Michigan Power.

Submitted by MichiganMan14 on

In 2007 Les Miles was the "Homerun" hire and we failed to get him.  In 2011, Jim Harbaugh was the "Homerun" hire and we also failed to get him.  We settled both times and have subsequently seen the worst 7 years of cumulative football in program history.  Everything I'm seeing now is saying that the Harbaughs, Miles and Sumlin are "Pipe Dreams" to coach at Michigan.  This baffles me because I have always been under the impression that Michigan was a powerful program and relative big deal in the world of college football.  That notion needs to be evaluated now.  

 

Michigan currently has a coach that has embarassed it's football to new heights.  Michigan has an AD that is giving away tickets for Coke cans.  We are outfitted by Adidas and most of the apparel is so god-awful ugly that it's immune to purchase.  We cannot fill our stadium anymore and there are active protests of unrest on campus aimed at the dismal state of this program.  Michigan Football has become the laughing stock of College Football.  

 

Where is the Michigan Power?  Why can Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, Florida State, Alabama and Texas A&M all get  "their guy" but Michigan cannot?  Michigan SHOULD be able to get their guy also but the truth is, Michigan does NOT wield enough power to get the man they need to coach the program.  We have to continue to settle for options B and C.  Until Michigan can muster up the strength and power to command option A in a coaching search, things will continue to look bleak in Ann Arbor.  Michigan should not have to "settle" for lesser options in this coaching search because we already have.....twice.  It's time Michigan goes out and gets a sharp, established, eloquent, savvy and intelligent football coach who can represent this University both at the podium and on the sidelines.  Michigan deserves far better than what we have been asked to settle for.  If Michigan truly is a powerful University, then Michigan will go and get and Option A top flight football coach.  They will not ask the fan base to settle again.  

ak47

October 1st, 2014 at 2:30 PM ^

Jesus this post is just delusional.  Texas didn't get their guy this coaching search, alabama had a rought stretch prior to saban, ohio state had to get jim tressel, it's not like he was a high profile hire, florida has had no luck since meyer, miami can't always get their guy.  School tried for years to get peterson from boise state and he never budged, sometimes things don't work out.  In 2007 les was about to coach for a national championship, nobody leaves that situation.  In 2011 we lost to the nfl which is most coaches coaching dream.  Its why saban and harbaugh and chip kelly and pretty much every succesfful dynasty building high profile coach leaves for it.

We also are top five in apparel sales and the second largest sports contract in college football, not sure where you get the unpurchasable items. You really just don't care about reality do you.

MichiganMan14

October 1st, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^

Michigan continues to settle for subpar coaches.  The Adidas apparel is disgusting compared to Nike.  Go to the MDen and see for yourself.  I don't care about being top 5 in apparel sales....that is a product of the size of Michigan's fan base.  The main point here is that some Michigan fans (apparently you) will continue to settle for this subpar coaching and point to apparel sales and revenue as positive signs relative to the program.  We are not capable of beating good football teams now.  We haven't been for 3 years.  Michigan needs to get this hire right.  I don't buy the excuses that you have laid out.  Go get your damn option A like most other powerhouse programs.  Our rivals did it.  Why the hell can't we?  No more excuses....and yes the Adidas branding is a joke.  

Mr Miggle

October 1st, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^

trouble getting that top choices. They're hardly alone. RR was a home run hire in 2007. He wasn't talked about much before the move since no one thought he was on the market. Look no further to see that home run hires don't always work out.  I think you're relying on hindsight to reach your conclusions.

SFBlue

October 1st, 2014 at 2:51 PM ^

Agree re RR.  He had previously turned down Bama, had a tremendous resume.  He was subsequently hired by a power conference.  It did not end up working out, but was a power move. 

