A reason for hope
However, this classes impact will not be felt for 1-2 seasons. Yes, someone may step up but let's not kid ourselves.
Also, if you believe our current commits are all staying at this point...well let's just say it will take a miracle. We didn't receive a miracle today so I'm not expecting one near-term.
With that said, here's something which many of you are in the position to do: (Crowd Sourcing)
I'm not on campus nor even in the state of michigan but the current student body, fans, friends, faithful...please help by keeping the current team intact. Fortunately, (unlike in 08) it is Tee'd up for the next coach.
We are in great position to compete with 9 starters returning on both sides of the ball. (Thank you RR)
Please, everyone who is in shouting range of these young-men, encourage them to stay.
This is really really really important. We love you guys. Stay...Please!
January 5th, 2011 at 6:28 PM ^
that is wishful thinking if i've ever heard it. these kids have no coaches to talk to, no one to call, nothing that says UofM while other schools are preying on this. But hey, the fanbase has got your back, even if the university is seemingly leaving you out to dry!
January 5th, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
I have hope. I just sent in my season ticket renewals and based on this fubar'd mess I'm hoping that this year I get my seats upgraded cause the last three years I've asked I've been turned down.
January 5th, 2011 at 10:56 PM ^
I'll cheer from home from now on and save myself some money. I still can't believe they fired Fred Jackson. Sure hope Thomas Rawls doesn't turn into the second coming of Mark Ingram if he qualifies.
January 6th, 2011 at 12:04 AM ^
they really fired jackson? is it a "he has to reapply for his job" type deal or is he just gone?
January 6th, 2011 at 12:15 AM ^
Well, the new coach gets to name his own RB coach, you really can't hire a coach and say "this guy is your RB coach, like it or not." That's just the plight of assistant coaches. Now, if a HC is hired, it might behoove him to hire Jackson back, but at the same time, if he has a RB coach who he loves, he'll bring that guy along.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:59 AM ^
The same thing happened when RR came in. Everyone was officially fired and had to reapply. It's all up to whoever the next HC is.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:36 AM ^
If someone is awake and has an iPhone can you cut and copy Brian's Front page "NON-Hoke Options:Extant" to the MgoBoard so we can discuss. Either I'm an Idiot (debatable), I cannot create content and I'm Ass-u-meing you tech people can. Thanks.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:27 PM ^
the team meeting breaks soon or has broken already. i'm sure we'll get some news after that. that's my reason for hope.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:27 PM ^
It'll certainly be interesting to see who stays and who goes. "All in for Michigan" means all in for the school, not the coach, IMO....
January 5th, 2011 at 6:34 PM ^
After Boren, Mallett, Clemons, etc., that seems like an unrealistic attitude. Wish it were true, but the fact is these kids are concerned with their own interests, not Michigan's.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:35 PM ^
and for some of them (not boren), you can't really fault them.
January 5th, 2011 at 7:32 PM ^
OK... But I would think most of them would understand that getting a Michigan education and the chance to play football for Michigan would be in their best interest. 98% of our dudes aint going to the NFL.
January 5th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
aint getting a degree in Engineering either.
They came to U of M to play football, and if they no longer feel comfortable playing football under whatever coaching staff we have next year, we can't blame them for transferring.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:36 PM ^
didn't this start with RR?
January 6th, 2011 at 10:10 AM ^
They also considered "Double Down for Michigan".
/jk
January 5th, 2011 at 6:37 PM ^
January 5th, 2011 at 7:06 PM ^
Agreed. Being a D1 athlete is a great honor and a great experience, but the reality is that it's also all-encompassing and time-consuming. Not getting along with your coach canruin the whole experience for these kids and although I expect them to give the new coach a chance, if it doesn't work out I don't blame them at all for moving on.
January 5th, 2011 at 7:16 PM ^
Deleted
January 5th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^
Dunno about that. If you're an athlete, your coaches are not entirely your total liason to the university at large, but their one hell of a large part of it. I presume a lot of the academic support staff is largely to completely unaffected by a coaching change. But the coaching staff, that's the family, man. A big part of the family -- and the ones that brought you here -- gone, daddy, gone. Certainly RR didn't have 100% of the team. He's not going to at the end of season that concludes the way ours did. But the majority of the team had a lot invested in the HC, coordinator and position coaches. I'm pretty sure a young student-athlete can differentiate.
January 6th, 2011 at 2:23 AM ^
Dave Brandon made it well known in the press conference that he had met with many players over the last few weeks, and I'm sure he took their insider opinions to heart. There's no evidence to suggest Dave Brandon made his decision to fire Rich Rod in disregard of suggestions from Michigan football players. It is just as likely that M football isn't full of wandering automatons and would prefer to be better coached.
