Trust in Dave Brandon

If he decides to go in another direction, it means the program is on the wrong trajectory. Which means I'll steel mysef for another messy transition, but trust Brandon that it's for the best in the long term.

If he decides to stick with Rod, it means the program is on the right track. And then my expectations ramp up next year. When we have juniors and seniors dominating the two deep, I expect 10 wins, including wins over Sparty and OSU, and I expect a Big Ten title.

And I don't expect another losing season during Rod's tenure here, and expect every senior class to have at least one Big Ten title.

If Brandon thinks that's within reach he'll stick with Rod. If it's a pipe dream, Rod will go. If RR goes and we win 10 next year, I'll think Brandon made the wrong decision, and hope the new guy is worth the foundation that's been buit for him.

It's going to be a LONG time between now and the bowl game. Are we there yet?

I trust in Dave Brandon to make the right decision as to who Michigan's 2011 HC should be, but I question whether he should be waiting until after the bowl game to make that decision.

He should have enough information to make a decision at this point and it seems unlikely that anything which might happen in the bowl game would sway his opinion one way or the other.

I think waiting until the bowl game is over will have a negative impact on recruiting regardless of whether RR ultimately stays or goes.  During the month or so between today and our bowl game, any recruit talking to Michigan will be wondering if the coaches they are talking to today will be around in a month, that puts Michigan at a serious disadvantage.  If RR goes and assuming the new coach runs a different system, the new coach will have approximately one month between his hiring and signing day, in which he will have to re-solidify the commitments of any recruit that RR had secured and also locate, recruit and sign as many players as possible that fit the new system.  I'd prefer to give a new coach an extra month to work on that task

It is silly to make a decision as important as the one facing Dave Brandon based on individual recruits that may or may not come to Michigan, but I don't see how the outcome of the bowl game could change his decision and consequently, I don't really see any benefit associated with making the decision after the bowl game.

I am jealous of bears right now and their hibernation cause that is what I would like to do for about a month to avoid this dreaded talk.

Any words or vibes from our 2011 commitments?

I'd feel much worse about this if I couldn't blame Rich Rodriguez for every loss to OSU since 2003.  Oh, wait ...

Brandon's decision will not be based on what is posted on what we think or what we write on Michigan Message Boards. Does that mean that we shouldn't express our opinion on the issues surrounding the team?

Furthermore, why should we trust Dave Brandon? I mean, he's done well with regards to things like managing the practice-based NCAA issues, looking at facility improvements, and dealing with the press. but at the same time, he advocates for the BCS and supported putting Michigan and Ohio State in separate divisions. So no, I'm not going to blindly trust his judgment.

We all trust in Dave Brandon, but mgoblog is meant for discussion.  We are here to talk about UM, not just sit and wait for DB to make a decision.  So, let's continue discussion about the team, coaches, players, opponents, etc.

I realize that the decision is Brandon’s, and he won’t consult mgoblog before making it.

But why exactly should we “trust” Brandon, any more than we trust Brendan Gibbons to make a FG, or Vincent Smith to convert on 3rd & short, or Greg Robinson to call the right defense? We don’t have a say in any of those decisions, but that doesn’t mean we trust them.

Brandon seems to be a decent enough guy. He has made a few fan-friendly moves, and hasn’t screwed up anything I’m aware of. Nevertheless, he is new to the position. He hasn’t proven himself to be the Second Coming of Don Canham.

I will, of course, be watching what he does. That doesn’t mean I necessarily trust what he does. Trust is earned.

I'm not sure why we should all blindly trust Brandon.  We've known the guy as AD for less than a year.  Sure, I'm pretty confident he won't do something stupid, but why should I trust him?

EDIT: Oakapple beat me to the punch and did it more eloquently.

Although I have no doubt that DB will make the right call, but indecision at this point has to be hurting recruiting.  If RR is going to be the HC next season (which I think is the right call) DB needs to send that message to the potential recruits.  Waiting until January to make that decision is just going to fuel the anti-RR media fire and we are going to pay for it with negative recruiting.  I realize it's a very important decision for the AD, but it's frustrating to watch the situation go from bad to worse.

So . . . what exactly are you recommending we do?  Not discuss this at all, because it might negatively influence Brandon's judgment?

I actually think Brandon has faced a similar decision before. Brandon was faced with the fact that many people were unhappy with Domino's pizza. He personally got involved in every level of pizza production and delivery. He made sure he knew everything about the entire process, then he developed test kitchens at Domino's and began to fix what was wrong. He was faced with saving the brand or losing market share.

Now, he has a similar situation. He has already said that one of his main goals is to begin to increase the marketing of the "Michigan" brand. How can he do this when many people are unhappy with what that brand currently represents? He is doing very similar things with the athletic department. He is learning every aspect of the product. He is now involved in the recruiting process, he attends practices and meetings, he goes with the team to review film, all so that he can see if the problem is the process or the individuals involved in the process or the athletes themselves.

Once he has all of the information, he will make his decision. Unfortunately, there isn't a test kitchen for coaching, so here he will be a little out of his element, but I don't think it will matter much. By the time he announces his decision he will have met with the student athletes, conducted "exit interviews", met with donors, administration and regents and will have a plan of action. If this includes replacing the head coach, I would bet that he announces the departure and hiring of a new coach at the same time. The business of a coach search will not be done in the media spotlight and it will not be tainted by Herbstriet, and others.

I am a firm supporter of RR, but I am a bigger supporter of David Brandon, and I am happy that I am not the one that has to make this decision, but I trust it will be the right one. 

Is DB waiting until after the bowl game to avoid paying the 4 million dollar buy out that would lower to 2.5 million after December.

He knows when to talk and when to be quiet and evaluate the evidence and the possibilities.  I like that he has been on the field for the first and foureth quarters of games this year.  He has a good feel for the pulse of the players and the staff.  He also has a good feel for those thast donate large sums of money and help keep the AD running  $$-wise.  There are many factorsthat go into this decision, not just wins and losses.  In the end though, the AD is a business and college football is a business, much moreso than when Bo was here and when DB played.   Having a relevant, winning and historical program that fills all those seats and suites is No. 1 on DB's list.  I think we can "trust" that he will consider all the factors in his decision.

That being said, can he gauge the near future on the recent past and then "see" what should occur down the road with the current staff or a significant shift toward what the foundation that made the program what it is?

Tough call either way, but if he gets his ducks in a row soon enough, DB can minimize the losses.