Possible Replacement Coaches
There have been tons of posts about whether or not Michigan should fire RR. That is not the topic of this post. My question for the board is this:
IF Michigan does choose to fire RR at the end of this season, who are the realistic candidates to replace him? Not a wish list, but who is realistically out there that would want to leave their current job to come to Michigan?
I know that the popular candidate on this board, and everywhere else, seems to be Harbaugh. But, is there any reason to believe that he would come here?
Just curious what everyone thinks . . .
November 1st, 2010 at 10:25 AM ^
How about Bill Parcells :)
November 1st, 2010 at 10:27 AM ^
ugh. hate this thread.
List
Jim Harbaugh - May come since he played here.
Kyle Whittingham - Young, proven winner
Gary Patterson - Won't leave TCU
Chris Peterson - Won't leave Boise
Gus Malzahn - Hasn't been a head coach - runs one hell of an offense though
Dan Mullen - Hasn't coached long, but may be good.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:30 AM ^
Wittingham isn't young - he's 50.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^
I'm sure there are a few 50 year old on this board that are now willing to fist fight you.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^
50 year olds know how to use the internets?
November 1st, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^
Yes. It just takes them longer.
/s
November 1st, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^
Al Gore is 62. I think he invented it.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:24 AM ^
For coach age, he's not young!
November 1st, 2010 at 11:13 AM ^
suppose that depends on your perspective - he would look pretty young to PSU fans, and many other people for that matter
November 1st, 2010 at 11:18 AM ^
he's still a fetus.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:45 AM ^
Gus Malzahn is a very interesting idea. HE would fit the personnel
November 1st, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^
is someone who has never been a head coach at any collegiate level, only been in the college game for 5 or so years and is purely an offensive expert. That would be an even larger recipe for disaster. So get that thought out of your head now.
Basically as someone up above pointed out, our coach next year will either be Rich or Jim. That said, for the love of God, Rich, please beat Illinois and Purdue to make this stop!!!
November 1st, 2010 at 10:27 AM ^
Am I the only one here who remembers how Jim Harbaugh threw his alma mater under the bus, inspired Jim Carty's hit job on UM football in the process, and has a DUI arrest to his name? As good a coach as he may be, I'd much rather wait for RR to succeed, which I still do believe should happen. Damn if I'm not jaded as hell though.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
You are not the only one that remembers what Jim Harbuagh has said about Michigan. I wonder after his comments why people think he still wants to come back. It's sad, he was my favorite player growing up, but I will never cheer for him or his teams again even if they are playing MSU or OSU.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:49 AM ^
one, desperate circumstances like the one we are in usually makes people look the otherway.
We have sucked for a while, and may not be a good team next year. Which top coaching candidates would want to come here? We have a guy who turned STanford into a powerhouse. Besides, there is a little truth in what he said. And he can say it because he has run a clean program with high academic restrictions at Stanford, and still won.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^
I understand there may be some truth in what he said, but why make it into a public forum. He knows enough people in the program, talk to some higher ups and do something about it. He called out in public, the entire University. You don't do that with a school you love. Just my opinion.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:27 AM ^
And why did he wait until after Bo went home to do that? That was a very classy move on his part.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:13 PM ^
(This seems particularly relevant, given last week's discussions about the underappreciation of Mo...)
If the school already fired the heir-apparent to Bo because he got drunk in public and was therefore "no longer fit to lead young men," why would the same school turn to a petulant man with a DUI arrest on his record and a history of throwing his alma mater under the bus?
November 1st, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
is there any reason to believe that he would come here?
About as much reason as one had to believe that Roy Williams would leave Kansas to go to North Carolina, but only if Roy Williams had also grown up in Chapel Hill. So to answer your question, yes.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
The resume of any potential replacement coach would indicate 2 things:
- experience with the spread offense (don't stop this train now)
- ability to bring in 5 upperclass DB transfers that excelled at their previous schools and somehow want to play at Michigan now.
That's really all that's gonna work.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:29 AM ^
I'll stick with my original choice: Dan Mullen. Only 38 years old, took over an awful program at Mississippi State and has been an outstanding recruiter and he has single-handedly turned the program around. Mullen coached with Urban at Utah, Bowling Green and Florida. And he can bring Manny Diaz with him -- young DC with Florida ties (FSU Alum).
