In terms of the Michigan football head coaching search, Monday felt like a relatively calm day. There wasn't a ton of news, outside of Kalen DeBoer saying he has no interest, again.
However, Sam Webb of the Michigan Insider said in a podcast interview that Michigan football still believes it can get DeBoer.
That might be wishful thinking, but here's an updated look at where the six Michigan football head coach candidates rank of as Tuesday morning.
6. Jesse Minter, Chargers
I've decided to add Jesse Minter to the list. He wasn't on Monday. I explained in another post why I don't think he's a great candidate for this job.
That has nothing to do with coaching. Minter would be elite. He would need to hire a great OC, but maybe would just keep Chip Lindsey. My issue is that if Minter wants to be an NFL head coach, he should probably stay there instead of coming to U-M, and then having constant rumors about his potential departure to the league every offseason.
5. Kyle Whittingham
The 66-year old feels like a longshot. Age is probably the biggest issue, although Curt Cignetti was 64 years old when Indiana hired him. He was 65 this year when they won the Big Ten and might win the national championship.
Whittingham certainly hasn't shown any signs of slowing down at Utah. He has expressed interest in the job. He could only coach 5-8 years max, but he's an elite coach. Maybe that would open a championship window for the Wolverines.
4. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
The 2023 SEC Coach of the Year seems to be gaining some momentum. He's coached Missouri to a pair of 10-win seasons. He also had two teams finish in the top 20, with one in the top 10.
The Tigers won eight games this season, but only beat one team with a winning record. Still, his resume is more impressive than some want to admit. Penn State didn't seem interested, though, and if he's not good enough for Penn State, he's not good enough for Michigan football.
3. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
DeBoer hasn't signed an extension with Alabama yet. If that happens, he will be removed from this list, but public denials and are a lot different than putting pen to paper.
The Alabama head coach has had a strong interest in the Michigan job, dating back to when he was Washington's head coach. The Wolverines seem determined to make him say "no" after the season, as he did in his statement to the media, but you wonder if it's a fool's errand.
2. Jedd Fisch, Washington
Fisch replaced DeBoer at Washington, taking over a program basically void of players after they entered the portal or went to the NFL draft.
By the end of year two, Fisch won nine games and has a rising star at quarterback. It took him three years to turn a disaster at Arizona into the school's second 10-win season, ever, which included two offenses that averaged over 300 yards passing per game.
Fisch has only been a head coach for five seasons, but has nine-win seasons at two different Power-4 programs. He's a QB guru, and I have a hard time understanding why some Michigan football fans are down on him as the head coach.
1. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
Speaking of contract extensions not being signed. There were reports of Dillingham and Arizona State working on a new deal, but they have been since the end of the season. There hasn't been anything mentioned about the contract since Dillingham met with the media, which is telling.
If I was Michigan, I wouldn't wait on DeBoer. Dillingham is available. He's won a conference title, can recruit and he's a leader of men, even more than DeBoer.
Dillingham is the perfect fit, and hopefully, the Wolverines don't lose him by waiting too long.