Michigan and director of football operations part ways

Submitted by 814 East U on

It has been reported that Michigan and their director of football operations, Nolan Jones, have parted ways. I found this odd since M just hired him last year. 

Is there more to this or does this happen a lot? I don't know anything about the job description of a director of football operations at a major university such as M.

http://coachingsearch.247sports.com/Article/Coaching-Transactions-Coach…

hart20

March 3rd, 2014 at 11:02 PM ^

at the hands and feet of Denard. Have you seen anything in the past 2 seasons that inspires confidence in you that this staff will succeed at the highest levels? I want to believe in this staff so badly but the vast incompetence that we've seen plainly discredits any of the unbridled optimism that seems unjustly prevalent. 

Mr. Yost

March 4th, 2014 at 7:34 AM ^

You say it's not...but you don't say why. Do you think another coach could've did significantly better with the guys we had the past 2 years? It's not like we've been filling the NFL Draft but haven't seen it on the field. Hoke's core players were Freshmen, RS Freshman, and Sophomores last year. This year they're a year old and a year more experienced and we've got guys like Peppers coming in replacing...NO ONE. Because in a lot of places...we didn't lose anything. In fact, OL, WR and DT are the only positions where we lost anything. That alone is a sign of a young team. This year...we better be in the hunt for a B1G Championship. Next year...A National Championship. But for anyone to look at our roster the past 2 years and suggest we should've been better is crazy. 2 years ago we started a guy at QB who was playing that season at wide receiver against OSU and a top SEC team. Think about that. OSU's starter gets hurt this year and they have the best backup in the B1G in Guiton to fill in. South Carolina's starter gets hurt and they have the best backup in the SEC in Thompson to fill in. We lose ours...we go to a WR one year and a true Freshman with no experience the next. That alone tells you how far back we were. And neither team had Braylon Edwards, Mike Hart or Mario Manningham/Adrian Arrington to bail out the freshman.

Blueisgood

March 4th, 2014 at 10:02 PM ^

Why should I be sold on an 11-2 record in year 1 with guys that are not his? So far with his guys, it hasn't been peachy. I'm not saying he's not going to be the guy, but he's got alot of winning to do to make me a believer. We're in year 4, its time to start winning. The last guy got 3 years. 11-2 gives him a little more room, but the record needs to be back in the same area this year, battling for a big ten title.

BlueCube

March 3rd, 2014 at 11:30 PM ^

I heard part of an interview of a MSU player after the Illinois game and the player was saying that there was finger pointing amongst the players. I missed who it was and hoped I would see it again.

I think those who think MSU is going to make a tournament run are missing that there is a lot of turmoil on this team. I think it's going to be a short run in the B1G and NCAA tournaments.

SWFLWolverine

March 3rd, 2014 at 10:06 PM ^

I have not seen this posted yet, but upon scrolling down on the link

 

 

Tennessee: Former South Florida quarterbacks / passing game coordinator Nick Sheridan has joined the Tennessee staff. Sheridan takes the place of offensive grad assistant Cody Kempt, who recently accepted the wide receivers job at Montana State. Sheridan served as the quarterbacks / passing game coordinator at Western Kentucky in 2012.

Yeoman

March 3rd, 2014 at 10:16 PM ^

"Director of basketball operations" is typically a title given to someone that's an assistant-coach-in-waiting. You work with the staff on game planning and in the film room; you aren't allowed to engage in coaching activities with the players. It's usually the top non-coaching position; you're next in line for an assistant job if someone leaves.

  1. Director of Basketball Operations
  2. Director of Player Development
  3. Director of Video Operations

Football might be different because there are so many assistant jobs available. Basketball's very limited in terms of allowed staff.

JHendo

March 3rd, 2014 at 11:29 PM ^

I know someone who served as Director of Operations for a non-revenue sport at U of M, and that position was primarily as a support and/or administrative personnel. So who knows, the football D.O. may very well have a lot less impact on the team than the title is seeming to lead many to believe...

Yeoman

March 3rd, 2014 at 11:49 PM ^

What all the basketball Director positions have in common (well, I only know this for certain at another D1 school, but I assume it's general) is that while they each have job descriptions involving administration/support and the person is expected to fill that role, they also serve as part of the coaching staff except in their interactions with players, where coaching is prohibited.

But, again, I think that's probably something that evolved in basketball, where there's plenty of revenue to support a larger staff to do all the film and skull-session work but the rules only allow four actual coaches. The rules allow ample staff for football and other sports don't bring in the revenue to support the extra staff, would be my guess.