November 1st, 2010 at 10:38 AM ^
I hadn't thought about him, but that's a good suggestion. '
His success at Mississippi State makes you wonder how much he was responsible for Urban's success.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
Yeah, he focused primarily on the QB's: Alex Smith, Josh Harris, Chris Leak, Tebow. Honestly, he is a hell of a coach -- he won't last long at Miss State. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't plucked up soon, especially after Miss State's back to back solid seasons and now a win over Florida (at The Swamp).
November 1st, 2010 at 11:12 AM ^
I was thinking about Manny Diaz too.
The thing about Mullen is he's only been at schools that have low academic standards and lax off-field discipline standards. Diaz too.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
IF this were to happen, I wouldn't underestimate Brandon's ability to target a good coach and recruit him hard.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^
Anyone know if Brandon owns a boat?
November 1st, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
Bo Fielding Crilser should be the coach
November 1st, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
And for the DC position how about his younger brother, Lloyd Moeller. Seriously people, enough with the Harbaugh talk. He is already said that he is not lookin for a job, and he has a chance to take over the PAC whatever now that USCheaters is in trouble. He can feild great teams without ever having to leave California. Why would he come to fractured fanbase that does not have the patience to see a product through its entire development cycle. Now is time to hold the rope, and cast our gaze back at the long blue line and see that our beloved program is one of tradition. The interesting thing is that tradition is not made in a couple of years. It is built over decades/ generations, what we need is to have patience. All in for Michigan, all in for RichRod.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^
My favorite candidates are:
Pat Fitzgerald
Jim Harbaugh
Gary Patterson
Kyle Wittingham
Chris Petersen
Conventional wisdom is that Harbaugh is the only guy who would be interested, but I disagree with the covnentional wisdom.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
I'll believe it when I see it in regards to UM hiring outside the family again. That being said, if a new hire is needed, Jim Harbaugh is the only inside the family candidate who would not make me cringe. I don't think Les Miles is a realistic possibility anymore, and i'll just leave it at that.
As far as the in the house coaches that would make a large part of the fan base who would make the masses go WTF? Trgovac, Debord, English, Hoke, and Loeffler? I think Trgovac and Hoke would be the most realistic, and Trgovac would make me less likely to hyperventilate.
My personal preference would be to keep Rich around, and have him reach out to a guy like Trgovac to come and be the DC in hopes that a move like that would help with the traditionalists, but the only way I see Trgovac coming here from the NFL is to be the HC. Dave Brandon would probably have to be heavily involved in that as well, to help the old and new mesh well together, but that's why they call them pipe dreams right?
November 1st, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^
I really like Trgovac but I'd rather he come as part of a new staff if it happens. If we keep RR I think we need to go hard for Casteel. Casteel produced some good 3-3-5 defenses (you have to take that with a grain of salt since he mostly had to only worry about looking good against Big East Teams). So bring in Casteel, he'll inherit a defensive that has some experience in the 3-3-5 and returning starters (although many of them will just be sophs). If the defense sucks under him then you have pretty definitive proof the system doesn't meet our needs and we know we have to hit the reset button in some fashion. If he produces a good defense then you pay the man and do you best to keep him forever.
with Trgovac you have this weird hybrid of RR's assistants possibly lingering around and the commitment tot he 3-3-5 which is not the system Trgovac honed his skills with. I worry it would just kind of be a mess.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:51 AM ^
My apologies,I should have stated my pipe dream more clearly. Trgovac would be in charge of the defense, and not just in name only. He would run the scheme, pick the players, and his staff. That would handcuff a lot of RR's power, which is why I think it is a pipe dream.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^
Trgovac in control means Gibson and others are likely gone. I have no idea how RR would react to that. After all RR had a major falling out with WVU over control issues. I have no idea how basically taking the defense away from him would play out.
Due to the low value of his stock right now he might have to bite his tongue and accept it but I worry he'd jump ship later once his stock was high again. If we're going to neuter him we might as well replace him now rather than waiting for him to rage quit or jump to another job later.
