Michigan Football Head Coaching Search

[JamStone]

The once proud program with a rich tradition is a joke. Fans and alumni of Michigan must all admit to it, find some humility, and realize it's a long climb back to even get to respectability. You can blame Rich Rod for some of it. He surely deserves his share. But it's the hubris and ego of the program and the school and the boosters and the fans that share in it as well. Michigan is a good school with a joke of a football program. No more denial. Acceptance is the first step. Time to pretty much start from scratch.

Like other schools with proud traditions like Notre Dame and Nebraska and Miami, regardless how similar or dissimilar the falls from grace were, the page needs to be turned and forward progress needs to be taken. So with the end of arguably the worst three years of Michigan Football, the next head coach hire is of paramount importance. It would be devastating to go through what Notre Dame has gone through with the carousel of head coaches every few years. Michigan needs a great coach, great recruiter, and great voice for Michigan Football. But who will it be?

The possible candidates (not a full list because I have no idea who all of them will be):

Jim Harbaugh - the name that has been linked for quite a while and some assumed was a shoe-in as recently as a few weeks ago. He's a Michigan alum, former Michigan QB, has great coaching bloodlines, and did a great job turning a Stanford program around in the Pac 10. The problem is he did that great of a job that he's become the top candidate at a lot of places, including the NFL. Expected to make the jump to the NFL with either the Dolphins, 49ers, or Broncos, he looks less and less likely to be the guy at Michigan. And even if he doesn't go to the NFL, there is still no guarantee he leaves Stanford for Michigan. In the past, he's made comments that have ruffled the feathers of the old Blue faithful, has had a somewhat discourteous relationship with the program, and still has some people in the program not fully on board with him. He's the #1 choice among a lot of people but it seems his interests might be elsewhere.

Les Miles - also has great Michigan ties as a former player under Bo. Was regarded as one of the top choices when Michigan hired Rich Rod three years ago. LSU fans seem to hate the guy. He's a great recruiter, but will he be able to do the same job at recruiting up north and bring in blue chippers from the south all the way up to Michigan? With the Big Ten restrictions on recruiting compared to the SEC, will he have his problems getting the top high school kids? Without the top recruits, can he make Michigan elite once again with his unorthodox coaching and game management? Miles is such a wild card that he might not be the right fit at the moment. Michigan needs someone who will bring stability. Don't know if Miles knows what stability is.

Brady Hoke - lesser name but local rumors says he's in the mix as a fallback candidate. Was a position coach under Lloyd Carr for several years before he turned around his alma mater Ball State's football program. Then he went to San Diego State and has done a really good job in only two years. People in the program who know him think he's a great coach. And he's openly stated that Michigan is a dream job to him, meaning even if he has great success he's likely not going to be lured away by another school or the NFL like Harbaugh would be. The problem is that it's taking a big risk because he hasn't proven anything at a big school. Ball State, San Diego State. And will he be able to recruit the way a bigger name coach would likely be able to. He's a guy very few fans would be excited about and very few Big Ten programs would worry about. Tressel isn't shaking in his boots over Brady Hoke. Harbaugh would get Tressel's attention.

Jon Gruden - I think as long as Gruden is not coaching somewhere, his name will be mentioned even if it's just casually for coaching positions. Gruden is the type of personality that would be good for college football imo. Really charismatic and really passionate about the game. He's the type of guy that could get college kids really motivated. He has midwestern ties. And he's a big name. We don't know if he can recruit, but his name and face on ESPN probably makes it easier than another guy with limited college coaching experience. And hell, he's still only 47 years old. I don't know how well he'd do in the college game, but I think the school could do worse. But that's with knowing very little about how he'd run a college program.

The other two names that may or may not be talked about to some degree will be TCU's Gary Patterson and Boise State's Chris Petersen. Neither have ties to Michigan and neither have been called by Michigan. But Athletic Director David Brandon in his presser yesterday did suggest that Michigan needed to hire a coach and pay for value. He intimated that he'd be going after a big name. These two guys have built strong programs from midmajor schools and made them elite programs. That in itself would lead me to believe they'd at least be considered in the search.

