if he stays at 5, I think he picks Joe Alt...MJH is a possibility too, but it depends on what is the bigger issue for the Chargers. OL or WR. Either would be great picks.
Bowers is good, but does he have value at #5? If the Chargers trade down they might be able to get him later.
I think the Chargers trading the pick is definitely in play though... accumulating more picks and more talent would be a smart thing to do.
some odd decison making. Not sure who is advising him, but at a certain point, people start to think wonder if problem is the result of the player and not the school.
Enjoyed the interview. Seems like a good guy.... in listening to the interview, as others mentioned, the Eastern Michigan connection is overlooked.
Similar to Kalen DeBoer, being in the shadow of the University of Michigan leaves an indeliable mark on up and coming coaches. Even though Dusty May is an Indiana kid, it is clear he has B1G basketball coursing through his veins....
My impression is that he skews more toward Beilein; a guy who develops kids based on fundamentals and coaching systems and keeps them around for a few years.
seems like a good hire... I mean, you never know whether one can recreate what they have done at another school - but that's the case with any candidate.
Abdur-Rahim was a guy that seemed really interesting too, but he has even less experience than May arguably.
I like that May is more of a guy that builds through recruiting and not through the portal (to this point), which implies he coaches up the players a la Beilein.
I'd love to have gotten Iowa State's coach, but not only was the buyout high, his wife is an all-timer at ISU...May's a guy that was in the top few of everyone's lists, so there is some consensus that he is a good coach...we'll see I guess.
it wasn't an issue because Beilein didn't take many transfers...outside of Charles Matthews and Duncan (who was going to ace admissions) there wasn't much of a need.
Regardless of what Beilein did or didn't do in the portal, the guy developed lightly recruited players and had them playing as a well oiled machine.
What BBall program relies solely on the portal? Grabbing a couple of guys seems to make sense, but the majority of your roster has to be built through recruiting.
It is more likely that Michigan admissions remains as it is than it opening the door to anyone... so you are left with a pretty limited choice here. Anyone recruited from the portal needs to be pre-vetted by Admissions...
Not saying I agree with that, but that's the system in place at Michigan
Honestly, it is what it is... Coach that recruited you is gone (which I agree with), and you don't know who is going to be replacing him... good time to test the waters.
I think admissions needs to evolve into the 21st Century, however, it was never an issue during Beilien and it wasn't an issue for the football program either...So I am not going to attribute all of the blame for the worst season in 60 years solely on them.
I really wished that things worked out for Howard here... I was beyond thrilled when he was hired and did so well initially.
When things went downhill last year, I was hoping that this year would prove people wrong. Unfortunately it was not to be.... Lots of reasons for that, but at the end of the day the buck stops at the coach...it wasn't just the losing record - there were other issues that have been discussed ad infinitum. Admissions was a part of it, but Michigan adminssions haven't changed underneath of him (Even though many of us think it needs to); it was something he needed to understand in advance of recruting a player from the portal
Wishing the best for Howard - I am sure he will end up getting another job pretty quickly in the NBA.
honestly, I am stunned how sideways this went after a promising start... never thought Michigan was going to be world beaters, but I thought maybe they could be a 12-13 seed.
The implosion... I hate to speculate, but this was as bad as Eberlle's teams were...
its one thing if the players also accept some of the blame and support the staff, but it just doesn't feel like its trending that way...
if there are fractures between the team and Howard, I am not sure how they can possibly keep Howard at this point.
I was a massive fan of cycling starting just before LeMond became a legend...but I fell off due to all the doping scandals, especially with Lance...
Only recently started watching it again the last couple of years (hoping that the ICF has instituted enough testing now to ensure fair results)
for those with a new found appreciation for cycling, you should check out Tour de France: Unchained. Same production team that did the Drive to Survive F1 series, but the best thing is that there are so many other stories to follow other than the GC leaders
Super excited to see it on Imax...praying Dune Messiah gets green lit.
I am a big fan of the books, but I have learned to accept that this isn't going to be 'exactly' like the books; its an adaptation. You have to judge the movie that's made and not the movie you wanted made.
I am not saying not to be disappointed; hell, I am very disappointed at the lack of retention.
However, I don't know the full story. Was Michigan just cheap? Did guys simply want to move onto the NFL? Did guys feel more like "Harbaugh guys" than "Michigan guys".
A lot of moving parts here.
Moore's hire was made with the idea it was the best hope for continuity. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened to the extent people wanted. Jay and Minter were always going to go. Herbert was maybe an M lean. Elston and Clink were guys Minter loved and targeted.
