Harbaugh hires Wayne Lyons' mom
Per Mark Snyder at The Paper That Shall Not Be Named, Gwendolyn Bush, who is the mother of Stanford CB Wayne Lyons, has been hired as the director of player development. On Twitter, she referred to the position as "team mom". I think we can safely assume Lyons is coming.
Harbaugh must've gotten to know her while recruiting Lyons. Also, apparently Lyons is a great student and really good kid, so I'd assume the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
EDIT: So, it sounds like she was also the "team mom" for the South Florida Elite 7-on-7 team that featured, among others, Amari Cooper, Geno Smith, and Teddy Bridgewater. All those guys apparently loved her.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:31 AM ^
I was thinking the exact same thing. We assume because she's a woman, this can't be a real hire? For shame.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:45 AM ^
Actually, hiring a "Team Dad" sounds a bit shadier. I wonder if she sticks around for a few years after her son is done playing here.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:56 AM ^
I was just starting to think the same thing.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:03 AM ^
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February 6th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 9:30 AM ^
Remember one thing, HARBAUGH!
Trust the man, quit nitpicking.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:32 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 9:34 AM ^
Is she currently doing this type of job at another school?
Thanks
February 6th, 2015 at 10:15 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 9:36 AM ^
I do not think this about getting Wayne. I doubt we would hire his mom to get him. He has one year left and might not even start. I think some of you are reading way too far into this.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:09 AM ^
Totally agree. People are reading way too much into this. Wayne is could be transfering to be able to spend time with his mom while continuing to play at a big time program and it just happens that she is now employed by UMich. Trying to make a correlation to the Cam Newton situation could not be anymore off base. Nothing shady with this but rather it's a smart move by Harbaugh. Hopefully, she can create some opportunities with top Florida talent to show them the virtues of Michigan and to show them that there's a whole other football world out there outside of the Florida & SEC borders. I would say this is no different than MSU's hiring of Curtis Blackwell several years back.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:38 AM ^
Imagine a recruit and his parents come to Ann Arbor for a visit and they meet Gwendolyn Bush--Director of Player Development and "Team Mom" per her own twitter feed in the newspaper article. I don't think any other university has a woman on their staff in that sort of position, which makes it unique in and of itself.
But given her backgrounds and that her son is playing major collegiate football, imagine what she'll be able to say and relate not only to the youngsters, but to the moms and dads that come for those visits. If anything, it certainly comes from a different perspective than they'll get on most recruiting visits.
We'll see what happens here. If her son does transfer to Michigan, he'll only have one year of football eligibility. He majored in architectural studies at Stanford, so it means he'll probably go to graduate school at UM working towards the same degree (Stanford doesn't really have architecture as a graduate program while Michigan offers three different degrees in it).
If she's a long time version and, say, another version of Greg Harden in terms of supporting the team, etc., then I think it's a smart, innovative hire in what is a very cut throat world of college recruiting.
One other thing to keep in mind is that Harbaugh unwittingly set down a marker for himself back in 1997 when he compared Stanford and Michigan in terms of academics for the football team. If he's going to live by that, then who better than a mother whose son studied and played in Palo Alto to help Harbaugh live up to what he said eight years ago.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:41 AM ^
Dang, I wanted that job.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:50 AM ^
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February 6th, 2015 at 9:55 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 10:05 AM ^
The biggest in college football! DUH!
But seriously, your comment isn't necessary.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:24 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 9:58 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
sounds schiesty
February 6th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 11:00 AM ^
but we've heard more than once about players having problems because they ignored tickets. Then they get written up for driving on a suspended license. A lot of college students can use a little guidance for handling new responsibilities.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:01 AM ^
Given the multitude of medical cards issued in the state now, I think I would be qualified for a "Quality Control - Medication" position.
/s
I know the players can't smoke per NCAA rules even if they have a medical card, does anyone know if this applies to coaches and other sports position?
February 6th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned elsewhere, but Wayne Lyons committed to the program Harbaugh built at Stanford just a day after Harbaugh was hired by the NFL. Obviously, the recruitment of Lyons was begun by Harbaugh and nearly completed while he was still there. This is an old relationship between Harbaugh, Lyons, and surely his mother. Our coach is not trying to create new alliances here. He's known these people for five years or so.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:07 AM ^
According to a 2011 SI article written about Lyons recruitment
"Bush, a former assistant principal, runs the In-School Suspension program at Attucks Middle School in Fort Lauderdale. After the school day ends, she teaches life skills to special-needs students. Bush also has several unpaid jobs. She handles NCAA Clearinghouse material for Dillard's football program, working with players to ensure they have the proper class credits and test scores to play in college."
