Per Sam on WTKA it sounds like Pep is sticking around - NEGBANG
I guess at the end of yesterday's show Sam discussed that from what he was hearing from high school coaches and others it sounds like Pep is planning to stick around. He didn't find a seat in the in NFL/college head coaching round of musical chairs (or didn't find anyone willing to pay him $1.4M anyway).
It was further discussed today in segment 7 at around the 19 minute mark:
http://www.wtka.com/2018/03/28/wtka-podcasts/
Still has 2 years on his contract so prepare yourself for UM having the highest paid QB coach in all the land... and lackluster QB recruiting as well.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:11 PM ^
If you live in Michigan, watch Michigan football on TV or attend games, it is at least partly your money.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:40 PM ^
Milton is nothing more than a project with a big arm. When 5 stars bust in college, it's laughable to anoint Milton as some future star based on what we've seen.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:04 AM ^
Michigan sports, primarily football, is such a roller coaster of emotions.
Losing Mattison/Washington to OSU.
Hiring Gattis from Bama.
The Michigan football program has been up and down for the past 15-20 years.
I am hoping Pep is strictly a qb coach. No passing game coordinator. His only responsibilities on game day should be to talk to the qb and make sure he is doing his job.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:03 AM ^
Michigan fans are such a bunch of emotional yoyos. There, I fixed it for ya.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:05 AM ^
Our QB recruiting has not been lackluster. And we have a new OC - so is getting rid of Pep so damn important?
I trust Harbaugh, and think the offense will improve this year, regardless of Pep's status.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:09 AM ^
If Pep’s role is strictly QB coach, then I would be ok with this. But not finding another job anywhere else is telling. Pep can provide as much input from Sunday-Friday, but on Saturdays he should have none.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:29 AM ^
I’m not even sure what the basis is for having him providing input Sunday-Friday. It’s not like our gameplans were great and the play calling was the one downfall of the offense. This also creates a weird Frey/Drevno like power struggle where one coach on the staff has to rescind power to another and we all know how that has gone recently.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:57 AM ^
Well all offensive coaches will meet several times a week before the game. You definitely want input from all position coaches. When I say input, I don’t necessarily mean Pep will be involved in the game plan, but more along the lines of letting them know which plays Shea is more comfortable with and how he’s been performing throughout the week.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:42 AM ^
We've heard from multiple sources that game plans were great, but also were not followed. According to these sources, when shit flew the game plan went out the window and everyone fell back on the crusty old premise of forcing Lombardi's fullback down your throat.
But your other point, about the Drevno-Frey type of power struggle, becomes a real concern...
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:21 PM ^
How do we know game plans were great if they were never followed? Cause the internet told us so?
It's all hype and fluff until proven on the field.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:34 AM ^
I also think it's less than ideal having a guy on the staff who is playing out the string until his contract expires vs. a guy who can grow with the program and actually tell recruits that he has the potential to be around for a few years with a straight face (with the coaching carousel being what it is that might not be the case but at least it's a possibility).
Harbaugh hired him so I'm thinking he's probably a high integrity guy and won't just sit around and pout until this contract expires I'd just prefer to have someone without an explicit expiration date.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:05 AM ^
The only big thing I can think of is making room for McDaniels.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:08 AM ^
Good. That's what I wanted to happen.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:38 AM ^
Can you kindly explain why?
I don't really care either way, I'm just curious as to your reasoning...
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:08 AM ^
He’s not poison. I don’t see why him simply being on the staff is bad.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:09 AM ^
here for the neg bang
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:09 AM ^
Can't we pay him to simply stand on the sidelines?
He provides nothing of value to this team. Passing designs are pathetic. He's not a good recruiter. In fact, I would say he would be detrimental to our new offense and play calling if Harbaugh goes back to the call by committee, which will probably happen.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:45 PM ^
Even Drevno got the hint eventually.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:09 AM ^
Man, you would really have to swallow your pride to stick around as mere QB coach. On the other hand, $1.4 million makes swallowing a lot easier. Hope it works out and his continued presence does not become an issue. Not sure it wouldn’t be better to just buy out his contract and move on.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:12 AM ^
I think I could suck it up for $1.4M (really $2.8M since he has 2 years left on the contract).
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:40 AM ^
You and the poster above you:
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
thatsthejoke.jpg
For mine anyway.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:14 AM ^
This is what happens when you employ the unemployable.
Meritocracy my ass.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:38 AM ^
How is it not a meritocracy? He's clearly being demoted. I guess they could fire him, but they'd still have to pay him.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:55 AM ^
I believe he meant the hiring
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:14 AM ^
I am not a Pep basher as the offense since Harbaugh’s hire has been Harbaugh’s. That said, he does not bring value with recruiting and has been looking. Need to cut bait, eat the contract. He will want to get a job somewhere as not Coaching is detrimental to your career. At least some of his salary would be offset by getting s job somewhere else and paid a minimum.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:14 AM ^
Maybe he'll end up "resigning" in February like Drevno.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:15 AM ^
The money is what bothers me more than anything else. What in the actual fuck is he doing to justify a $1.4 million salary? The fact that no other team wants him tells me he's severely overpaid.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:22 AM ^
It's nice to know people in higher positions.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:26 PM ^
So what, there is no salary cap on our coaches. Pay them all $1.4M if it means we are going to win more games - not like UM doesn't have the money to do so
January 23rd, 2019 at 2:29 PM ^
How many OC's make 50% less than their QB coach?
