So, how is Brandon doing with recruiting?
What he is relying on now is loyalty from high school kids and their families after betraying them.
I heard a coach on the radio this morning criticizing the trend toward business people in AD positions because their values aren't focused on athletes and coaches, but rather on brands and influential people outside the program. I think that captures the head weasel pretty well. All show. No go.
January 8th, 2011 at 8:48 AM ^
it took him for years to come up with a recipe for a decent tasting pizza. Much better than crap doesn't take much. I sure hope it doesn't take that long for him to come up with a coach.
None of that stuff you listed is good pizza. Edible- yes quality pizza - no.
January 8th, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
January 8th, 2011 at 4:59 AM ^
The wheels are coming off.
January 8th, 2011 at 5:51 AM ^
A randon hate post at 4 in the morining ? im sure alchohol had nothing to do with that..........
January 8th, 2011 at 7:30 AM ^
I agree with some of your sentiment, but "weasel" is usually reserved for OSU and MSU fans here to berate Michigan.
I still see Brandon as a drunk, blindfolded man with a scythe trying to crawl out of a roomful of kittens. He has shown no grace, no class, and most of all no plan. The transfers and the recruits who are lost will be "collateral damage." Brandon has damaged the program with his ego and his bumbling. The only question AFAIC is how many more kittens Brandon is going to come across while he "handles" the situation.
I now think it ends up being Chucky; he is the kind of splashy hire that an egomaniac like DB would love to make. Hopefully, he isn't married to that West Coast Offense. I could also see Harbaugh returning to Michigan someday: probably after the next coach is gone.
Through all of the speculation, though, all I really want to see is for the kids on this team who have worked so hard to build something to have a coach who can help them see some returns on their efforts next year. No matter who the coach is and no matter what I may think of David Brandon.
January 8th, 2011 at 8:09 AM ^
The offense is built around the QB and WRs being on the same page as far as reads. I believe Gruden himself said it takes a QB 2-3 years to fully understand the system. With the constant changing of players every 4-5 years, it is not an offense I would ever consider for a college program to run unless you are an egomaniac named Bill Callahan.
January 8th, 2011 at 8:56 AM ^
I don't think Harbaugh will ever come to Michigan now, and even if he wanted to, I hope that we wouldn't hire him, since he spurned us so badly at the time when we need him the most.
January 8th, 2011 at 7:39 AM ^
January 8th, 2011 at 7:48 AM ^
Brandon is not a "weasel." He has done nothing more than he said he was going to do. What he had done was give Rich Rodriguez a chance to make this easier, to make a forth year for Rich Rod arguably deserving, he had the five weeks before the Gator Bowl to prepare his case, and to make a solid argument on the field that he was the right guy. A move that I would expect most RR die hards to appreciate after the OSU and Wisky dismantlings. RR failed the test to a degree that nobody foresaw, he got a 12 on the ACT and his firing was on himself alone.
What has happened since is in some ways unfortunate, but JH going to the 49ers says one thing, we never had him, he was never interested, if he was the job was his and he knew it. Brandon could have been the only reason that M even deserved mentioning in Harbaugh's press conference, we simply don't know.
DB is not thinking about next year, he is thinking about the next 20 years, the next 50 years. Hiring a coach on the fly before a bowl game because "we have to hurry and do it now and forgot the long term and we need to keep Denard and what about Dee Hart" is not the move, it screams of desperation, it is very narrow minded, and it would very likely yield the results that the last pre-bowl hiring did. The Michigan way, patience, integrity, discipline, virtue. That is this coaching search. Not fast, desperate, and reckless. This will be a lasting decision. Give the man a minute and have a little faith. If you email Dave Brandon, just do it to tell him that Dominoes is in drastic need of an upgraded breadstick situation, but leave the football coach hiring to him.
January 8th, 2011 at 7:57 AM ^
the tired meme that "Brandon did nothing more than he said he would do," or whatever version of that claptrap happens to be in favor. If what he said he would do is stupid, foolish, destructive of the program, etc. then why would sticking to that course of action be in any way laudable?
