Michigan Football Head Coaching Search

[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.