What is a realistic approach to replacing this horrible staff?

Submitted by Bo Harbaugh on November 7th, 2020 at 3:32 PM

I ask with based on what craters recruiting more, and what is better for the long term.

1) Fire Don Brown tomorrow?

2) Replace entire staff at end of year?

3) Send Harbaugh packing tomorrow and leave Gattis as interim for the rest of the year?

This ship is sunk.

Minent Domain

November 7th, 2020 at 4:27 PM ^

This. Until someone can point me to what Gattis has definitively accomplished besides saying "speed in space," I'm not sold. I could go out there and say "our strategy is to play to our strengths" or "create mismatches" and that may be a sound statement but doesn't mean I'm capable of making it happen on the field.

Joined: 11/17/2008

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rs207200

November 7th, 2020 at 3:36 PM ^

Worrying about recruiting is so stupid. Find a great coach and you will win. Period. 
 

All of the best coaching hires start winning BIG in year two or three. 

Joined: 04/26/2011

MGoPoints: 1904

ScoutExile

November 7th, 2020 at 4:10 PM ^

Beyond that, the single-biggest reason we aren’t retaining talent and taking a step forward each year is the turnover on the coaching staff and the resulting lack of continuity.

 

Imagine getting recruited by a guy who teaches you how to do things a certain way, but he leaves for Ohio State. Then, you get a new coach and he teaches you an entirely new scheme and ways of playing. Then, he leaves for Ole Miss.

 

We’re bad because we weren’t keeping our talented assistants around.

Joined: 08/01/2011

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The Geek

November 7th, 2020 at 3:41 PM ^

Promote Gattis and start over. Brown , Nuata, etc can pack sand. We need some young, smart minds to come to Michigan and change the culture of the program. JH lost his edge after 2016 and had been mailing it in ever since. 

Joined: 09/08/2009

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CorbUM724

November 7th, 2020 at 3:49 PM ^

Brown has to go now.

Harbaugh will last the season but needs to go.

Don’t blame Gattis that much. Starting OTs were out and you have to imagine he is handcuffed by Harbaugh at least a little. But if Harbaugh is gone, he won’t last.


There is no energy. Watching Indiana’s sideline they were full of energy and enthusiasm the entire game. I haven’t seen that in a Michigan team in a while. Maybe Tom Allen is a good candidate, maybe not. But, if we had that type of energy and cohesion amongst our team with the talent we can recruit, you would think that we would compete on a yearly basis. 

Joined: 11/20/2016

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Blargen

November 7th, 2020 at 3:56 PM ^

I'll take a stab at this

1) If we fire Don Brown tomorrow who steps in his place?  Does Harbaugh take over the D and Gattis the O, with Harbaugh still calling all the plays?  

2) Not sure about Don Brown, but saying bye to Harbaugh comes with a 10 million buyout, not to mention the (projected)  unknown lost millions due to not having butts in the stadium.  Is that a financial hit UM is willing to take when his contract expires at the end of next season, his and Don Browns.

3) Again, financials are the biggest hit I think the school will look at.  Sure they can drop him and take the financial nut kick, then scramble to find anyone willing to take over for next year (not a great amount of time) or hold him through his contract and spend a year+ looking for a good coach.

Myself, I'd go with 3, as long as Don Brown is part of the firing.  The season is pooched already, the rest of the schedule looks like a bunch of embarrassing losses anyway (Rutgers may still be a win).  Cut your losses, start looking now and give Gattis the chance to show what he's got and see if he is retained at the end of the season. 

Easy for me to say though, I'm sitting on a couch.

Joined: 09/02/2012

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maquih

November 7th, 2020 at 4:50 PM ^

With the financials, they can keep paying his salary while he looks for another job -- the buyout is just about 1-year salary anyway so it wouldn't save a ton but maybe that saves them a few million. 

Otherwise we're still on the hook for another 15M until the end of his contract by not firing him.  With the assistants, idk if maybe the next head coach wants to keep one of them?  People on the board here seem to say fire brown and keep gattis as interim, but idk they're kinda equal in my book not sure i could choose between them which one to fire and which one to make interim.

Joined: 11/04/2010

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GoBlue419

November 7th, 2020 at 3:57 PM ^

Fire Harbaugh and Don Brown right now.

Give Gattis a shot as interim HC and see if he has "it".

I really wish M would've let Brown go before last season and promoted Patridge to DC. Hell, atleast he could recruit. 

Joined: 08/25/2018

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285matt

November 7th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^

At the minimum, you have to fire Don Brown. It's beyond comical if they keep him at this point. Get rid of Zordich and pay Karl Scott from Bama to come here after years end. 

Joined: 02/06/2019

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ndscott50

November 7th, 2020 at 4:48 PM ^

Athletic department losses projected at 30 million this year. University projects 400 million to 1 billion loss in 2020. Next year, at least the first half, does not look better. Who is going to approve cutting Harbaugh a $10 million check and spending another $10 million for a new staff under the current circumstances?

We are stuck with him unless he takes another job. 

Joined: 10/02/2009

MGoPoints: 5774

UMProud

November 7th, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^

Send Harbaugh home in a taxi with a pink slip...speed dial a booster to write the payoff check.

Put Gattis in charge (cause it can't possibly get any worse) and start the coaching search.

-Pete Carroll

-Urban Meyer

-Bob Stoops

-Tom Allen (yes this guy is amazing)

Back the truck up and restart the whole friggin thing.

Joined: 12/18/2014

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mcpasty

November 7th, 2020 at 4:28 PM ^

ND fired Van Gorder (you know the, the goof who shut us out) during the season and they ended up with Clark Lea

their defense is ahead of ours with less NFL talent.

Joined: 09/21/2019

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Rafiki

November 7th, 2020 at 4:28 PM ^

Fire Brown at a minimum at the end of the season. Maybe you give Harbaugh 1 last year if you can’t find anyone you really like to replace him. 
 

Gattis as head coach is a terrible take. There’s nothing to prove he isn’t a terrible OC. He has not record as sole OC anywhere else. He could be the problem with the playcalling. Harbaugh hasn’t shown an ability to hire competent coaches. Pep was terrible. Drevno was bad. The entire D staff is terrible. Outside of Warriner has hasn’t made a good hire. 

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