"Well, he did come and burn down my house, but it's nothing more than he said he would do."
Maybe this all works out, but it's not for lack of Brandon's appearing to do a lot to fail.
January 8th, 2011 at 8:18 AM ^
a move stupid, foolish, and destructive of the program when the move has not been made yet. Dropping RR was not the decision, that was the given, that was not Brandon's doing, that was a circumstance that he was handed. Listen, the Michigan football program is not on life support, but it is close, at this point, the floor is lower than you think and the ceiling is not nearly as high as you think that it is. David Brandon is not choosing between the things that you think that he is. He is trying to rebuild essentially a struggling company that has been propping itself up for nearly ten years without really contending for anything and without clearly defining its intentions. This is a long-term campaign, you are in the first stages of a marathon right now, not the stretch run of a sprint. If you are waiting for a national championship, get a life time supply of Jack Daniels and a lot of reading material. This is a long haul and I for one am not going to jump ship before I even see the first move.
January 8th, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^
..but it has a serious flaw. When you, I, or DB develop our ranked list of successor coaches, RR with a new defensive staff is on that list, somewhere - maybe #2, maybe #12, maybe #112 - but that choice is on the list.
Dropping RR was not a given. Taking serious action was absolutely necessary. Most everyone would have been satisfied with a reorganized staff; a new, "name", DC (like Shannon or the Miss St guy, for example); and a dedicated ST coach. (If this option was given to RR - and he declined it - well, then, good riddance, I guess).
If you interview RR on Tues, fire him on Wed, and hire JH on Thurs - it's clear that you're prepared and have a plan that everyone can support. If JH stiffs you at the last minute, you can move to the next one on the list. No problem.
But that's not what's happening here.
DB reminded the world on Wed about his business experience; the importance of succession planning; and how he would be a one-person search committee. Then, on Fri, he's reportedly hiring a search firm? Where's the succession list containing already fully-vetted candidates? Where are the estimates of the likelihood of each coach to accept and the $$$ it will take close the deal? Where's the plan?
On Wed at 2pm, Hoke would have crawled through the phone lines from San Diego to take the job. If we end up with Hoke now, it's clear that Hoke wasn't #2, #3, #4, etc. on DB's list. Which means that, as each moment passes, it's becoming even more clear that either DB never had a list or that he has seriously misjudged everyone on that list. That's not leadership - that's bumbling.
There are only a handful of coaches (16?) that had post-Jan 1 bowl games. When you look at that list you can quickly eliminate Tressel; Edsall; Petrino; Sherman; the Pitt, MTSU, and Miami coaches, etc as candidates. If DB hires one of the <9 remaining coaches, then we can credit him with having a plan. If DB hires anyone else, anyone who was available on Wed, Jan 6, then it looks an awful lot like he was not prepared and didn't have a plan. And if he ultimately hires Clem McGillicutty (OC at I-AAAA Little Sisters of the Poor), or another up-and-coming longshot, DB is going to have a difficult time explaining why this reach is preferable to keeping RR with a new defensive staff and at least allowing RR an opportunity to work with a few upperclasssmen.
January 8th, 2011 at 8:03 AM ^
Brandon just has me wondering...I simply don't get it...didn't have a plan A or B. How are you sleeping, Dave? Not well? Welcome to our world.
As for Harbaugh,,,,almost get the feeling it was an "in your face" move. Had he come back and realized the same success at Michigan he had with Stanford and stayed here, he is young enough to have perhaps been the next "Bo". Maybe, he simply likes the Bay area better...that isn't hard to believe. He would never have been more welcome than now, and that isn't happening. So much for dream jobs...
Now if its miles, it wouldn't surprise me if at least a few kids who were headed to the SEC just might make a detour up north...or am I just being guilty of wishful thinking. Miles certainly would have an in to talent in the deep south.
January 8th, 2011 at 8:30 AM ^
Let's put a moratorium on cliche junk like "pump the brakes".
January 8th, 2011 at 3:18 PM ^
Hell no... it's on the buzz word bingo sheet my team takes to meetings. Right next to "synergy" and "low hanging fruit".
