Are there anymore coaching changes at Michigan? (Football)
There have been rumors of multiple changes, some saying up to 3-4 assistants.
It sounds like Mallory didn't get that head coaching job and now we know Borges is gone and Nussmeier is in. Are there anymore changes that anyone is hearing anything about? Anymore speculation? Anymore suggestions?
January 9th, 2014 at 7:46 AM ^
Remember a few years ago before the whole PSU mess and Penn State played Houston. Penn State had their usual defense back then and where doing a good job. Their d line was a strength with 2 future NFLers and their secondary was solid. Penn states pass rush was meaningless vs. Houston. because the ball was out to a WR before any blitz or pass rush could get there.
Borges's claim to fame was as a west coast offense guru. The west coast offense is known for it's short to intermediate routes. You'ld think he would use some of this when Michigan was getting killed by all out blitzes just about every game. When you call 10-15 yard + routes on every play and you know a blitz is coming every play it's on the coorodinator, unless you give the QB a chance to audible. Most of the time Michigan broke huddles with little to no time to audible into a sensible play anyways.
I'm not going to kick AL when he is down. He was a good guy and I wished it would have worked out but as it has been famously said , This is Michigan and we should be playing for Big Ten championship every year.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:20 AM ^
And this line of reasoning has been duly noted. Thank you. But this particular discussion relates to the strength and conditioning program and that coach's ability to physically develop players. In that context, it's not exactly controversial--or it shouldn't be--to say that younger players are not are strong as older players. You can't turn a freshmen into a senior overnight, no matter who you are.
Now, whether the position/OC/head coaches maximize the available talent and skills on the field? Different question entirely.
January 9th, 2014 at 1:44 AM ^
Soooo everyone? Couldn't it be that some of the issues with one position group were caused by deficiencies in another group, i.e. the OL fudging up everything? Funk is the only one I can understand out of that group. Younger guys tend to be a lot smaller and weaker than older guys, and as we all know (but apparently keep forgetting) we literally only had a large handful of seniors this year and a lot of young guys playing.
January 9th, 2014 at 1:56 AM ^
Mallory is clearly looking for other opportunites. I don't know if he's being forced out or if he's just looking to move up.
I think it's fair to say that the entire offensive staff is not secure. We both agree on Funk for performance reasons. Rumors of Jackson retiring have been floating around since before the season began. And like I said, I think Ferrigno performance hasn't been impressive enough to keep at all costs. His job is at the discretion of Nussmeier. New boss, new people.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:53 AM ^
Fair enough, but their jobs are not at the discretion of Nussmeier. They're at the discretion of Hoke, with input from Nussmeier. Hoke may very well have plans to let Funk go though, since he was willing to fire Borges. After reading up on and remembering who Bob Bostad is, I would be ecstatic if we could land him, and would seriously consider betting on Michigan to make it to the playoff next year. We have the talent now.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:28 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
Couldn't it be that some of the issues with one position group were caused by deficiencies in another group, i.e. the OL fudging up everything?
I've been wondering how much either line's play was a function of the other. Seems like if you're on the DL and you can easily beat the OL in practice, then maybe you don't develop the requisite skills to be able to beat better OLs during the games.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:55 AM ^
If Fred Jackson "retires" I want Roy Manning to take over his recruiting of southeast MI.
January 9th, 2014 at 1:39 AM ^
I really do not get the Jackson hate. Jackson has coached several Michigan RBs to be the best in the nation, and a shitty OL letting his backs get flattened in the backfield doesn't change his ability as a coach. He can leave on his own terms whenever he wants as far as I'm concerned. I believe he has hinted that could be in the next couple years, and Wheatley/Hart will certainly be available then.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:17 AM ^
I think the common thought is that Jackson WAS a really good RB coach. The issue seems to be that the RBs haven't been improving all that much in the last several years. Hart was pretty much the same guy from year 1 to year 4. His improvement seemed to simply coincide with getting older and stronger. I'm not saying that anything to do with Hart was a failure on the part of Jackson, just that Hart came in really damn good and left really damn good.