But they won Michigan a National Championship...so I don't blame them for leaving; I am only perturbed with guys that said they were staying to the kids, only to break their word later.
Going to unplug and see how things shake out until the spring game.
Disappointed that Clink backtracked, especially after telling the players he was going to stay.
Mallory would have been a perfect replacement, although there's no gaurantee he would have stayed as DB coach here over the same position with the Ravens.
At this point, we'll just have to wait and see.
I don't think anyone can say it's a trainwreck until we see what happens after spring practice, which I believe is when the next portal window opens.
The results on the field is the only way to truly analyze the hire...and that should only be after 3-4 years.
Only concern I have is whether a 60+/- NFL coordinator can relate with kids and whether he is going to actually go on the road to recruit.
Schematically, while it isn't quite the same as MacDonald and Minter, they learned defense under him. Language is supposed to be the same, just different philosophy on deploying it.
Great to see Kovacs still working hard in football.
was a great player for Michigan and he must be doing alright with the Bengals for them to block the Chargers from interviewing him and then promoting him themselves.
Moore does offer some continuity, but losing Harbaugh and son and Minter and Herbert means its a different staff than the one he met on his visits. As much as we hope Moore does well, we won't know for sure until games are played on the field.
fixing recruiting isn't just increasing recruiting positions - its got to go hand in hand with NIL... Brian hit the nail on the head when he stressed this in his article.
But they have to start somewhere and if they are not going to throw NIL money at it, throwing more people at it is another option
Boosting recruiting efforts isn't dependent on landing one individual...
it was my impression that the program planned on increasing the budget and number of positions in the recruiting department overall - this would be a boost to recruiting.
just have to find guys to be a part of that staff.
Loved the personal stories about Harbaugh too - we usually only see the 'public' Jim. I think he's much more down to earth if he is comfortable with you, which Jordan's stories seem to verify.
It's amazing to think that this tiny thing that started on blogspot has existed long enough for a reader to go from a freshman kid to become an actual Regent!
Glad to know Brian/Seth and all the posters of Mgoblog have this kind of access to the Levers of Power!
I loved the Juwan hire and defended him last year, but this group of players in NOT a team. This group of individuals seemingly don't have any kind of culture at all, much less winning culture.
A average level of defense is about commitment and effort, it isn't about being a blue chip bucket getter. A team's defensive capacity is often a sign of a team that is connected as a single unit, playing for one another.
I am not sure what happened between early Juwan and current Juwan...maybe it was losing a guy like Eli, who was a "culture" guy.
Not sure what is going on, but something happened, imo, that has caused a rift in the program. And as they say, A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Not saying I believed Balas, just that the rumored 10 is a long contract. 7 years, if true, is more reasonable, but is still longer than Moore's contract...
Again, I would have signed Herbert at 7, but that wasn't done...
They absolutely need to spend the money saved on the delta between Moore and Harbaugh needs to be spent on the remaining assistants. I would prioritize Elston and Clink locked in, like yesterday
I don't know if the Balas information is true or not, but for context, Michigan never even gave Jim Harbaugh a 10 year contract.... I love Herbert, but if that is true, it seems like he was just putting it out there for Michigan to turn it down.
I did a bit of research on Tress out of curiosity and found this...interesting that Tress was at both Arkansas and Alabama prior to Michigan.
“I have known Coach Tress since 2014 and have worked in lockstep with him since 2017,” said Herbert. “For the past seven years Justin and I have worked side-by-side through the highest of highs and lowest of lows. I have never once seen his commitment to me or to Michigan Football waiver. Justin is an incredible representation of intelligence, consistency and commitment. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he will continue to build upon the legacy we have established with Michigan Football.”
“Any time there is transition, great people make decisions that are in the best interest of their family,” added Moore. “We appreciate all that Coach Herb did for the program and wish him well in his next coaching opportunity. He developed a great staff that remains together in Ann Arbor. We know this group will flourish.”
Tress has spent the last six years (2018-present) as a member of the Michigan Football Strength and Conditioning staff, including the 2023 season as the team’s associate director. He also spent two years as a member of Herbert’s staff at Arkansas before joining the Wolverines’ staff. Prior to working with the Razorbacks, Tress was a member of the University of Alabama strength and conditioning staff when the program played in the CFP National Championship Game, winning the title in 2015 while losing in the 2016 contest
A bit lost in the news cycle is the ability to hang onto Abigail O'Connor as Director of Perfomance Nutrition... Don't underplay the role that proper nutrition has had, hand in hand, with the strength program.
