Wolverine Wednesday: The Last 3 Plays

As you know, I have fun making fun of coach speak.  Press conferences are basically a waste of time for reporters to ask silly questions that we all know the answer to. 

Before the season:  How is Denard doing under center?  Big Al:  He is really making strides and a good athlete and QB.  He still has some learning to do but we will be ready for Western Michigan.

This week:  Do you think you have figured out the best way to use Denard?  "I think we know how to use him. We said we wanted him to carry the ball 15, 16, 17 times, but no promises. There may be games he carries it more, maybe less. But in terms of how we’re using him, I don’t have any reservations about that. That’s our issue now. We’ve only run like 80, 90 plays in two games. Our tailbacks would be getting more carries if we were getting more turns."

Basic stuff right?  What intrigues me, is the behind the curtain stuff, the information we don't get from practice.   One of those things came from Al's press conference yesterday regarding the last 3 plays:

Are last three plays the same three plays every game? “No, that changes every week, and it depends on how they defend you late in the game. That’s part of our film study is to see what kind of defense they have.”

So tie that into what Denard said after the game on ESPN; something to the effect that they had been working on the last 3 plays all summer.   Part of Big Al's offense game plan seems to be to script the final 3 plays each week and the 1st team offense practices those 3 plays over and over.  I found that interesting.

Other news was that Big Will and Hawthorne will get more playing time.  Hawthorne had a great Spring and Fall camps but turned his ankle before the Western game.  Greg Mattison said, Troy's ankle is fine (I don't believe it!).

In other Mash related news:  Fitz, Cam Gordon, Herron and Odoms all participated in practice on Tuesday.  None of the guys above played in the ND game and Gordon and Odoms haven't played yet this year.

Stonum who is red shirting this year has been running as the scout team WR. 

• David Brandon is letting the players keep the throw back jerseys they wore during the game.  He checked with compliance and got the OK.  Memo to Wolverines players, lets keep those off of eBay and Pawn Stars.

• It seems Michigan has added Akron to it's 2013 schedule.  Exciting stuff!

• Every time I write this recruit's name it makes me hungry:  Taco Charlton a 2013 DE recruit from Ohio got a Michigan offer last night.

• The Michigan line is -30 right now on Saturday.

Wolverine Wednesday: Can't Keep Track of Press Conferences

Terry Richardson is a 4 star prospect at cornerback and part of the Michigan trio of 2012 recruits that I call the Michigan 3.  The other two players (Royce Jenkins-Stone and James "Biggs" Ross) are already verbally committed to Michigan.   All 3 players are 4 star recruits and all 3 are pretty close friends.  Terry was with James when he made his commitment to U of M on the radio a couple of weeks ago.  

Terry was set to announce on Tuesday but his family couldn't make the press conference, so he changed the date to Thursday.  Well, there are conflicts now on Thursday as well.   So Terry is going to Tweet and FaceBook his college choice on Thursday Morning at 8:00AM.   Will he join his friends at Michigan? We will find out soon.

Terry's offer list is a very impressive one which includes: USC, ND, Oklahoma, LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, MSU, Penn State, UCLA and many others.

• Allen Gant was surprised by his offer from Michigan before camp in June:  "I expected to go to camp, I think it was June 19th, perform there, and then I was thinking get an offer after that," Gant said. "But this offer really did shock me."Michigan offensive coordinator Al Borges made the call to Gant, explaining that he had spoken with head coach Brady Hoke and to everybody else on the Michigan staff."I've been real excited seeing what the colleges are looking for," Gant said. "For me to be able to get this scholarship at the University of Michigan was an honor."

• David Brandon wants a 9 game Big Ten Conferenceschedule sooner rather then later.  I wonder if he is really considering how the MAC teams would feel about losing that pay day?

• Dhani Jones interview on being a Renaissance man
   

Michigan Tuesday: Wants a Competitive Advantage

Whether it comes down to Tressel's creative recruiting techniques/players special benefits or Michigan's lengthy stretching before practice.  The NCAA is all about keeping an even playing field and if a program gets a competitive advantage from breaking or tweaking the rules, they will get a penalty.   OSU is and will be getting theirs, Michigan already has their penalty.

