Dave Brandon Afternoon (OPEN) Thread

Submitted by Mr. Yost on

Many of us are getting off work and have not had the chance to recap, discuss, celebrate, etc.

Many will have a split second of sadness when they realize they were not logged in when all of this went down.

Many of us are just now able to tip it back with a smile and optimism we haven't felt in quite some time. This one is for you.

Discuss.

ESPN Link: http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11796360/dave-brandon-michigan-wolverines-ad-leaving-post

Late Night (OPEN) Thread coming for you evening workers.

Edit #1: Video of press conference http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/2014/10/31/live-updates-mark-schlissel-press-conference-at-um/18247621/

BlueKoj

October 31st, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^

He was asked that directly. I liked his response a lot. He would take as long as necessary to find the right candidate. Excellence was his priority, not timing. That being said, I imagine he and Hackett understand the issues with timing.

Michigan Arrogance

October 31st, 2014 at 4:09 PM ^

I FEEL LIKE A NEW (MICHIGAN) MAN!

 

having a job during the day does make it difficult to enjoy the daytime breaking news. I was in class when I got a text, and had 2+ hrs with students till the end of the day.

Tater

October 31st, 2014 at 4:29 PM ^

Every day for the last month, I have clicked on to MGoBlog hoping to see the words, "David Brandon Fired."  I was awake until 6:30 am doing a bunch of writing for a deadline and didn't wake up until 2pm.  So, of course, this is the day that the news is announced early.

My most intense emotion is happiness that Brandon is gone and Michigan can get back to being "leaders and best" again.  But I do admit to being a bit sad that I wasn't able to experience the rush in realtime.  

While I know that it is officially a "resignation," I am looking at it this way: David Brandon finally fired the right person.  It is a great day for the University of Michigan, with many more to come.

charblue.

October 31st, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^

at his job, I would be less smug about the fact that the guy truly loves his school and worked as both a regent and school emplouyee for the past 11 years. On top of that, he's personally given back with both his time and money. I mean his departure was required to move the Athletic Department and more specifically the football program forward in terms of hiring a new coach, but I don't celebrate his departure by denigrating his contributions and love for the school, which are self-evident.

I just see this as official business, not personal. Because if you make it personal, you are then claiming that the guy put himself infront of his responsibilities and sought to profit at the expense of others. I don't see that at all. I just see the need to have him leave in order for the business of the school to move in a different direction as it relates to athletics.

 

True Blue Grit

October 31st, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^

Brandon has done a lot of positive things for Michigan over the years.  President Schlissel did a good job outlining some of them.  So, I am not rejoicing at all that he failed in doing parts of his job which led to the alienation of so many loyal Michigan fans, alumni, and students.  This whole situation has sullied Michigan's reputation among other problems.  Still, I don't doubt Brandon's love of Michigan either and am sure he thought he was doing what was best for the athletic program.  But it will be a new start for both parties and the best thing to do is look forward to better times. 

SF Wolverine

October 31st, 2014 at 4:11 PM ^

Brandon gone.

President Schlissel looks and sounds the part.  Impressive.

No panic to hire NOW; get an interim guy in place and be methodical and careful.

After the shyte-show of the past 12 months, feels like grownups now have their hands on the wheel.

Mr. Yost

October 31st, 2014 at 4:15 PM ^

...and I have a different take because I'm an athletics admin. So, this is like "ooooh snap!" for me in so many ways.

I want to just pause everything, read up, digest it all...then hit play. I've got like 10 windows open all to MGoBlog trying to catch up and read all of the reaction.

I haven't even gotten to local and national media.

mgowill

October 31st, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^

It was kind of a fun day to follow along.  Essentially it started at about 10:44 AM -

  • 10:44 AM - 'Moe' posted a "Buckle Up" thread stating that there was chatter of something happening - hinting that Dave Brandon would be fired
  • People questioned him and asked him for sources; Moe responded by saying he would risk Bolivia saying that Brandon would be gone today
  • 11:03 AM - "WD" posted a tweet saying there would be a press conference to talk about the Michigan Athletic Department at 1:30 PM
  • 11:06 AM - Front Page of mgoblog asked - "Brandon Out Soon?"
  • 11:26 AM - ESPN began reporting that Dave Brandon was going to resign as AD
  • 12:09 PM - Muppets appeared on the front page with a confirmation from Angelique that Dave Brandon will resign

After that it was just a matter of waiting for the actual confirmation that he was done.

