Friday, January 7, 2011

Michigan Coaching Search Day 3: What the Hell is Going On Out There?

That is my emotion right now.  First David Brandon fired Michigan's high profile coach with out having another head coach signed up.  Then he cancels the official recruiting weekend that was due to kick off today.  Now he is starting a coaching search in early January when Michigan's head coach should be finishing up his recruiting class, not filling out his W4 form.

Here is the latest:

Jim Harbaugh - reports was he was expected to sign a contract with the Dolphins and now that isn't happening.   Reports now are saying that he is expected to either stay with Stanford or go to the 49ers.  What the hell is happening here?  He turned down $7M plus to coach the Dolphins?  Now he may get over $5M from Stanford?  He doesn't want to coach in the NFL now?  This is crazy stuff.  There is a book that could be written on the happenings with Jim between Monday and Friday of this week.

Pat Fitzgerald - seems to been a candidate but now he isn't.  Wants to stay in his home town and coach his college football team the Northwestern Wildcats.  Ok, I get that but its too bad.

Brady Hoke - is just wanting for the call to jump on a plane. 

Bo Pelini - likes to tie his name to every major opening so he can get a raise from Nebraska. 

Les Miles - probably won't know if Michigan contacted him or not.  He is also preparing to play in the Cotton Bowl (when do they play that game?  Sometime in February? - It's actually tonight)

Gary Patterson - No News

Kirk Ferentz - please! his entire team was just busted for selling pot.  I have heard that most of the team was involved in the "ring".

David Brandon basically has this weekend to name a new head coach.  If it goes beyond this weekend,  Michigan is in huge trouble with this recruiting class.   Hell, if gets past this weekend you might has well just hire Gary Moeller for a year. (that is a joke)

This search right now looks like a huge "cluster".  I might not even order Domino's Pizza this weekend!

The Army All American Bowl which was set up to be a big recruiting day for Michigan, now is highly in doubt.   Here are a list of guys that had some Michigan interest at some point in their recruitment:  Blake Countess, Dee Hart, Kris Frost, Sammy Watkins, Avery Walls, Wayne Lyons, Ray Drew, DeAnthony Arnett, and Lamar Dawson.

4 comments:

John said...

John Elway says Harbaugh might be back in the Michigan mix?

GOBlue_Vinnie said...

It appears to me that DB thinks he knows EVERYTHING there is about ANY business. The result: His ego and arrogance have outpaced any rational thinking in this. I'm also rapidly coming to the conclusion that he truly NOT UNDERSTAND how the operations of college athletics and recruiting works in the REAL WORLD. I hope he pulls some rabbit out out the hat and proves me wrong. But, if this is not resolved by Monday with a LEGITIMATE DECENT coach, then we're doomed for the next 4 years. This is not pizzas anymore Dave where I can sample teh sauce....get a clue...and fast!

Voice of Reason said...

I expect a surprise hire to be announced very soon. I don't see DB going with a popular pick. I think he's talking to Brady Hoke first and a few dark horses after that. He needs someone who will come and get started right away, the field is very limited. David Brandon is a very intelligent and savvy man. He has been around Michigan and the college football scene for years and therefore understands the importance of timing. He knows when a coach “should” be fired and hired. He knows how it affects the recruiting class, and that a new coach would need to come into Michigan, get settled and recruit like hell before signing day. He understood all of these things and yet, he acted like he is completely new to division one football. This leads me to believe that there was more going on behind the scenes than we realize. I believe that his public handling of the coaching situation is reactionary from those who are higher than himself. Those who write the checks, they wanted Rich Rod out …NOW.

DB is smart enough to know that you don’t fire your coaching staff after New Years day without having someone in place to take over and solidify your recruiting class, coaching staff and current team players who are considering transfer. He’s also smart enough to know that, you can't get a first tier head coach after all of the new coaching positions have been filled and contract extensions signed after the New Years season bowl games. He knows this and yet however, he did it anyway. It is such an idiotic move that I think the powers that be, screwed up his time table and told him that he better make it look publically like it is his decision or he will be back selling pizzas.

This is his Brandon’s first year and he understands that he can not afford to make a mistake in the handling of the coaching situation; this is Michigan football, the program that brings the big money into the school. It would have been "safer" for Brandon not to say anything at all about the “evaluation of the football program” and to keep RR on until he was able to quietly negotiate for another coach and have him on board to get started right away [especially if his first choice was not immediately available after the New Years bowl game]. So I think that DB was told by the powers that be to get rid of RR and find someone else. If this was not the case then I am concerned for Michigan football because DB has handled this situation so poorly that it could set the program back a few more years, and does this mean that we have this type of thinking to look forward to? I hope not.

GOBlue_Vinnie said...

VoR: "Dave Brandon is a very intelligent and savvy man".

I used to think the same thing. But I've changed my mind for a couple reasons. Like most everyone else, I saw DB as a strong principled person. But, if what you say is true that the "powers that be" forced him to fire RR early, that theory is out the window if he let the "powers that be" make this decision to fire RR early (He said it was always his decision, right?).

I now view DB as a stubborn and egotistical person who is incapable of changing his position as circimstances change. His position on RR evolved as the season went on, yet his timetable did not. It should have changed as the season unfolded, but that would have required him to alter his "after the season" position. I don't think he's capable of adapting to changing circumstances.