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:17 AM ^
Man did I ever pick the wrong career path to follow when I was young. If I had known that in coaching you could totally suck at your job but if no other firm wants to pay you as much or MORE than you're making now then you just come back and keep doing the job you suck at I'd have gotten into that for sure.
Out here in the world of sales we have a term for people who dont do their job very well over an extended period of time. But I guess that doesnt apply to our coaching staff it seems.
Unemployed.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:26 AM ^
It makes no sense to keep him around and stick to this whole 'don't want to fire anyone' nonsense. But, I'm also an IT professional and message board user, so there's a chance I have no idea what I'm talking about when it comes to football.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:29 AM ^
I don't know why Pep leaving has to be contingent on him finding another job.
"Yeah, Bill's really been underperforming here for years. We keep asking him to find another job, but he just hasn't yet"
"Why not just fire him?"
".........?"
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:53 AM ^
Apparently meritocracy only exist for our players and not our coaching staff. Harbaugh did the same thing with Drevno. For being as firey a guy as Jim is he sure lacks the marbles when it comes to getting rid of dead weight if he has a prior friendship with them.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:27 PM ^
Because even if they fire him, they are going to have to pay him. At least that's my understanding from what others have intimated regarding his contract.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:48 PM ^
Who fucking cares? Keep him on and he sucks and you pay him. Fire him and you're on the hook for someone better's salary in addition to Pep's.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:34 AM ^
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:37 AM ^
I doubt Pep was considering anything lower than the Power Five and that the NFL had very much interest. So I would assume he did not get much consideration at either level. So why take any other job offers if they don't pay $1.4M? I can't really blame him for sticking around.
I honestly don't think he's a bad coach, just not a good coordinator. Give him one position to focus on and I think he'll show his value. Is he worth $1.4M? Absolutely not. But he's not an awful coach.
In reference to his recruiting, I know 247 isn't the oracle of all sources, but the recruits he's pulled in have been solid:
-Nico Collins
-Oliver Martin
-Ronnie Bell
-Joe Milton
-Cade McNamara
-JD Johnson
So I would not say he's a lackluster recruiter.
I certainly think he'll get some consideration next season, assuming the offense improves.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:49 PM ^
His recruiting rank is between 450 and 500th best in the nation. You can look it up. It's a fair criticism.
January 23rd, 2019 at 3:10 PM ^
I see.
I wasn't trying to criticize the statement. More so just offer a different perspective. I just don't think Pep is as worthless as many on here seem to think. The recruits he is the Primary for seem to be very solid, I just wonder if he doesn't get the volume needed to be ranked higher on 247.
But I am sure Harbaugh has a plan for the staff and Pep will be gone before his contract expires.
January 23rd, 2019 at 6:32 PM ^
Only one of his recruits has had an impact. For 1.4 million it wouldn't be hard to hire a better recruiter.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:44 AM ^
Ugh, why can't we fire him?
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:46 AM ^
So now the program has a mishmash of offensive philosophies on offense with the guy (Hamilton) coaching the most important position on the field different from the guy (Gattis) at least theoretically calling the plays.
There's something to be said for trying to collect as much coaching talent as possible. I certainly respect that idea. But I'd probably take less absolute coaching talent and knowledge for the group of coaches who know their scheme inside and out.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:46 AM ^
How will this work in terms of coaching staff size though? We've lost 3 (Mcelwain, Washington, Mattison), but hired 4 (Gattis, Campanile, Nua, McDaniels.)
Unless I guess McDaniels was never made the permanent WR coach?
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:49 AM ^
That's the implication (McDaniels back to whatever he was or out) but I didn't hear Sam say one way or the other. I didn't listen to yesterday's segment so he might have mentioned it there.
January 23rd, 2019 at 2:15 PM ^
So it basically ends up being McDaniels or Pep. Ugh.
January 23rd, 2019 at 10:51 AM ^
From the sounds of it, McDaniels has been out recruiting which I was taking to mean that Pep was out. If he isn't a coach is he allowed to do that? Can anyone clarify because that part really confuses me.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:39 PM ^
at the time he was out recruiting, Nua was not yet hired. this is relevant because teams are allowed to have 11 (or 12) coaches on staff, and only coaches and visit recruits. thus, he was temporarily upgraded to a coach so that he could recruit. now that gattis, nua, and campawhatevero are hired and on staff he can no longer be on the road because we have a full staff again.