February 6th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^
Wait.... you mean she is highly qualified for the job and will be a big asset to the team and program?
February 6th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
Oh lets be real if OSU or an sec school hired the coach of the #1 recruit in the country and then 3 weeks later hired the mom of another potential recruit and one who has ties to a lot of recruits we would be crying foul and calling it shady. Hell we just immediatley assume bag men whenver someone doesn't come to visit.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 12:12 PM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^
you'll find something else to worry about.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 10:29 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 10:24 AM ^
This is no different than hiring Tyrone Wheatley as the RB coach.
Wheatley was more than qualified for the job and getting his son (who I don't think was coming before he took the job) was a perk.
If she is qualified for the job they're asking her to do, then this is no different.
If they've created a bullshit position or she's hired and she's not qualified to do the job, then this is shady.
It's really that simple.
February 6th, 2015 at 12:16 PM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 12:27 PM ^
I'm confused.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 10:26 AM ^
So you are staying she is bringing Amari Cooper, Geno Smith, and Teddy Bridgewater along with her? AWESOME...well kinda awesome. Geno wasn't so good for the J.E.T.S. JETS JETS JETS lately. And here I thought you can't go from the NFL back to college. I guess the DISH commercial is right, you really can go back.*
*This is not an endorsement of DISH. DISH sucks. It's been voted the #1 worst company to work for the last 2 years running. Its upper management makes employees SHARE hotel rooms on business trips to save money -- even though its owner/founder Charlie Ergen is a billionaire many times over. It has been sanctioned for violating court orders many times. It has committed $715 billion -- you read that right -- in violations of the do-not-contact rules, although the feds are going easy on them and only asking for $1 billion.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
The Mlive article on this topic also states that Harbaugh may be looking into adding a Senior Defensive Analyst as well.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
I think it's fantastic that Harbaugh is bringing a woman into the football culture at Michigan. I teach at a high school with many students from rough backgrounds and we have a volunteer in the building who all the students refer to as "grandma." Her mere presence in the building has an amazing impact on some of the young men and their behavior at school. We have the ability to call out behavior and say, "is this how you'd behave with your grandma in the room?" And a lot of the time we don't even have to call it out. They are just more respectful with her around.
I think having a "team mom" will have similar positive benefits. A lot of these kids are away from home for the first time in their lives and are surrounded by a lot of temptation. Having a "mom" away from home reminds them of how they might behave with their actual mom around. It also may mitigate some of the male bravado than can sometimes border on misogyny in sports culture. I think it's a great move.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:34 AM ^
NCAA rule:13.2.1.1 Specific Prohibitions.
Specifically prohibited financial aid, benefits and arrangements include, but are not limited to, the following: (Adopted: 4/23/08)
(a) An employment arrangement for a prospective student-athlete's relatives;
How is this not a violation of this rule? She may be qualified, but I'm sure so are a ton of other people, and I'm sure you could find dozens of jobs in the football program that the parents of recruits are qualified for.
February 6th, 2015 at 10:38 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 11:02 AM ^
can you help with ncaa rule. can a newly recruit de-commit since two days after nsd a coach leaves. kind of smells like shit. thanks
February 6th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
try to get them right. Lyons does not meet the definition of a prospective student-athlete. Furthermore, he is not being recruited by Michigan. There is speculation that he will want to transfer for here, but it would be against the rules for Michigan to have even talked to him.
A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual's relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospective student-athlete until one of the following occurs (whichever is earlier):
(a) The individual officially registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution's regular academic year (excluding summer); or
(b) The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution that occurs before the beginning of any term; or (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/10/90)
(c) The individual officially registers and enrolls and attends classes during the summer prior to initial enrollment.
(Adopted: 4/28/05, Revised: 1/17/09)
February 6th, 2015 at 4:17 PM ^
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February 6th, 2015 at 10:52 AM ^
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February 6th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 11:16 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
February 6th, 2015 at 12:22 PM ^