Michigan Friday: Ambry's Eyes

 

The Big Lead

At first you might think, this is the look Ambry Thomas would have covering DJ Metcalf for the first time.   It's actually a response to a "cost of living" question in the Bay Area by a reporter in his introduction press conference.   Everything is expensive in San Francisco!   Maybe Jimmy still has a house out there you can live in?  

• Buffalo's new head coach and former 5 minute Michigan DC Mo Linguist has hired Chris White off of Jimmy's non (on field)-coaching staff to run Special Teams.  

• Chris Webber is now officially out at TNT.

• 2022 3 star TX Joseph Adedire will take his official visit to A2 on 6/18

Michigan Thursday: News and Notes

• Clink's (too soon on the nickname?) hire was made official.   

• MSU DT DeAri Todd is transferring to Montana

• 5 star OT Josh Conerly Jr. cut his list to 12 schools including: Arizona State, Alabama, Auburn, California, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, Texas, UCLA, USC, and Washington.

• 4 Star TE Oscar Delp will take an official visit to Ann Arbor in June.  

• Northwestern's new AD 9 days on the job, resigns.   Polisky was one of four defendants named in a federal sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a member of the cheerleading team.  The individual alleges he improperly addressed anti-Black racism and mishandled sexual misconduct complaints.

• RIP to former Wolverine and Vikings coach Jerry Burns, he was 94. 

• JT Barrett is trying out for the Cowboys, what?

Wolverine Wednesday: A Grand Slam Hire

SI.com

When you lose a assistant coach/coordinator in May, its a tough loss.   Spring practice is over, summer conditioning is underway, and game planning and roster alignment is underway.  Finding a top notch coach is not the norm this time of year.  

Steve Clinkscale from UK has been doing a great job recruiting Michigan and stealing recruits from both MSU (mostly) and Michigan.  Both programs have tried to hire him away from the Wildcats and he hasn't moved.  Until, yesterday when he accepted the DB and Passing Coordinator role on Harbaugh's staff.  This is a grand slam hire and one that should have immediate impact as official visits start back up in June. 

We might not be happy with on the field results the last couple of years but Harbaugh is doing a great job of changing things up this off season and brining in the right people, no matter the cost.  

The media and recruits reaction has been mostly been:  "Huge hire for Michigan and huge loss for Kentucky".

Grand Slam and maybe the future DC at Michigan. 

• DT Transfer Tony Fair does not have Michigan as one of his finalist 

• DT Transfer Jordan Whittley from Oregon State gets an offer

• Cam McGrone tore his ACL against Rutgers and was drafted by New England.  He will miss his entire Rookie season.

• The ugly Dr. Anderson report is now available. 

• The Michigan Women's Golf Team is currently #2 in the NCAA Finals tournament. 

Michigan Tuesday: It's Urban Meyers World

The guy can coach college football, that is for sure.  But can he coach in the NFL?  Saban couldn't but Jimmy Johnson did.   It took Pete Carroll years to figure it out and Jim Harbaugh had success and troubles in the NFL.  Lou Holtz even had a cup of coffee with the Jets.  

Urban is used to doing things his own way.  He likes to accept and leave jobs on his own terms.  When he got suspended at Ohio State, you pretty much could read "The F U" on his face.  He left after that season. 

Jacksonville has a GM but he is just a figure head.  Urban is running everything with that team.   (On a side note, how in the hell did Jacksonville get an NFL team?  Because they had a stadium?)   He hired that Iowa S&C guy and quickly had to let him go, he made a questionable pick with his second 1st round pick, and now is going to sign his friend Tim Tebow as a TE.  Maybe if he was 25 but not a guy in his 30's that his best football has been as an analyst on ESPN.  He tried baseball but that didn't work either. 

What's the risk?  He probably won't make the team and if he does it will be just for jersey and ticket sales.  I thought it would of been a good decision to hire him as a coach.  Signing him as a TE (that he has never played) is too far of a reach.  

He will be great in the locker room.  I've never been in an NFL locker room but I believe the players that get respect are the ones that help you win.   If you're there cashing checks, selling jerseys, and taking time or a roster spot for someone that deserves it - that whole locker room culture guy, might just backfire.   

Tim is a good guy but his fault is he doesn't know when to hang it up and he is taking opportunities from guys in football and in baseball that deserve or earned his roster spot.  

Hell, it won't matter anyway, because Urban could go on a 3 game losing streak to end a season and retire for the 3rd time with some mystery health issue.  On a side note, many football experts thought Urban would have a very soft landing in Jacksonville for all his years at UF.  I've never met a UF fan that likes Urban Meyer, in fact many don't care for him at all.   This Urban NFL thing could be a disaster in waiting. 

• Some former Gopher players are alleging that PJ runs an abusive program.  Shocker! 

• Kenny Mayne is out at ESPN

• Jordan Poole hit another half court shot to end the quarter or the half. 

• Cam McGrone tore his ACL against Rutgers and is now going to miss his rookie year with the Patriots.