Suggestion: Hire Ferris State's Tony Annese
Came across this (gasp, faint) Freep article about Ferris State's Tony Annese.
Highly successful at the state's best college football team right now. Knows Ann Arbor well, since he was Pioneer's coach the last time they were any good. Getting old (59-60), but this might be the last chance for him to make the move to FBS.
I know I'm doing a lot of shoot from the hip analysis, but he could be Michigan's version of Jim Tressel (years of success at a lower division school, not a lot of hype, but years upon years of results).
December 8th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
I'd add that at DC, I've been banging my hands on the table for Michigan to look at Navy's Brian Newberry. I watch academy football religiously (NROTC at UM, retired as an LT a few years ago), and he built a top-15 defense at a school that had no business being that competent.
After depth issues this year, came out of extended byes and put together back-to-back awesome games against Memphis and Tulsa. His right-hand man was Brian Norwood, who actually has UCLA's defense looking suprisingly unshitty. Get those two guys and surround them with recruiters.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
IU’s DC. If he doesn’t take the Southern Miss HC job.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:58 AM ^
Isn't IU's defense really Tom Allen's with Wommack's help? Don't know if Wommack is ready to handle things himself. For a similar example of transition struggles, see Josh Gattis post-Alabama.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
This is why I would hire Tom Allen to begin with. The dude can coach he surrounds himself with young talent that can recruit. He can get his players to run through a brick wall for him! He has taken Indiana where even Kevin Wilson couldn't!
December 8th, 2020 at 12:09 PM ^
He has been a DC at multiple stops already at the age of 33. Much more proven than Gattis.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kane_Wommack
December 8th, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^
Much more proven than Gattis? Wellll fuuuu.. sign him up. But also if he is a failure he can take over for the head coach cuz its worth a shot to see how he does. Am I doing this failed coordinator thing right?
December 8th, 2020 at 11:57 AM ^
I see you are thinking outside the box, but I believe you are thinking way to far outside of it.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Haha quarantine's a hell of drug, I guess.
December 8th, 2020 at 4:55 PM ^
Good try though. While it's certainly possible this guy could be a good D1 coach if he climbed the ladder, it would be risky to the point of being out of the question for Michigan to try that out.
The more reasonable progression for someone with that kind of success at D2 would be to take a lower level D1 job and prove he can recruit and coach at that level and so on and so forth. And he's probably too old to climb that ladder at this point. Stuck around at his HS stops too long. Gotta climb the ladder faster if your ultimate goal is a major D1 program.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:41 AM ^
A D-2 (not even FCS) coach who hasn't gotten a better job by the time he turned 60? What could go wrong?
Shit take is shit.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:45 AM ^
Reading the article, it looks like he built his program on immediate transfers from upper levels, mostly due to behavior issues.
Shit take is shittier than I thought.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:53 AM ^
Annese is known to be dirty behind the scenes for anyone that's followed him throughout his career.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:54 AM ^
I didn't know about that. Welp, neg this post away!
EDIT: Here's an MLive article addressing this point. https://www.mlive.com/smallcolleges/grandrapids/2013/12/ferris_state_investigation_coa.html
December 8th, 2020 at 12:53 PM ^
He very well may be a dirtball, but that article seems to detail a tantrum he threw in the locker room at halftime, during which he hit a couple of players on the shoulder pads? Failing to see the *gasp* over this from a football coach. Either the reporters are sensationalizing or my reading comprehension sucks (a definite possibility LOL).
December 8th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Kind of an understatement. When he was an HS coach in the Flint area he was doinking a friend of mine. Attractive as she may have been she was 17. He was married. Don’t know much more about his scruples than that. People change I’ve heard, but there are probably reasons as much as he’s won he hasn’t gotten a shot at D-1.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:12 PM ^
As long as she was attractive, James Franklin just got interested in hiring Annese
December 8th, 2020 at 1:02 PM ^
I feel like I heard rumor of something similar when he was at Muskegon, too. He also left GRCC's program in a state of total disarray.
December 8th, 2020 at 1:15 PM ^
for credibility sake, i'd like to judge for myself, PM her number to me, would you?
December 8th, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
Yep, he is a dirtball
December 8th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
While Harbaugh is at it, he should hire Peter Stuursma from Hope College, too.
Annese for DC and Stuursma as the OC.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:41 AM ^
No major D-1 program is hiring a coach from D-2 that's never coached D-1 football ever
December 8th, 2020 at 11:53 AM ^
Sarcasm?
