The Dmac story?
Was able to get to AA on Friday and ran into a few people close to the team. Wanted to share what I was told, one of these guys played with coach in the mid 80's, and the other is the husband of one of the regents. First and foremost, they both said unless coach takes another job he will not get fired, but that coaching changes were most likely coming to the staff. They also said without hesitation that coach was close to a contract extension last winter, but the situation took a back seat to covid.
On Dmac - He was neck and neck with JM and doing very well. DM pulled himself out of practice and told the coaches he felt sick, although he didn't look sick, and was having a great week of practice. Apparently this ticked off coach and showed "a sign of weakness". Seemingly coach then tried to motivate DM to get after it and continue to practice and workout with his team. When DM told his parents about the way coach was handling him feeling sick they got extremely upset. As a family they decided to sleep on it for that weekend, the following Monday Mr. and Mrs. Mcc let the coaches know that DM was going to finish his scholastic year and transfer. It sounds like DM might go play for his father next season, while also looking at Nebraska, and West Coast schools.
The only thing I will add to this story is that 100% DM was QB1 at the practice I was able to watch last winter. I was puzzled when all the smoke started to come out about JM, and how he won the job. I do not believe this was the case any longer.
The program seems fractured. In another story, JH has lost almost all the support from previous players from the Detroit area. Almost all of them have been very vocal with their peers, high school coaches, and circle that JH is a dictator who plays favorites. I'm definitely missing some guys on this list but here are a few (LockDownLew, Dawson, Hill sr, Ambry, Bellville coach, DPJ, and others). in fact if you look at their tweets in the past 2 weeks, they have all taken shots at coach.
Need to hold onto our recruits for next year, sign some more, and beat Rutger.
Cheers
November 15th, 2020 at 7:52 AM ^
To people actually want Michigan to Beat rutgers?
just tear the bandaid off man
November 15th, 2020 at 8:24 AM ^
I'm rooting for Rutgers without shame. I hope they go 1-7 and OSU wins 77-3.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:28 AM ^
Ah, so they can hire another guy who will fail.
Brilliant.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:41 AM ^
That’d be just fine at this point. As long as we aren’t paying a tip 5 salary for shitty results. I want to be good again but if we’re going to be Illinois I’d rather not see fucking Harbaugh on the sidelines.
November 15th, 2020 at 9:13 AM ^
So you don't want JH fired? Do you recommend any coaching changes at all? If not, do you expect things to improve this season or next? Do you believe that M as a football program can compete with the OSU/Clemson/Alabama's of college football, or is there some (non-coaching) reason that we cannot?
November 15th, 2020 at 9:14 AM ^
Salvatore, you posts are so apologetically overbearing. Do you really believe that no one could do better than Harbaugh? That Michigan couldn't hire someone that could actually beat a team when labeled an underdog in 6 years of Coaching Michigan. Do you think Michigan couldn't find a coach to not go through an 0-4 stretch in Bowl Games? What amazing wins can we point to in 6 years that you can say "Man, if not for Jim Harbaugh we lose that game!".
I mean Cmon man...I get loving a coach and wanting him to succeed, but at some point you have to concede that Jim Harbaugh is failing primarily because of Jim Harbaugh. Does the AD, Administration and "Michigan Man Culture" have some culpability.....absolutely. But the main reason why Michigan Football is a dumpster fire is because Jim Harbaugh isn't a very good Coach, hirer of coordinators, delegator of responsibility, QB recruiter, and developer of talent. Add to that, if the "McCaffrey Story" is true, he is just as guilty of perpetuating "Michigan Man 1970's tough guy delusional coaching behavior".
November 15th, 2020 at 9:31 AM ^
Bo was not delusional. He was a man of his times. But those times ended at 30 years ago.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:18 AM ^
Yes that's the problem. We are like a computer that's so infected with viruses it isn't usable anymore.
It's time to return the hardware to factory settings and start over.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:45 AM ^
That reset is Matt Campbell!
November 15th, 2020 at 10:50 AM ^
I agree completely. I think he's the best realistic option, and best fit available.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:53 AM ^
Campbell has never won anything as HC. Only division titles.
People bitch about JH’s lack of titles ignore that with Campbell.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:53 AM ^
Hoke won the MAC, didn't he?
November 15th, 2020 at 10:56 AM ^
No. He lost in the MAC championship game.