The Hoke hire was purely the arrogance of our soon to be former Athletic Director, thinking that the brand would drive results on the field, and not the other way around. 

ak47

October 1st, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^

I'm glad you live in a world that doesn't exist but I pointed out numerous examples of other "top" programs not getting their top choice to show that you are being delusional that thinking because we are Michigan we can get whoever we want when that is not true for a single program in the country.  It also doesn't matter what you think adidas looks like, saying something is immune to sales would mean that it doesn't matter how big the fan base is people wouldn't be buying it and that is obviously not true since we are top 5 in apparel sales.  Obviously I want us to hire a coach that will win but if I lived in your fantasy world I would just go get saban, get sumlin as my oc and qb coach and dantanio as my defensive coordinator because you know why not, we are michigan.  Our rivals can do it (even though that isn't true at all since brain kelly wasn't nd's top choice, jim tressel wasn't osu's top choice when he was hired, al golden wasn't miami's top choice, strong wasn't texas's top choice, the list goes on )  why can't we?

NorthSideBlueFan

October 1st, 2014 at 5:09 PM ^

into the myth and arrogance that just because the school's name is Michigan it is different and better than other mega programs/schools.

Hate to break it to MichiganMan14, but Michigan at it sports core is no different than UT, OSU, USC, UF etc.  Not realizing this fact is what makes you believe the University and by proxy, yourself are speical and better than every other University and the members of their respective fan bases.

ThadMattasagoblin

October 1st, 2014 at 2:36 PM ^

Michigan could get option A if they really tried. We're were stuck thinking that a coach must have ties to the university and we shouldn't pay more than 3 million for him even when other schools were offering 5 million for coaches who were the best at their jobs. Anyone could see how that would fail 10 years ago before it happened

UMfan21

October 1st, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^

Agreed.  We settled because of our tight pocketbooks and a combination of arrogance and obsession to past glory.



What we need is simple:  Someone who is innovative philosophically and comes with equally innovative coordinators on the opposite side of the ball.  I don't care what scheme they run, even if it means rebuilding. You give them free reign to do what they do best, no meddling in film sessions, dictating what they can and can't do, etc.  None of this "Michigan Man" or "man ball" crap.  Just go win as many games as you can...by the rules.  Most importantly you squash any internal factions/squabbling and ensure the coaches have the president's full support. 



When that happens, all of those fans who have been protesting will suddently become the program's most vocal supporters.  The coach will be known as the hero who rebuilt the winningest program back to glory.



 

PeterKlima

October 1st, 2014 at 2:36 PM ^

Your post is premised on a false assumption. There is no indication that anyone at the University thought of Miles as a Home Run hire or Harbaugh as a Home Run hire. Did we settle or get the guys we want? RichRod was a HomeRun hire, not Miles. RR had just turned down Bama and was at the top of many people's wish list.

So, you should re-think your post in light of the fact that it is based on weak and unsupported assumption by you.



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MichiganMan14

October 1st, 2014 at 2:39 PM ^

If RR was such a HomeRun hire....why was it met with such opposition?  Why was RR never comfortable at Michigan?  The way he left WV was very shady and Les Miles was absolutely the "HomeRun hire" in 2007.  Do you think Les would have lost 22 games in 3 years at Michigan?  Hell no he would not have.

PeterKlima

October 1st, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^

What does your love of Miles have to do with whether he was Plan A or a home run hire for the athletic department? Answer: nothing. Your post is based on huge fundamental errors in which you think your opinion is the same as the people making decisions.



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Blue2000

October 1st, 2014 at 3:55 PM ^

If RR was such a HomeRun hire....why was it met with such opposition? 

Because a large faction of Michigan's fanbase was/is stuck in the stone age, and said things like "the spread can't work in the cold."  Look at RR's resume at the time he was hired.  It was stellar.  That he didn't work out here doesn't change the fact that at the time, he was one of the hottest coaching prospects there was.  Nor does the fact Les Miles would have also been a home run.  The two are not mutually exclusive.  

Blue2000

October 1st, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^

If RR was such a HomeRun hire....why was it met with such opposition? 

Because a large faction of Michigan's fanbase was/is stuck in the stone age, and said things like "the spread can't work in the cold."  Look at RR's resume at the time he was hired.  It was stellar.  That he didn't work out here doesn't change the fact that at the time, he was one of the hottest coaching prospects there was.  Nor does the fact Les Miles would have also been a home run.  The two are not mutually exclusive.  

maizenbluenc

October 1st, 2014 at 4:13 PM ^

but the transition required very careful management that was neither Bill Martin's strength, nor something Rich Rod was fully open too.