Ohio state/Jim tressel
December 8th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
They were 1-AA I believe
December 19th, 2021 at 1:32 PM ^
I'm sure you're correct. It's called D-1 FBS now. They are a long way above D-2. There are some good teams in that division. I've watched some of their playoffs and it's good football.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
Jim Tressel and Youngstown State were Division 1-AA and Tressel was a D-1 assistant for 10 years before that.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:13 PM ^
Correct. Gerry Faust is the last one I can remember who had never coached D-1, and that was 40 years ago.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:41 AM ^
Whoever comes in here is looking at minimum 3 years to stock up on talent at thin positions where those guys become significant contributors. I do think that someone can come in here and have moderate success (8-9 wins) immeditely, but if you're looking for someone to get Michigan over the OSU hump and ultimately to the CFP, a coach that will be collecting social security soon is probably not that guy.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:46 PM ^
I can take 8-9 win seasons if they show progress. Sometimes other teams are just better. What I cannot take is year 5 we win 9 games with 10 NFL players and 3 losses were blowouts and the fourth close loss the team looked like they just got off the bus before the game.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
Go Dawgs! My school prior to transfer to UMICH.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
Tough to make that hire if you're Michigan's AD. If it works out, you look like a genius. If it doesn't, you're the guy who hired the coach of Ferris State.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:46 AM ^
I totally hear that point. I'm in the camp that I like Matt Campbell the most due to big-game experience, but if that fell through, guys like Tom Allen don't really excite me. I've heard some say guys like Chris Creighton at EMU would be a fall-back option, but wanted to hear people's thoughts on a guy like Annese (way more sustained success).
Obviously, the reaction was...not great!
December 8th, 2020 at 11:42 AM ^
Nothing will solve our recruiting woes better than hiring an unknown, 60 year old D2 football coach
December 8th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
Hafley is your best bet to beat Ohio state. People will regret not taking that guy in the next couple of years. Better head coach than coordinator.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:46 AM ^
He has a higher ceiling but a lower floor than Campbell
Campbell has proven he can beat the best in his conference, and Hafley has one year of head coach experience. If we stick with Harbaugh for a few more years, I expect hafley to shoot up the list by the time we need a new coach, but he's not my first choice right now
December 8th, 2020 at 1:22 PM ^
Pulling off one on Oklahoma is impressive. Texas, a little less so. Even with Oklahoma's success, is there anyone in the B12 that can hold a candle to OSU (and the OSU for years to come)?
December 8th, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
What makes people think Hafley would be good at this job? His lone HC experience is this year at BC
December 8th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
Let’s hire Vito Genovese. He will for certain take out the competition.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
I thought I was crazy for suggesting Wilcher as RB/Co-OC. I'll double-down on the crazy.
Bring Annese in as OC and Wilcher as RB/Co-OC. Two men with strong local ties that are successful on both levels and have very good relationships with our high schools. Annese took a chance on Jayru Campbell, which probably earned him some love in Detroit. I believe Wilcher is in his 50s, so he could replace JH after a couple years.
Based on this article regarding their offense, it shouldn't be a drastic transition from what Gattis is doing: LINK
December 8th, 2020 at 11:52 AM ^
You're probably right that he'd be a better coordinator or high-level assistant.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:49 AM ^
Anese has carved out a nice little career and is respectable. That said, the answer to your suggestion is, "fuck, no."
December 8th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
I’d hire him...director of football operations.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:51 AM ^
Gerry Faust is my choice
December 8th, 2020 at 11:54 AM ^
I'd like to see Annesse move up the college ranks but I don't think it he would be a good fit at Michigan, now or in the future. His offense is, I believe, the Triple Option Veer. We are all well aware of what happened the last time Michigan hired a coach who ran an option heavy offense.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:07 PM ^
They run a spread option offense.
December 8th, 2020 at 12:30 PM ^
They do have some veer in their offense and Tony is probably one of the most sought after veer gurus in the country. That's not the entirety of their offense though. They run power, zone and counter out of spread. Every single run play they have has a pass option off it. It's basically all RPO though some have a pre-snap read instead of post snap. Their offense is dynamic. Their talent level is also light years above virtually all D2 programs (only comparable programs from a talent level currently would be West Florida and Valdosta St).
December 8th, 2020 at 1:04 PM ^
Michigan offensive analyst Steve Casula was Ferris State’s offensive coordinator in 2018 when they were D2 runner up. He was hired by Harbaugh(according to Annese) to help Gattis with play calling since he had never done that before. Also according to Annese Michigan’s offensive improved half way through last season when they started running more of Ferris’ stuff.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:55 AM ^
Let's just take the whole Saline High School football team and staff while we are on this line of thinking.
They've been dominant at the highest level of competition (in the state of Michigan) and would no doubt have continued success at the next level. They are full of gym rats, coach's kids, and Gritty McGrittersons.
December 8th, 2020 at 11:55 AM ^
HELL NO!!!