This short list is far from complete and just a few names I'm throwing out there for discussion. I know there are a few Michigan and Big Ten fans on here. But it's also noteworthy for college football. Michigan is at its lowest point in probably 40-50 years. But it's still a head coach hire that could impact college football. Who will it be? What other names are out there? What kind of mess did Rich Rod leave and how long will it take to clean it up and get Michigan back to just respectability?

[tlongII]

Michigan should break the bank for Harbaugh. He would be perfect imo.

[johngateswhiteley]

Michigan should break the bank for Harbaugh. He would be perfect imo.

does not appear money matters for harbaugh, when dealing with michigan. also, wasn't it reported if harbaugh is not going to the nfl he is remaining at stanford.

[Sisk]

No way Harbaugh ends up at Michigan imho

[JamStone]

There are already reports he's set to go to Miami. I think even Michigan realizes that. He's still one of the top candidates until he signs a contract to coach elsewhere or publicly states he's staying at Stanford.

[Sisk]

There are already reports he's set to go to Miami. I think even Michigan realizes that. He's still one of the top candidates until he signs a contract to coach elsewhere or publicly states he's staying at Stanford.

I've heard that as well. I don't know.. he just doesn't seem like a Miami kind of guy to me. I guess we'll see, though.

[sa_butta]

I've heard that as well. I don't know.. he just doesn't seem like a Miami kind of guy to me. I guess we'll see, though.
Seems Miami is sticking with Sparano and Luck is coming back Stanford, so there is still a good chance of Harbaugh going back to Stanford...Most of rumors I heard did not have him landing in Michigan anyways....

[BRHornet45]

awkward Les Miles interview ... either he is toying with the reporter, or is going to Michigan and doesn't want to lie lol

ikqr9n21I1E

[Marklar MM]

The names being mentioned right now, whether they are actually being pursued or just having their names thrown around are Brady Hoke, Les Miles, Bob Stoops, and Jon Gruden.

[lebomb]

Les Miles

[JamStone]

Les Miles says he'll stay at LSU.

Michigan looks lost. Local sports talk are talking conspiracy theory. One theory that Harbaugh and Miles weren't the choices anyway (I call bullshit) and they only reached out to them so they would be perceived to be going after top candidates with Michigan ties. Apparently, no offer was even extended to Miles. I don't know how true any of that is, but I find it hard to believe that Brady Hoke was their #1 choice all along. If he was, I don't see the point of the circus of trying to go after Harbaugh and Miles. Should have signed him a month ago and maybe next year's recruiting class could be salvaged a little bit. As it is, if Hoke is the guy (we don't know for sure but it looks like it), and being this late in the game for next year's recruiting class, Michigan just basically threw away next season completely.

This is a mess. Michigan looks dumb. I sure hope Hoke is a really good coach after all this crap, if he is in fact the gu. He's going to need to be because he's not getting much help from recruits next season.

[BRHornet45]

:danceclub

[sa_butta]

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon announced today (Tuesday, Jan. 11) the hiring of Brady Hoke (http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hoke_brady00.html) as the 19th coach in the 131-year history of Michigan football. Hoke arrives in Ann Arbor after spending the past eight seasons as a head coach at Ball State (2003-08) and San Diego State (2009-10).
"We are pleased to announce the hiring of Brady," said Brandon. "He is a terrific coach and will be a great ambassador and leader for our football program. We look forward to having him build a championship program on the field and in the classroom."

http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011111aab.html

[Pistons < Spurs]

Hoke!!!! Laughable! At least they got their 'Michigan Man' .... :rolleyes

[sa_butta]

Hoke!!!! Laughable! At least they got their 'Michigan Man' .... :rolleyes
Yeah, very hard to be optimistic about this one...

[JamStone]

Looks like a joke of a hire. My hope is that Hoke is so determined to prove himself that he works his ass off to do everything possible (without the NCAA violations of course) to build a winner and prove the doubters wrong. I really hope that's the case, because right now, it hard to get excited over this hire.

[The Gemini Method]

I would wait until he gets underway before making a judgment. Remember how the Auburn Tiger faithful were all up in arms about the hiring of Gene Chizik, who was horrible @ Iowa St., and that turned out to be alright. Yeah, they had a great player, but if Michigan could just be one or a handful of players away from contending. I do agree, however, that the whole process has been a laugher for Michigan.

