coaching changes
dj durkin

Source Report Sources: Durkin to Maryland Comment Count

Brian

[Bryan Fuller]

In seemingly done but not official news that would have been way more disappointing last week:

I think we all assumed that Durkin would be a head coach sooner or later, but not after one year, and not in Michigan's division. At least Durkin gets away from Ohio State's offense, though. Yeah.

Unless there's an 11th-hour switch here, Michigan needs a new DC and/or a LB/DL coach. Mattison can handle either unit in the front seven and could get bumped back up to the main job; Greg Jackson might be a DC possibility as well—the job he and Zordich did with Michigan's DBs was terrific.

Steve Lorenz has three DC names to watch that includes a familiar name: former Michigan DC and Syracuse HC Scott Shafer. Shafer did get a really raw deal here the first time around.

Comments

Lanknows

December 2nd, 2015 at 7:16 PM ^

Strobel and Pallante are just not viable.  I know we were deep at DL before the injuries and I know that that top 4 is great on paper but the DL players were openly saying they were gassed, even with using 3 linemen regularly.  You can't just not rotate, especially against a team trying to tempo.

I do think Durkin made some mistakes tactically but I think it's outweighed by all the awesome stuff we saw the rest of the year.

I agree he's replaceable but it's still a huge loss to suffer this quickly.  We'll see who they get...

Joined: 03/23/2012

MGoPoints: 5384

CoverZero

December 2nd, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^

The old story was that in 69, when Bo put that sign up "Those who stay will be champions"... a bunch of players quit due to how hard the early practices were, compared to Bump's.

One player on his way out the door wrote under the sign in marker 

"and those who go will be doctors, lawyers and captains of industry". 

Joined: 08/30/2014

MGoPoints: 14571

CoMisch

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:02 PM ^

Would have assumed this would happen later too. Guess this means Richt to Miami, one would think. This is what happens when you shut a team out on their own field.



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Salinger

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:06 PM ^

That explains the goofy grin on Durkin's face when OSU was gouging us for huge yards last Saturday. He was thinking, "It don't matter cuz I'm still about to get PAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIDDDDDDDDDD!"

All kidding aside, despite a few games his D proved to be hugely effective for us and is the main reason the regular season ended 9-3. Sucks we're losing him, but I wish him nothing but the best if Maryland is his next destination.

Joined: 01/11/2011

MGoPoints: 5409

umaz1

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:27 PM ^

You might be on to something here.  He is Meyer's protoge. I thought that would give us a leg up in The Game since he would know all of Meyer's tricks. Instead it appears that he was a plant sent by Meyer to completely derail our D against OSU after building it up all year.  

/S

Joined: 09/17/2010

MGoPoints: 16173

mKzoo

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^

Is the contract's only purpose to protect the employee? I understand it to be an employment agreement between two parties. If you can just get up and leave, why have a contract at all? Just have an exchange of values: labor/performance in exchange for pay. If a contract isn't binding for a length of time it defeats the point, doesn't it? I'm seriously confused by this as I am with pro players who hold out two years into their agreement. You signed a four deal for X amount of dollars, now you're holding out?

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 517

pescadero

December 2nd, 2015 at 4:02 PM ^

The purpose of the contract is whatever the parties to the contract want it to be.

 

In employment - it generally exists to protect both the employee and the employer.

 

If you can just get up and leave, why have a contract at all?

 

If the University can just up and fire a coach with no notice even though his contract isn't up - why have a contract at all?

Because it specifies the conditions, penalties, responsibilities, etc. for just "getting up and leaving".

 

Durkin is not going to violate his contract. He is going to use an out clause that was wwritten into the contract for this specific purpose - and I guarantee that out clause includes protections for the employer. Might be paying back part of a signing bonus, etc.

 

Durkin for example will lose the money in his "deferred compensation" pool.


Here is his contract:
http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0070/0436/Durkin__DJ_contra…

 

4.04 Termination by the Coach

(b) The coach recognizes that his promise to work for the University for the entire term of this Agreement is the essence of this Agreement to the University. The Coach also recognizes that the University is making a highly valuable investment in his continued employment by entering into this Agreement and that its investment would be lost if he resigns or otherwise terminates his employment with the University  prior to the expiration of the term of this Agreement. The parties agree that the Coah may, nevertheless, terminate his employment under this Agreement prior to its normal expiration by giving the University advance written notice of the termination of his employment. In the event the Coach elects to exercise his right to provide advance written notice and voluntarily terminate this agreement prior to the expiration of the contract, he will forfeit any rights to receive any portion of the Deferred Compensation (3.02(c)) and any unpaid amount related to any Team Performance Payments (3.02(d)), but the Coach shall have no additional liability whatsoever to the University.

Joined: 03/28/2013

MGoPoints: 12018

Alton

December 2nd, 2015 at 5:06 PM ^

I am not a lawyer, but my understanding is that a contract may not have terms that force a person to work for a certain employer; it may only have terms that provide for what will happen if the employee decides to leave.

I think the 13th Amendment to the Constitution pretty much covers that area of labor law.

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 13273

dragonchild

December 2nd, 2015 at 6:16 PM ^

The time frame of the contract is the LEAST important part of it.  The way the media reports contracts couldn't be dumber.  What matters are the terms & conditions, but reporting on that accurately requires reading and they can't be bothered with that nonsense.

Case in point:  A mortgage is a contract.  We signed a thirty year, but since we wanted to pay it off early, that term length was off inside the first year.  Similarly, if I got foreclosed on, the contract is terminated right then and there.  Contracts can also be renewed (refinance in the case of mortgages).

The length of a contract means absolutely nothing.

Joined: 10/13/2011

MGoPoints: 60891

Michigan4Life

December 3rd, 2015 at 7:08 AM ^

Assistant coaches contracts are not guaranteed so they can leave any time. Would you pass up a better job or promotion offer with better pay from a different company but you won't do it because contract? This is why you have to look out for yourself. People do it all the fucking time



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SoDak Blues

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:09 PM ^

Man this sucks. I really believed that there was a gentleman's handshake with this first crew of Harbaugh's that they all would stay for two or three years before jumping at HC jobs. Damn, damn, damn...

Joined: 09/24/2015

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ColoradoBlue

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:17 PM ^

I doubt he would have left for a more traditional promotion to a non-P5 job... say, for Bowling Green.  But it's pretty rare for an assistant coach to get a head coach offer at a P5 job that can pony up an elite salary.  I don't blame him for one second for grabbing the cash with both hands.  Ultimately, that's what it's all about in the end.  It sucks, but that's the downside of having an elite staff.  This won't be the first time Harbaugh's staff will be poached.  The continued success of Stanford is testament to what he can build and everyone is going to want a piece of that.  I predict that he'll have one of the deepest coaching trees ever by the time he retires.

Joined: 09/14/2008

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