EDIT: The majority at least. I hope certain people are in that majority.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:27 PM ^
and text messages all available recruits about the opportunity to get on board with a new energetic coach that has great odds to take us to lots of wins in the next 4 to 5 years.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:32 PM ^
Desmond Morgan, if you are reading this post, your parents gave you that name for a reason.
Call your fellow commit and tell them what being a Michigan Wolverine means.
Keep believing!
January 5th, 2011 at 6:28 PM ^
there is always hope.
I believe in hope, faith and spirit and DB!
Our turn is coming.
Patience.
Let this process play itself out.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:29 PM ^
No way is Danny going to be our next head coach.....
January 5th, 2011 at 6:31 PM ^
i bet that would make purdue fans happy.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:52 PM ^
Marc, does Sam Webb have a "gut feeling" on a new coach?
January 5th, 2011 at 6:29 PM ^
Traverse City OL Jake Fisher is looking at other schools according to the local NBC station up here. Eff.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:32 PM ^
we need to be prepared for that. they're all going to say that until we get a coach who has the chance to lock them down. and even then a few will bolt.
January 5th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
he will be visiting Notre Dame and Oregon.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:30 PM ^
I'm on twitter and I go back and forth with a few players frequently. Believe it or not. One is a freshman who I will not name. I'm a little worried on his status as of recent but I'm gonna try my best.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:48 PM ^
Hopefully it is not anyone on defense, especially Ash, Furman, Wilkins and M-Robinson.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:30 PM ^
January 5th, 2011 at 10:18 PM ^
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/jan/04/crawford-says-hes-decommitted-michigan-miami-gator/
I have tried to post a couple of times the past couple of days to no avail.
January 6th, 2011 at 2:26 AM ^
Just so you could share this content?
I WISH I COULD +1 YOU
January 5th, 2011 at 6:31 PM ^
For a second I thought you said "Hoke", not "hope."
January 5th, 2011 at 6:32 PM ^
Do we know Tate's status yet? If Denard and Devin transfer then where does that leave us QB wise? I asked in another thread how a coaching change affects Devin versus Denard because this could get ugly, like '08 ugly.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:34 PM ^
much like the recruits, we won't know anything for a while. my hope is that brandon denies transfer requests until they get a new coach in who can talk to them. then they can leave if they want to. we shouldn't expect to hear anything definitive player-wise until at least a week after a new coach is hired.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:48 PM ^
January 5th, 2011 at 6:54 PM ^
yes and no. the drop/add deadline approaches. anyone who transfers would want to start at his new school right away.
January 5th, 2011 at 7:21 PM ^
Which is another reason why DB's timeline is so brutal to everyone caught up in it.
January 5th, 2011 at 10:58 PM ^
Because of the lack of talented upperclassman (thanks LC) a lot of these players haven't RSed. They can use their RS as their transfer year. Personally, if I was a Florida kid I wouldn't even come back to spend another winter in Michigan hoping I'll get a coach I like.
I would hope we would honor any transfer request because it's the right thing to do. Do we really want to pull a JoePa and deny a kid a transfer. Nothing like creating a possible cancer.
January 6th, 2011 at 2:28 AM ^
You've never spent a summer in Florida.
January 5th, 2011 at 6:42 PM ^
I don't think they transfer but the sound of the PA announcer saying, "Jack Kennedy's pass was interecepted by (fill in the blank)" is pretty frightening.
January 5th, 2011 at 8:14 PM ^
I'm reminded of Nick Sheridan. Seriously, if Sheridan was DEATH, then what does that make Jack Kennedy? The Black Plague? Smallpox? A Black Hole? Purgatory?
January 5th, 2011 at 8:21 PM ^
Not as frightening as "Jack Kennedy has his Wolverines riled up for his first game as a head coach in this 2011 season opener."
January 5th, 2011 at 6:43 PM ^
if there is 1 out of those 3 to stay to stay it's DG
January 5th, 2011 at 6:44 PM ^
Devin has said before that he will not be transferring. That was before all this went down, so I hope he still feels that way.
January 5th, 2011 at 7:01 PM ^
DG is a unique type, i think he fits in anyones offense. He shouldnt go anywhere.
January 5th, 2011 at 8:32 PM ^
agreed.. i was just telling my old roommate this
January 5th, 2011 at 7:21 PM ^
I really cant see Denard transferring and sitting out a year. Whatever coach is brought in must dso whatever it takes to keep Denard around. This should be their top priority personnel wise along with trying to snag some defensive recruits and not let the guys committed to Michigan to get away.