November 15th, 2020 at 11:07 AM ^
Yeah, I don’t agree with your post above but I’m with you on Matt Campbell. I don’t see it man. I went to KSU and see him every year. Sure, he’s done fine at ISU, but I don’t see him excelling at UM. Everyone brings up OSU, but I don’t think there is a chance in hell they would hire him. Not completely against bringing him in for an interview but it would be a really disappointing hire IMO.
November 15th, 2020 at 11:08 AM ^
Hey Sal...
If Campbell won a championship at Iowa State he would be hired the next day by the Cowboys. Iowa State is historically one of the very worst Power 5 programs. Think Rutgers. That his Big 12 record is above 500 is borderline miraculous.
November 15th, 2020 at 11:26 AM ^
Yes, and here is Dan Mullen's record before being hired at Florida. And Dantonio? Two 7-5 seasons and a 4-7 before he was hired at MSU.
This whole "guy hasn't won anything" standard is a great way to sink a program further because it limits you from finding the right guy. It was stupid when Harbaugh was first hired, and it is still just as stupid.
November 15th, 2020 at 12:26 PM ^
Of course we need to look at a potential coach’s record and where he was when he coached teams to this record. 8-4 at Miss State is not the same as 8-4 at LSU.
November 15th, 2020 at 1:14 PM ^
No fucking kidding. Matt Campbell is 31-27 at Iowa State. Leave out the first year 3-9 and the guy is 28-18. At one of the historically worst programs in the Power 5. Every bit as impressive as what Dan Mullen or Lincoln Riley have achieved.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:44 AM ^
I am not defending Harbaugh, I am saying that it isn’t getting much better than what Harbaugh is doing.
Michigan is Nebraska. They are never going to run their program like OSU does.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:51 AM ^
How do you know it isn't / can't get any better in the future than what Harbaugh is doing? What insider info do you have to say that? What crystal ball do you have that you can look into the future and make such a claim?
November 15th, 2020 at 10:54 AM ^
Because Michigan institutionally isn’t going to do what it needs to be elite. Michigan is fine with 8-10 wins and a program that doesn’t embarrass the university.
November 15th, 2020 at 11:04 AM ^
I don't know if you've noticed, but Michigan isn't getting 8-10 wins (or an equivalent win % this season) with how things are trending. This is RR level ineptitude and it's because of Harbaugh and that he has lost the team. It's not going to magically get fixed. It's over.
November 15th, 2020 at 11:10 AM ^
Salvatore, I don’t usually agree with you, but you are dead on here. People will disagree with you, but this is the case. I am not an insider, but I do know a couple people with access to athletics. They all say Harbaugh is not going anywhere unless he decides s to leave. Pep Hamilton said Harbaugh runs offense and will change plays all the time.
November 16th, 2020 at 5:33 PM ^
Yet people throw Gattis under the bus all the time. Why even make a hire like that for "Speed in space" if you are going to change his plays? Isn't the point of bringing a new mind in to change the offense and let your OC work? This was a big opportunity for Gattis and yet he's handcuffed by Harbaugh's refusal to relinquish any duty. Seems like he's going to be a scapegoat unfortunately for the real mastermind of orchestrating a stagnant offense. I've seen enough of Harbaugh to know that he's too bullheaded to change his mindset and unfortunately I don't think he's going to go away any time soon.
November 15th, 2020 at 11:29 AM ^
Agree with you 100% on Michigan not doing what is necessary to be elite at football.
The paradigm they hired for with Harbaugh - high integrity and academics along with for 8-10 win seasons, however, seems to be slipping fast regarding on field product.
He is trending away from what our already mediocre AD expectations.
November 15th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
University administration won’t prevent a coach from being effective. Michigan’s hockey and basketball programs don’t seem to be suffering from your conspiracy theory at the moment. Similarly, Notre Dame doesn’t seem to be preventing Brian Kelly from having success. If you’re good at your job and popular enough with fans, you’ll be given plenty of opportunity to succeed.
November 15th, 2020 at 2:14 PM ^
gotta agree with Sal here.....spot on
November 15th, 2020 at 2:15 PM ^
gotta agree with Sal here.....spot on
November 15th, 2020 at 2:59 PM ^
It has nothing to do with the number of wins, it has to do with butts in seats - in the Big House and in front of TVs.
If 8-10 wins/seasons keeps butts in seats, then you're right. If it doesn't, then you're wrong.
TBH it looks like winning 8/season looks very optimistic going forward.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:28 AM ^
Win or lose he isn't going anywhere, so why wish for a loss. If just for the players and the future of the program. This isn't Matt Patricia and the Lions.
