How Warde Handles Coaching Searches [edit: Today's thread for all Harbaugh speculation]
The football coaching search parallels a different coaching search Michigan had for basketball back in 2019. While John Beilein's departure was a surprise to many, in 2018 he gave indications to Warde Manuel that he may be interested in NBA opportunities. Warde Manuel used that information to create a list of potential hires. Something he almost certainly has done for football dating back to last year (or possibly earlier).
Below is a quote, and an MLive link with some info from Warde when Michigan was in the middle of the basketball coaching search.
“I’m always prepared, try to be at least,” he said. “You hope to never have to do anything with it, but you try to prepare and think about next steps and have conversations around what that would look like and who that may be but wasn’t hoping to implement any plans.”
https://www.mlive.com/sports/2019/05/warde-manuel-surprised-by-john-beileins-departure-for-nba-now-looking-for-right-replacement.html
February 1st, 2022 at 8:53 AM ^
Not to take anything away from this OP and the MLive link...
Locking the "Michigan Will be Fine Without Harbaugh" thread while still allowing down voting is brilliant! You would like to think this sends a message to future posters, but one should never underestimate the actions of a knucklehead.
February 1st, 2022 at 8:58 AM ^
To me it looks like people here can't handle discourse so they are hiding behind a downvote button that can't be replied to.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:07 AM ^
The opinion is fine. The problem is it had no facts, new information, and was not posted to have an intellectual conversation. There was wild speculation that assistants and players may think the head coach wasn’t necessary, etc.
if you think this site hides from the truth that harbaugh has disappointed some since his hiring, check out the snowflakes or game thread every time an opponent scores or gets a first down. You can swim for life in the Harbaugh is awful river.
the OP is being a troll. Fuck em
February 1st, 2022 at 9:29 AM ^
The premise of the post was ok, but OP started off with accusatory shots and never let up. It was a hit piece on Harbaugh that was poorly titled. Had he wrote something in the actual post related to the title, he'd have been fine. Perhaps had he titled the post similarly to its content, he would have been fine.
Michigan will be fine if JH decides to leave. We'll have to trust Warde to find a suitable replacement - they do exist. But that isn't different from thousands of other job searches across the country. You try to find the best possible candidate, and then hope like hell they work out. I guess the big question to decide is, A) do you think the program is healthy enough to hire from within, or B) is it time to go outside and start over. That question defines your candidate pool.
I think Harbaugh can win playoff games here. His bad luck with rivals is just that - bad luck. He's had to rebuild Michigan from P5 also-ran to playoff contender at a time when it's rivals were experiencing unparalleled success in their respective program's history. He's tried several different offensive schemes, and the recruit 'types' that go with them, to find something that works in this modern game. When he found it, the defense fell off a cliff and had to be redesigned. He's suffered from an unusual amount of biased hatred against him (why? he's one of the better people in ALL of college sports).
It's not all roses with him. He earned his pay cut last year, and he's had issues with game management and use of personnel (Chris Evans, anyone?). But when he's all-in like he was from 2015-2017, and again in 2021 - the results are spectacular! (No, I don't believe he was all-in from 2018-2020...)
Will it suck if he bolts? Absolutely it will. Are there coaches as good as he is? Yes, absolutely there are. The world won't end if he decides to go to the NFL. Just make a damn decision, already...
February 1st, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
The premise of the post was ok, but OP started off with accusatory shots and never let up
The accusatory shots he started off with:
I think the season we had this year has made some forget that Harbaugh is 1-5 vs OSU, 3-4 vs MSU, and 1-5 in bowl games. He has brought the program back to respectability. However, his tenure here has not been a resounding success.
Oof, starting off by listing the guy’s actual record, what a shot. Acknowledging this and his reasonable list of coaching candidates are a cold-as-ice, reasonable take, and also why I’m not losing my mind about his potential departure. I 100% get not wanting snowflake opinions getting dedicated posts, as that would clog up the board, but there is nothing controversial about the guy’s opinion. With such a reasonable, prudent take, I’d trust negged OP to do my taxes any year!