Mr. Yost

October 31st, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^

I've been telling you guys for weeks what the timeline likely was...and when the e-mail stuff came out, I said it was likely this Friday (today) and how it actually may hurt us that Brandon f'd up again and accelerated his timeline.

Now unless they take 2 months to find an AD, they're going to have someone in by the end of the year. That person doesn't need all of December to evaluate Hoke. Hoke is GONE after the OSU game. No question about it. The only way he's not is if the new AD hasn't been hired.

Brandon fucked it up because it would've been a better timeline for Brandon to be fired after the OSU game, use 2-3 weeks in Decemeber to find your new AD, then fire Hoke right after Christmas.

That's when you want to fire Hoke. Something like December 27th. Why? Because you want to be in bowl season and you want the NFL regular season to be over.

Fire Hoke after the OSU game and you've got to wait over a month before you get to that ideal timeframe to hire a new coach. We can't go without a head coach for over a month.

Mr. Yost

October 31st, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^

Recruiting has been dead for months...not recruiting.

If you're without a coach for over a month, the media storm around potential candidate who may be interested becomes too much and some of those candidates withdraw their name without ever being offered.

Remember Texas last year...they had EIGHT people decline the job and not one was officially offered. From what I can remember, Saban, Briles, Malzahn, Fisher, Mora and Sumlin.

Not saying they would've gotten any of those guys, but it happens every year. The media storm becomes huge and guys who may be interested have to say no because they have a bowl game or this year the playoffs.

You don't want that problem. Do we know 100% that Mullen will say no? I can tell you with a good amount of certainy that he's going to decline any job rumored if MSU is in that playoff. He owes it to that team, that University to at least see the season out.

Remember Les Miles' press conference? "THANKS AND HAVE A GRRRREAT DAY."

A month is just a loooong time to be without a coach. We did that after Carr and it was a debacle. You want it to be as seamless as possible. The media shouldn't be eliminating candidates before they're even offered or approached.

Mr. Yost

October 31st, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^

6-7 weeks feels like a long time to me.

And yes, you do not want another Bill Martin/Rich Rod situation where you fire your coach show early that everyone who MAY be interested has to openly deny interest because he's in the middle of a season.

We see every year how schools settle because they have to get publicly turned down by a potential candidate just because he's still coaching.

For example, if anyone in his/her right MIND thinks Mullen is leaving Mississippi St. before their out of the playoff (assuming they're in), he/she is CRAZY.

Why would he? It's the best season ever and he owes it to his players to see it through to the end. So he has to publicly deny everyone.

I mean Les Miles had to have a press conference before a game fergodsakes. 

If you don't want timing to be an issue, you keep the media at bay by waiting until it's acceptable for a coach to be looking around. Days before a big game or postseason play isn't that time. Some guys throw the fingers up and leave, but others back away simply because of timing.

Can we afford to lose our guy, based off of timing? I personally don't think we're in a position to do so. We suck. We need our top choice or at least one of them and we need to make sure we're in a position to make the best run at that guy.

Mr Miggle

October 31st, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^

Unless Hoke completely turns things around, his firing will be a mere formality. The amount of speculation about his replacement will be similar whenever it's made official.

Miles in 2007 was a special case. The attention was great because he was preparing for a NC game and had been quoted as wanting the Michigan job. Frankly, I think the leaks about his coming here were engineered from his end to bump up his contract. I never thought Martin was going to hire him. If Martin wanted him and Miles was truly interested, that press conference wouldn't have stood in the way of his coming here.

More generally, I doubt that teams are losing out on coaches in the way you describe. I suspect those public denials are mostly made when they weren't taking the job anyway. They haven't stopped plenty of coaches from accepting the job later.

Of course Mullen isn't leaving a team headed for the playoffs. We'll have to wait until their season ends to get any current HC. Whether we'll be patient enough to wait out the CFB or NFL playoffs should be quite independent of when Hoke is fired.