The problem: in a world that openly shat on that upstart spread offense, and was used to Lloyd Carr (one of the best spoken head coaches in the business) - a good 'ole boy West Virginian spread innovator was always going to face heavy resistance from the inner circle.

The other problem: Rich was very abrupt in how he handled the transition.

If in the transition he was positioned as a Nehlen deciple (i.e., in the Bo coaching tree), and his offense was positioned as the innovative modern version of Bo's option offense (before Harbaugh): how much better would that have been? If he hadn't fired everyone before re-hiring many (most?) back, and even retained part of the defensive coaching staff until Casteel could come: how much better off would that have been?

Both sides blew the shift - and the key stakeholders in the base started throwing up.

Thus Michigan hired the hot coach of 2007, and it was a total disaster.

PasadenaFan

October 1st, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^

Michigan is BIG TIME.  Largest stadium, most wins etc.

Problem is these former MICHIGAN guys are doing BIG TIME already.

It's up to the AD (or lack thereof), to land one of these guys.  I do believe that LES or JH wants to come back and cement their legacy.

I know I could close such a deal for one of them.  I think Brandon has got to much ego to accomplish it.

We either go for one of these established guys, or get a young guy that knows his stuff.  (not middle of the road older guy that used to coach at UM).

Had the AD worked with RichRod and hired in Mattison, etc. Michigan may be looking pretty good right now.  Our D was the issue.

Frankly, I'm not against elevating NUSS.  He knows his stuff.

MichiganMan14

October 1st, 2014 at 2:41 PM ^

Are we not powerful enough to make those two coaches an offer that they cannot resist.  Is Michigan football not a bigger draw than LSU or A&M.  These are my points.   Michigan should be able to go get these guys.  It shouldn't have to be a trip to the dentist to get the right guy in Ann Arbor.  

MDwolverine

October 1st, 2014 at 2:52 PM ^

The reality of the situation is that no school pulls coaches from those types of positions. For some reason people always want to assume that people will just jump ship for the slightest improvement in "prestige" but it rarely happens.



Name the last time a coach left a top 25 type program for another top 25 type program (aside from Kiffin to USC and I'll grant you Sarkesian to USC if that counts).

ken725

October 1st, 2014 at 2:58 PM ^

IMO, I would say Michigan is powerful enough and Michigan should be able to go get those guys.

But...my opinion and the opinion of Michigan fans are not the same as people on the outside. Why would someone like Mike Sumlin leave A&M where he is recruiting well and winning? Why would he come here under great pressure and possibly a dysfunctional administration?

We have a habit of looking at things through maize colored glasses. We think plan A coaches should want to come to coach at Michigan, but the reality is it doesn't look so great from the outside.

maznblu

October 1st, 2014 at 7:51 PM ^

Be careful; you might be living in the same "stone age" in which you accuse the administration of living.  Michigan was definitely a powerful program, but in the past.  

Some have argued that the previous hires did not go well because the administration assumed, like you do, that Michigan should be able to simply take our pick and the coach will come running.  As a result, we ended up with Plan D or E.

BlueFab5

October 1st, 2014 at 2:49 PM ^

Ego is the reason neither Miles nor Harbaugh are coaching at Michigan. Lloyd Carr's ego couldn't handle Miles, Lloyd Carr's lackeys couldn't handle RR and Brandon's ego can't handle Harbaugh.

gremlin

October 1st, 2014 at 2:57 PM ^

Or maybe LSU is a nice place to coach.  Maybe the NFL is a nice place to coach.  Or blame it all on Lloyd/Brandon.  Go sign the fire Brandon petition, as it is clearly his fault we don't have Harbaugh/Miles.  LOL.  Delusional.  

BlueFab5

October 1st, 2014 at 4:00 PM ^

Actually Miles may have been the coach if Martin was sailing and Harbaugh may have been the coach if people could have kept their mouths shut.

