How others view the Michigan HC position

Submitted by michgoblue on

Over the past week, I have spoken with a bunch of friends - most avid college football nuts like myself.  One thing that has surprised me is that as a group, most view the Michigan job as far less desirable than I would have imagined.

Friend 1: Nebraska fan - "Why would PEline ever leave Neb. for M?  Equal prestige, Nebraska a farther along in the rebuild and we don't have an insane fan base that will throw him out after 2-3 years." 

Friend 2:  PSU Fan - "I don't see you guys getting any top coach, other than Miles.  Your program is a mess, and in recent years, you have no more prestige than any of the programs you would poach from.  The Michigan job is not such a hot job these days."

Friend 3:  Wisconsin Fan - still thinks that our job is a big deal and that we can attach, but "your disloyal fanbase is a problem - you have pretty much run two straight coaches out of town."  (not correct about Lloyd, but many outsiders do view his retirement as avoiding firing)

Friend 4: No team, CFB nut - "You guys are no different than ND - aside from 1 or 2 good seasons, you have been irrelevant since your split NC.  Why would a top coach come to M?  Gruden is not coming - he loves being on ESPN.  Miles is going to play you guys for even more SEC $$.  Harbaugh is going to bold for the NFL (a few days before it happened).  YOu will probably end up with that Hoke guy from San Diago."

The quotes are not exact, but are pretty damn close.  Depressing.

Also, the general opinion was that our AD is a job and has screwed this up as badly as possible. 

On a positive note, my ND friend is scared of us getting Miles because he thinks tat Miles can out-recruit anybody. 

MGoVillain

January 9th, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^

the OP quoted FANS from other schools.  fans are usually biased and believe their schools is the shitty shit shit.  so of course they're going to say that.  BTW your coach doesn't have to already be the shitty shit shit- he just has to become the shitty shit shit.  I think we're all forgetting that.  remember the Holy One Glenn Schembechler?? remember Jimbob Tressel??? Remember Urban Meijer?? Remember Nick Satan?? 

i would hope the point isn't to necessarily appease everyone with a big name hire- but perhaps find the next BIG NAME.  

 

hence,  STOP FUCKING FREAKING OUT JUST BECAUSE WE DIDNT GET JIM HARBAUGH OR JOHN GRUDEN OR JESUS CHRIST OR DENZEL WASHINGTON.......IT DOESNT MEAN IT WONT WORK OUT 

 

 

jmblue

January 9th, 2011 at 11:16 PM ^

Given that we've sucked the past three years, that's not surprising.  If we do well the next three years, they'll probably say something else.

jhackney

January 9th, 2011 at 11:17 PM ^

Nebraska has roid rage-

PSU has Uncle Bernie-

Wisky has Bielema-

Random fan with no allegiance-  He wants to weigh in on coaching decisions? Pick a team, we're at war.

Mi Sooner

January 10th, 2011 at 12:20 AM ^

that is only rage -- he needs no stinkin' roids to enhance his rage.

 

now back in the 80's, the Cornf@#$ers were the school with the biggest problem.  it should not supprise anyone one that most of the offensive linemen dated and married girls who where getting pharm degrees...

Sommy

January 10th, 2011 at 7:54 AM ^

Seriously, that's not roid rage. THIS is roid rage:

I remember when ESU started to go down the tubes. What a shame. They were a top program for years. Couldn't stop that Tim Wayman-led Michigan squad, though.

cheesheadwolverine

January 9th, 2011 at 11:18 PM ^

this is a tough rebuilding process, but this:

aside from 1 or 2 good seasons, you have been irrelevant since your split NC

is really dumb.  This was a top ten program in the country for the decade 1997-2007

PurpleStuff

January 9th, 2011 at 11:34 PM ^

As someone who came to Michigan in 2000, things haven't been all that great that last decade plus.  Since then we haven't won a major/BCS bowl game, beat OSU twice (beat them in Cooper's last season and have gone 1-9 since), and have suffered some embarassing out of conference setbacks.  Michigan has basically won two big games (high stakes contests against high quality competition) in the last 11 years (OSU 2003 and ND 2006).  Contrast those two wins with App. State, Oregon crushing, 3-9, early season losses to not-so-talented teams from UCLA, Washington, Oregon, and ND (multiple times) that mean we've been out of the national title picture after a month of the season has passed just about every year save 2006. 

