Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Wolverine Wednesday: It's Signing Day?

Talk about a huge day that is no longer a big day.  I don't think we can call this National Signing Day any longer.  Michigan is not expected to sign anybody new and continues to recruit its current roster and signees to stay. 


Hating this trend, Jimmy took defensive line Coach Elston yesterday off the Michigan staff.  It seems Jimmy and Sherrone are speaking almost daily but not sure what they are discussing.  Here is an example:

Jimmy: Hi Coach, just wanted to let you know your entire staff and historic S&C guy is going with me to LA. 

Sherrone: Sounds good Coach, thanks again for the opportunity! 

Then later in the day........

Sherrone calls Jimmy. 

Jimmy: Hello?

Sherrone: Hi coach, who do you recommend I hire as Michigan's next DC? Because you took Minter to LA.

Jimmy: Let me think about NFL defensive coaches that have checkered pasts, older, and won't recruit or relate to younger players?  I know Wink Martindale.  Give him a call! 

Sherrone: Thanks Coach! 

With the noise about firing Warde getting louder and louder each day.  Sherrone is working hard but is he working smart?  Wink is a terrible decision, John already fired him, he ran into issues with the Giants last season and they fired him.  He has a reputation as a person that is difficult to work with.  As you know, I also have concerns on Cullen.  

The rumor mill is spinning that Jim might be coming for Coach Clink next.  Sherrone needs to hire Coach Clink as the full time DC.  He is the Co-DC now.   Stop the bleeding, keep a guy that can recruit on staff and give him a promotion.

We all wanted to be Alabama and now we are.  We won a National Championship and our entire coaching staff leaves.  The only difference is, prior to his recent retirement, Saban was always there as the foundation of the program.  

Michigan's defense and defensive line is the strength of the team right now and next season.  Michigan has to do a better job at keeping coaches or at least quickly replacing them. 

  • My pick for a Coach Elston replacement is former Michigan staffer and current Charlotte DC Ryan Osborn. Bring him back! 
  • Jim Harbaugh hired someone not on the Michigan staff in his former OC Greg Roman. 

23 comments:

Chowman said...

Martindale became predictable and the Ravens defense suffered. As important as having an Xs and Os DC, Michigan has lost a lot of recruiters. Elston was an excellent recruiter. Add to that they lost Partridge during last season and now Mike Hart has gone missing. Just makes you wonder how that's not only going to impact incoming classes, but existing players that may leave as their main recruiter is no longer with the program. This could get icky really quick.

I'm still a big fan of the Moore hire, but unless he hits a grand slam with his DC hire, the bloom will be coming off the rose for me. I don't consider Wink Martindale nor Joe Cullen HRs. One might be a single to left and the other a IF hit.

Blue said...

Bob loved your examples of Moore & Harbaugh phone discussions, needed a good laugh after yesterday latest casualty. Concerning Wink .. 100%

We wanted stability when hiring Moore after Harbaugh left, a few weeks later gone are Minter, Herbert, Jay, Elston, a couple key assistants in Roney & Mallory, with Hart on radio silence, and a Clink away from losing our DB coach, well unfortunately that stability hire hasn't quite pan-out.

Would of promoting Clink and Elston CO-DCs, with Clink calling the plays stopped Elston and perhaps Clink in the future from leaving, probably.

With other schools going hard for both Grant, Graham, and others, Moore needs the hiring of a DC to be done as quickly as possible, unfortunately he may need to wait on NFL hiring's before announcing.

As far as Harbaugh, he made it clear who he was going after from Michigan. Offering those on the D staff an opportunity to coach in the NFL, where there's more money, no recruiting, no NIL, no portal ... making it's not so hard for those that wanted to jumped.

As far as Warde ... The sooner he's gone the better.

MichiganMan said...

Jimmy boy is not only a cheater but he is also a thief....
I still can't believe we won the Natty!


Blue for Life

szanreno said...

This must be a great time of year at OSU, no one wants your coaches...

szanreno said...

Kind of got to agree with Chowman on the Moore hire. He was the feel good hire. My God at least look around for a minute. There's "Moore" to it than standing on the sidelines for 3 hours a week. Something has to be going on for everyone to be bailing out. As the old saying goes, people don't leave jobs, they leave bosses.. Curious question, what were these coaches making at UM as compared to what they will make with the chargers? Anyone?

Chowman said...

Szanreno, and the big question on Moore was his coaching connections and would he be able to snag high level coaching candidates. Now the defense on that was, well Jimmy could help him. Well Jim, Wink Martindale isn't exactly sexy!

Brady2017 said...
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Brady2017 said...

