Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Wolverine Wednesday: Welcomes You to National Coach Signing Day

Today used to be one of the biggest days in college football.  Players would commit and decommit, not head coaches.  Today, I want to discuss the Butterfly Effect and how its effected Michigan's Football program recently.  

Let's go back to the season:

An Auburn RB runs out of bounds instead of sliding in bounds when Alabama has no timeouts.  Alabama comes back and wins.  

That 1 mistake, costs Michigan the #1 seed in the CFP and playing Cincinnati.  You could even make a case of Hutch winning the Heisman, though Bama's win over Georgia the next week might have hyped Bryce Young to the award anyway.

Today's Butterfly is Jim Harbaugh:

The NFL extended its season and has hiring rules like the Rooney Rule.   Super Bowl team assistant coaches used to not be able to interview until after the season.  That rule is no longer around.  

Michigan hired Jimmy in mid-December to become the Wolverines head coach 7 years ago.   Today, is February 2nd.   So, who's to blame if reports are true that Jimmy is going to become the Vikings head coach today?  NFL added a money hungry regular season game that pushed the calendar another week.  Now we're in the worst sports week of the year.

Many NFL programs firing both their head coaches and GM's, made it really hard to hire a head coach when a franchise doesn't have a GM.   That has delayed things.   

So that brings us today.  Jimmy flew out to the Twin Cities last night and will have his 2nd interview and confirm his contract with the Vikings.   News broke last night, that he has given his staff the week off and said some goodbyes.   Then something happened.......

Brian Flores sues the NFL and some of its franchises for racism.   While the news breaks that Harbaugh seems to have a handshake agreement to take the Vikings job.  The Vikings are interviewing an African American coach, Giants Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham.   That is a problem for the NFL.

Does the timing of the Flores lawsuit hurt Harbaugh's chances of landing the Vikings job?  It won't help it, that is for sure.   If you're wondering if this is a big deal for the NFL and could this kill Harbaugh to Minnesota.  The answer is yes to both.  What the Flores lawsuit alleges was happening live last night in Minneapolis. 

Odds are that Jimmy is gone and was willing to take any NFL opportunity presented to him.  He is 58 and this is his last chance.  I don't blame the guy for wanting to go back to the league.   I guess some guys are more interested in NFL wins then job security as the money is pretty close to the same.  I would give him a passing grade as Michigan coach, but he didn't leave a legacy.   He got the Wolverines back to respectability and that was not an easy job.   It could have been better, and it could have been worse. 

Now what?

Can we trust that Warde has been working the last month on a back-up plan?  I hope he hasn't been sitting around watching Ozarks and waiting for his phone to ring.   Gattis is the easy pick as he was the National Assistant Coach of the year, I do not want Bill O'Brien, and Campbell lost some shine with a down year.   Bill Martin was successful everywhere in his life and then fumbled the Carr retirement replacement.   This is not easy folks, I'm concerned. 

The new coach will have to recruit the entire team and all recruits signed and unsigned. 

I sure hope we are not stuck in a Bill Murray Groundhog's Day situation.

  • Possible situation today?  2022 recruit wants to sign with Michigan and there's nobody in Schembechler Hall to pick up the phone.  
  • Michigan Basketball team beat the worst team in Big Ten last night by 6. 
  • Zeb Jackson is in the transfer portal.  Not sure what happened there, he should be playing here. 
  • Haskins is out of Senior Bowl with a high ankle sprain suffered in the Orange Bowl. 

16 comments:

Rudy said...

Flores sues NFL for racism, that's just rich. Last I knew, the only color the NFL cares about is green....and anyone with enough of it can own an NFL team. Furthermore, those 70% of the players that are black and thus victim to the "plantation" mentality of white ownership...remember their minimum wage is about $500K. Don't think any of the real plantation inhabitants made that kind of kwan. This is the NFL reaping what it has sewn. You went woke with all the faux racial BS and now it's on your doorstep. Flores doesn't want to be judged by the content of his record but awarded for the color of his skin. Bad timing for Jimmy indeed...simply trading one clown show for another. Flores should get the kapernick affect....wouldn't touch him now and has nothing to do with the color of his skin, just the lack of character.