Michigan is working on their practice reduction and David Brandon gave us an update yesterday:   "We haven't been releasing it about hour-by-hour," Brandon said. "But we've been recording it hour-by-hour. We're about two-thirds of the way through that. We've accelerated the process of where we need to be at this point."

"We're well ahead, and we will have given back all of those hours well before [2012]," Brandon said.

"Our football team has practiced less than our competitors, and practice is one of the things you rely on to get better," he said. "So to a certain extent, we're at a competitive disadvantage. We had real, tangible penalties to deal with, and we are still dealing with them."

David is correct in saying  Michigan is at a competitive disadvantage.  When you are trying to rebuild the greatest program in college football history you need all the practice you can get.  With that said, it seems Michigan now has a coaching staff that will get the most out of the players in the actual time that they have.

• Is Michigan gunning for Kiel?  The top QB in the nation is reportedly down to a final 4 of Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan and Missouri.  Gunner keeps his recruiting close to his vest so any of the 4 could be his leader.

• Michigan is in the final 3 for highly regarding Offensive Line prospect Erik Magnuson. "I haven't come out with the top three yet. I'm waiting a little bit to make it public, but I will say that Michigan is one of them," he said. "I'm only taking official visits to schools that I'm really serious about and I will be out to Michigan this fall for an official."  Erik is the 34th rated prospect in the nation by Rivals, not offensive lineman but overall players.

• 4 Star Instate CB prospect Terry Richardson has changed his Press Conference to Thursday at 11:45.

• Michigan Basketball News:  Glen Robinson III is now ranked as a 4 star prospect and rated #50 in Rivals new rankings.  Nick Stauskas is ranked #89.  That is 2 players in Michigan's 2012 recruiting class that are in the top 100. 

• Michigan legacy 2012 CB prospect Allan Gant got a Michigan offer on Monday.  Allan is 6'2 185 pounds and has offers from Cincy, BC, Stanford, WVU and some MAC Schools.

This is the Job David Brandon Signed Up For

(Editors Note:  This was bumped up from the comments on the quality of the content )

Post Authored by BigHouse Reader Voice of Reason:


Dave Brandon has got to do whatever it takes to turn this program around. Football is the bread and butter of this institution. Forget about the highly rated academics,... Harvard, California, MIT, etc., are all highly rated academics and they are not football powerhouses and they don't have the brand name that brings in the big bucks that Michigan has. [No offense]

If Michigan becomes an also-ran in football, it will fall back into the ranks of good academic teams but with no other special athletic or name appeal. Michigan makes big bucks because they can sell all sorts of items with their name on them to alumni who are proud of their team that shows up on tv on Saturdays and wins football games. If that stops then so does the discretionary funds that fans spend on "all things Michigan."

Michigan along with OSU was instrumental in helping the Big Ten in getting those big tv contracts that makes everyone money. Not because of their academics, but because of winning football games. Of course now we have Nebraska that helps but it may have the same initial effect that PSU had when they came into the Big Ten. It's the Michigan vs. OSU rivalry that is the heart and soul of the Big Ten. That is what the BT is selling, that is what people think of when they hear the Big Ten, not Nebraska or PSU.

If they don't turn this thing around soon, soon they'll be a new generation of players who won't remember when Michigan was a good football team. There would be more difficulty in recruiting younger top notch players, then the revenue would potentially be compromised, and not only would it effect Michigan but other things financially connected with Michigan and I will include the conference.

Brandon's got to give us and the Big Ten a winner, and this is his last shot at it, or Mary Sue Coleman and the Regents will be evaluating him at the end of the season just like RR if this doesn't work out. So he's got to bring in the best available coaches. PERIOD!!! And that means paying them. Cha-ching!!!

Michigan Friday: Show Me the Money and I will Show You a Defense

With Brady Hoke on board now many of us wondered who he would pick to turn around the Michigan defense.  Would he be fishing in the $250K pond for Greg Robinson types or would he be fishing in the $1M a year pond for Randy Shannon types.  Brady ended up getting Greg Mattison the DC for the Baltimore Ravens, so we all expected it was close to the Shannon pond.   We found out yesterday we were right. 

Most notable was defensive coordinator Greg Mattison's contract. He will be paid $750,000 annually with a chance for a bonus of up to $150,000 if the Wolverines win the Big Ten. Mattison, 61, who spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator for the NFL's Ravens, is the Big Ten's highest-paid assistant.