November 1st, 2010 at 12:24 PM ^
I think he's a great solution to the current problems on defense which would allow us to retain RR, but why on earth would he, or any other "name" DC, come to M in a year where it would certainly be, at best, a 50/50 proposition that RR would be retained for a 5th year? If Casteel didn't want to uproot his family when several years in AA were certain, why would he do so when it could well be one year and out?
On that subject, how/why did the new coordiators go to Illinois when Zook was perceived to be a lame duck? I know they were imposed on Zook, but does anyone know why they went? That's likely the best analogy.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:38 AM ^
I don't care who coaches this program next year; I have the whole offseason to worry about it. Right now, RR is the coach and this team still has 1/3 of the season to cash in on its promise. I spent 8 months worrying about how this team was going to play and if the coaches are going to stay; let me enjoy the 3+ months of actual football.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:07 AM ^
Damn you, making sense is not allowed this week.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
Harbaugh would crap his pants at the opportunity to coach at Michigan.
SEE
November 1st, 2010 at 10:53 AM ^
And when push came to shove Les Miles chose to stay put.
Harbaugh isn't coming back.
Let's not sound like a bunch of Notre Dame fans who think our coaching job is this wonderful thing.
Michigan Football is radioactive right now. NOBODY with any sense or options wants to touch it.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:03 AM ^
I doubt very much if that's true. I think there are plenty of coaches out there who would jump at the chance.
The problem is the same problem that faces every AD: choosing the right one. Hell, RR may be the right one, but it's getting pretty hard to make that argument with confidence these days.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
We'll get a good coach. Maybe not a great one, but we'll get a good candidate. Every program that fires a coach is theoretically radioactive. Texas, Alabama, Oklahoma -- you name it. But coaches are massively egotistical, highly confident overacheivers. That's why they leave their comfort zones and take chances going to schools where they have to compete for a national championship to be successful.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^
Rich Rodgriguez is the head football coach for Michigan.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:53 AM ^
and that he actually needs to coach the defense. Preemptive insult deflection: look at his defense in his third year. Results and wins are the only thing that matters
November 1st, 2010 at 10:52 AM ^
Recruits read this shit.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:56 AM ^
I'm pretty sure the recruits place a lot more value in on the field performance than some rantings on the message board.
Also any recruit with a pulse had to except the mob to start forming up after PSU. It's not like they are going to shocked to find people complaining after a soul crushing loss.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:54 AM ^
Is there any chance we could keep our Offensive staff, can RR and can the defensive staff? I like the O and I really think it'd work almost just as well with Calivin McGee as it does with RR since CM has been working with him for so long I'd have to imagine he has a pretty good apptitude for a good offense. I know it's not really all that likely but I don't think you should replace all the pieces if some of them are working well.
Also, I'm getting a lot of slack from non UM fans saying our O is just one guy and give 0 credit to solid WR's, solid OL and the development of Denard, lame... (Even when I mention that Tate was tearing Iowa apart they don't even listen.) I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope DHart doesn't de-commit... (I know there aren't any indications of this right now but they are just 17 and 18 year old kids so I don't count on a commit until they sign on the dotted line)
November 1st, 2010 at 12:56 PM ^
It won't happen but we have a huge commitment in players with the skill set to run the spread and shred. And it is working. Nothing wrong with the offense. If we had a 60th ranked defense, we would be undefeated. It will take three years to change the player base to stock up with pro style guys. So if a new HC were smart, he would keep the offense as is with the guys who run it and recruit for it. The HC could then concentrate on what the hell to do with the defense.
I've never quite understood this need by coaches to run a "their" system, regardless of the skills of the players they inherit.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^
As much as we would love to believe it, there is no guarantee that Harbaugh would even accept the job here.
If you or me were in his position, it would be obvious that we'd be calling Brandon up ourselves to ask for the job, but Harbaugh has a lot to consider beyond the Michigan name and his Michigan ties.
That said, I don't know who I think would be a legit good replacement IN the event of a coaching change. Right now though, we don't have to worry about that.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:55 AM ^
That would be willing to come here and would be successful
1. Harbaugh
2. Chris Petersen
3. Mike Leach.......I'm kidding, Gary Patterson.