Tress, O'Connor and Moore were all hired in 2018, so there is a long history and trust here.
Disappointed to lose Herbert, but we have to hope for the best now. Onwards.
Things change. Every year guys graduate and move on, coaches get hired or don't get reupped. Team 145 was always going to be different... sometimes its better to leave on a high note.
Harbaugh did everything people were hoping for when he came back to coach Michigan.
In time, I think people will remember all the great memories we got to see and experience
Recent Comments
Hey, I don't disagree - Hurley can be an ass on the sidelines. Not saying he's a likeable coach, because he isn't
Can't argue with the way his teams execute however...
Hurley is the best coach in CBB. One of the all time greats imo
Unlike the Dukes, UNCs, Kentuckys and Kansas's of the world, they are doing this without a roster of 5 star players.
Him and Jay Wright were just brilliant X and Os guys...
Walters is a liar and hypocrite, but I've always respected Matt Painter.
I can't say that I am 'rooting' for Purdue, but I'd certainly rather see Bama or UConn lose more than Purdue.
if he stays at 5, I think he picks Joe Alt...MJH is a possibility too, but it depends on what is the bigger issue for the Chargers. OL or WR. Either would be great picks.
Bowers is good, but does he have value at #5? If the Chargers trade down they might be able to get him later.
I think the Chargers trading the pick is definitely in play though... accumulating more picks and more talent would be a smart thing to do.
this would be a tremendous jump start for May to land a couple of these guys, esp at PG to help implement his system...
Hopefully this works out.
lots of good ivy leaguers on the list. No idea of Mack's game fits with May, but he's a PG and the team desperately needs one...
hopeful with the positive wots with Wolf...hoping that one can land soon.
some odd decison making. Not sure who is advising him, but at a certain point, people start to think wonder if problem is the result of the player and not the school.
I hope its an Earthroamer at least....
Enjoyed the interview. Seems like a good guy.... in listening to the interview, as others mentioned, the Eastern Michigan connection is overlooked.
Similar to Kalen DeBoer, being in the shadow of the University of Michigan leaves an indeliable mark on up and coming coaches. Even though Dusty May is an Indiana kid, it is clear he has B1G basketball coursing through his veins....
My impression is that he skews more toward Beilein; a guy who develops kids based on fundamentals and coaching systems and keeps them around for a few years.
I am hopeful for the future.
Thanks for all the research... i was wondering why this wasn't a diary? Would hate to see all that work get buried behind new topics.
seems like a good hire... I mean, you never know whether one can recreate what they have done at another school - but that's the case with any candidate.
Abdur-Rahim was a guy that seemed really interesting too, but he has even less experience than May arguably.
I like that May is more of a guy that builds through recruiting and not through the portal (to this point), which implies he coaches up the players a la Beilein.
I'd love to have gotten Iowa State's coach, but not only was the buyout high, his wife is an all-timer at ISU...May's a guy that was in the top few of everyone's lists, so there is some consensus that he is a good coach...we'll see I guess.
Seems like a good addition... Although it still stings that Harbaugh and others left, I am feeling pretty good about this staff on paper at least.
it wasn't an issue because Beilein didn't take many transfers...outside of Charles Matthews and Duncan (who was going to ace admissions) there wasn't much of a need.
Regardless of what Beilein did or didn't do in the portal, the guy developed lightly recruited players and had them playing as a well oiled machine.
What BBall program relies solely on the portal? Grabbing a couple of guys seems to make sense, but the majority of your roster has to be built through recruiting.
It is more likely that Michigan admissions remains as it is than it opening the door to anyone... so you are left with a pretty limited choice here. Anyone recruited from the portal needs to be pre-vetted by Admissions...
Not saying I agree with that, but that's the system in place at Michigan
its going to be a rebuild from the ground up.
Honestly, it is what it is... Coach that recruited you is gone (which I agree with), and you don't know who is going to be replacing him... good time to test the waters.
I think admissions needs to evolve into the 21st Century, however, it was never an issue during Beilien and it wasn't an issue for the football program either...So I am not going to attribute all of the blame for the worst season in 60 years solely on them.
I really wished that things worked out for Howard here... I was beyond thrilled when he was hired and did so well initially.