The only reason Hoke has a job is because of the ego of those in charge of the Michigan program and the so called "Michigan Man" mentality.

I'm not even sure what the hell that means anymore anyway.  Does it mean you want what's best for the program?  Does it mean to act with integrity?  Does it mean you were part of Lloyd Carr's staff or a football player during his tenure?

gremlin

October 1st, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^

The OP is probably one of the multitude of people who signed the fire Brandon petition because he/she thinks Brandon is responsible for not getting Harbaugh/Miles.  I hope the OP knows that we will have a much smaller chance of getting a coach like Harbaugh when Brandon is gone, as Brandon has demonstrated willingness to pay (see Coordinator salaries) for top talent that other ADs in the past have not.  Do the Regents/Schissel want to go the Brandon way of paying top dollar, or do they want to return to the past (as well as the past with keeping ticket prices low) of paying very little for coaching talent?  

 

 

MichiganMan14

October 1st, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^

Not petitions were signed in this household.  This OP does know that if Michigan does not get out of the Stone Age,  Michigan football will be something that we won't see for a very long time.  Go get a coach that deserves the Michigan position. That is all.

The FannMan

October 1st, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^

We are simply going to have to pay a truck load.  I mean we are going to have to way overpay whomever.  Saban makes 7 million a year.  Come up with that kinda money and go get whomever you want.  End of story.

gremlin

October 1st, 2014 at 2:59 PM ^

And who is going to lead us into paying a truckload?  That was why Brandon was originally a breath of fresh air to many--willingness to pay.  Or we can return to no marketing, etc., and not have the resources to pay a truckload.  

 

Who did Ross back?

 

 

Everyone Murders

October 1st, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^

"Return to no marketing, etc."?  I think that's a bad assumption.  All of Michigan's ADs in memory marketed the program.  Some were great, some not so much, but marketing is part and parcel of the job.  For example, Don Canham is generally considered the gold standard of modern era ADs, and he revolutionized marketing.  You don't have to choose between someone who understands marketing and someone who understands athletics.  There are people out there who understand both and how to blend both.

Put another way, the fact that Brandon "markets the program" is not what makes so many dislike him.  It's the fact that he simultaneously (A) isn't very good at marketing the program while (B) being a condescending douche to people that question his marketing choices.

The FannMan

October 1st, 2014 at 4:07 PM ^

No fight here.

I didn't say that we are going to do that.  I meant that we needed to if we were going to try to land an "A list" coach or throw the Harbaugh Hail Mary.  Without tons of cash, I think we are going to be looking at MAC coaches with 50%ish win-loss records and praying to get lucky.  I mean, if the money is about the same, why leave a place like Stanford or Okie State or even Mississippi State to come and take over this dumpster fire?

I should've been a bit clearer.  

Soulfire21

October 1st, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

We did get "our guy".  Hoke was "our guy".  That's the problem with the leadership in the athletic department.  They think we should be trying to recreate the 70s and 80s.

Perkis-Size Me

October 1st, 2014 at 3:05 PM ^

It's a simple concept. If you pay MAC-level money, expect to get a MAC-level coach. Hoke is a good guy, but Michigan is getting exactly what it paid for. We've got just as much money, if not more money than any of the school's you've listed. We just need to decide to spend it. Bama is spending unholy amounts of money to keep Saban, but ask them to do it 100 more times and they'll gladly do it 100 more times, because that investment brings them national titles and several first round draft picks every year.



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Zarniwoop

October 1st, 2014 at 3:30 PM ^

We've seen it two coaching cycles in a row.

We will not get a BIG coach.

We have to hope for a Cam Cameron level guy at best I'm guessing.

It feels like "get a Harbaugh or watch the toilet bowl swirl."

MichiganMan14

October 1st, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^

Our entire program and staff has been sitting out the past 7 years save for a few nice wins in 2011.  The problem is people accepting this level of medicority.  Enough is enough.  Go get a damn football coach capable of beating Minnesota at home.