Michigan Friday: Waits For Fireworks

So the Cowherd situation is over and we have a holiday weekend on tap.   There still could be some news today at 2:00, as Camden, NJ 4 star WR Brad Hawkins is going to announce his school of choice.  24/7 Crystal Ball predictions has Michigan at 81%.


Update: Brad is Blue!

• If your interested in a Nike Opening run down, check out this article.

• There are some "rumblings" that Warde Manuel will be the next AD, replacing Jim Hackett sometime this summer.  Warde played DT at Michigan from 1986-1989 and has been the AD at Buffalo and is currently the AD at UConn.  Sounds like a solid choice if the rumors are correct.

• Freep Alert! Adidas is planning to build a US factory in Detroit.  "We can bring manufacturing back to Detroit, and that's where we want to be in 2017," said Eric Liedtke, Adidas executive board member for global brands, said in a statement provided by the company.  Side Note: If Adidas does bring jobs to Michigan/Detroit will it be hard for U of M to switch to Nike?   I'm sure this isn't a play to win the U of M contract but it does give the decision another layer.

Enjoy the holiday everyone! 

Michigan Thursday: Is It Really A Bye Week?

Are you looking for Michigan to have one of the best coaches in the country?  
 
Are you looking for a coaching staff the develops players from 3 stars to top draft picks?
 
Are you looking for a program that is winning Big Ten Championships and doing well in the post season? 

The answer of course is Michigan Basketball.  It's is unbelievable that our two storied programs have swamped places.   What we have in our basketball program is exactly what we want/need in our football program.  It all started with the hiring of John Beilein and that is where it will start with the football program as well.   RR was a panic hire and Hoke was a "family" hire.   Let's go out and find the best guy for the job!

Saturday is not a bye week!  Michigan plays it's first basketball game of the season at home on Saturday at 2:00 against Hillsdale.   The game will be on the internet on ESPN 3.   Make sure Crisler is close to sold out and support this young team!!

Coach Speak from Wednesday Presser:

• Norfleet is good to go next weekend
• Derrick Green could be back for next Saturday
• Northwestern was the best game the Offensive line has had this season  (is that them or NW's DL?)

Pat Forde now with Yahoo Sports thinks that Bob Stoops would be a good fit in Ann Arbor.  Potential hire: Presuming the Harbaughs wish to stay in the NFL and Les Miles wishes to stay at LSU, the school likely will have to let go of its incestuous Michigan Man obsession and look beyond the Bo Family Tree. It could do far worse than Dan Mullen – if it could get him. Greg Schiano also is out there, very much ready to chop sideline wood again somewhere.  

If we get to the Schiano on the list, there probably have been 5 or 6 guys turn down the job.  I am confident Les would not turn down the opportunity to come back to Ann Arbor.   He will just need to bring Cam and John Chavis with him. 

• If President Schlissel is looking for a new AD from a strong academic university, is well respected, knows how to run big time sports, and understands the financial impact Michigan Football has on the overall University.    Brad Bates from BC could be your guy.  Brad of course graduated from Michigan and was a walk-on DB under Bo.    He recently told his home town newspaper this:  "There is no value of me commenting on other institutions and their processes," Bates told the paper. "I love it here at Boston College, my values align with the institution and I hope to be here a long time."

Wolverine Wednesday: Hits The Links

• Breaking Down Michigan's AD Candidates

• Kovacs re-signs with the Dolphins, he had been on Philly's practice squad.

• Football Scoop.com says that Michigan is hoping to have an AD in place by the OSU game and that Oklahoma's AD Joe Castiglione would take the job if offered.   If you wondering if this is a legit website or not, it is and they break a number of coaching changes and contacts.

• Jerry Rice thinks Jimmy is gone!

• Of course Schlissel didn't give reasons why Brandon was pushed out resigned.  He did offer the daily this quote:  "One thing I will say is I expect everybody who works at this public university to treat the public with respect,” Schlissel said. “That’s a sort of condition of working at this university. "Everybody should be respectful to the public we serve.”   I guess the stop drinking and go to bed or find another team emails didn't help Brandon's cause. 

• 2015 GA SG Jaylen Brown the #1 player in the nation is planning a Michigan visit.

• I guess I'm really bad with Gator Bowl information.  I have never heard of this before but here is what the Gator Bowl is doing:  Starting in 2015, the bowl will return to a hybrid arrangement for a six year period. This deal will feature SEC teams playing ACC teams for three years and Big Ten teams the other three years; the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are also eligible during ACC years.  - hat tip to Augusta J.

A picture for no particular reason:

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