"We're not messing around," Brandon told The News when asked about Mattison's contract. "I am sure he's the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the Big Ten, and I have to believe he is also one of the highest-paid in the country.

Mattison will net $900,000 if Michigan wins a Big Ten Championship.  That's pretty good money for the #2 guy and in my opinion worth every cent if he can turn the defense around.  On a side note, Mattison is now making more then Brady Hoke was making at San Diego State before his extension (Hoke made $675,000 in base pay last year).
 
The other assistants won't be staving either, Offensive coordinator Al Borges will make $350,000 a year, receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski will make $225,000 and the other assistants will make $200,000 apiece.   Calvin Magee was RR's highest paid assistant at $285K a year.  A thought to ponder:  Did RR keep all the salary for himself and was not able to get the top defensive staff that he needed?  Or is David Brandon breaking the bank on Hoke's staff because Michigan hasn't been competitive in the Big Ten for 3 years?
 
Speaking of Brady Hoke it seems it didn't take long for him to re-print the weight room walls with a quote from Mark Dantonio about beating Michigan every year.   Mark, I know you would never listen to a piece of advice from a know nothing blogger, but here it goes anyways: When you win, act like you have been there before.  Do it with some grace and don't poke the grizzly bear when it's sleeping.  Be happy what you got and be quiet about it.  Karma can be cruel the next time around.   Is it me or does Dantonio have a couple screws loose? You wouldn't see his mentor Jim Tressel act like this.  
 

• The Michigan coaches just offered Ohio OL Kyle Kalis (6'5", 300 lbs) who is already a OSU commit but Kyle's high school teammates: TE Sam Grant, DT Greg Kuhar, and OL Tyler Orlosky all have Michigan offers.  Could the Wolverines be looking to sign the entire St. Edwards team?

• Michigan's basketball season could hinge on how they play against Minnesota in the Barn on Saturday afternoon.  If the Wolverines let the "Harlem Globe Trotter Shot" beat them twice they are for sure heading for the NIT.  If they can pull a win out in the Barn and then a home win against MSU, they have a fighting chance entering the Big Ten Tournament to get to the big dance.

• If your tuned into the NFL Network this weekend, Michigan has two players at the NFL Combine in Indy.  Steve Schilling and Jonas Mouton.  Good luck to you both!  

More Michigan Recruits Going To New Schools

Dallas Crawford, a one time strong Michigan commit is now going to Miami next year.  That makes two recruits Al Golden has taken from Michigan's 2011 class in about 3 days.

Kris Frost, one of the best athletes in this class and rated 5 stars by Rivals changed his mind last minute during the Army All American week and is now heading to Auburn.  Kris was a silent commit to the Wolverines and could have played WR or LB for Michigan. 

I really liked Dallas and thought he would be a good corner, but it seems the new Michigan staff likes taller corners and Michigan is on on some pretty high profile guys.  So his loss can be made up.  Kris Frost loves Michigan, has freaking Michigan posters up in his room.  He picked Auburn right now because Michigan can't seem to get out of it's own way lately.  I think he is a special athlete and would of been a great LB at Michigan.   Big Loss, no question about it.  

Coming Back Home? 

There are some rumors that Marell Evans who left the Michigan program in 2009 might be back with the team soon.  Marell was a Hybrid LB type and was in competition for the starting role when he left due to concerns about playing time.  Here is what he said:    “Me and coach Rod are on good terms,” linebacker Marell Evans told the Free Press tonight. “It was more than playing time or academics or anything like that. It was a lot of things. Coach Rod is a great coach and I wish him plenty of success. I wanted to finish my career a different way.”“He’s a great man and I respect the man,” said Evans, a junior from Richmond, Va. “He wanted me to think about this decision and said I’m a big part of the program. But I respectfully wanted to leave the program.”

I'm not sure what year he will be if and when he re-joins the Wolverines.

Brady Hoke: "I would have walked to Michigan"

If you feel on the fence about the Brady Hoke hiring.  Watch today's press conference at Mgoblue.com.

It might get you off the fence.

He sounds like Bo Schembechler and acts like him.

