U of M thread (in the Lions Forum) :)

[jaadam4]

So we're basically waiting to see what happens with Miles after his bowl game right?

[chemiclord]

Possibly. Who the fuck knows at this point?

[jaadam4]

I can't believe Luck is going back to college.

[nhwbrooklyn]

I can't believe Luck is going back to college.

Madness... I'd drop his stock if I was a GM making crazy choices.

[calijawn]

Harbaugh reportedly accepts Miami job:

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/inde...ly_on_ver.html

Not so fast, my friends...

Source: Dolphins to retain Tony Sparano

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5997519

[gjdodger]

We're there, dude. In the NFL thread.

[calijawn]

We're there, dude. In the NFL thread.

But then I won't have the pleasure of reading Chemiclord's forthcoming post about how Lloyd Carr was really the man behind Miami's decision not to hire Harbaugh...

[chemiclord]

Because Lloyd Carr was the assistant AD with the Miami Dolphins?

When did that happen?

Oh right... it didn't.

[jaadam4]

lol.. I got a good chuckle out of it.

Carr was also the shooter on the grassy knoll

[bimmer84]

Posted: Jan. 7, 2011

'Michigan Man' is too often a misused term

By MICHAEL ROSENBERG
DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

As a rule, news conferences are not inspiring, even when they are filled with people as witty, charming and well-dressed as sports writers. But Bo Schembechler could fire up anybody, anywhere, and at a news conference nearly 22 years ago, he uttered one of the most inspirational sentences of an inspirational life.

"A Michigan Man will coach Michigan!"

That statement encapsulates so much of what makes Michigan special: There is a pride at U-M that you just don't find at many schools.

But Bo's words also have been misinterpreted and even twisted, sometimes by well-intentioned people, to the point where they are hurting Michigan.

Schembechler was talking about basketball coach Bill Frieder. That is all. Frieder, a Michigan grad, had decided to leave U-M for Arizona State and still wanted to coach the Wolverines in the NCAA tournament. Understandably, Bo wouldn't stand for it. When Steve Fisher led Michigan to a stunning national title less than a month later, the sentence became part of legend: A Michigan Man will coach Michigan.

Well, what if Michigan's next coach has a graduate degree from Ohio State, and ditches his undergrad alma mater of Miami (Ohio) because he thinks Michigan is a better job? That is exactly how you could have described Bo Schembechler in 1968. And he turned out to be the biggest Michigan Man of all.

Athletic director Dave Brandon absolutely does not need to hire somebody who played or coached at Michigan. He needs somebody who gets Michigan -- and more important, who wants to get it. He needs somebody who takes academics seriously and who understands the image the school wants to project. At Michigan, the coach is not supposed to worry about building a tradition. He is there to live up to one.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald would have been a terrific choice. Fitzgerald, only 36, seemed unlikely to take it -- he is an NU grad, his wife is an NU grad, he is from Chicago and he has family is in that area -- and ESPN reported Thursday that he rebuffed Michigan's interest. But it was worth inquiring.

If the search comes down to who loves Michigan the most, LSU coach Les Miles will be the man. But I'd be surprised if gets the job. Miles, who played for and coached under Schembechler, just turned 57 (although he plans to coach many more years). Also, his program recently had NCAA violations. According to Miles at a Cotton Bowl news conference Wednesday and two people close to the situation Thursday, Brandon has not reached out to Miles, although it is plausible Brandon is waiting until after LSU plays tonight.

San Diego State coach Brady Hoke has been mentioned more often than anybody else by people close to the program. Hoke would fit what Michigan wants in three ways. He understands the place after spending seven seasons working under Lloyd Carr and is already liked there -- former U-M players rave about him as a coach and person. I believe he would put together a strong coaching staff. And Hoke is known as an excellent recruiter with ties in key recruiting areas for U-M.

Hoke, 52, would not be a popular hire. Hoke has turned around two programs, but his overall record (47-50) is underwhelming. I don't think Hoke would be a bad choice, but I understand why other people feel that way. If Hoke gets the job, he will have to weather the initial backlash without complaint, win over the current players and trust that he can win over doubters in time.

A Michigan Man will coach Michigan. Bo Schembechler once wowed people in a news conference with that line; if Brandon says it when he introduces Brady Hoke, the most die-hard fans might actually cry.

But if Brandon believes Hoke is the right coach for U-M, he should hire him. Remember: Schembechler didn't utter his famous phrase in 1989 because he thought it would be popular. He said it because he thought it was right.

As I have written, I think Brandon, an AD only since last winter, has shown his inexperience during this process. But there is no doubt he loves his school, and I think he understands what this "Michigan Man" stuff is supposed to mean. It's not about finding a coach who has spent a lot of time at the University of Michigan. It's about finding a coach who should.

Contact Michael Rosenberg: 313-222-6052 or mrosenberg@freepress.com . Follow him on Twitter@rosenberg_mike.

[Rocky Bleier]

Speaking of the Rooney Rule, did Jerrry Jones interview anyone?

[mason reese]

Speaking of the Rooney Rule, did Jerrry Jones interview anyone?

I remember hearing something about Jones' choice for the minority candidate interview was the guy that just happened to be the person most likely to be hired to replace Jason Garrett as Offensive Co-ordinator should Jason Garrett get the Head Coaching job.

[froot loops]

Michael Lombardi, who first reported on NFL Network that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had officially made the decision to hire Garrett, noted that the Cowboys “talked to Ray Sherman to satisfy the Rooney Rule.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/01/02/jason-garrett-gets-cowboys-gig/

[Mainevent]

Jerry knows all about skirting the rule.

[froot loops]

I believe the rule has a place, but if you don't have owners buying into it, its worthless. Although I' not sure promoting an interim coach should require an search than includes the ronney rule.