM ^

I don't know that I believe they would want to serve out the remainder of the school year. If they are offered a job at a school which was a football school for years, i think the calendar shifts to being a football calendar. They need to make a decision based on the the ability to make a coaching decision at the end of the football season. If they are not planning on making any major changes at the schools they are at, I would think they would be willing to move more quickly than the end of the academic year.

I could be completely off, however.

 

Alton

September 23rd, 2014 at 10:48 AM ^

It's just that when I see Athletic Director hires, it is not a week-long process like a head coaching hire often is.  It's more like a University President hire--long application process, extensive vetting, interviews, arrangements being made, ensuring that the outgoing AD is let go "by the book," etc.

If a new AD needs to hire a new football coach (which is clearly the only reason to accelerate the timeline), obviously the new AD pretty much needs to be in place by November 30 or so, in order to get out in front of the coaching change process.  That's a pretty quick timeline--less than 10 weeks from today.  I guess it's hard to see that happening.  If the new AD isn't in place until January 1, it is likely too late.  You can't fire a coach before you have settled into your office, set up your people in the key positions, made a "formal review" of the situation, etc.

This changes if there is an "in-house" person set up as interim AD, but it's hard to see who you might find in house without ultimate loyalties with the Carr/Brandon/Hoke faction.  Carol Hutchins or Red Berenson come to mind, but I'm sure they have enough on their plate that they wouldn't even agree to a 6-month term as Interim AD.

Avon Barksdale

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:29 AM ^

This Henson fellow must not realize THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOOTBALL TEAM is winning out to the tune of a 12-2 season and delightful Orange Bowl victory over the likes of the undefeated BYU Cougars. #Sarcasm #Hopeful #ButNotHappening  

wayneandgarth

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:50 AM ^

And this quote in reference to Manuel and Bates (like the sound of it).  Don't honestly know the guys but if it is true that Bo would have endorsed, that is obviously good enough for me and I'm sure all of us.

 

Yes, the days are dark in Ann Arbor for Michigan football, but it appears Bo’s boys are coming home to right the ship. 

tbeindit

September 23rd, 2014 at 9:51 AM ^

The Brand.  The Brand.  The Brand.  You can go into Pizza Hut or Hungry Hoies, but you'll work for a contract.  You'll never work for The Brand again.

Hannibal.

September 23rd, 2014 at 10:03 AM ^

Can anyone think of a precedent for this situation to draw experience from?  I'm talking about a situation where you have a coach who is a dead man walking and an athletic director that has pissed off the fan base, 90% of whom are primed for a bloody coup detat if that's what it takes.  I can't think of any other situations like this off the top of my head.  I have never seen an athletic director so wildly misaligned with his fan base before and I have never seen an AD so outwardly incompetent.  Combine that with the bumbling of Bill "sailboat" Martin and you have an extremely irritated and cynical fan base that is ready to storm the Bastille after 7+ years of unbelievable incompetence.  It feels like uncharted territory.