Has Anyone Ever Asked This Question? Who called Hackett?

Submitted by 303john on

How did Schlissel come up with Hackett? I am sure as heck glad he did.. 

 

It does make you wonder how this all went down? I have heard that back in Sept that Jim had agreed to come. Did Jack Harbaugh start the ball rolling with Moeller and Carr? 

 

If this has been discussed I apologize.. 

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DJ Durkin

January 8th, 2015 at 1:34 PM ^

Hackett was already working in the AD before Brandon was fired. Other than giving a speech when Brandon was fired, Schlissel has done absolutely nothing in this situation. Dave Brandon had his faults, but the wheels had been turning on the "Harbaugh to Michigan" train long before he was ousted as AD. Like a good Corporate CEO, Brandon was thinking two steps ahead and was already making succession plans for himself and Hoke.

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03 Blue 07

January 8th, 2015 at 5:39 PM ^

Please provide a source for your contention that "Hackett was working for the AD" before he was hired as AD. In what way? Formally? If so, this should be easily verifiable with a link of some sort. If by "working for the AD," you mean being a booster of UM athletics, generally, then that is completely different. But if, as your prose suggests, Hackett was in fact an AD employee--therefore DB's employee- before DB's departure, please provide it. Otherwise, please consider ceasing the spread of unverifiable conjecture as fact.



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DJ Durkin

January 8th, 2015 at 1:50 PM ^

I'm not saying he is responsible for the entire process, but certainly had succession in place. Any CEO is taught to have a succession plan. Considering that he has been very successful as a CEO and always leaves corporations better than he received them, I don't think it's pure coincidence that Hackett was already working in the AD and he managed to get Harbaugh the first day of availability.

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umumum

January 8th, 2015 at 2:00 PM ^

there are alot of assumptions in there that are contrary to virtually all other sources--particuarly Brian/this site.  

"Hackett ... was working in the AD".  Not sure what this means.  He definitely wasn't working in the Athletic Department or with Brandon.  Did he have connections?  Certainly.

You seem to be implying that Brandon had already started recruiting Harbaugh.  I have seen this nowhere.  [and the defending-Dave Brandon-ship sailed long ago].

And, finally, you have zero idea what Schlissel did or didn't do in the search process.  If so, play share.  We do know that he authorized a pretty big financial committment--something Hackett couldn't do on his own.

 

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FrankMurphy

January 8th, 2015 at 1:45 PM ^

According to "Maize Blue Nation", it was Stephen Ross who recommended Hackett to Schlissel (LINK; buried at the end). I hadn't heard of this site before the latest coaching search, so I don't know how reputable it is.

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TennBlue

January 8th, 2015 at 3:08 PM ^

Schlissel was on board with the Harbaugh hire fairly early on, but he would have had no idea who a good choice for interim AD would be.

 

This was all very tightly planned and carefully orchestrated. Hackett was obviously chosen for his connection to the Harbaugh family, and Ross suggesting him is certainly plausible. There was obviously a lot of negotiating going on with multiple parties before Schlissel pulled the trigger on Brandon, as Hackett clearly implied at the very start that a major coach was in the works and wouldn't be avaiable until after Christmas.

 

 

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ChicagoGangViolins

January 8th, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^

 
President Schlissel conferred with major donors of spermatozoa at the medical school in connection with engineering Mr. Ross' super baby in vitro love child project code name "Harbaugh" (because obviously). But nobody bothers to tell me about such things, so I am merely speculating.
 

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Danwillhor

January 8th, 2015 at 6:19 PM ^

The fans, alums, etc wanted one man to be the next head coach. That was the only reason for the hiring of Hackett, IMO. I'd guess that people "in the know" regarding Hackett, his relationship with the Harbaugh family, personality, negotiating ability, etc had POTUM's phone ringing off the hook. I'd genuinely guess that alums "in the know" flat out told POTUM what everyone wanted and who to hire to have the best shot to get him. I'm sure the pres listened as he knew very little about football let alone the labyrinth that is the UM Football Program. Hackett was more or less a very competent hired gun, IMO. He did his job, he seems to get what alums and fans want in an experience & expectations. I know he'll be on the job until after the season next year but I think he's earned it. However, HOW he came to UM is very likely an Occam's razor question: We wanted Jim, power alums knew who could get him, told the very uninformed President who to hire to give the best chance to make everyone happy/look good & it was done.

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GWUWolverineFan

January 8th, 2015 at 8:10 PM ^

From what I have heard from some former players I work with it was a recommendation by Ross as well as him being known from prior involvement with the University (post playing days)

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Sven_Da_M

January 8th, 2015 at 8:29 PM ^

... and it is probably THE question in the entire HC search.

At this point, all I'll venture to say is that no one who knows is talking and no one who is talking knows.

And as far as the tangential point that Jim Harbaugh knew in September or whenever that he was coming to Michigan, (a) I don't believe it; (b) It strains credulity, and (c) it is hard to watch his performance at the news conference and the halftime talk at the Illinois game and think that this didn't come together in the waning days of 2014.

Come together as in "final decision," not agreeing to some broad outline of the terms.

Hackett made it all seem 99% about Harbaugh, and maybe 1% about him.  And that's about as anti-Brandon as you can get.  And thank goodness some UM faithful connected Schlissel with Hackett.  Otherwise, we could be still looking for a permanent AD and holding out for Les Miles...

Schlissel did something very important and very rare.  He sought out good people for advice, and then he listened.

 

 

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megaswami

January 8th, 2015 at 9:11 PM ^

The sign of a great leader is someone who is not afraid to accept ideas from others an us them because they are better then their own. If you don't know how to do something or lack the knowledge to do effectively, you have to put the people who do in leadership positions. Schlissel has done that.



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diag squirrel

January 8th, 2015 at 8:55 PM ^

How many UM former players, highly successful, nearing professional retirement, *that are friends with Jack Harbaugh* are there?

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