November 15th, 2020 at 10:38 AM ^
Unfortunately, the facts are that JH isn’t going to be removed unless there are more bad losses. They won’t keep him forever paying him top 5 jack for these results.
November 15th, 2020 at 1:03 PM ^
Agree. I'm afraid, unfortunately, win/loss for the remainder of the schedule-- EXCEPT of course OSU-- does nothing to change the narrative of this season. If UM leadership isn't convinced of the need for change by now, no further abysmal results are going to sway them, I don't think. I was initially in the "let's root for obviously bad losses to demonstrate the need for coaching change" camp, but I can't bring myself to root against the young men on the team. Win or lose, the men on the team are each one of us, and I can't wish ill upon them.
November 15th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
Junior, I totally get what you’re saying. Here is the good thing, if it really is a good thing, Michigan will continue to get embarrassed for the rest of the year. You and I don’t need to root for losses.
Furthermore, after B10 media day, Day is going to abuse Michigan to levels never before seen this year. Jim’s schtick doesn’t work or okay well when you are a historically bad Michigan football team.
November 15th, 2020 at 7:58 AM ^
Thank you - this is the best insider post I have seen on this board in years.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:04 AM ^
1. Sadly I believe this to be true.
2. This won't be the last WTF negative player story we will hear about.
3. I believe Harbaugh has lost the locker room. Watch the video of the team running under the banner last night-that game was lost before it started.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:12 AM ^
To your point #3, I noticed the same thing. How much of that can be attributed to no crowd being present I don’t know, but it sure looked like a team that knew it was about to get its ass handed to them on a platter.
November 15th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Other teams are also playing to little to sparse crowds. It is the coaches job to motivate these kids as they are not pros just yet.
November 15th, 2020 at 9:03 AM ^
I thought the exact same thing about the banner. The team just didn't give a shit about playing last night.....and it was obvious from the moment they came onto the field.
November 15th, 2020 at 9:30 AM ^
I am sure I am one of many many people that can attest to playing on bad teams in their lives. That you know before you get off the bus you are going to lose and probably lose embarrassingly. Doesn't matter how much effort you give.....you just don't have the talent.....or the coaching...or both. It is a demoralizing feeling. I really feel for our players. They are trying.
November 15th, 2020 at 9:30 AM ^
Yeah. I was surprised. I usually don’t like to read too much into things like that but it was painfully obvious that nobody was fired up..or even close.
November 15th, 2020 at 9:35 AM ^
This is all true. I haven't been on here for awhile because of this. JH and the program has lost my support. I live in Colorado and have some connections out here to the Mccaffery family. Dylan did get screwed over and he was the best QB on the team and I don’t blame him for leaving His leaving fractured the team because the players knew he was the best and didn’t care for his treatment They knew it would hurt the team with him gone JH needs to be let go and someone new needs to come in and revamp the staff and program
November 15th, 2020 at 12:46 PM ^
If he rode the bench all last year after Shea golfed all summer and then got demoted for being sick at practice, can't blame him for being pissed.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:13 PM ^
I can believe this story because I think Harbaugh is far too old school when it comes to injuries. I think it pissed off James Hudson and caused him to leave (although I do think Hudson lied about his transfer to game the waiver system), it caused division in the wr room, Jim and Zordich basically ran off every corner with their bitching about not playing through injuries. I think he’s way too old school and tries to treat these guys like pros.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:00 AM ^
Jesus, it's worse than I thought. The UM PR machine got me with the Milton hype. Lesson learned.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:13 AM ^
I am right with you in the extremely slow learner club. Why do I fall for it every year?
November 15th, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
But you didn't learn anything from JOK and Shea hype? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
November 19th, 2020 at 10:06 PM ^
I didn't fall for the PR, I thought he was going to be bad but then I watched the Minnesota game and I fell for that crap... I thought Milton was a beast and we were gonna be really good. Little did I know how bad Minnesota is.
November 15th, 2020 at 8:02 AM ^
This isn't all that surprising but it's definitely troubling
November 15th, 2020 at 8:04 AM ^
I can’t believe they are this bad.
Harbaugh has to adapt or his tenure here will die. He has to reach out to thee players. He has to change. The program has to change how it does things. I think up until this point Michigan was good enough for him to delude himself that all they needed was a few tweaks. This season shows that far much dramatic changes are needed.
To quote Tupac:
”… It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
And let's change the way we treat each other
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do…”
November 15th, 2020 at 8:18 AM ^
Abby from the nutrition staff has done her best to change the way these players eat!
Otherwise, I am tracking with you on this one.