Brady talked about:

• it will always be about the team.
• the Michigan players will be about charter, effort, and toughness
• everyone associated with Michigan Football will respect the tradition of the Michigan program
• met with the team today and has spoken with Denard for about 15 minutes today and will talk to him more today as well.
• the Ohio State game is personal to him
• got emotional when talking about all the players that he has worked with.
• going to focus on building a staff, meeting with the players and working on the recruiting class
• there won't be any visits this weekend

David Brandon:

• 5 cities in 6 days
• interviewed several coaches face to face and via the phone
• 6 year term sheet
• Tate is not with the program
• Didn't know Brady before this process started but got to know him through face to face meeting. 
• Brady took this job with out talking about salary.  The only person David knew who had done that was Bo.
• Looking for a guy that loved this program and had a reputation as good coach/players coach.  
• Doesn't need to teach Brady the Victors
• Liked that Brady knows how to coach defense
• this game is about the players and all the Michigan players have noticed Brady's National Championship ring and he also has 5 other Big Ten Championship rings.

There were about 10-20 former players at the press conference supporting Brady. Which is very telling.

Wolverine Wednesday: More News on Michigan's New Coach

I have been surprised to hear from a number of sources that Brady Hoke is a strong recruiter.  Sam Webb even mentioned on the radio today that some high schools that are normally Ohio State feeder schools have a lot of respect for Brady.  So that is good news. 

Here is some information to a source close to the players on the Mgoblog message board:

• Denard was seen smiling when he heard that components of the spread would be used in the new offense. 
• The Michigan players seemed very happy when it was announced.
• Brandon told the players that he interviewed "big names" from every conference and all of them were more concerned about themselves (rather then the players or the program).
• Steve Hutchinson said that Brady was the best coach he ever had.
• The players started "chatting" Nike at the end of the meeting.  DB laughed and said he can't break the contract.
• Many of the people he spoke to recommended Brady Hoke.
• I am really starting to get the feeling that David and Les just spoke this week and that he never offered the job.

There is a 1:00 press conference today and then I expect Brady to be introduced to the Michigan faithful at tonight's Michigan - OSU basketball game. 

Clearly, Brady needs to save this recruiting class, keep the "key" current Wolverines and hire a very good DC, a very good DC. 

Breaking News: It's the Hoke Pokey Will He Turn The Program Around?

Michigan Hires a New Coach:

Jan. 11, 2011

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon announced today (Tuesday, Jan. 11) the hiring of Brady Hoke as the 19th coach in the 131-year history of Michigan football. Hoke arrives in Ann Arbor after spending the past eight seasons as a head coach at Ball State (2003-08) and San Diego State (2009-10).

"We are pleased to announce the hiring of Brady," said Brandon. "He is a terrific coach and will be a great ambassador and leader for our football program. We look forward to having him build a championship program on the field and in the classroom."

Hoke spent eight seasons in Ann Arbor before embarking on his head coaching career. He mentored the Wolverines defensive line all eight seasons, a group that helped Michigan rank annually among the nation's best in rushing and total defense. Hoke coached three linemen to All-America honors during his tenure -- William Carr (1996), Glen Steele (1997) and Rob Renes (1999) -- and had five players earn first-team All-Big Ten accolades.

more at the link...........
__________________________________________________________________________________

I don't have words to express where I am with this.  My beloved program is not what it used to be and is not what it should be.   I will support this hire but certainly won't celebrate it.   I'm speechless.

=

Breaking News: Hoke to Meet Brandon in LA

Brady Hoke will be meeting with David Brandon near LA late this afternoon.   Hoke is in the LA area recruiting.

One of the things that was in question was why David would be flying to the LA area when Brady is in San Diego.  That mystery is now solved. 

After David signs Brady, maybe they can take a tour of celebrities homes or spend his new signing bonus on Rodeo Drive.    They should sign the paperwork at the Rose Bowl. 

Well Done, Mr. Brandon.   This is not going to end well.

***Update: The Detroit Media is all over the above report and saying that Brady Hoke is the guy.  Since the Detroit Media hasn't been right for 3+ years about anything related to Michigan football, I'm guessing Michigan must be looking elsewhere.  :-)

THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL!

Right now the Pizza business must be looking pretty good.  Fighting Little Caesars or Papa Johns seems like a pretty good gig compared to this cluster.  David, I'm sorry but you have painted yourself into a corner where now it's going to be very difficult to get out of.

