Is Michigan Jumping on the Coaching Carousel?

The situation at Michigan is the reason so many Aggies would like to see Coach Brown leave Texas. When you jump on the coaching merry-go-round, there’s always the possibility you get it wrong. Trust me – we know all about getting it wrong.

We know all about getting it wrong, too. Texas has gotten it wrong more than it has gotten it right throughout the program’s history. That doesn’t mean you should refuse to pull the trigger when it obviously needs pulling.

Rich Rod is making progress at Michigan. It is very slow progress, but there is no question this year’s team was much improved from the 2008 team. I suspect they will give him another year, and they probably should.

Hook ’em!!!

I’d be surprised if they dumped him now. Not the least reason is that he has put in and recruited for a spread run system, led now by Dennard. To bring in a new coach and new system would mean pressing “re-set” again and signing up for another three years of struggles.

How Michigan’s back channel talks are going with possible successors will tell the real story.
 
And the structure of RichRod’s offense is actually doing him a favor here. If he had more conventional personnel, it’s much easier to pull the trigger and make the change. Going to his offense is a personnel commitment.
 
Since taking over, his win total has gone up 2 per year. My guess is that if he returns and that pattern doesn’t continue, he’s gone.

As the son of a Michigan man, I learned early on that the day of Michigan-Ohio State had about a 50-50 chance of being an early Christmas or a day when doing my chores perfectly wasn’t going to be enough. This game MATTERS in ways even OU (Sux) doesn’t to us.

I expect RichRod will get one more chance. He’s got that wad of starters back, the Bucks must visit Ann Arbor in ‘11 . . . but there are probably more Michigan Men today who’d prefer somebody new coach that game than there are M-Men who want to grant RR that one more chance.

Scipio, his wins have been going up since he started like crap. He’s finally beating the teams Michigan is supposed to beat. The going gets tougher now, as he’s going to need to have a defense to get above 8 wins. Sherman was in a similar situation until this November when he finally notched some signature wins. The other thing I didn’t know is that Jim Harbaugh had a brother named Jim. Is this like Larry, Darryl & Darryl from that Newhart show?

Something I left out of the post is that Rodriguez essentially pulled a “Mackovic” when he arrived in Ann Arbor. He pissed off just about every former player and major booster — acting like everything needed to be changed and that some of the traditions could be ignored.

Programs like Michigan — or Texas — do not appreciate someone (especially an outsider) coming in and saying that they need to be burn it down and start all over.

He may get another year, but he doesn’t have many friends on campus.

Scip — I think he could only lose two games next year and if they are to Michigan State and Ohio State he is toast.

Someone needs to go close an italics tag in the main article…

I wish I could see the greener pasture from the high horse that Ag_in_Tx has been riding on for some time now…

Is this news? Of course he’s gone.

I was going to reference Mackovic, but srr beat me to it. Rodriguez will never ever be considered a Michigan guy IMO. We know how this story ends, and if Michigan waits too long it will take even longer to get back, plus having to work through a pile of recruits for a system you ain’t going to run.

Do not remind any of your Michigan friends that Ryan Mallett should be their starting QB this year. They won’t respond well. Trust me.

It is hard for me to understand how the likes of RR and Bo Pelini can recruit at all given how they treat their players on the sidelines on national tv. They are both butt ugly and spend all their time on the sidelines scowling and cursing.

50 Years-

Here’s how a guy like Bo can recruit (and recruit fairly well at that, especially this season): 1) He doesn’t blame players in post game press conferences, he takes the blame for mishaps and losses (along with the rest of the coaching staff; 2) He’s straightforward with players and doesn’t play games or make capricious decisions about playing time or other such matters; 3) He generally enforces his high and comprehensive expectations uniformly and fairly (though his soft treatment of Martinez this season, the A&M sideline show notwithstanding, might be a chink in his armor on this point); 4) He puts players in a position to win and; 5) He defends them completely.

