Thoughts on fixing the internal conundrum
Our problems lie so far beyond Harbaugh and the coaches. I don’t know how a company fixes an internal cultural issue that appears to be baked into its brand. Perhaps hire an outside agency to do a detailed analysis on Michigan football as a whole, well beyond just the head and assistant coaching staff?
There is something so intrinsically wing with the football program. One can’t truly evaluate the forest from within the trees. Hire an outside consulting group and give us some hard truths. Change within the fabric of the program needs to occur and my fear is that any HC change will just maintain this nightmare of perpetual ineptitude, eventually spiraling to oblivion.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:15 PM ^
Urban Meyer for coach. Culture will change very quickly.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:17 PM ^
Yup. anything short of winning will be unacceptable.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:13 PM ^
100% Agree. I can think of 12 million ways Urban can turn this around.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^
Logged in to upvote
November 28th, 2020 at 5:49 PM ^
Outstanding photoshop!
November 28th, 2020 at 5:30 PM ^
I cannot believe the depths this fanbase will go just to win.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:31 PM ^
Yep when you pay an arm and a leg most Saturdays in the fall for your family to go to games with awful results that tends to happen to a fanbase
November 28th, 2020 at 8:00 PM ^
Agreed Cobra. Gouge on tickets, 5 buck water bottles, etc.
November 28th, 2020 at 10:19 PM ^
Enough to sell your soul by hiring Urban Meyer?
His entire family hates Michigan. They rubbed our misfortune in our faces numerous times over social media. They covered up the Zach Smith fiasco and lied about it. Urban was a few Trustee votes away from being fired.
And we thought RichRod had baggage?
November 28th, 2020 at 10:57 PM ^
Read his book “Above the Line” and you’ll understand why his culture wins with players and coaches. I do not agree with plenty about Urban, however, he is a winner.
November 28th, 2020 at 11:24 PM ^
So was Joe Paterno.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:20 PM ^
Fire Warde. Hire a dynamic AD like Canham. Fire Harbaugh, or ease his departure. Let the new AD pick a dynamic HC like Bo, without worrying about where he played ball or where he may have previously coached. Problems solved.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
“Like Canham” “like Bo”
ugh. No! Stop it. Let’s this all die. Stop thinking about “Michigan Man” and Bo’s legacy and program history and all that stupid stuff. Go hire winners. Championship caliber winners. Preference to those with no ties to Michigan at all and let them do modern, even forward looking, things to build a program for what football is now.
You remind of the people on this blog who act like time of possession and keeping the defense off the field matter at all. Anyone who invokes the name “Bo” or “Canham” in what the next anything should be is part of the problem.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:31 PM ^
Because that worked so well for Rich Rod. The old farts won’t support any outsider.
November 28th, 2020 at 6:13 PM ^
But, um, the previous comment said to get dynamic guys without worrying where they coached before. This comment just misreads the previous comment.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:35 PM ^
Like Bo, so someone who never won a title? Great..
November 28th, 2020 at 4:42 PM ^
Borderline on this. I honestly think warde has done a great job with hiring the hockey and basketball HCs. I’m all for blowing up the culture within but have to give the guy credit where its due.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:56 PM ^
Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but when I see 'Wolverine 73' I can't help but think you are an older, brain-washed alum or fan that legitimately thinks Bo was a great coach.
The guy never won a Natty. That's not good enough. Stop with this Michigan Man, cult like feel.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:16 PM ^
dude, look at history. If we ever get anyone close to Bo again, it would be a miracle. The guy lost like 5 games in seasons 2 through 6.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:18 PM ^
You insinuate that Bo was not a great coach.
This displays great ignorance.
Bo was an excellent football coach.
November 28th, 2020 at 6:04 PM ^
Bo was not a Michigan Man(tm) when he was hired.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:31 PM ^
cant tell if you're being dumb or cheeky; with a name like yours; everything in Texas is bigger... even the dumbasses.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:13 PM ^
They didn’t have the kind of culture I can support. See Dr. Anderson.
I think Warde does a good job and will find a way to move Harbaugh out.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:25 PM ^
Warde is not the problem. The problem started years ago when Don Brown focused recruiting the NE. Now there’s no depth and development and too many walk-on players in year six getting significant playing time.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:39 PM ^
What exactly has Warde done to merit his firing? Knee jerk much? Perhaps you think we should be running a wishbone offense too?
November 28th, 2020 at 5:55 PM ^
It was Warde who hired Howard when guys like Francesa on NY sports radio said was an "absolutely terrible hire".
If you wanna complain about Warde considering Cooley, then it has merit, but that is it. Warde nailed the hire so far.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:22 PM ^
Lmaoooooooooooooooo get some management consultants in here.