Goblu said...

I think your comment is a bit over the top. My take is that Flores felt being interviewed for a job that was already given to someone else is wrong - and I think that is correct. I would feel the same way if someone was forced to interview me, but had already chosen someone else. It's the problem with the Rooney rule and all other artificial rules like it. Possibly well-intended, but next to impossible to change how humans act (good or bad). So, I don't think Flores is wrong that the system is broken - but it's not 'racist' in my view, it's just a naive policy that was more window dressing than substance.

Blue said...

Perhaps the main reasons for Harbaugh leaving is the divide between him and those in charge at Michigan, along with a weak Athletic Director where those no lost love between the two. Harbaugh looks to just win football games, having annual top recruiting classes is a must if one desires championships. With today's Portal Transfers and NIL, the recruiting landscape has changed, in needing to now bring in those top recruiting classes Michigan football must adapt to today's changes. Harbaugh is not interested in changing the transfer requirement at Michigan, but did demand a serious NIL program at Michigan like they have at Texas A & M, Georgia, and even Sparty. The lack of a commitment at Michigan of instituting a real NIL program was a deal breaker for Harbaugh, and was one of the main reason in leaving Michigan. Harbaugh love's Michigan, and just wants to win, but Michigan just doesn't want to be involved in the NIL game.


ScottyDoggs said...

Firstly, must apologize for comment being unrelated to Michigan Football.... but it took 18 months to arrive at the decision to rename Washington Commanders? Watch for a lawsuit to come from "Commander Cody and the lost planet airmen", for name use infringement... also agree with Blue 100 percent.

GoBlueBruce said...

Although I have been a supporter of Jim Harbough even in the darkest of time. But not now. It's time to let him go whether he lands an NFL job or not. He no longer wants to be the UM HC, so, terminate his contract and hire Gattis. See how Gattis does.

Blue In Ohio said...

How many race cards are in this deck?

Goose said...

Really,can Jim come back and expect the fans to embrace him? I’m not sure it’s possible to continue with the relationship between um and Jim or between Jim and the fan base? I hope he gets the Vikings job mostly because I believe things are going to really chaotic if he tries to stay after what feels like an act of betrayal to most fans.

Chowman said...

And this is why you don't cut your coaches salary. If you're not happy with his job performance, fire him and move on. Once again, Warde Manual has shown he's not qualified to be the AD at Michigan. If this comes out that he was caught flat footed by this it would not be a shocker. Ok, you move on after 2020, and you probably don't win the B1G, but this could end up being a huge cluster F!

Goose said...

So apparently Jim is back with Michigan again…… what a fruit loop. I can’t envision the relationship between Jim and ward being healthy and productive after all this. Cut ties, pay the buy out ,move on, he’s like a girlfriend that keeps stalking you after she breaks up with you. Just feels kinda tarnished now.

Blue said...

Jim Harbaugh returning to Michigan, Good in keeping the team united. Good in keeping the coaches staff together. Good in continuing the momentum from last season going forward into 2022 and beyond. Go Blue!

MichiganMan said...

Guys stop with the racism comments... If you are smart well qualified you'll get the job regardless color of your skin..race or gender.... Breaking news Jim harbaugh is staying at Michigan

Blue for life

MichiganMan said...

I own itnetwork firm... If I hire 10 white guys that mean they were more qualified than everybody else if I hire 10 black or any other minorities that mean they were more qualified than other people has nothing to do with their race I hire people based on their qualification...

Blue for life

Goblu said...

No one said anything racist, you a-hole.

And no way you own an IT firm. You don’t know how to use the internet in Dubai. World’s worst IT firm. Ha!

szanreno said...

Goblu with an early lead for post of the year. Nice. Hahaha...

ScottyDoggs said...

MichiganMan, does having a computer in your Mom's basement count as an internet company?

Unknown said...

I am not unknown says- You all realize that Michigan man comments just to get you all going right? It’s fun to read! Keep it up! All of you! To bad on Jimmy not going to the NFL… I bet Mel is smiling big today