Report: Mike Hart interviewing for Indiana HC job
November 28th, 2023 at 5:38 PM ^
No surprise there. Hart has earned his shot. But Indiana? Who can win there?
November 28th, 2023 at 5:39 PM ^
Money
November 28th, 2023 at 6:19 PM ^
Maybe I’m reading too far into this (I probably am, but here goes):
If top tier M coaches like Hart are interviewing for HC jobs at other schools like IU, that seems to suggest there could be a bottleneck at M for upward career advancement…meaning, maybe Harbaugh’s staff knows the contract extension is a forgone conclusion and they have to look elsewhere if they want to make more money…
November 28th, 2023 at 6:31 PM ^
Or, y'know, jumping straight to head coach at a P5 program (especially one you've already been on staff with) is an appealing prospect for aspiring head coaches.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:01 PM ^
Of course. It's a great opportunity if, for nothing else, to interview fora head coaching position.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:42 PM ^
Both can be true
November 28th, 2023 at 6:33 PM ^
I want to believe this, so its absolutely true.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:49 PM ^
Are you already a B10 Coach or AD? I have seen this behavior before.
November 28th, 2023 at 9:23 PM ^
Besides the obvious reason he'd want to interview for a P5 job, I disagree with the sentiment. It's pretty damn likely our OC job is open next year, either with Jim leaving and Sherrone moving up (or less likely, out if passed over) or Sherrone getting his own HC job elsewhere.
November 29th, 2023 at 12:10 AM ^
I don't think Harb is going anywhere. Michigan is the dream job and he knows his place in all of football history is set here. He built this program and it works whether he's on the sidelines or not. I think these assistants know the time is right, if they have aspirations of becoming a H.C. at a power 5 school. This would be a great time to make the jump. I guess I'd rather see Mike at Syracuse than Indiana. We don't eat our young.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:40 PM ^
They gave him a chance to go from the MAC to the Big Ten at a pretty young age, not surprised they're interested and he has some interest back.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:44 PM ^
He was at Syracuse between MAC and Indiana.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:30 PM ^
A couple years after I graduated my boss was a Syracuse guy. Syracuse sucks at football. We made a gentlemen's bet. It was the year they had Donovan McNabb....
November 28th, 2023 at 5:38 PM ^
I wouldn't mind as long as we don't lose that 2024 RB recruit from Ohio
November 28th, 2023 at 6:11 PM ^
Michigan and Indiana shouldn't be in the market for the same RB regardless of who is coaching where.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:15 PM ^
Its not that he would go TO Indiana, its if he might not come to UM if Hart isnt here.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:09 PM ^
If he’s offered the job, I’d imagine Hart may try to steer him to IU but would still promote him going to UM all things considered as he would be leaving on great terms.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:38 PM ^
Would be a huge bummer to lose him. But objectively this would be awesome form coach Hart. Seems like Jim has been more focused on elevating Moore and Minter.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:12 PM ^
J-Baugh needs a shot somewhere. I think the dude is the whole package. Needs an OC job. Maybe if Moore and Hart both leave, Michigan can show the Ferentzes functional nepotism in the brutal medieval European style.
November 28th, 2023 at 10:16 PM ^
He already is one of the best special teams coordinators in the country.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:12 PM ^
Yeah it would suck for sure, but like when Jedd Fisch was rumored for Michigan State, I'm all for more Harbaugh allies in the B1G. Would help ratchet down the bullshit from the conference as a whole
November 28th, 2023 at 5:39 PM ^
Makes sense.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:41 PM ^
I like Mike, but I think he needs a couple years as a coordinator first.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:43 PM ^
This is a tired argument.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:48 PM ^
True. Being a HC requires leadership, vision, and an ability to delegate. Being a coordinator could be a helpful step, but is hardly necessary one.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:55 PM ^
Apparently, the duties and responsibilities of a head coach includes knowing where underlings are at all times including during off weeks, auditing their personal credit card transactions and knowing when they are wearing disguises.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:49 PM ^
I didn't know this was a tired argument. I mean, I kind of assume this is a courtesy interview, tbh. Lots of successful 37 year old head coaches with no coordinator experience? Not trying to be snarky, I just really am not aware of the trend.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:56 PM ^
Me, neither.
Plenty of people on MGoBlog (possibly some in this thread) think it would be perfectly reasonable to give Mike the UM job right now. I'm still not sure why.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:07 PM ^
What I meant is the ‘insistence’ that someone needs to be a coordinator before being a HC.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:13 PM ^
Brady Hoke was never a coordinator until he had been a HC at SDSU, Ball St. and Michigan.
Not sure which side of the argument that supports.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:04 PM ^
Dabo was a WR coach.
