Korn Ferry timing - when were they hired?

Submitted by Wendyk5 on

Just checked out Twitter this morning, and every sports outlet I follow is reporting that we hired Korn Ferry to help in the coaching search. Didn't we already do that? Why is it being reported today? If we did just hire them, is there any significance to the timing? 

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Moe

December 12th, 2014 at 10:41 AM ^

They probably were hired immediately, and just now the information has been leaked.  They DID NOT hire them this morning, and Korn Ferry has already been working on this.

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814 East U

December 12th, 2014 at 10:44 AM ^

Also I think Hackett's excuse that he did not want to waste time catching up a firm not familiar with Michigan was extremely lazy and unfounded. Any firm would "catch up" very quickly with the time and money involved. Michigan is moving at a snails pa e anyway for JH or whatever reason. The Michigan Man "thing" is alive and well. I'm not saying all hope is lost because if JH come then who cares? I just wish Hackett went a different direction.

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814 East U

December 12th, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^

Just to hire a firm that has no ties to the immediate past that has connections to the Brandon and Hoke hires. Again, I realize UofM does the hiring but Hackett wants to abolish the Michigan Man mantra and then hires a Michigan Man to save some time explaining about Michigan?

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michgoblue

December 12th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^

I can see your point about wanting no tied to the AD past, but if this is a respected firm, and they do have some institutional knowledge of Michigan, I don't see the problem. Whomever else is hired will have to spend valuable time learning some background on our program, getting the lay of the political landscape, etc in order to do the best job. Why not use someone who already has that knowledge and who can start from day 1 executing on Hackett's game plan. Also, from what we have heard, the firm didn't hire or even select Hoke. Brandon just used them to act as intermediate to Hoke's agent.

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814 East U

December 12th, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^

I know KF is qualified. I just don't buy the waste valuable time. These firms are paid to catch up quickly so I believe a different firm could grasp what Michigan is and about very quickly. Also, a new perspective may allow for a couple candidates the same old firm would not necessarily engage with.

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sierragold

December 12th, 2014 at 11:27 AM ^

1. Harbaugh is Option #1. I would like to think that the Insiders at the U of M know a little more than we do without all of the speculation and that they do have more information than we do.

I would like to think that they have some idea of Jim Harbaughs interest in the Michigan coaching job.

I would like to think that based on this information they are doing what is necessary to secure Jim Harbaugh, or the next candidate based on what they "Know" and what is not speculation as it is everywhere else.

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Danwillhor

December 12th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^

If they were JUST hired and not in conjunction with an already hired firm. That would, IMO, be bad news on the Harbaugh front (obligatory now). Overall, it could be bad on a few fronts. I just don't want to dismiss the impact of Caroll saying what he did yesterday. A rival, someone you hate professionally (and maybe personally) has the power to make you listen & act more passionately than a loved one's words. Pete may have just helped the NFL cause as he wouldn't be in the same division but he wouldn't look like he's tucking tail and running either. I don't know why but Jim seems like a guy that can't appear to be running from anything no matter what. It's a big reason why I'm still skeptical of getting him. I think he likely thinks of it as him failing & finding a reason to go back to an environment where he is easily a top 2-3 guy coming in cold. I think the challenge, as he sees it, is not there and would rather build a bad NFL team. He couldn't be more wrong, IMO. Going back to CFB and resurrecting Michigan would be a feat far harder/meaningful than anything he could do with a non-contender NFL team. One is drafting well, getting FAs with cash & the other is changing a culture while having to get players to want to play for you in that effort. Much harder, IMO. If we just hired a firm......ehhhh.....I don't think it's good for our "a list" options (Jim, Les, Mullen, Stoops, etc). Then again, I'm a rambling idiot right now due to not feeling well. I don't even know what I'm saying ha.

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LSAClassOf2000

December 12th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^

I would imagine that announcing it today probably does not coincide with the time they were contacted. Actually, in Hackett's presser regarding the firing of Hoke back on the 2nd, he alluded to the search firm then, and while I could be wrong, that said to me that they were either already on board or about to be. I believe their CEO is a Michigan alum too, and we've used them in the past, as have the Detroit Pistons and, not surprisingly, Steelcase. 

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Danwillhor

December 12th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^

So this firm, as far as you know/can comfortably assume, is the firm Hackett was referring to? I assumed so but had no factual idea. If not, I'd just speculate that things aren't going how we thought they would with the hypothetical other firm. That said, again, I'm on do many meds right now I'm not sure this isn't a dream haha.

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Danwillhor

December 12th, 2014 at 12:01 PM ^

was his own search firm. He conducted double blind opinion tests, earplugs mandatory audible resume' differential tests and the all important smug "I've got this on lock" presser updates. He flew to Baton Rouge to do nothing but eat some gumbo. He flew to the bay area only to tell jumpers on the GGB to "stop drinking & get a life". He firm'd it up so hard, guys. He deserved that raise afterward.