Then look at the success of programs like Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, USC, Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, etc. or even small schools like TCU, Boise, or WVU under Rodriguez, and it isn't hard to see why no one who isn't a Michigan fan would consider us an elite program right now.

Sommy

January 10th, 2011 at 7:53 AM ^

I can agree with this, but I think it's foolish for a fan of another school to act like the 2006 season never existed, only because it ended with losses to OSU and USC.  In all fairness, we were a helmet-to-helmet-hit call away from playing in the NC game.

stmccoy

January 9th, 2011 at 11:18 PM ^

Of course fans of other teams are going to lobby for their teams or dismiss Michigan altogether. I don't take much stock in what the media thinks but on this point, a majority agrees Michigan is a top 5 job. If you step back and really think about it objectively as you can, this is a fact.

Wendyk5

January 9th, 2011 at 11:19 PM ^

Also, what do agents think of us/DB? That could affect how their clients see us and how they deal with us. Is DB respected or do they think DB is in over his head?

bnagy05

January 9th, 2011 at 11:20 PM ^

The reality is, is that most people don't think its a great job to have anymore. I live in Arizona and work at a hotel and a lot of people from all over the country same the same thing, that the HC job at Michigan isn't what it used to be. Our fanbase and is cut down the middle. Then you have the alumni that wouldn't even back our HC coach because he wasn't a "Michigan Man." Even a "Michigan Man" didn't even wanna come coach here, why would anyone else. It sucks to hear the truth but that is the truth. I wish it was different, but right now it isn't. 

King Douche Ornery

January 9th, 2011 at 11:21 PM ^

On other boards.

Seems coaches everywhere like challenges. Their big egos cause them to rush in where the wise dare not tread. Hence, harbaugh to the NFL, Tresel to OSU, and every college everywhere not having any trouble finding some guy to coach them.

Yet, with michigan, it's all the sudden this black hole with a HUGE rebuilding job that no one should take because it's nigh impossible to win their anymore.Yeah, right. Every frigging coach in the world is waiting for the Yankees job to open because all the sudden coaches hate hard work and rebuilding jobs.

Go punch that Wisconsin fan in the junk for me. At leastg Nebraska and PSU have tradition, history, and naytional championships behind them.

Wisconsin has "The House on the Rock" Yippee, and fark them.

dearbornpeds

January 10th, 2011 at 6:52 AM ^

What was the challenge for Tressel?  He knew he was a consistent winner,  tOSU was pretty well stocked when he got there, and he had excellent relations with high school coaches throughout the state.  We may not have known about him when he was hired but everyone in Ohio did.  In contrast, RR had only the first of these characteristics when he came to AA.

NebraskaStudent

January 9th, 2011 at 11:21 PM ^

 

Haters gonna hate

And I love how much they attack our prestige, because the only school that would be bigger news for firing a coach would be Penn State and that's not because of national interest in PSU but because its JoePa.

FWIW- My uncle is a die-hard OSU fan and he was saying that even as an Ohio State fan, he'd consider the Michigan job the second most desirable job (behind, you guessed it, OSU).

kevin holt

January 9th, 2011 at 11:22 PM ^

"aside from 1 or 2 good seasons, you have been irrelevant since your split NC."

Just, wow. How easily 3 years wipes away everyone's memories. This is why losing sucks so hard.

funkywolve

January 10th, 2011 at 12:23 AM ^

Starting with 2005 this is where UM has finished in the polls:

'05 - unranked

'06 - 8, 9

'07 - 18, 19

'08 - unranked

'09 - unranked

'10 - unranked

Outside of '06 the last 6 years haven't been anything to write home about.  '05 and '07 were ravaged by injuries but outsiders looking in probably don't realize that.