Let me be very clear, You don't fire Rich Rodriguez to hire Brady Hoke.  You just don't.  But what options do you have left?  The chips are on the table and it's time to lay down your cards.

I'm now officially concerned that David is not a closer.  Which shouldn't be a big surprise, since a number of executives are groomed from the ground up and never had a real sales job.  Sometimes they did have a sales job but forget what life was life in mahogany row or while they are traveling to their vacation homes on their private jets.

Well, Dave the folks that ride coach are pretty pissed off right now.  You have gone 0-2 with Michigan Men for this opening and your only prospect right now looks like Brady Hoke.   The latest flight tracker has David flying to California but hasn't left yet.   Who is planning to run that players meeting at 4:00 today?  Why the hell isn't David going to Dallas?   Who is your next target Cam Cameron?

Maybe David is heading to California to play some golf?

You know what, I'm starting to give a lot of blame to Bill Martin and David Brandon for the current state of this Michigan program.

Les is Not More For the Wolverines

So Les is not going to be Michigan's next head coach.  He is now staying at LSU and it's official.

Maybe the job was never offered.  So that leaves the question:  What the hell is David doing in Ann Arbor right now? 

I'm personally getting really tired of this.  Is this the Brady Hoke show then?  A candidate they could of signed a week ago?

More to come.

Michigan Coaching Search: Lips are Sealed

So David Brandon and Les Miles met yesterday afternoon.  They might have even shared a BBQ dinner before David jumped on his private jet back to Willow Run.   Neither Les or Dave are talking. 

So the question still remains:  Did they have chicken or ribs for dinner?  Maybe both! 

Was there a Michigan job offer?  Was David there to ask a high profile former Michigan coach what his opinion is on who should be the Wolverines next coach?  We don't know. 

What we do know is that Les has a speaking engagement at the coaching conference today in Dallas.  We also know that David Brandon is home back in Ann Arbor.  If I was the Michigan AD and didn't have a coach signed up and needed to interview a number of candidates to fill my open position.  I sure the hell wouldn't be at home enjoying an Izzy's Meatball sub for lunch, I would be in Dallas at the coaches convention with a card table and a sign that says two things: Our helmet has wings and I'm willing to pay $5M a year if you can coach defense.

So is Les already signed up?  I don't know.  I'm sure LSU will make a run at keeping him.  

But we should know by the end of day.  So keep hitting your refresh button and I will let you know as soon as something breaks.   

A+B+C+D = Les?

A: The Domino's Pizza plane or the one that David Brandon has been using left Dallas this afternoon and landed in Baton Rouge.

B: The LSU message boards are saying that Les has signed a new $5M - 5 year contract with Michigan.

C: There is a players team meeting that was just scheduled for 4:00 on Tuesday.

D: The Pizza plane is scheduled to leave Baton Rouge in a few minutes to Willow Run. 

You be the judge, but that seems like a lot of evidence that Les will only have to travel a few more air "Miles" before he is the new Michigan coach.

Update:  This guy says he reviewed airport video that Les was not on the plane back to Michigan.  Les is scheduled to talk at the coaching conference in Dallas on Tuesday.   So I guess we continue to wait to see what happens.

11:00: Pizza Plane has landed in Willow Run.  It seems that David Brandon was on the flight.

David Brandon Speaks

Via the Brandon Blog:

During the press conference on Wednesday (Jan. 5), I noted we would be conducting a national search for our next football coach. Some would suggest we should complete this national search in a matter of hours, but this is a critical decision for Michigan Athletics and it cannot and will not be made in haste.



Coaches are an interesting, intense group, and although this interviewing process is time-consuming and somewhat demanding, it is an honor to represent Michigan and discuss our football program's needs and opportunities with a variety of impressive candidates and/or people who can offer valuable advice and input. The process is proceeding with careful consideration as to the qualifications, commitment, effectiveness and passion that various candidates would bring to our program.


I am sure all of the news reports are interesting for our fans, but I am too busy to follow the majority of the news except to hear some pretty wild stories about "where I am and who I am talking to." The last week should be a reminder to everyone not to believe everything you read or hear. Some of the so-called "news reports" over the past week have been simply ridiculous.