When things went downhill last year, I was hoping that this year would prove people wrong. Unfortunately it was not to be.... Lots of reasons for that, but at the end of the day the buck stops at the coach...it wasn't just the losing record - there were other issues that have been discussed ad infinitum. Admissions was a part of it, but Michigan adminssions haven't changed underneath of him (Even though many of us think it needs to); it was something he needed to understand in advance of recruting a player from the portal
Wishing the best for Howard - I am sure he will end up getting another job pretty quickly in the NBA.
disappointed for Howard, but tough to go back after this season.
gotta get a search committee going and nail this hire down
Warde sucks or he's never watched a basketball game in his life...
honestly, I am stunned how sideways this went after a promising start... never thought Michigan was going to be world beaters, but I thought maybe they could be a 12-13 seed.
The implosion... I hate to speculate, but this was as bad as Eberlle's teams were...
its one thing if the players also accept some of the blame and support the staff, but it just doesn't feel like its trending that way...
if there are fractures between the team and Howard, I am not sure how they can possibly keep Howard at this point.
hilarious... but also a good hiring i think
Best wishes to Mike Hart and his family.
Hopefully, there's nothing serious that he can't overcome...
I was a massive fan of cycling starting just before LeMond became a legend...but I fell off due to all the doping scandals, especially with Lance...
Only recently started watching it again the last couple of years (hoping that the ICF has instituted enough testing now to ensure fair results)
for those with a new found appreciation for cycling, you should check out Tour de France: Unchained. Same production team that did the Drive to Survive F1 series, but the best thing is that there are so many other stories to follow other than the GC leaders
Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmJKcVc3-U0
Shocking... but what about all the poor have not schools that are going to be left behind?
Only a matter of time before more ppl come out either verifying or denying the story.
Seems like Howard didn't learn his lesson about anger management.
Jace is a grown ass man - let him fight his own battles...
I was a huge supporter of Howard, even after the Wisconsin incident, but its pretty clear to me that he is unable to manage a level of self control.
He said himself that 'he had lost the team'; nothing more corrosive than giving preferential treatment to your kids on a team...
Got my tickets for an Imax showing on the 5th.
Super excited to see it on Imax...praying Dune Messiah gets green lit.
I am a big fan of the books, but I have learned to accept that this isn't going to be 'exactly' like the books; its an adaptation. You have to judge the movie that's made and not the movie you wanted made.
the Minter connection is great.. we'll see.
Like the hire, but have to admit, I was more excited with Stephen Adegoke...
but we'll see - Morgan seems like he's a good pick too.
that sucks... i thought Sabb looked impressive in the Washington game....
Michigan needs to understand that other teams have no qualms with NIL...so they need to step it up...
i am hoping it is nothing too serious.
Best wishes to Coach Hart and his family
This is a very promising hire imo...
I am not saying not to be disappointed; hell, I am very disappointed at the lack of retention.
However, I don't know the full story. Was Michigan just cheap? Did guys simply want to move onto the NFL? Did guys feel more like "Harbaugh guys" than "Michigan guys".
A lot of moving parts here.
Moore's hire was made with the idea it was the best hope for continuity. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened to the extent people wanted. Jay and Minter were always going to go. Herbert was maybe an M lean. Elston and Clink were guys Minter loved and targeted.
But they won Michigan a National Championship...so I don't blame them for leaving; I am only perturbed with guys that said they were staying to the kids, only to break their word later.
Going to unplug and see how things shake out until the spring game.
At this point, just have to wait and see.
Disappointed that Clink backtracked, especially after telling the players he was going to stay.
Mallory would have been a perfect replacement, although there's no gaurantee he would have stayed as DB coach here over the same position with the Ravens.
At this point, we'll just have to wait and see.
I don't think anyone can say it's a trainwreck until we see what happens after spring practice, which I believe is when the next portal window opens.
The results on the field is the only way to truly analyze the hire...and that should only be after 3-4 years.
Sorry, didn't wade into the original Chip Kelly thread, but I suppose it makes sense why D'Anton Lynn left UCLA now...
Only concern…
Solid hire...
Only concern I have is whether a 60+/- NFL coordinator can relate with kids and whether he is going to actually go on the road to recruit.
Schematically, while it isn't quite the same as MacDonald and Minter, they learned defense under him. Language is supposed to be the same, just different philosophy on deploying it.
Great to see Kovacs still working hard in football.
was a great player for Michigan and he must be doing alright with the Bengals for them to block the Chargers from interviewing him and then promoting him themselves.
I think he…
Good for Jay.