[Pistons < Spurs]

I don't think Hoke is a bad coach, person or hire in general. But it's not a very inspiring selection. It's the safe choice. A choice that says we're more interested in righting the ship rather than truly being a contender of any sort.

Maybe that is the right thing for the school at this point. There is so much division right now, maybe the most important thing was trying to unify everyone by simply getting the 'Michigan Man'.

In the end Hoke will probably be a good thing for UofM. But how they went about getting him was done pretty poorly. Hoke is looking like option#6 for the school after being turned down by so many other candidates.

[Marklar MM]

I would wait until he gets underway before making a judgment. Remember how the Auburn Tiger faithful were all up in arms about the hiring of Gene Chizik, who was horrible @ Iowa St., and that turned out to be alright. Yeah, they had a great player, but if Michigan could just be one or a handful of players away from contending. I do agree, however, that the whole process has been a laugher for Michigan.

Difference is Michigan can't pick up JUCO's, and there is no way in hell they will be able to pay for their players.

[Marklar MM]

I hate this hire. Brandon says Michigan will pay their coaches like a top football school, and he goes out and hires Brady "I will work for chump change" Hoke. Literally, he will work for chump change. And so will all the Michigan Man retreads he brings in to coach. Look for chumps like Andy Moeller, Ron English, Mike Deboring,etc to be back in the Maize and Blue on the sideline.

[JamStone]

I wouldn't mind Scot Loeffler coming back to Michigan as an assistant coach.

I don't like the hire. I hope it works out though.

[samikeyp]

I'm curious....Miles and Harbaugh didn't want it....if not Hoke than who? from what I have heard up here....he fits all the things Michigan fan wanted...midwest roots, U-M ties and he wanted to be here.

[JamStone]

I'm curious....Miles and Harbaugh didn't want it....if not Hoke than who? from what I have heard up here....he fits all the things Michigan fan wanted...midwest roots, U-M ties and he wanted to be here.

Hoke is perceived as a fallback option way down the list, so of course people are not going to be happy with it. From a lot of local reports, Brandon never actually made an offer to Les Miles. And there were people in the program trying to push David Brandon from reaching out to Harbaugh. Those are just rumored reports but that's what's being spun out here.

Hoke might be a fine coach. He has the ties to Michigan and the midwest. But he's largely unproven and he doesn't have the cache of a big name coach. That's what worries some people. Although sometimes it's the guy that no one likes or heard about that ends up doing a great job. As a Michigan alum and fan, I hope that's the case.

[Marklar MM]

I'm curious....Miles and Harbaugh didn't want it....if not Hoke than who? from what I have heard up here....he fits all the things Michigan fan wanted...midwest roots, U-M ties and he wanted to be here.

Because he was about option number 15 on the list. If he had never coached at UM, he would have never even sniffed the job. He is a Carr guy...you know who Carr left as potential head coaches in his years? Fucking Ron English, Mike Deboring, and Brady Hoke. Hell of a coaching tree.

Brandon got Michigan fans happy when he said that Michigan would open up the pocketbook and pay their coaches like a top school...what we end up with is a guy that will work for pocket change because he always wanted to coach here. Better hire a hell of a staff and not just old Michigan retread coaches, although I have a feeling they will pay coaches with chump change as well.

This school is so fucking cheap with its money maker, it is insane.

[JamStone]

Here's one pretty biased view supporting the hire. At least it's a legitimate national sports writer and he doesn't have ties to Michigan. Still sounds heavy on the bias. But it did make me feel a little better about things. Not a lot, but I'm cool with baby steps as long as it's in the positive direction.


http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/brady-hoke-not-jim-harbaugh-is-perfect-coach-for-michigan-wolverines-010711



Hoke, not Harbaugh, perfect for Michigan

Full disclosure: I love Brady Hoke, the Michigan coaching candidate, San Diego State’s head coach.

No. I’m serious. I love Brady Hoke like family, like a brother from another mother.

Hoke and his brother, Jon, played football at Ball State about a decade before I did. They starred on one of Ball State’s all-time best teams.

