Mailbag question: Florida’s coaching vacancy:
Posted at 8:00am — 12/13/2010
Note: This question was asked before Muschamp was hired at Florida, but thought it still needs to be addressed. Also our answer / response was before Muschamp was hired as well. We just didn’t get it on the board quick enough with everything we was doing for “The Big Chill”.
Mailbag question: Florida’s coaching vacancy:
Hi Guys,
The differences between Florida’s reported upcoming coaching search and Michigan’s “possible” coaching search are indeed interesting.
Florida, which has won many more national championships of late (compared to Michigan) and is often part of the national conversation, since Spurrier’s time, is said to be considering going after top coaches like Stoops, Pelini, Petersen, and notable assistant coaches.
At Michigan, the idea seems to be Harbaugh or nothing (nothing being another year of RR.) Why should Michigan limit the program with artificial constraints? Michigan should be on par with Florida, as far as being a coveted coaching job, so why doesn’t Brandon just announce that there is an opening and look to lure away top coaches or assistant coaches from other schools? (It can all be done above board — not like the RR hire.)
Hiring RR was a bold move on Martin’s part, which I applauded at the time, but obviously hasn’t worked out. However, at the time, were other top coaches and assistants even considered, whether “available” or not? Look at all the coaches hired AFTER RR came to Michigan: among them is Pelini, who turned a dismal Nebraska around, and the Auburn and Oregon coaches who are vying for the national championship after only two years on the job. How did Michigan miss out on these guys? Yeah, hindsight is twenty- twenty, but Michigan would do well to learn from its past mistakes.
It’s disappointing that, now, at Michigan, our options only seem to be Harbaugh or RR. Sure, Harbaugh would be a good hire, but with Stanford sweetening his deal, he might not be interested. Does that – should that – doom us (UM) to stick with a less desirable option? There ARE other good coaches and assistants out there. Maybe Michigan should take the blinders off and notice the talent pool that other top schools consider to choose from. Maybe our snobbish, close-minded view of what the ideal Michigan coach should be is what keeps us from hiring the best and excelling on the national stage.
What do you guys think?
— A K
GBMWolverine Response:
Everything regarding the Florida job is rumor at this point in time (people think Mullen has a great shot), especially concerning how quickly the change, happened along with Florida not even knowing who might be the best fit for their program.
Nobody knows for sure whom Florida is actually pursuing, or who has real interest in the job. Maybe by now Florida might have a better idea of coaches that are interested, but based on past history, the media and fans certainly offer only speculation, and most of the time uninformed speculation.
Perhaps Florida could summon up the genius of the world’s best and most accurate coaching change prognosticator, Kirk Herbstreit of ESPN.
Too many coaches that are in bowl games right now are tight-lipped about their potential or actual interest, at least publicly, as they do not want people to publicly be aware of interest, unless, of course, they get the job. This would not be perceived as favorable, saying they are interested, the job goes to another candidate and then the coach explains to the current spouse why the coach wanted to leave the team but all is now serendipity.
During Michigan’s search to replace Coach Carr, many big name coaches surfaced: some were shown to be unfounded and merely used to create interest.
Today there are numerous rumors involving whether Coach Rod is going to return as well as who would replace him. In some fans mind he is already gone, and the new coach is already in place, even though the athletic director has not even made an evaluation yet of the program, at least that is the public vehicle being given to the media and fans. Mr. Brandon has clearly stated and restated his intention and departmental policy of waiting until after the bowl game/end of season.
We get multiple e-mails daily about a new rumor involving this coach or that one coming to UM, or about coaches interested in the Michigan job.
Even though Coach Rod’s tenure at Michigan can best and most accurately be described as not working out yet, Coach Rod was once, and perhaps still currently, looked at as one of the top young coaches in college football. The difficult part for any program is getting a successful, entrenched, low risk to the hiring institution, coach to change jobs.
Michigan, stated to be at the behest of President Coleman, went hard after Coach Ferentz, but he chose to stay at Iowa. Just because Florida may be looking at Stoops or Pelini, this does not mean the mentioned coaches will not stay put at current institutions.
Coaches do not mind such interest or speculation; it frequently means more money for himself (or in other sports herself), the assistant coaches, more money for recruiting budget, and money to improve the football facilities. So at times agents of the coaches can use this leverage to their advantage to help get the coaching clients more money or resources, especially when the perception is the coach is the “hot” coach under consideration for other teams. College coaches are shrewd enough to use the leverage of being pursued to get a sweetened deal for themselves and their top assistants.
Many of the names listed are just a way for reporter to generate interest and get noticed in the media circus that usually follows a coaching change and pursuit of a new coach.
The legendary coach of the Detroit Tigers Sparky Anderson used to say take what you read, divide it in half, and then about 10% of that is the truth.
Written by GBMWolverine Staff
Go Blue — Wear Maize!