Hackett May be Permanent AD

You maybe on to something. 

How this all plays out. If lands the coach who's playing number was 4. I care not if he is a ceo or UTFO(80's) rap artist. 

That's still quite an upgrade. If Hackett stays (for a bit) then helps Schlissel get a competent AD to replace him, we'll be better off. If the "obvious" guys like Bates, Long, and Manuel don't want to come here, nothing we can do. Rather have someone who LISTENS to some people around him and tries to pry away a quality coach (using whatever back-channels are needed) than a new AD (from another school) whom we know NOTHING about and doesn't have a clue about Michigan. Yes, he can learn Michigan but while trying to hire a guy within 4 weeks of taking the job?

I'm starting to get more worried that we hire a fresh AD with a big ego, who does it HIS way, who thinks he has the right guy already in mind and we end up with another Hoke or even Schiano (which would cause many uncontrolled bowel movements on this board). Then we're stuck with the new AD and some Tim Brewster-like clown for 4 more years. 

p.s. I was FOR Schiano in '07 but didn't like what I saw after that, especially being a pinhead who doesn't win big games and angers other coaches (those he does wear a headset).

hard to argue with the money side. Great job and the tix prices were NOT that bad for the quality of product. Plus we could bring in water. 

I also thought Tommy was a nice hire, given we DID NOT KNOW how bad the sanctions would be and Tommy was an up and coming coach. He at least knew when to cut the cord and got Beilein.

The guy just had no understanding of office politics - and it seems the Athletic Dept was rife with schemers and hidden agendas. Martin still ran another business (the one he's owned for years) which took away some focus from cleaning house. 

I go back to a word Schlissel said in October - CULTURE - it was a problem in the AD before DB, during DB, and needs to be cleaned up post-DB. This is like having the military brass actively working to undermine foreign policy because they didn't get the right person (their choice) for Sec of Defense. 

While I have my concerns about this move, I think the Brandon comparisons are off base. Brandon's problem was that he was a gaping asshole with a toxic personality. He was the type of person who thought that not giving a rat's ass about anyone else's opinions (including those of your customers) was a positive character trait. It was that flaw, not his corporate background, that brought about his downfall because his willful tone-deafness alienated the fanbase. He didn't want to hear any opinion that differed from his own so he surrounded himself with yes-men and cronies. There's no indication that Hackett has the same flaw. Bill Martin was a corporate dude whose background was in banking and real estate, and he did a fine job as AD.

The valid concern here is that Hackett has zero experience conducting a high-profile coaching search. Martin had no experience with football coaching searches either, and it's no coincidence that his most notable failure as AD was the Rich Rod hire (though that's offset somewhat by the Beilein hire). 

I'm skeptical of people who have no idea what they're talking about telling me that a third party has no idea on how to do that task. 

Wow... I'm truly getting sick of Corporate CEOs weaseling their way into the Michigan AD... God damnit... 

Just because no AD has yet said "Michigan just offered me the AD job so I am quitting  November 21, with one or two games left int the football season, and just as the winter sports are getting started.  Good luck with the resto f the year." doesn't mean that anyone has turned the job down, or that they haven't been looking.

Regarding Canham, he was a business millionnaire who coached (my coach, yes, I am old).  He had as much experience as an AD as Yost, Crisler or Bo.  Michigan has never hired an AD with experience as an AD, but the great ones were all coaches.  I would substitute AD experience for coaching, but would only want one or the other.

I think one of the negotiating tactics to get Harbaugh here would be to allow Harbaugh to have a say on who will be his new AD. If Harbaugh turns down our job down, then I think Hackett will be here for a while.

I haven't seen anything wrong with how Hackett has handled the position!  I have no issue with him becoming the permanent AD.  If he can deliver Harbaugh or Miles, I think everyone will be fine with him long term.

If either of those don't come, he will have a harder task, but nothing I have seen suggests that he wouldn't be up to the task.