I met Jon in the early 1990s when he was an assistant coach at the University of Missouri and I was a young sports columnist at the Kansas City Star. We hit it off instantly. When I visited Columbia, I’d write my columns from his office while he watched film.

I met Brady years later when Ball State’s then-athletic director, Bubba Cunningham, invited me to assist him in identifying and recruiting my alma mater’s next football coach. Bubba asked me to call Jon. Jon told me to call Brady, who was working as the defensive line coach at Michigan.

Eight years ago, Bubba Cunningham chose Brady Hoke to be Ball State’s football coach over Kansas State assistant Bret Bielema.

Eight years ago, Brady and I became family.

I love the dude. I love his wife, his daughter, his parents, his brother, his nephew, his niece and the way he looks and sounds like Fred Flintstone.

So I’m biased when it comes to this Michigan football search. Hoke is my guy.

But if you read my column regularly, you know I’m bone honest and raw when it comes to everything sports related except Jeff George.

Brady Hoke isn’t the perfect coach for Michigan because I love him like a brother. He’s the perfect coach for Michigan because he’s the perfect coach for Michigan.

He’s a better fit than Jim Harbaugh, who has spent the week auctioning himself off to NFL franchises and holding Stanford hostage.

Harbaugh, if you believe the hype and the blank checks being thrown at his feet, is the hottest coaching prospect in the history of sports. Harbaugh and quarterback Andrew Luck carried the Cardinal to an incredible 12-1 season, a BCS-bowl victory and likely top-3 ranking.

Because of Stanford’s academic standards — not because of the Pac-10’s down year — the Cardinal’s spectacular season is proof Harbaugh is one-fourth Vince Lombardi, one-fourth Bear Bryant, one-fourth Bill Belichick and one-fourth Geno Auriemma (a tireless self-promoter).

I’m not going to denigrate Harbaugh’s accomplishment.

But I’ll argue it doesn’t compare to what I witnessed with my very own eyes from Brady Hoke.

Hoke is no one’s “compromise” or “second-tier” coaching candidate. Not if you understand football. Not if you comprehend how he got to the point that he’s even a candidate to be Michigan’s next football coach.

Brady Hoke loves hard. He loves his family, his players, his assistant coaches, Ball State football and Michigan football.

You think winning 12 games and getting into the BCS conversation is difficult at Stanford? Try doing it at Ball State. Try doing it without a coaching office, after the school president has paid the emotionally unstable women’s basketball coach more than you. Try doing it at the place you love that doesn’t love you back.

Yeah, I had an all-access pass as Hoke took Ball State football from nothing to something during a six-year period. I watched Hoke grow from an immature and reckless head coach to a savvy and sound one.

I saw him pour his heart into Ball State football, and I witnessed my school’s administrators publicly bask in the glory Hoke’s 12-1, 2008 team created and privately discredit the work he did to make it possible.

Jim Harbaugh’s 12-1 can’t touch Brady Hoke’s 12-1.

Hoke went 12-1 with a broken heart, working at a school that had every reason to shower him with love, affection and support but instead showered him with indifference.

It was a labor of unrequited love for the coach who met his wife at Ball State, sent his daughter to Ball State, recruited his nephew to play at Ball State and starred as a player alongside his brother at Ball State.

Two years into Hoke’s six-year tenure at his alma mater, the president (Blaine Brownell) and athletic director (Cunningham) who hired Hoke had both left. They were replaced by Jo Ann Gora and Tom Collins, the dumb and dumber of college athletics.

You don’t have to take my word that my school has the most incompetently run athletic department in the nation. A quick Google search of these names (Ronny Thompson, Tracy Roller and Stan Parrish) and their exits from Ball State should give you sufficient background.

Instead of passionately embracing and supporting Hoke, Gora and her puppet AD (Collins) plotted to replace Hoke with his hey-look-at-me offensive coordinator Stan Parrish, leaving Hoke no choice but to depart his alma mater for San Diego State.

Ball State football fell off a cliff. Parrish went 6-19 and was given $700,000 to get out of Muncie after this past season.