As it relates to our fans, I have received the "advice and recommendations" to hire just about every football coach in America -- including some who have never coached or haven't coached in years! I am glad our fans are passionate, but we cannot hire your favorite high school coach (as one fan suggested) and we cannot hire several head coaches and have them take turns leading the team during the season (another unique approach that was suggested to me!).

Sometimes, fans who provide more level-headed suggestions do not realize that some of the people they mention are not viable candidates for Michigan for a variety of reasons. This is some of what we learn as we go through this process.


Our Michigan Athletic Department e-mail servers have been very busy! I am trying to answer/acknowledge all e-mails we have been receiving from sincere, thoughtful individuals. The department appreciates the messages from those who are simply trying to help. Those that are not trying to be helpful quickly end up in the delete/block sender file!

I would bet that in the majority of cases, fans have never met and interviewed any of the coaches they are either supporting or trashing, so they really don't have any idea what kind of people they really are! Thankfully, I am given this opportunity.


We are looking for a coach that matches our program's particular needs and objectives, on and off the field.


There will always be a certain number of people who enjoy criticizing others, and there is nothing any of us can do about them! However, for those of you who want to help bring Michigan football back to where we all want it to be, you can help by getting behind our new coach and ignoring those who enjoy creating controversy and resentment. Much of our past success was largely a result of our large number of passionate, united fans around the country supporting our coaches and players in every way. Uniting again behind one singular purpose -- to win Big Ten championships -- is what we need, and now is the time to get on board.

The most important thing everyone can do at this point to help Michigan football is to prepare to greet our new coach with all of the support, encouragement and positive energy that we can muster. Getting our football program turned around quickly is our goal, and having our fans and supporters "jump on board" early with our new coach will help him be successful -- which is what we all want!


It is time for me to get on to the next session. Go Blue!!


BHB:  If I am reading this right, it's not Jon Gruden and probably Brady Hoke and he is pretty sorry for not having a coach hired when he fired RR.  Maybe he is targeting Wayne Fontes at this point.  Who knows.

Confirmed Meeting Between Les and Michigan Will Happen

Les said himself that he will meet with David Brandon tomorrow in Dallas.  He said, that he is happy at LSU.

This is either a smoke screen and Les and David has already spoken and just dotting the I and crossing the T's and having a public meeting to address the 24 hour rule regarding notifying the LSU AD.   Or David isn't really interested in Les and is just checking the box with the Michigan faithful that really wants Miles.

It's hard to tell what the hell is going on right now.   I don't believe that if Les is a serious candidate that they haven't had a discussion yet. 



HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Michigan Monday: No News is Bad News

It's now been 10 days since Michigan got embarrassed in the Gator Bowl.  It's been 44 days since Michigan got blown out by Ohio State.  It's been 5 days since Rich Rodriguez got fired by David Brandon as Michigan's head coach.   It's 21 days until signing day for the 2011 class.

Folks, time is not on our side.   I know this is maybe the most important decision David will ever make in his entire career as athletic director and he needs some time to make the right decision but there are currently 4 open BCS positions at the moment: Michigan, Stanford, Pitt, and UConn.  You could argue that just Stanford would be competing with Michigan for candidates.   So why is this taking so long?

I had convinced myself that David Brandon had a plan in December.  Maybe he did and maybe that plan got blown up when Harbough's ego blew up.   Either way this search is a mess right now.  Les Miles has more ghosts in his closet then a Poltergeist movie, Brady Hoke seems to have a clean slate but no experience leading a BCS school and after that nothing but question marks.

The Detroit media has not done Michigan any favors the last few years so I can see why he is keeping this search quiet.   With that said, I thought Brandon had until this past weekend to find a head coach while trying to keep this recruiting class in tact.  Let me be very clear, we can not throw the 2011 recruiting class away.  You will set the program back years.  I don't care if you hire Bob Stoops, Jon Gruden, Jimmy Johnson, or Bill Cower you have to have talent to win football games.  Losing an entire class is criminal and would kill the Wolverines a couple years down the line.

Bill Martin had an entire year to plan for Lloyd Carr's retirement, he did nothing to prepare for his search.   David Brandon should of had an idea what his plan was for RR after the Ohio State game.  It looks like he didn't have a plan B after Harbaugh.   I know it would have been difficult to keep RR after the Gator Bowl, but keeping him and firing his entire defensive staff might be better plan then flying around the country with a help wanted sign.