Fleck was never a coordinator before being Westerns head coach.
Urban went from WR coach to HC.
Kirk Ferentz went from NFL OL coach to Iowa head coach. His only coordinator job was at a prep school.
John Harbaugh was special teams coach with 1 year of DB to Ravens head coach.
Jim Harbaugh was never a coordinator.
There aren't many successful head coaches period. Prior coordinator experience can be a great trait to have. But it's not essential if someone has leadership, general coordination, communication, and delegation capabilities.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:25 PM ^
It’s a little known, some would say obscure, fact that John Beilein was never an assistant coach (or coordinator for that matter) before becoming a head coach.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:16 AM ^
Beilein was head coach at the Newfane HS, 1975-78 and Erie CC, 1979-82, before getting his first four year college HC job at Nazareth in 1982. It wasn't until 2002 that he got his first major college HC job at West Virginia. Yes, he was never an assistant, but he paid 27 years dues as a lower level HC, then another 5 years before he got a B1G HC job in 2007.
November 28th, 2023 at 7:34 PM ^
Like why don't you back up your point with examples.
Also Lane Kiffin only had one year as an OC before getting the head coaching job at the Raiders.
1997–1998Fresno State (assistant)
1999Colorado State (GA)
2000Jacksonville Jaguars (DQC)
2001USC (TE)
2002–2003USC (WR)
2004USC (PGC/WR)
2005–2006USC (OC/WR)
2007–2008Oakland Raiders
2009Tennessee
2010–2013USC
2014–2016Alabama (OC/QB)
2017–2019Florida Atlantic
2020–presentOle Miss
November 28th, 2023 at 10:09 PM ^
I certainly don't look at it being a requirement but even using your examples:
Dabo was an internal elevation to interim before getting the full time job,
Fleck went to G5 Western,
Urban G5 Bowling Green,
Ferentz coached for 9 years or so under Hayden Fry as OL coach and left to be a HC at Maine before bopping around the NFL for a couple years. He had connections to Iowa and Fry long before getting that job.
Jim went to FCS school first.
So I don't think being a prior coordinator is a requirement but it is still exceedingly rare for someone with no coordinating or previous HC experience to get hired into a P5 job. Hart obviously has some help considering his previous ties to being on staff at Indiana.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:23 PM ^
Is Indiana really a P5 job tho?
November 29th, 2023 at 8:54 AM ^
They'd sure like to be.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:56 PM ^
When you are purchasing an item or hiring an employee, or contractor, it is you the purchaser or hiring agent that determines value. Not your Aunt Bee, not the seller, and certainly not some guy on the internet. I'm quite sure that if the Indiana U athletic Director is interested in interviewing Mike Hart he's also quite aware that Hart has never been a coordinator, and thus doesn't necessarily count it as a prerequisite for the head coaching position of his football team.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:01 PM ^
I don't think the poster above was suggesting that IU needs to list it as a prerequisite for the job, only providing an opinion that it might make sense for IU to hire someone with at least a few years of coordinator experience. Then again, Hart was a coach there so IU is more familiar with him than other candidates.
November 28th, 2023 at 6:32 PM ^
Tell that to John Harbaugh
November 28th, 2023 at 6:43 PM ^
He was considered the best Special Teams Coordinator in the league at the time and that is a coordinator albeit not in the traditional upward mobility way to a HC
November 28th, 2023 at 7:10 PM ^
Or, or… he’s already being identified as HC-quality and there’s no reason throw cold water on a situation that doesn’t need it.
November 28th, 2023 at 11:01 PM ^
I've never been a coordinator .
November 29th, 2023 at 3:11 AM ^
He's already been HC for a P5 team..it was half a game but that's got to count for something. /s
This is good for Mike. Even just getting the interview is good experience for him.
Harbaugh said there were several guys on his staff that would be HC candidates and not surprised Hart is one, especially for this job.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:56 AM ^
Arguing for Hart to be the head coach is like when people argued for Yaklich for the basketball job. Its a terrible argument. I like Mike Hart but what has he shown to make it seem like he should be the head coach? He's a mediocre recruiter, isn't running the offense, and the two running backs regressed this year.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:41 PM ^
Good for him.
November 29th, 2023 at 12:39 AM ^
Exactly my thought. Well deserved. He was a great player, and is a great coach.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:41 PM ^
Selfishly I want Hart at Michigan. Common sense says he should do what's best for him and his family as he has earned it.
November 28th, 2023 at 5:41 PM ^
So our coaches are "cheaters" but other big ten schools want our coaches? Ha that's funny. In all seriousness though I would hate to lose Mike Hart.