February 1st, 2022 at 10:05 AM ^
Not to mention this OaklandInPlay is a total troll poster. He came into existence just to post this.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:02 AM ^
Well, if he is a troll, he knew our board would overreact to a pretty conservative, mostly fact-based, take. I get deleting it for being snowflake material but leaving it open to downvote and ridicule seems a bit myopic if considering Harbaugh’s entire tenure and not just last season. Just my two cents.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:27 AM ^
We handle discourse just fine. Afterward, I usually grab a shower and some waffles. Not much for cuddling.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
If possible, I'd like to see the graphic brought back that shows the number of up and down votes. A post could be -1 giving the appearance that no one really cares one way or the other, but actually has 30 downvotes and 29 upvotes.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:08 AM ^
1. It is perfectly fine for a person to offer their assessment that something (e.g. a message board post) is bad or good without wading into the discourse.
2. There are a lot of "people here" and we come in lots of different shapes and sizes. Many of us handle discourse just fine and just wish the ratio of discourse to crap wash a tad bit higher.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:21 AM ^
Boo hoo. Some comments aren't worthy of response, but are worthy of a downvote.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:48 AM ^
"Locking the "Michigan Will be Fine Without Harbaugh" thread while still allowing down voting is brilliant!"
My thoughts exactly. By doing it this way the idiot shit-posters basically get put in a pillory like the good old days when everyone in the village could take a shot at the offender until they felt they had extracted their appropriate pound of flesh. I really hope that is used a lot more often in the days and weeks to come because if we have a regime change the volume of shit posts will make the glory days after the OSU win seem like nothing.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:27 AM ^
To visualize your comment:
February 1st, 2022 at 9:02 AM ^
This is…underwhelming.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:11 AM ^
He'll be Warde's top choice though, it's a carbon copy of the Juwan hire.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:16 AM ^
With the exception of not being a first round NFL draft pick, having a lengthy NFL career, and being brought up as potential NFL head coach, you are correct. Carbon copy.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^
But, but, but... he played for Michigan, just like Coach Howard!
February 1st, 2022 at 9:14 AM ^
The head coach does not need to be a X&O guru. He needs to be a good manager and recruiter. Goodwin comes across as a good communicator, which is a must for being a good recruiter. How good a manager and team builder he is, you'll never know until he is put in charge of a large organization. I can see Warde giving him a call.
Tom would get a call to find out about Goodwin. He could convince Larry Foote to come as DC.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:51 AM ^
Disagree. Having a HC that is deep in X and O knowledge/theory is very important. The days are gone when the HC could just be a good motivator, program managers, etc., and then delegate game plans to the coordinators.
Day being a very in X/O's of offense makes OSU better than if he were weak in that area. Harbaugh himself is a similar example, but more with run game concepts.
The days of Ogeron types working out are gone. They depend way too much on elite coordinators, who leave when they are successful, and then the program is lost.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:21 AM ^
Oregon won a NC. He could have gone winning more if had been able to keep his coaches -> Not a good manager.
Also, Goodwin seems to be a good a X&O guy in OL and running game. He is just not that sexy OC or DC coach that are hyped. The fact that he was one of the first hires by Arians when he came to Tampa and was name interim HC when Arians had to take a medical leave, tells them he has potential.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:58 AM ^
Oregon won a NC.
While Oregon has made two appearances in national championship games, they lost both times, to Auburn and then Ohio State.
Oregon has never won any share of any previous national championship.
February 1st, 2022 at 11:24 AM ^
Unfortunate, almost relevant, autocorrect.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:45 AM ^
Brady Hoke was/is considered an excellent recruiter and communicator. His players loved him. For personal reasons that I won't go into here I am a big fan of his as a human being but it clearly didn't work out with him being a head coach here.
February 1st, 2022 at 8:55 AM ^
Crazy what if scenario…Tom Brady retires from NFL, says he wants to spend more time with his family, I would argue Michigan football is his family. Do you let him take the reigns with no coaching experience?