Roadside window washers in suits, that is the medicine for what ails Michigan.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:54 PM ^
Maybe, if we’re lucky, we can pay McKinsey & Company $25mn to come in show the Athletic Department one of their two PowerPoint presentations on “creating a lean culture” and the “agile framework”.
After they teach Warde how to “cut out the fat”, then maybe the AD can pay them another $75mn to help in planning the outsource of 90% of the Athletic Department positions to China.
Changes clearly have to be made! Bring in the consultants!
November 28th, 2020 at 5:16 PM ^
Agree. Having worked with many outside consultants from all of the big firms, they aren’t going to help. It is about making the next right hire. Will that happen? Let’s wait and see.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:27 PM ^
Those who can't, consult.
November 29th, 2020 at 8:52 AM ^
Nonsense. Consultants have mastered the art of endless words that may look happy and wonderful but never work in implementation in the real world when mapped over real employees like the newest offensive philosophy change and are so general to make a football coach’s press conference seem informative.
Wait a second...
#CoachMcKinsey
November 28th, 2020 at 5:51 PM ^
There’s something inherently foolish about paying outside consultants to identify and correct your firm’s issues.
They have no experience at your firm, they don’t understand the culture or the problems you’re facing, and will almost always try to make your firm fit their cookie cutter programs.
But in spite of all that, for whatever reason, middle management types love consultants.
November 28th, 2020 at 6:02 PM ^
It’s easy to say when something goes wrong “BCG said this was fine!”
November 28th, 2020 at 6:12 PM ^
Perfectly, succinctly put. McKinsey and their ilk sell snake oil, and we’ve had enough of that. This program doesn’t need to get robbed by consultants. It needs a goddamn football coach
November 28th, 2020 at 4:24 PM ^
I am not convinced it’s internal. Harbaugh was given complete control and this is the end result. My take is JH had too much control without checks and balance. Think Brown and gattis hire.
its so strange to see this program in such a sad state.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:37 PM ^
So strange? No it isn't we were in a dogshit state just 6 years ago with Hoke.. When brandon made him his fucking puppet it was just as bad.
Ironically enough it was the loss to end the season against maryland at home, then losing at OSU just like what will happen this year that was the dagger.
Doesn't matter if harbaugh has full control or hoke didn't have any control. This program is the problem. It will literally NEVER change, people need to accept it
November 28th, 2020 at 4:55 PM ^
It’s not that he got too much control, it’s that he failed.Harbaugh (or at least the HC) should have near complete autonomy. He should get overruled off he refuses to fire underperforming coaches but I don’t want an AD sitting in coaches meetings. Harbaugh got the level of autonomy he needed and we should expect any decent coach to demand.
November 28th, 2020 at 7:32 PM ^
Fair point. The HC needs autonomy. You are right; he just failed with in his decision making.
I wonder if delegates any responsibilities at all. Seems you need a CEO type head coach in likes of how Saban runs Bama
November 28th, 2020 at 4:28 PM ^
I actually think you hit the nail on the head and it’s simple: brands don’t have culture; teams do.
November 28th, 2020 at 4:30 PM ^
what do you mean eventually? The team has been in oblivion for the better part of 12 years now.
This has become my worst nightmare. We are Nebraska after they fired Solich. A malcontent fanbase yearning for the glory days of a program when the sport has passed it by.
If a quality football coach like Harbaugh comes in and fails. We should be asking ourselves why. Not that Harbaugh all of a sudden became a bad coach. But why is it he is suffering his worst tenure as a coach when he got here?
November 28th, 2020 at 4:36 PM ^
Bingo
Rich Rod was the hottest coach in the country and failed at Michigan
Harbaugh was the hottest coach in the country and thus far has failed at Michigan.
Michigan has big problems and I'm not sure coaching is entirely to blame
November 28th, 2020 at 4:42 PM ^
3-9
5-7
7-6
Rich Rod was probably not the answer but his teams improved every year despite being undermined by 'the program' and not getting the funding to bring in his preferred DC, Casteel.
Michigan has had bad luck but it's still a destination job and capable of winning the conference/compete for the playoffs.
Back the brinks truck up for Campbell and try again.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:19 PM ^
I will see your Campbell and raise you a Urban for 12 million.
November 28th, 2020 at 5:29 PM ^
& when he had Castell as his DC at Arizona he still lost
& on top of that RR was sued for sexual harassment at Arizona
November 28th, 2020 at 5:12 PM ^
If Michigan has big problems then explain John Beilein and Juwan Howard (so far).
November 28th, 2020 at 10:59 PM ^
sure, there was Ellerbe and Amaker before them. It took Michigan what 14 years to get back on top?
But basketball is a different animal when it comes to Michigan athletics. Good basketball is nice to have but football is paramount. . .