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Blue Noise

December 12th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^

Total non news everyone on Twitter is making a big deal out of because it presents another great "let's all laugh Michigan" moment.
Note: this is not a shot at OP, as this is certainly worth discussing. I just think it's nothing we should be worried about. We all knew Hackett was going to hire a search firm, for better or for worse; today's release is that we're signing a check for them.

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sierragold

December 12th, 2014 at 10:52 AM ^

We are all "PRETTY SURE" that Michigan's #1 Choice is Harbaugh.

We are all pretty certain that we will not know anything at least until the end of the NFL season is finished.

We know that Jim Harbaught has not said 'No" to being a candidate for the Michigan Coaching job. He could have said this using alot less words than he used in the press conference.

We know that Leaders eat Last !!!!!!!

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jaysvw

December 12th, 2014 at 10:58 AM ^

It's all about the timing.  If Hackett hired them back at the start of all this, no big deal.  However if this is a situation where they actually just hired them within the past day or two that looks pretty bad.  That would mean that all of the chatter about people getting contacted has been BS and we are really at the start of this instead of nearing a conclusion.  

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sierragold

December 12th, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^

If Michigan is writing the check today.

Maybe there is a handshake or verbal agreement with Harbaugh and the U of M and their search is complete.

Done!

HARBAUGH COMING HOME!

Just a thought!

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Clarence Beeks

December 12th, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^

The answer to why the media is reporting on this is in this thread. This is the most educated group on what goes on with Michigan and there are a ton of posts expressing that they didn't know about something that's been known here since the very beginning of the process. Of that many people here don't know it, I certainly am not surprised that the media is acting like it's news.

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MichiganMan_24_

December 12th, 2014 at 11:25 AM ^

I got the update "UM hires Korn Ferry" my heart dropped because i was like "Who the fk is Korn Ferry and where is he from" and i just thought idk if he can coach but his name makes this bad, real bad.

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BucksSuck

December 12th, 2014 at 11:39 AM ^

Didn't any of you numbnuts listen to Hackett's press conference?  He said they were working on picking a search firm.  Which unless he lied he said he was in the process of hiring a search firm.  Everybody needs to Keep Calm and Go Blue.

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Wendyk5

December 12th, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^

I would think that if you intended to hire a search firm, you'd want them in there at the beginning of the process to help bring forth all the candidates who you would then whittle down. I had heard the name Korn Ferry connected to the search at least a week ago, either on this board or in an article, so when I saw the furious Tweeting this morning, it seemed odd to me that they're officially putting it out there now. 

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sierragold

December 12th, 2014 at 1:26 PM ^

Are you thinking that maybe JOHN HARBAUGHT instead of Jim.

I disagree, fans have been asking for Jim Harbaugh for years. He is the right guy for the job. We need a Coach with a little bit of Fire Burning inside.

He's VERY HIGHLY talented COACH. He has passion. Loves Football. Loves Michigan. Loved Bo. Some fans may have an issue, they do not speak for all of US. I think this time it is being said VERY LOUDLY we want Harbaugh, it has been said before.

Personally: MIKE HART OWES HIM AN APOLOGY, STILL.

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sierragold

December 12th, 2014 at 11:43 AM ^

We know the longer this takes the better.

Why would anyone be concerned with the search firm? If the U of M is doing everything it can to get Jim Harbaugh.

Again, this is "NOT" breaking news. I knew this name on December 4, 2014.

 

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Dr. Explosion

December 12th, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^

Jed's high profile placements include New York Jets GM John Idzik; Mark Murphy, CEO of the Green Bay Packers; Larry Scott, Commissioner of the Pac-12; Bob Bowlsby, Commissioner of the Big 12; Dave Brandon and Brady Hoke, the athletic director and the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines respectively.

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matty blue

December 12th, 2014 at 12:21 PM ^

we hired who?  when did we hire them?  why didn't we announce this earlier?  does that mean harbaugh?  not harbaugh?  what does stephen ross think?  how about shemy?  i think it means we got harbaugh.  or that we don't.  or we do.  why do we need a search firm anyway?  it must mean that harbaugh's not coming.  or that he is.

there, that should about cover it.

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alum96

December 12th, 2014 at 12:27 PM ^

They were hired by Texas for the search last year ($266K), they were hired by USC for the Sark hire last year, they were hired by KC for Andy Reid search, they were hired by PSU for O'Brian search etc.

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UofM626

December 12th, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^

Hiring someone tells me that maybe Harbaugh is not interested. Thinking here is that Michigan is looking elsewhere. This is not encouraging and I hope I am wrong

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