But Michigan hasn't had even a really good RB since him, aside from what seems to be one fluke year of Fitz that could a result of Denard being in the backfield, and oppossing DCs having no clue what Hoke and Borges were going to run that year.
I know that a lot of his hyperbole is probably just the way he expresses himself, but after several years of non-development from rather well-regarded RBs, I think a lot of people begin to wonder if Jackson is still up to the task. At this point, it seems like a really good time to let him retire with dignity and bring in someone new. Especially if that someone new is a former player with a decent coaching resume.
January 9th, 2014 at 3:07 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 3:58 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 5:00 AM ^
thank you, 2012
January 9th, 2014 at 4:16 AM ^
What!? Pure ignorance of Fitz's 2011 season if you're serious. Dude was for real that season.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:07 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:30 AM ^
True, but you also have to realize that RB's haven't exactly been cherished draft commodities in recent NFL drafts. Eddie Lacy, 2nd rounder?
I'll grant you this...we haven't had many RB's drafted in the upper half of the draft in many years. Chris Perry? Anthony Thomas?
January 9th, 2014 at 12:42 PM ^
And both of those guys played like 10 years ago, lol.
It's time to call it quits and move on.
Love the guy. But people are defending him with guys who's NFL careers are even over.
I guess the better question I could've asked would be, how many guys does Fred Jackson have in the NFL...RIGHT NOW?!
The great Tyrone Wheatley's son is getting ready to play for Michigan and Mike Hart, his most recent success is a potential candidate to replace him as a coach along with Tyrone.
Perry and A-Train are done in the NFL, Hart is gone, Wheatley and Biakabutka are distant memories. I mean, Brandon Minor? Fitz Toussaint? Love them both, but that's not exactly setting the world on fire.
Jackson's recent track record is so bad that Michigan fans claim Michael Cox every chance they get just to have a current NFL RB.
That is AWFUL. It's time to go.
January 9th, 2014 at 1:43 PM ^
I'm not arguing one bit with ya...it's been a lost decade for NFL-caliber RB's in the Michigan backfield. I give Hart a pass (from NFL perspective) since he was a fantastic collegiate player, but even he is a distant memory. It's time to deveop Green, Smith, and/or Harris in the next 3-4 years into NFL-caliber backs.
January 10th, 2014 at 10:00 AM ^
Let's blame Fred for the fact that he didn't produce any NFL-caliber backs from 2008-10, for starters.
Toussaint's failure to learn how to pass block seems to be the most obvious thing to point to when you're talking about Jackson's shortcomings, but if you think back to all of the backs we've had who were great pass protectors, it calls into question whether Toussaint simply didn't have what it took, for whatever reason. I'm guessing that in a year where there was more depth than two freshman (one of whom was on the pizza milkshake diet plan coming into camp) Toussaint would've been on the bench early on for his blocking ineptitude.
The most obvious strikes against Jackson in the past few years seem to be his failure to do much with Carlos Brown and Mike Shaw. They were both solid 4-star guys, but I'd argue that a RB who's built like a slot and goes down easily even in high school is tricky clay out of which to mold a productive back. YMMV. Also, Rawls hasn't progressed, but he wasn't ever very highly regarded out of high school (except by Fred and his son, but we all know the drill there.)
On the positive side of the ledger, Jackson turned 3-4 star FB Brandon Minor into a very productive back. He also maximized the talent of Vincent Smith, I'd say. Poor Damn Toussaint improved drastically as a runner until the OL disintegrated. And Drake Johnson, whom Ace deemed unworthy of D1 football while at Pioneer, was supposed to have made huge strides before he tore his ACL in camp.
In conclusion: Jackson may not have set the world on fire the past few years, but I'd say there have been more successes than failures. And over the years he's coached some really great players. Everyone shitting on him around here lately is really starting to irritate me.