LSAClassOf2000

March 3rd, 2014 at 10:33 PM ^

I don't think it has even been ayear actually since he was hired, so I would be extremely curious as to what precisely prompted the partng of ways, as some are terming it. We might know more in the next few days, I assume. Still, Jones' job was basically to manage daily operations for the program, so I have to wonder what went amiss, if anything. 

ThadMattasagoblin

March 3rd, 2014 at 10:47 PM ^

So called "fans" of Michigan confuse me. I remember reading a post on AnnArbor.com of some guy rooting against Michigan back in the day just so they could get rid of RR. I assume people do the same with regards to Hoke.

the Glove

March 3rd, 2014 at 11:32 PM ^

I think Hoke is fantastic and he made the necessary move to be successful. I thought there was no way he was going to get rid of Al after this last season but I was wrong and I praise him for it. I do not consider anyone who hopes that Michigan loses in order to get a new coach is a true fan. I've learned in life there are definitely people I don't like and sometimes those people root for the same team that I do.

maizenbluenc

March 4th, 2014 at 6:44 AM ^

While I agree, and am pleased at the off-season leadership effort to update both offense and defense to compete in modern football, I am wait and see about Hoke and staff's coaching ability after last year.

That said, I totally agree that a person who hopes that Michigan loses in order to get a new coach needs to sit down and seriously think about their fanhood.

For me it is always about the players. In the darkest hours of Michigan football (and we've seen enough of those in the past ten years), I root for the guys who put the work in year round for Michigan football to succeed.

GoBLUinTX

March 3rd, 2014 at 11:41 PM ^

This may come as a disappointment, but the football support staff, of which the director of football operations is part, is headed by the Associate Athletic Director for Football, Bob Lopez.  

Danwillhor

March 4th, 2014 at 8:50 AM ^

We knew what we hired. It was Harbaugh (I don't care what you heard, it was) or bust. When Jim probably laughed and then said "nahh, even if my wife did want to move and I did want to stay in CFB, nahh" we were left with a guy that would take the job even if we were on psu sanctions. Think about what he happily agreed to walk into. His traits were being likeable, a "Michigan Man" when the program wanted one and being an average FB coach. He is more of the general type of coach in that he surrounds himself with people he trusts and are as highly regarded as possible. He trusts them with the game plan and only interferes to call fakes or go for it, etc. He didn't wear a headset because he isn't coaching/scheming once the game starts. Many coaches have had great success with this method! Many. Most of them had enough time to recruit a few full classes, fans that didn't riot when the team was digging out of a ditch, etc. I'll admit that Hoke is about a C+ HC, A-/A recruiter and an A+ guy. He likely won't make it to year 5 without 9+ wins. I'll admit he isn't to the quality of HC befitting Michigan Football, IMHO. He's an average HC running arguably the most historic program in the country and its possible that he was hired just to get the train back on the tracks, so to speak. Hired to literally set the table for the next guy. Don't kid yourself, his tenure here is based on recruiting and the success of his assistants putting them in positions to win. Again, he is a figurehead/General/CEO HC. Whatever you want to call it. That is what he is and he has this next year (IMHO) to prove he can win that way. Is that fair? Given what he walked into, no. Probably not. Yet, coaches aren't given time anymore and especially at a place like Michigan. We knew what we hired. Always remember that WINNING SOLVES EVERYTHING. He is still our HC so, unlikely as it feels right now, he still has the chance to have everyone on his nuts in 5 years from now. We may also have a new HC this time next year. We'll see. Just don't fool yourself about who/what our HC is. It's no secret.

sLideshowBob

March 4th, 2014 at 9:48 AM ^

Beilein had significantly lower expectations and visability.  We want to win basketball, We need to win football.  In many ways Hoke raised the bar by going 11-2 and vastly accelerated the timetable for success from a fan perspective.  He then doubled down by saying it was a "failure" and nothing short of a B1G title is acceptable.  He got everybody on board with his expectation mantra, which is a good thing in my opinion.  Can anybody honestly say that after Mississippi State public spanking that they beleived we would be competing for a B1G within 5 years?  But now we are demanding it.  Anyway, Hoke set that table for himself and now he's got eat.

 

 

TenThousandThings

March 4th, 2014 at 9:18 AM ^

Some may recall that the "Director of Football Operations" position was integral to the Free Press non-scandal in 2008 or whatever. The DFO (Brad Labadie) didn't properly file the paperwork for the hours players spent with the team, resulting in the minor practice-time violations that Michigan self-imposed sanctions for.

So it is not quite as grand a job as it sounds, though it is important that someone do it well. I'll guess it involves a lot of following up with people, "Say, coach/player/employee, have you filed that paperwork yet? We need it by Friday."