Let's face it, the process of finding a new coach doesn't start on the day you fire the current guy or on the day his replacements might be available. Michigan can't really start that process until a new AD is in place. Having that taken care of in time is important. Having an AD in limbo when other teams are looking around or trying to solidify the contracts of their current coaches puts us behind the curve. I'd guess it also makes us look like a less desirable destination to anyone who might be looking around during that time. 

.

Mr. Yost

October 31st, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^

Because Hoke can turn it around and he's still fired. PERIOD. Maybe if we won every single game for the rest of the season 100-0 and the team signed a petition to keep him. Maybe that would do it.

Like I said, he's fired. Even if we win out. He's gone.

Miles in 2007 was an EXAMPLE. What about all the coaches who publicly denied Texas last year? Or Miami when they settled on Golden? I could go on and on...it happens every year. Coaches get fired right after the season and ADs want to wait until the "pickin' is good" at the end of December and the timing and media ruin it with all the speculation.

It's okay for us to speculate while Hoke is still the coach, but the media can't and any interested candidate would blow up that they'd be asked about a position that isn't vacant (even though it's been vacant since the Minny game this year).

Also, what difference does it make? The team is usually off anyway until bowl practice - if we even make/accept a bowl.

And I think Mullen COULD leave a team that went to the playoffs, but definitely not before the season is over.

-----If above is tl;dr...at least read below-----

And your last paragraph isn't true for Michigan. Michigan will be one of the best 2-3 jobs out there. Michigan, Florida, who else? Virginia? UCF, VT or South Carolina if Beamer, Spurrier and/or O'Leary retire. And those are just guesses.

We're not really competing with anyone who's clearly going to fire their coach. You think we're going to lose a candidate to Kansas, Illinois or Purdue?

On the field, we're no good...but off the field, we're still Michigan. And right now, there is very little competition. And unless someone goes to the NFL ala Chip Kelly, there really won't be too much comp. I doubt Richt gets fired this year.

Right now

Mr Miggle

October 31st, 2014 at 9:49 PM ^

I in no way meant that he could keep his job, only that with a strong finish some of the media speculation would be about whether he might. Without a miracle finish, everyone knows his firing is assured.

The media can't speculate about Hoke's replacement until he's fired? I can hardly believe you said that. They're already doing it. It'll intensify as soon as the new AD is named.

Using your examplle about Texas last year, who are you suggesting they lost out on because the process started too early? I can't credibly name anyone. Brown resigned in mid-December. If they had started looking earlier, they might have gotten to Malzahn before he signed his big extension. 

I wasn't talking about schools firing coaches we'd want to hire. That's obviously nonsense. But some schools will be looking to solidify their contracts  Mark Stoops just signed an extension today, although UK wasn't able to lock him up. Wait too long to show interest and some potential candidates will commit to staying put. I don't wish to discount the possibility of other good jobs opening up. Guys leave for the NFL, surprises happen.

 

alum96

October 31st, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^

I am going to disagree with you on a few counts

  • Brandon was in an increasingly toxic atmosphere.  Shirts were being printed by outside donors for students to wear at games about... Brandon.  Who wants that for even a single day more.  The sooner he went the better.
  • While I think the AD search had already begun long ago now it gives you "more time" to look for a very important hire.
  • I dont think the new coach will be here until early January no matter what.  So it gives the new AD "time".
  • I dont think Hoke being fired on Dec 2 or "recruiting" for another month while being evaluated matters.  Hoke is essentially useless on the recruiting trail.  If he is out there all December or not, its immaterial at this point. We have seen this the past month and a guy who everyone believes will be fired is not going to install any confidence in recruits.  The only guys remaining until the new coach is hired will be committed to UM not Brady Hoke.  Any parent asking him "will you be the coach next year?" is going to get no answer.  Same for any player.  So having someone lke that out  on the trail versus no one - who cares.
  • Any new coach is going to have to burn the recruiting trail starting first week of January.  He is going to get recruits or not based on his reptuation, not based on the coach's job being empty for a month or a dead man clapping on the trail for 30 days in December.

Mr. Yost

October 31st, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^

  • Because I didn't say Brandon wasn't the source of that atmosphere. He absolutely was. I said when the Brian report came out he'd be fired by the end of this week.