January 9th, 2014 at 1:43 AM ^
comes north to join him, I'll party with Noah Spence.
January 9th, 2014 at 10:39 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 1:51 AM ^
We should not hire Hart. Hart has only coached RBs at EMU while Wheatley has coached RBs in the NFL. I would love for us to add Cristobal though.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:12 AM ^
or Greg Studrwara or Bostad for OL
January 9th, 2014 at 2:18 AM ^
Alabama paid Cristobal 475K. Would we be willing to pay over that for him? What's the highest paid position coach in the nation make? If I was the AD, I would go for it.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:26 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 3:31 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 4:16 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 4:18 AM ^
And a below par Michigan team should have beaten pretty damn good OSU team. Shit happens on a week to week basis.
January 9th, 2014 at 5:23 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 5:36 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 4:26 AM ^
worse* sorry im sure others were thinking the same thing.
January 9th, 2014 at 4:35 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 2:24 AM ^
Jeremiah Washburn would be an amazing get. Did an amazing job for the Lions this year, could be looking for a new job, I think he was with the Ravens the same time Mattison was...
Shutup! I can dream can't I?
January 9th, 2014 at 2:26 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 2:29 AM ^
The logic-a Coach with a strong track record goes from NFL to high-level college coaching gig to avoid having to move his family-- seems reasoable enough to me.
January 9th, 2014 at 6:12 AM ^
He would be a bit of a gamble. It's true that the Lions' OL was not their weakness this season, but Washburn has no college experience beyond a 2-year stint as a GA at Arkansas. Since he's been coaching professionals his entire career, it's unclear whether he would be effective at recruiting or coaching up younger players.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 2:34 AM ^
I would think that the Michigan OL job is more attractive than the Lions.
January 9th, 2014 at 2:43 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 2:44 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 3:12 AM ^
I like ferrigno. Funchess and Jake Butt have been pretty good. I think we'll have growing pains on offense regardless of who's coaching it because of our OL's youth. I don't want people on here saying to fire the new guy 3 games in because we're not beating everyone by 50, but I know it will happen anyways.
January 9th, 2014 at 3:33 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 9:12 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 6:18 AM ^
Hoping Funk is gone, but I will not be heart broken if he isn't.
I don't agree with everyone bashing on Mallory. Our defense had the 23rd most interceptions this year, tied with Michigan State, at 17. To give some reference, the 97 defense had 23, and Florida State's ball hawking defense led the nation this year with 26. Ii have been impressed with each of our DBs at different times.
I don't mind if Jackson stays or goes. He's shown in the past that he is a very capable RB coach. He's been at U of M for over 20 years. He's coached with Moeller, Carr, Rich Rod, and Hoke. He's coached some amazing backs in his time here. He has seemed a bit lack luster since 2008, but I think he still has it in him.
January 9th, 2014 at 6:42 AM ^
I have to disagree about Jackson. I think he is a fine coach and the running issues this year weren't solely on him. But I think the game is passing him by. I am afraid he was sticking it out for his son Jeremy to finish. He is a great recruiter so he could be kept in the AD as a recruiting coordinator or something. But, as a positional coach, I was a young guy with fire. I'd take Wheatley or Hart in a flash. Who wouldn't want to learn from those guys?!
January 9th, 2014 at 8:19 AM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^
January 9th, 2014 at 12:35 PM ^
Not exactly. I recall a few notable times that true Freshmen Lewis and Stribling were in perfect position, heads turned, going for the ball, and just didn't quite get it. One of those was rather costly (PSU loss), but I like what the flashes of ability they showed portend for the future of the Michigan secondary.
January 9th, 2014 at 6:28 AM ^
As someone noted already, I wonder about Wellman, whose sole experience as the head S&C coach was with Hoke in unheralded D-1 programs. There seems to be a lack of the type of excitement that a coach like Barwis generated.
January 9th, 2014 at 7:18 AM ^