Do you remember when Ole Miss hired Houston Nutt?  At the time Houston was the head coach of Arkansas.  Houston resigned from Arkansas and within a few minutes was named the head coach of Ole Miss.   They had a plan and executed it.  Stephen Ross took a hit this week talking to Jim Harbaugh when he already had a head coach under contract.  Why?  I think he did the right thing.  He had a coach that he thought was doing a good job but maybe he had a chance to get the hottest candidate in the land.  He didn't land him and the Dolphins current head coach got a 2 year extension.  I know those 2 days had to suck for the Dolphins staff but they got a two year reward out of it.

The Michigan job is one of the highest profile jobs in college football.  It comes with huge expectations. It has to be the right candidate for now and for 10+ years for now.  Hiring for this position is a huge responsibility and you need to make the right choice.   As each day goes by as each hour ticks away, it looks more and more like a huge mess with very few options.   1 big recruiting weekend now lost, what will we lose next?

The latest is that Miles will meet with Brandon on Tuesday in Dallas at the coaching convention.  Glad this discussion can wait a couple of days. 

Looking More and More Like Les

It seems David Brandon is on his way to Baton Rouge to finalize talks or a contract with Les Miles. 

As you will see from this link.  A U of M plane is heading from Hilton Head to Baton Rouge.  Why you ask would be the Michigan plane be in Hilton Head?  One theory suggests that Lloyd Carr has a home in Hilton Head and David Brandon is there "selling" LC on the Miles hire.  Lloyd and Les notably did not get along due to some past history on the recruiting trail and maybe some other past issues.

Les has always made it well known that Michigan is his dream job and probably his last job as a head coach.

I will give you my feedback on the pros and cons if the deal is finalized.

Stay tuned.  There could be an announcement as early as late this afternoon or tonight.

Miles to Interview

ESPN Joe Schad tweets that he has a source that says Les Miles to interview for the Michigan job.

Just so you know, Brandon has hired a "coaching search" firm that's job is to contact potential candidates to gauge their level of interest in the job and have a high level financial discussion.  Like "how much are you looking for?". 

After those discussions take place, then Brandon talks to the potential candidate.   If the discussion are at this stage it could mean Miles is close to being named the next Michigan coach.  Of course if the discussion goes poorly the search could continue.  The firm may also have a number of candidates at this stage as well.

Side note: If Michigan were to hire Miles I hope that hire would include LSU's DC John Chavis who is known as one of the best DC's in the country.

Brandon's Process = FAIL

I have been a big supporter of David Brandon since he got the AD job at Michigan.  How many people do you know would take millions in a pay cut to come lead an athletic department?  As much as I love Michigan, I would stick with the big green and the free pizza. 

I thought David was smooth in handling the NCAA investigation and findings.  I thought he was really the perfect candidate to lead the Wolverines through this rebuilding period.  Now, I'm questioning everything. 

His "process" in evaluating Rich Rodriguez and his firing has been a complete failure.  Today was just another example of that fact as Michigan went 0-3 in the Army All American commitment battle.  Frost, Lyons, and Hart all picked other schools.  Hell, Lyons picked a school without a head coach as he committed to Stanford.

Let me ask you this.  If Brandon made a coaching change on 12/1 do you think Harbaugh would have accepted his $5M offer?  That 2 of the 3 Army All American above would have picked the Wolverines?

The reason he waited was because he felt the current Wolverines deserved to play and be coached by the current coaching staff in the bowl game.  How did that work out?  I'm not sure if the current players played or were coached in the Gator Bowl.

We are now sitting a couple of weeks from signing day and Michigan's 2011 class is getting smaller by the minute.  All available candidates are not Jim Harbaugh.   RR is investing his $2.5M and David is probably flying around the country talking to candidates about this Michigan job.   Will this end well?  It doesn't look like it right now.

Get the pitchforks and torches ready.

Current rumor mill seems to be saying that Les is More.  I disagree but we will see what happens.  Joe Schad from ESPN is reporting that as of this afternoon Michigan has not contacted LSU and that LSU will do whatever it takes to keep him.