February 1st, 2022 at 8:59 AM ^
No. If Tom wants to coach, he should do what Jim did.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:03 AM ^
Tom has never given any indication that he wants to pursue a career in coaching. If he is retiring now to spend more time with his family, coaching would be the absolute worst choice he could make, and he isn't dumb.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:05 AM ^
Brady is transitioning to business. He is going to be a media-entertainment guy.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:09 AM ^
Anything to get away from the ‘ole ball in chain super model wife.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:31 AM ^
Somewhere in this world, someone is tired of her shit.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:38 AM ^
Brady has never coached a meaningful down of football in his life. And if the guy wants to spend more time with his family, then getting into major college coaching is probably the last job he should ever take on.
Like someone else mentioned, Brady is probably going to go the business / entertainment route. He is a huge, nationally known brand and is one of the most famous, recognizable, and accomplished athletes in American history. He will leverage that to continue building his own brand.
He's not a guy that I can see sitting in a TV booth doing analysis or commentating. I could see him doing some occasional and unofficial ambassador work on Michigan's behalf, maybe occasionally show up at a big alumni event or to a handful of games, but he's not going to coach this team.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
Jesus, this place really is a cesspool during controversial times.
February 1st, 2022 at 10:00 AM ^
Welcome to the internet age, you must be new around here.
/jk
February 1st, 2022 at 9:53 AM ^
My late Grandmother had a great saying for scenarios like this: "wish in one hand, shit in the other and see which gets filled 1st!" Gisele couldn't stand Boston because of the weather, I'm sure she'd be excited about AA. Only time she'll ever be in AA is to visit the kids if they go to M.
February 1st, 2022 at 8:56 AM ^
I am guessing Warde has his candidate ready should Jimmy decide to go to Valhalla, Mn to coach the Vikings. That candidate is someone I have already mentioned and that is Gattis.
And for the love of god, there is a “link” button that allows you to post a clickable link. It looks like a chain link. Please, everyone, learn how to use it.
February 1st, 2022 at 8:58 AM ^
We have seen that act before
Rich Rod
Hoke
I'll pass
February 1st, 2022 at 9:09 AM ^
Gattis is more like Carr than either of those two. Assistant who replaces head coach who left unexpectedly. Expectations were low for Carr.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:30 AM ^
I was illuding to unqualified and a big chance of an impending train wreck
February 1st, 2022 at 9:57 AM ^
Rich Rod was so unqualified that he turned down Bama
February 1st, 2022 at 8:59 AM ^
could we trade the vikings and maybe get thor or odin in return?
not sure how the NCAA would regulate that, but think of what it would do to get our players fired up, and scare the crud out of opposing teams. just sayin'.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:09 AM ^
We did and they came in the form of Hassan Haskins and Aidan Hutchinson. Maybe Harbaugh is the player to be named later.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:00 AM ^
I think it's something like 90 percent at this point that it will be Gattis. Not thrilled with it, but it might work out. I sure hope so.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
If Wardes list has Gattis at the top, he should leave with Harbaugh. If he leaves(which I don’t think he will).
February 1st, 2022 at 8:59 AM ^
Are you telling me a guy whose main job is to hire coaches might have a list of potential hires for coaching positions?!
February 1st, 2022 at 9:11 AM ^
I think it's possible that's what the poster is saying. Not positive, but confident.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:14 AM ^
Then again, maybe he's one of those "I do not plan or prepare"-types of Athletic Directors.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:02 AM ^
Warde’s track record of hiring coaches is exceptional. I am hoping coach Harbaugh returns, but if he doesn’t, I have confidence that Manuel will make another excellent choice.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:03 AM ^
Just hope Warde has his IPad charged fully if a pre contract has to be signed !
February 1st, 2022 at 9:22 AM ^
Hey Warde, no boating trips please.
February 1st, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
::Picturing Warde with a captains sport coat, captains hat, ascot, dark shades, and deck loafers - no socks::
It doesn't fit. I don't think Warde is the boating type...