January 8th, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^
Pump the brakes on it, as it were?
January 8th, 2011 at 8:31 AM ^
January 8th, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^
Huh?
Since when has the average corporate board room made a consensus decision. Decisions at that level usually revolve around 1 or 2 people and the rest of the board kisses ass and carries out the decision maker's charter. Lower levels do the group hug thing.
Also, if you're worried about groupthink, you haven't been paying attention:
"I don't intend to create any committees," Brandon said during Wednesday's news conference.
January 8th, 2011 at 8:44 AM ^
I have my doubts about Brandon, but he is a not a "weasel." He made a tough decision and is trying to fix it, but the situation he inherited wasn't desirable and people were going to be hurt however he handled it.
January 8th, 2011 at 9:01 AM ^
or this could unravel quickly. We've been the favorite for Frost and Bryant for a long time and where for Zettel too. Classes are filling quickly and we don't have a HC or staff with two recruiting weekends left. Now some of our commits are saying they are going to look around. If Fisher and Posada leave (both saying they will look around) and Jack Miller is moved to the D we will have landed 1 OL commit in two years which basically spells disaster. Bryant and keeping our current Oline commits may be the most important factor for our current class.
January 8th, 2011 at 9:05 AM ^
Michigan law does not allow him to announce before Jan 12th.. 7day posting of a position for public institution.
January 8th, 2011 at 9:56 AM ^
someone we are "having serious discussions with" (and by "having serious discussions with," I mean, "will be the next head coach of the University of Michigan."
January 8th, 2011 at 9:09 AM ^
How is the recruiting class? I havent heard of anymore decommits but I think we were suspecting a couple commits this weekend -Frost, Lyons maybe? When does this happen? It seems unlikely they would commit to M without a coach but they could defer instead of committing else where?
p.s. - I was actually excited about this thread from the title but not from the content.....we have to be supportive of the new coach, regardless
January 8th, 2011 at 10:57 AM ^
Frost to Auburn....Crawford to Miami....Lyons to anywhere but here
January 8th, 2011 at 9:10 AM ^
If our class is only 12 recruits, can we just take a lot more the next year or is there a NCAA/B1G limit of 25 or some other ceiling?
January 8th, 2011 at 9:33 AM ^
While the numbers may work, player development doesn't, unless you like playing true freshman. It is incredibly important to get players into the system and have them physically develop. That is why it hurts to have lost as many players as had left the program under RichRod.
January 8th, 2011 at 12:22 PM ^
The NCAA limit is 25 per year. You can play with it a bit if a player enrolls in January and you didn't have 25 last year. In that case you can count it against last year's 25. There is also a limit of 85 scholarships at any time.
January 8th, 2011 at 9:19 AM ^
Dude, I'm not a fan of the RR firing either, but you're out of your damn mind.
January 8th, 2011 at 9:38 AM ^
You have found your God. Worship here
January 8th, 2011 at 9:46 AM ^
IMHO this can all be blamed on BM, . Lloyd told him early in the season that he was going to retire. BM should have had someone lined up to fill the spot the day the announcement was made. Instead he just assumed that a guy on the verge of a national championship would be chomping at the bit to leave his school in the dust for the chance to coach at Michigan. When that fell through, holy crap set in and with no plan B it took a month to find someone and BM had to take whoever he could get. It is very unfortunate that RR was beaten down so much by the media and yes I do blame them partly for this whole situation. If BM had done his homework through the 07 season he would have known that Les might not be a lock and he could have had a plan B. Perhaps it would have been Hoke, or Kelly as there was talk of the 2 of them before RR entered the picture. Not sure what would have happened with a little bit of planning. Not saying that either of those guys would have been the answer to our current position but just that both of those guys at least had MI ties and it may have at least made the monsters of the media a little bit more appeased. DB is just doing the best he can to clean up the mess that BM made. Yes I do see the comedy in that last sentence.