In his second season at San Diego State, Hoke guided the Aztecs to their first wining season since 1998 and first bowl victory since 1969. The administration at SDSU adores Hoke and his family and has been very aggressive in its efforts to retain him.

Hoke has been honest with his bosses. Michigan is his destination job. He has no interest in auctioning himself off to the highest bidder. He loves Ann Arbor. He’d crawl on hot, broken glass to work inside Schembechler Hall as the head coach.

Hoke would win at Michigan.

I’m not speculating. He has an uncanny ability to get kids to believe in him and believe in themselves. He doesn’t do it with smooth words. He’s not smooth. He does it by being the same genuine person day after day. I’ve watched his practices, sat in his meetings, listened to him address his team before a big game, after a tough loss and on a mundane Thursday.

He connects. The kids hang on his words, respond to his tough love and accept his discipline.

Hoke doesn’t rebuild programs by himself. He has the best strength coach in college football, Aaron Wellman.

Over the course of five years, Wellman took two fat offensive tackles (Robert Brewster and Andre Ramsey), an undersized center (Dan Gerberry) and a razor-thin tight end (Darius Hill) and sculpted them into all-conference players and NFL prospects.

Brewster, Ramsey, Gerberry and Hill formed the foundation of Ball State’s 2008 team and then landed on NFL rosters in 2009.

That’s incredible for a Mid-American Conference team.

Hoke and his coaching staff know how to develop players. I’ve seen it.

They know how to recruit and identify talent that works in their system. At Ball State and San Diego State, Hoke assembled coaching staffs more qualified and skilled than the schools’ budgets allow.

Good coaches love working for Hoke.

Jim Harbaugh is the sizzle hire in all of football. He’s not a better college football coach than Brady Hoke.

If Michigan would love Hoke with half the passion Hoke loves Michigan, beating Ohio State and returning to the top of the Big Ten wouldn’t take more than three seasons.

[samikeyp]

All good points...but what "big name" wanted to coach at Michigan? I would think that if Miles or Harbaugh wanted it....Brandon would have made it happen.

[DesignatedT]

Hoke is a great coach. He will turn that program around.

[JamStone]

All good points...but what "big name" wanted to coach at Michigan? I would think that if Miles or Harbaugh wanted it....Brandon would have made it happen.

Harbaugh and Miles were really the only "big names" that were really ever in play. There are underground rumblings that Hoke was one of the top choices the whole time. If Harbaugh showed more mutual interest, I think he would have gotten the offer. However, he didn't seem to want the job and there are people still within the program that weren't particularly enamored by him, and some felt that he would eventually bail on the school if the NFL called again in the future.

With Miles, it's been reported he was never extended an offer. Now that could just be PR so it doesn't look as bad for Michigan. That could very well be true. But there are people in the program, just like with Harbaugh, that just don't like Miles. A little background on Miles. He and Lloyd Carr both coached under Bo at the same time. Supposedly, they don't get along at all, and Lloyd played a huge role in Miles not being a more serious candidate back in 2007-08 when Rich Rod was hired. Lloyd didn't and doesn't want Miles to be head coach at Michigan. So was Miles ever really offered the gig? Maybe, maybe not.

Now this also goes to the hire of Hoke. Hoke coached under Lloyd Carr. He's beloved by a lot of people in the program who know him. Lloyd obviously used his influence to get "his guy" a serious look as a candidate. Hoke got calls from Tom Brady, Charles Woodson, and Steve Hutchinson in shows of support for his hire. So basically, David Brandon went with people who have influence within the program as opposed to the media favorites or the fan choices.

If Harbaugh wanted the job, I think he would have gotten it. But at least how it's being spun out here, Hoke was among the top choices all along, and not a fallback option. Sure sounds like a political spin, but I'll drink the kool-aid for now, basically because I have no choice but to drink it until we can see how it works out.


P.S. At the halftime interview at the Ohio State - Michigan basketball game today, Hoke suggested that he feels Denard Robinson is committed to staying. He had a meeting with him today and will have another meeting tomorrow. He obviously said really positive things about Denard. We'll see how that plays out as well. Local news reported there are as many as 20 schools that have already reached out to Denard Robinson in hopes of him transferring.