Just when I thought the Brady Hoke and Rich Rod era nightmares were over. Brady Hoke and R.R. both had plenty of head coaching experience and established staffs when they took over here. R.R. didn't bring his D coordinator with him, UM was too cheap to pay him, and that prob was his downfall. RR might be still coaching today with any kind of a defense.

Then I think of Hoke standing over there on the sidelines with no headset on, dreaming about a double cheeseburger, and clapping like a trained seal. Sugar Shane Morris was suffering from a concussion and Hoke sends him back in to jeopardize his life. Ah yes, such fond memories. For athletic directors that don't remember the past, the past will be sure to repeat itself.

(DISCLAIMER- I do NOT want this to happen. I love Sharrone and Michigan, but I can see the writing on the wall for a lot of disappointment and frustration.)

Brady2017 said...

Chowman- I agree. Cullen and Martindale are about as sexy as the bearded lady at the local carnival.

Brady2017 said...

Enough of the Michigan Man connections thing. Go get Jim Leonard today. He's an elite coordinator with recruiting ties around the whole country. If Sharrone needs help (or stumbles), Leonard would be there to right the ship. This move would definitely help me sleep well at night.

Brady2017 said...
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Brady2017 said...

Dear infant baby Jesus,
In your golden fleece diapers,
Please help guide Warde Manuel and Coach Moore in finding a good, qualified defensive coodinator with no criminal record, that knows what he's doing and can lead this defense.
Amen

Brady2017 said...

If one more coach is poached by Jimmy, then Warde has to go. This isn't Sharrone's fault. Warde should have known exactly what Jimmy was going to do before he even left Michigan and had a back up plan ready to go. There obviously is no plan, except letting Jimmy pilfer Michigan's staff until he is fat as a glutton.

Blue said...

I like Cullen believing he's among one of the top DL coaches in football, with the ability and knowledge to deliver as a DC, along with his connections in filling our recent departure's.

I would think Michigan has the edge over Seattle for his service's, being why would he take a job with Seattle as a DC, where he's not able to call the plays? Where at Michigan he'd be in full control of the defense?

Would not be surprised if there's a verbal agreement between him and Moore already accepting the DC job at Michigan.

Brady2017 said...

Blue- I agree, Cullen's resume is solid. But if Gary Moeller wasn't allowed to get drunk in public while Michigan's head coach, then how is Cullen going to be acceptable at UM? He would have to get past Michigan's board of regents, which is no small task.

We have to cast a broader net. There has to be more than Cullen and Martindale available out there.

Brady2017 said...

I don't anticipte Warde getting off his couch to look for D Coodinators, much like he didn't leave his couch to look for a new head coach. Smh

Chowman said...

szanreno: looks like you spoke too soon, BoB is a finalist for the Boston College job. So OSU could lose their OC of 3 weeks.

MichiganMan said...

Some of you guys need friends to talk to stop writing so much here no one is reading. Please go talk to your friend or go find one..

Blue for life

Chowman said...

Blue my angst with Cullen outside of his extra curricular activities, is he hasn't coached in college in 15 years. The college game has changed, and we don't know what kind of recruiter he is. Michigan has lost a TON in their recruiting. Then outside of a 1 yr stint as a DC for Urban at Jacksonville, he's only been a DL coach. Many are counting on his 5 yrs in Baltimore means he's going come in and it'll be a seamless transition from MacDonald to Minter to Cullen. I'm not taking that bet. I believe he was a DC at Illinois, but Illinois is not a Michigan! Brady and I don't agree often, but if I had my druthers: Cullen or Leonard, I'm biting the bullet and hiring Jim Leonard. With losing all the staff you have lost on the D side of the ball + Herbert, I can't help but think an exodus is in order.

Blue said...

I've heard if Cullen was hired he would bring Sterling Lucas with him where he would coach linebackers. If we could increase Clink's pay and keep him as CO-DC a few more years under Cullen, we would then have Cullen + Lucas + Clink, that would be a home-run. Don't know how good a recruiter Cullen would be other than he's a workhorse, Lucas is an outstanding recruiter, as well as a very good coach.

Blue said...

According to Webb over at Michigan Insider - Cullen has delayed determining his next coaching move until after the Super Bowl.

Moore has now shifted his focus towards Wink with a job interview slated for tomorrow. UGH!

Who's got it better than us?
Jim Harbaugh - $16M -No Warde - Michigan's defensive staff

Brady2017 said...

Blue- Yes, I heard that too. Sam Webb also said that Clink will be leaving.

Nice job, Warde.

Chowman said...

A 60 year old DC. Wonderful. Wink is blitz happy, should bring back flash backs of Don Brown. His defense in Baltimore got stale and predictable. It also should be alarming that he lasted 1 year in NY before parting ways. Just don't see a 60 yo former NFL DC being all that enthusiastic about recruiting.