Things you want Warde Manuel to do within his first year
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Hire Mel Pearson.
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Expand the Maize Rage
- Remove the ads on the Michigan Stadium concourse pillars, free our poor baskets of this leftover stuff....
In other words, Mr. Manuel........tear DOWN those ads.
I would say extend Harbaugh but Hackett is likely to get that done before Warde officially takes over in March.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
Attack you with a rusty hammer?
OK, that was rude... :-D
January 29th, 2016 at 11:39 PM ^
Have Dave Brandon thrown in pit in the middle of nowhere to die and put Hoke on a weightloss program by putting some twinkies in front of him and let him chase them all day! And then make a statue of Mr. Hackett!
January 29th, 2016 at 5:28 PM ^
Improve cell phone service in the Big House.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
and better WiFi
January 29th, 2016 at 10:50 PM ^
That's why so many people prefer to watch the game on TV. Totally explains the decline in attendance in 2014.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
Get ND on the schedule.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:35 PM ^
I like the freedom not having ND on the schedule affords you. Maybe do something like Year 1 Notre Dame, Year 2 at Notre Dame, Year 3 Tennessee, Year 4 at Tennessee, Year 5 Notre Dame, Year 6 at Notre Dame, Year 7 Clemson, Year 8 at Clemson for a best of both worlds
January 29th, 2016 at 6:32 PM ^
Agreed. I like the 2 on, two off format.
January 29th, 2016 at 7:13 PM ^
"The hell with Notre Dame"
January 29th, 2016 at 7:37 PM ^
We can play Notre Dame and play other top schools. We just have to get the EMU and Toledo type games off the schedule.
January 29th, 2016 at 10:51 PM ^
To hell with Notre Dame.
/obligatory
January 29th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
Hire Mel Pearson. That is all.
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January 29th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^
Why is Pearson such a desired candidate? Because he was a long time assistant? Not a big hockey fan, but out of curiousity I looked him up and he has 1 winning season of 4 total as a head coach at Michigan Tech. Is that really that great?
January 29th, 2016 at 6:02 PM ^
If you understood how low mtu hockey had sunk. He's really turned the program around.
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January 29th, 2016 at 6:02 PM ^
Michigan Tech was abysmal when he took over there. They had won 6, 5, and 4 games in the three years prior to his hiring. I believe he was big into scouting and recruiting players in his years here so he has a long history of connections in the area.
I think Pearson is certainly a good candidate, but I'd be curious to know who some other good ones would be. I'm not especially well-informed into the rest of the college hockey world so I can't say I know what's out there.
January 29th, 2016 at 8:42 PM ^
In addition to Michigan tech being much better since he arrived, Michigan has had a drop in season performance from previous years. It is assumed he also had a large part in the amazing run Red had of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
January 29th, 2016 at 9:35 PM ^
They were terrible, as mentioned. Then the winning season they were a #2 seed. Good again this year, too.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
All games free!
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January 29th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
Assuming Berenson is not given a new contract, we shouldn't make this a 1-person race. Mel is nice, yes, but by no means required. I am certain that there are plenty of good hockey coaches who would be willing to coach at Michigan; some of them have actually accomplished something as a head coach.
I guess I don't see the requirement for Pearson over any other candidate.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:33 PM ^
Exactly. I wouldn't mind Brian Weismann getting fair look.
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January 29th, 2016 at 5:37 PM ^
Sure, if we are fixated on only people who have worked at Michigan. But we shouldn't be. Who knows who is out there willing to coach at Michigan (and who has actually accomplished something as a head coach at this level)?
Hockey isn't the sport where we want to be obsessed over the "Michigan Man" thing. That's the sort of thinking that led MSU to hireTom Anastos (and what led Michigan to hire Wilf Martin in 1980).