January 8th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
there is every indication that he had a deal that fell through, or he would have announced a replacement candidate at the time of the firing (and he can get a waiver on the 1 week posting). My complaint is that the search then began on January 5 because his coach-review process was the wrong one for football. It might work for other sports, but recruiting is part of the season. By the time he "evaluated" RR and fired him, the Coach Store inventory was depleted. And these coaches are on the verge of National Signing Day. They cannot look like they are going anywhere, and I think many of them will not leave their situations at that time because that causes the recruits to have to scramble. Brandon is responsible for this bad timing, and I do blame him for that.
January 8th, 2011 at 10:29 AM ^
Take it easy on Brandon. I will give him till mid next week. If he has to cancel another weekend of recruiting then I will start to lose it., It's is too late to change the decisions of guys who will announce at the Army game. If he has to cancel next weekend, our recrutiing is probably done. I agree the brand seems a bit tarnished. If he can get someone next week, I can live with it. If it drags on past next weekend, we will be a joke.
I am a RR supporter and grew to like the guy. I hated that we hired him in the beginning. After PSU, I was wavering a bit, but OSU did me in, I still wanted RR to come back but was indifferent if we got someone else. I just thought it should have been done after OSU because we needed the support for the bowl game or transition for a new coach. We have to move forward,
And DB is not a weasel, grow up.
January 8th, 2011 at 1:40 PM ^
because ive been hitting it as hard as i can so many times
January 8th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
Regarding recruits, Tom has mentioned 2 silent commits. Are these 2 still in the picture?
January 8th, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^
Gone like a snow cone in July!!
January 8th, 2011 at 11:27 AM ^
First question - how do you know Brandon bungled the Harbaugh situation? He didn't stay at Stanford, he didn't take another college job, and he didn't just jump at a ton of money. What was Brandon supposed to do?
Second question - what would you have done? As I see it, here are your options:
- Keep Rodriguez. Perhaps some of us on this blog would be content with that, but how many fans could tolerate that after the last three games? How many empty seats would there be next year? And do those of us who still supported him - did we really want to spend all that time defending him another year?
- Fire Rodriguez after OSU - Maybe this helps you start a search earlier and opens up some other candidates, but if you want Harbaugh or Patterson they wouldn't have talked to you before their bowl games so why start a search so early? What's the value? By waiting you give RR the chance to impress you in the bowl game.
- FIre Rodriguez after the game with a replacement named - This is probably what most people wanted, but if you spend all your time courting Harbaugh and keeping RR was no longer an option after the bowl game, who else could you announce?
When Harbaugh decided to go to the NFL, Brandon was in a tough spot. And I think he's doing the right thing. Let's give him a chance to prove that to us....and let's keep an open mind on the next coach.
January 8th, 2011 at 12:33 PM ^
You give RR another year. You tell the world that RR came in under difficult circumstances but has shown improvement in wins every year. You point out that he has a 6 year contract and we look forward to winning the Big Ten under our coach, Coach Rodriguez.
This is the only scenario that made sense the way DB set it up.
January 8th, 2011 at 3:05 PM ^
Adittionally, given the coaching pedigree of JH's family and JH has kids in the Bay area, it seems perfectly natural that he stayed there.
I also think it's reasonale to suggest if the 49ers didn't need a coach, JH would have probably stayed at Stanford to be close to his kids.
I think it's on account of clowns like 1M1Ucla ranting about who knows what... weasels, ADs doing the recruting, etc., why Michigan isn't a destination job. For example, Greg fucking Schiano turned us down. Twice.
And now it looks like Hoke is our best option (don't want to debate Hoke per se just illustrating that no name bigger than a .500 coach for the MAC and MWC is beating down the door to Schembecheler Hall).
Face it folks... we are now Notre Dame.
January 8th, 2011 at 1:01 PM ^
Not a Michigan man? What the hell you smoking?
January 8th, 2011 at 1:04 PM ^
Survives its first contact with the enemy or reality. Plans are based on a given set of circumstances that change, and things changed as we got slaughtered by MSU in the Gator Bowl and JH went to NFL and other coaches see where we are and how our last coach was treated...........Beginning to think we will have to remember that we are not the desireable job we were a few years ago. Let's see who we get and then decide to panic......