Michigan Wolverine Football: Further Coaching Candidate Discussions
Oct 26, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Bengals defeated the Ravens 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Posted at 2:00pm — 11/18/2014
Michigan Wolverine Football: Further Coaching Candidate Discussions
Hopefully Michigan is working hard to gather info on potential candidates for head coach currently.
I think the list breaks up into 4 categories.
1) 5 Run Homers — These guys are complete long shots that show up on every wish list and rarely come to fruitition. If hired, 99% of people would be HAPPY:
Jim Harbaugh, John Harbaugh, John Gruden, Tony Dungy, blah blah blah…. Jim is probably the only realistic one on this list and it seems there is conflicting opinions on how realistic. Go after Jim hard and hit a 5 run home run. I give this less then 10% chance of happening based on history of coaching searches.
2) Grand Slams — Literally, taking a top 10 or top 15 coach from a top 10 program.
Bob Stoops, Les Miles, Mark Richt, Gary Pinkell, etc. Now, only about 80% of the masses would be happy with any of these guys. Some will find fault with any of them – IE: Bob can’t win the big game, Les is a bad in-game coach, Richt is over rated and an underachiever, etc. I gives this 15% chance of happening. Taking a coach with this type of success from this level of school is almost unheard of. Seen as a lateral move and usually takes said coach being pushed out of current position moreso then quitting and moving on.
3) Home Runs – These guys are less sexy then the Grand Slams or the 5-run Homers, but typically are at a very good program already, have enjoyed success as a HC, and it would be a coup to take them from their current school, some bigger coups then others:
Gary Patterson, Butch Jones, Jim Mcelwain, Mark Stoops, Schiano, etc. I personally would toss Patterson into the Grand Slam category. Any of these guys could be a Grand Slam potentially. This is probably most likely. 50% chance? Remember, LSU hired Les Miles from OKState and he would have fallen into this category probably, same with Mark Dantonio to MSU, – like Butch Jones for instance.
4) Everyone else – Guys like PJ from WMU, Kill from NIU to Minny, Purdue’s current coach, etc. Coordinators who’ve never been a HC – Narduzzi, Morris, a guy like Pelinni to Nebraska, etc., or even lower level guys like Ferris State’s HC. There are hires like this all the time. Probably a 25% chance for UM to go this way? Remember, Jim Tressell would have fallen into this category back in the day.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens. Whether we get Jimmy, steal a huge name like Stoops or Richt, “settle” for a Jones, McElwain or Schiano or have to “really settle” as some would say for a young up and comer. There is no right or wrong answer, we could get Jim Harbaugh, Bob Stoops, Gary Patterson or the next Jim Tressell or Pelinni- we just don’t know.
Lastly, if i had to rank em’. Sitting here today, I’d go with:
1. Harbaugh
2. Stoops
3. Patterson
4. Miles
5. McElwain
6. Butch Jones
Thoughts?
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Written by GBMWolverine Poster — Blackie6
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