January 29th, 2016 at 5:41 PM ^
They went on a stretch of 4 years before this where they didn't make the tournament and still make tons of mistakes but cover it up with Motte, Connor, and Compher. I'd be wary of promoting someone on staff. Just get somebody who is proven he can coach whether it be Mel Pearson or the Quinnipiac coach.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^
That would be Rand Pecknold at Quinnipiac. He's been there for 21 years and went to college in Connecticut. He's doing a nice job there for sure, but I don't think that's somebody who is leaving his current gig.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:12 PM ^
What he did at UMass Lowell is amazing. His first three years there he went to the NCAA tourney which is amazing considering they had won 5 games (and lost 24) the year before he was hired
January 29th, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^
Norm Bazin also went from UMass Lowell player, to UMass Lowell Assistant Coach, to UMass Lowell Head Coach. I wouldn't be sure he's interested in leaving his alma mater.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:50 PM ^
You want to hire a guy with barely any experience as an assistant?
Someone else has already done that and it is working out exactly how everyone said it would.
January 29th, 2016 at 8:46 PM ^
Considering Brian has completely turned around our power play the past three seasons, yes I do. Brian's work with the forwards and power play is just as strong as Mel's past work with the defense during his tenure. It isn't Brian's fault the defensemen are shitting the bed.
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January 29th, 2016 at 8:48 PM ^
This isn't Brian's first stop as a coach. I thought you knew everything about Michigan.
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January 29th, 2016 at 5:39 PM ^
Completely agree. Mel is fine but I think we can do much better.
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January 29th, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^
People keep saying this but they aren't actually providing any names.
Rick Bennett at Union is the only other guy I can think of that I'd be comfortable with.
We cannot hire someone who had mild success in an inferior league and not have it work out like the football program did with RR and Hoke.
Mel Pearson is the only exception to the rule because he turned a sub-five win team into what was at point last year the #1 team in the nation. In Houghton.
Let's not forget the slide here began immediately after he left. Like a snap of the fingers.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:04 PM ^
If you conduct a one-candidate search, you are setting the team up for disappointment and failure.
If you reject every coach with "mild success in inferior leagues" except Mel Pearson, you need to give me a better reason than the fact that MTU was rated #1 for a couple of weeks in November 2014.
Yes, Mel Pearson should be a finalist for the job. But to say right now that he will absolutely be the best candidate is ridiculous. Michigan needs a national search. The sort of search that brought Erik Bakich to the baseball team.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:07 PM ^
Do you remember how bad Tech was? What he's done there is coach coach coach them up into a tournament team. A miracle worker.
NTDP talent ain't playing or living in Houghton.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^
Making them a .600 team for 2 years isn't quite a "miracle." Call me when they are playing in April and I will give you the "miracle" designation.
Listen, hiring Mel Pearson would probably work out well for us. I certainly wouldn't be disappointed. But he may or may not want to coach here, and if he doesn't want to coach here, I'm willing to bet that it could work out just fine. The "Mel or bust" thinking is going to be a problem, because there are other great coaches out there who have done just as much as he has and in some cases much more.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:20 PM ^
The Harbaugh or bust attitudes worked out fine.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:23 PM ^
Harbaugh is Harbaugh. Pearson isn't Harbaugh--he hasn't proven that yet. If he does to MTU what Harbaugh did at Stanford, then fine. But he hasn't.
Also, Harbaugh.
January 29th, 2016 at 6:19 PM ^
Rick Bennett is a real good candidate. His roots are out east but he has done a crazy good job at Union in a very short time. I could definitely get behind hiring him.
Bennett also has that quality hockey coach scowl.
January 29th, 2016 at 7:00 PM ^
Mike Hastings of Minnesota State? Jeff Brown of the Indiana Ice? Mark Carlson of the Cedar Rapids Roughriders? These aren't my favorites but I'm trying to look around and see what could be. I like Bennett and Pearson the most.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
Not Be Dave Brandon
January 29th, 2016 at 5:31 PM ^
World Peace.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:35 PM ^
What does Ron Artest have to do with anything?
January 29th, 2016 at 5:35 PM ^
Mmmmmm, swirled peas...
January 29th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
Renovate and expand Schembechler Hall
Mel Pearson
January 29th, 2016 at 5:43 PM ^
That first item just happened.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
Integrate fiber optic lights on the block M that's on the 50 so it can be seen from space
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January 29th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
Well, I want some really nice things. Maybe a really big team. Sprinkle in some some really big rings. Coming with no strings, of course
January 29th, 2016 at 6:24 PM ^
Lol +1 for the reference.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
To gene smith and mark hollis
January 29th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
Donate funds for new MGoServers.
January 29th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
National champs in the big house.