If anyone bothered to read players’ comments about Boi after the A&M, you’d hear a chorus of staunch and emphatic support and love for Bo. Granted, they couldn’t really say otherwise unless he were fired, but the emotion in their voices seemed genuine, and their words heartfelt. I’m guessing this is how UT’s defense feels about Muschamp, who’s been known to be a fiery coach, himself, but just hasn’t been caught on camera voicing his thoughts, and hasn’t been in the position to confront the myriad reasons for UT’s offensive woes.

Frankly I’m surprised RR still has a job. Like Texas, even more so perhaps, U of M is justifiably proud of its academics and they feel that cheating should not be necessary. The fact that RR can’t beat Ohio State and Michigan State is bad. The fact that he got caught cheating and still can’t beat either team is really bad. Also, U of M might be getting a bit nervous that Brian Kelley is indeed turning things around at Notre Dame. I expect him to be fired and Michigan will make every effort to bring back Harbaugh.

If Harbaugh can win at Stanford, he will clean (the big) house at Michigan. The fact that he was emphasizing the difficulty of winning at Stanford will not keep him from getting the job. Michigan is a top 5 coaching destination imo.

Harbaugh is not going to waste his time at Michigan. He’s headed to the NFL and probably pretty damn soon. Michigan does nothing for his long-term coaching goals.

If Andrew Luck goes pro, and he’d be silly not to, Harbaugh will be in Ann Arbor or Dallas…

Saban and Alabama have convinced a lot of boosters that certain programs need only the right coach to return to the mountaintop instantly. Remember before Saban took the Alabama job? Shula had more press backing than RR does now, and media types were lower on the overall program than they are on Michigan. I remember Cowherd calling Alabama a has-been program, which will get a coach fired faster than losing to a hated rival repeatedly

At some point, the notion that losing continuously in the Big 10 represents progress becomes absurd. Michigan has too much pride to do another year of this, and they will assemble a big enough war chest to go run down their target, much like Alabama did Saban. Maybe not with the same results, but that will be their justification for making someone the highest paid coach in college athletics in the near future.

How that plays in a state with an unemployment rate like Michigan right now is anyone’s guess.

RichRod was always a terrible fit. You don’t run a system built to maximize three stars at a program like Michigan. If Michigan want Harbaugh this is their one shot at him. NFL offers might be slow in coming with a looming lockout. I think Luck stays with the CBA up in the air, and I assume he is only one year away from a degree. Make Harbaugh choose between staying for Luck’s final year and then a jump an NFL HC position or being the highest paid coach in college football at the University of Michigan. Put that bird in his hand and make him think.

KB is right on about the possible NFL lockout. I wonder if JJ will be willing and able to make the payments on Jerry World, Wade Phillips remaining salary (I have no idea how long and I’m too lazy to look it up) the Dallas coaching staff, etc and Harbaugh’s salary too.

I seem to remember the payments on Jerry World equated to 1 million per day while it was under construction. In the old days you could get an interest only construction loan. I highly doubt the mortgage on Jerry world is interest only.

In the past the Owners of the NFL have always had an upper hand on the players association. I think this time around without Gene Upshaw, and with Owners making payments on the new stadiums, the players association may have the upper hand.

Michigan’s timing may be perfect to get harbaugh.

If Harbaugh does leave Stanford, who fills the spot? Obviously, Stanford wouldn’t be able to pay a ridiculous salary, but Harbaugh proved it was possible to win there. Imagine Mike Leach coaching the Cardinal. Sure, he’s the polar opposite of Harbaugh, but who ever thought a pro style offense could work at Stanford in today’s game. The caliber of athlete he could get there would probably be the same, if not better, than what he got at Tech. I think that could be a pretty interesting scenario.

In the past the Owners of the NFL have always had an upper hand on the players association. I think this time around without Gene Upshaw, and with Owners making payments on the new stadiums, the players association may have the upper hand.

I don’t.

The NFL owners worked their contract with the TV networks so they will get paid next year — even if there is a lockout. That’s a pretty good safety net for the owners. However I also believe that both sides realize that right now their sport is the King of TV and need only look back to baseball in the 90’s to see what an extended shutdown of a sport can do.

From what I read, I have the impression Robinson is going to be pushed out or fall on his sword and RR is going to get one more year.