    All I was saying is I think it messes with the ideal timeline just a touch. It's not detrimental. It's not impossible to navigate. I just believe if he would've shut his f-ing trap and the e-mail thing not come out...we would've ideally wanted to fire him after the OSU game.



    He was gone either way, I think the e-mails just accelerated anything. That was the final straw and that's when the donors REALLY started talking about pulling their money. But he was gone all along --- and so is Hoke. It's just about timing.
  • The AD search did begin awhile ago, I know this as fact. 100%. It may be informal "feelers," but they were definitely looking.

     
  • I do NOT believe a coaching search has taking place unless it was by Brandon himself.

     
  • It's not about when the coach is going to be here...it's about having the best pool of candidates. My point was if you fire Hoke after the OSU game. You're going to have media everywhere and certain coaches who we may have a shot at after Jan 1 are going to withdraw because they still have a game/season/playoffs to worry about. Dan Mullen is the obvious example. That would be HORRIBLE if he left MSU before the end of their season this year. He can leave, 100%, but that's so wrong if he doesn't see this season out.

     
  • I never once mentioned anything about recruiting...recruiting has been dead for months now. 

 

Mr. Yost

October 31st, 2014 at 8:03 PM ^

Especially with the holidays.

IMO, we should just take our time a little...milk the clock, run some '14 Michigan offense.

You could have a new AD start mid-December and use the Christmas holiday to prolong the "evaluate" excuse and keep Hoke for an extra week. If he's around that long, I don't think he deserves to be fired right before Christmas anyway.

charblue.

October 31st, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^

Whatever you revive at this point will result from kids wanting to come to Michigan because of the school and belief things will work out or they won't. Recruiting can be salvage with a solid hire.

I do think Michigan has already made inroads in the AD search and I think Hackett will be the one to pull the plug on Hoke instead of waiting for his successor to make that call. It just seems unreasonable and I think that is why Schlissel and Hackett are doing this as a two-man team and not a group think thing even though they will reach out and get lot of opinion from others.

SAMgO

October 31st, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^

It's a longshot (11.9% chance according to Seth's latest dear diary), but we could win our next three games, lose to OSU, and make a bowl. Who knows, maybe the Brandon firing gives the team a spark. Then we could still fire Hoke after the OSU game, let Mattison coach the December bowl, and then look for a new hire. We'll have to wait until January for Harbaugh anyways.

evenyoubrutus

October 31st, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^

I liked that there was a strong hint that he is not necessarily looking for a proverbial "Michigan Man" to be the next AD.  I would imagine that also means he won't want an AD who would only look for a "Michigan Man" to be the next head coach.

mgowill

October 31st, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^

Brian and Ace essentially sped up the timeline for Brandon being gone.  I am still of the opinion he was going to be gone anyways, but the timeline that was being discussed wasn't going to give the university much time to -

  • Hire an athletic director
  • Evaluate Brady Hoke
  • Find replacement for Brady Hoke

The info Brian posted said that it would have happened after the Northwestern game.  With him gone now, it takes a little bit of pressure off having the extra few weeks.  Now the university can take their time, find the right guy, and let that guy get his bearings before having to make a huge decision for the football program.

Little Jimmy

October 31st, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^

More like relief.  My buddy is a huge ND fan and he just emailed me asking how I felt about the resignation.

I told him that although I am glad DB is gone, there is some sadness that it had to come to this in order for him to leave. 

You'd think that such a place like the University of Michigan, such mismanagement of a department would not have be possible to happenor get to the point like it did - but it did.

My faith is beginning to be restored but this time (unlike 5 years ago), I will wait a while before I can say that it was a successful AD hire.

 

Little Jimmy

October 31st, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^

More like relief.  My buddy is a huge ND fan and he just emailed me asking how I felt about the resignation.

I told him that although I am glad DB is gone, there is some sadness that it had to come to this in order for him to leave. 

You'd think that such a place like the University of Michigan, such mismanagement of a department would not have be possible to happenor get to the point like it did - but it did.

My faith is beginning to be restored but this time (unlike 5 years ago), I will wait a while before I can say that it was a successful AD hire.