I think he needed to spread his wings a little bit and get some experience from other coaches (as great as his dad may be).
The NCAA is a dead organization.
However, Michigan isn't the kind of organization that takes any kind of stand; we all know this.
They'd probably suspend Howard before they sued the NCAA.
unfortunate, but not a surprise really.
Moore does offer some continuity, but losing Harbaugh and son and Minter and Herbert means its a different staff than the one he met on his visits. As much as we hope Moore does well, we won't know for sure until games are played on the field.
Good player, but he ain't playing for two years.
another guy that has been spoken of highly was Mallory who is currently a defensive analyst.
Not saying he should be DC, but from what I've heard, he was a big part of the complex DB scheming...
Not sure if he wants to become a position coach - just that they should try to hang onto him if they can.
fixing recruiting…
Agreed.
fixing recruiting isn't just increasing recruiting positions - its got to go hand in hand with NIL... Brian hit the nail on the head when he stressed this in his article.
But they have to start somewhere and if they are not going to throw NIL money at it, throwing more people at it is another option
Boosting recruiting efforts isn't dependent on landing one individual...
it was my impression that the program planned on increasing the budget and number of positions in the recruiting department overall - this would be a boost to recruiting.
just have to find guys to be a part of that staff.
funny how people…
oh well...
was hoping for Orr... not sure now... clink/Elston combo maybe?
Great Read and thanks for posting!
Loved the personal stories about Harbaugh too - we usually only see the 'public' Jim. I think he's much more down to earth if he is comfortable with you, which Jordan's stories seem to verify.
It's amazing to think that this tiny thing that started on blogspot has existed long enough for a reader to go from a freshman kid to become an actual Regent!
Glad to know Brian/Seth and all the posters of Mgoblog have this kind of access to the Levers of Power!
Just waiting for Heiko's guest appearance!
I…
Someone had to say it.
I loved the Juwan hire and defended him last year, but this group of players in NOT a team. This group of individuals seemingly don't have any kind of culture at all, much less winning culture.
A average level of defense is about commitment and effort, it isn't about being a blue chip bucket getter. A team's defensive capacity is often a sign of a team that is connected as a single unit, playing for one another.
I am not sure what happened between early Juwan and current Juwan...maybe it was losing a guy like Eli, who was a "culture" guy.
Not sure what is going on, but something happened, imo, that has caused a rift in the program. And as they say, A house divided against itself cannot stand.
that's where the BBall program is right now.
another…
meteoric rise. Congrats to Coach MacDonald
another organization Moore can tap into!
Most schools don't give a shit about the NCAA rules.
mentioned this in a previous post, but this is really great news.
Diet and nutrition go hand in hand with the conditioning program.
Very happy to hear that O'Connor stayed at Michigan.
Not saying I…
thanks.
Not saying I believed Balas, just that the rumored 10 is a long contract. 7 years, if true, is more reasonable, but is still longer than Moore's contract...
Again, I would have signed Herbert at 7, but that wasn't done...
They absolutely need to spend the money saved on the delta between Moore and Harbaugh needs to be spent on the remaining assistants. I would prioritize Elston and Clink locked in, like yesterday
I don't know if the Balas information is true or not, but for context, Michigan never even gave Jim Harbaugh a 10 year contract.... I love Herbert, but if that is true, it seems like he was just putting it out there for Michigan to turn it down.
I did a bit of research on Tress out of curiosity and found this...interesting that Tress was at both Arkansas and Alabama prior to Michigan.
A bit lost in the news cycle is the ability to hang onto Abigail O'Connor as Director of Perfomance Nutrition... Don't underplay the role that proper nutrition has had, hand in hand, with the strength program.
Tress, O'Connor and Moore were all hired in 2018, so there is a long history and trust here.
Disappointed to lose Herbert, but we have to hope for the best now. Onwards.
https://mgoblue.com/news/2024/1/29/football-moore-names-tress-as-director-of-strength-and-conditioning-retains-dietitian-o-connor
…
Congrats to Coach Newsome!
Expected, but great news
It also…
this really sucks.
It also makes no sense. Pro teams do not run things like colleges....these are grown ass men with families.
I gaurantee that leader boards isn't something that will fly in the NFL.
Things change. Every year guys graduate and move on, coaches get hired or don't get reupped. Team 145 was always going to be different... sometimes its better to leave on a high note.
Harbaugh did everything people were hoping for when he came back to coach Michigan.
In time, I think people will remember all the great memories we got to see and experience
It's bittersweet, but Championships are forever.