Comprehensive Coaching Change/Coaching Search Thread

[Hannibal]

Let's just go ahead and make it official and have a thread for discussion of all of the potential candidates and whether or not Harbs will get the axe.

I'm going to try and post some quick bios of candidates that we have been talking about.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Luke Fickell

Quick background: Played at OSU for Cooper. Grad assistant for Jim Tressel and then interim HC for the only Michigan victory over OSU since George W. Bush's fist term. After a somewhat unsuccessful tenure as DC and co-DC, went to Cincinnati to be the HC. We all pointed our finger and laughed. Since then, he has proven the critics wildly wrong and has resurrected the Cincy program.

Years of HC experience: 5 (including the interim year)

Overall record: 40-20

Signature win(s): Arguably none

Would he take the job? I think that he would, but most people seem to think that he wouldn't. Either way, it makes no sense to hold out for the OSU job. If Fickell doesn't want the Michigan job, I can't see him taking another job other than Penn State.

Hanni's assessment: My favorite candidate. His lack of a signature win and a 42-0 loss against OSU are the only blemishes. But his record and Cincy is fantastic and I believe that it will translate to a high level at a place like Michigan or Penn State. He is apparently a really good recruiter and he will recruit the shit out of Ohio, where we need to make inroads again. Get this guy on the phone, plz.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Matt Campbell

Quick background: Played for Pitt and Mount Union. Then coached in a variety of assistant jobs in the MAC before taking over at Toledo in 2012. Maintained Toledo at a decent level before heading off to Iowa State for the past five years, where his record has been fairly impressive.

Years of HC experience: 9

Overall record: 68-42

Signature win(s): Beating Oklahoma in Norman in 2017

Would he take the job? Almost certainly, yes

Hanni's assessment: A really solid candidate. Maybe not elite and 2020 is only his legitimate first breakout season at ISU. I'm always a little hesistant to look at guys who go 7-5 or 8-4 at really bad programs like Iowa State and assume that translates up the chain to huge winning at a place like Michigan. Brady Hoke and James Franklin are examples of how this doesn't necessarily work. I would still like this hire though. Can he recruit top 10 classes? That remains to be seen as well, but I love his Ohio background in that regard. We don't need a Michigan Man but I feel like we really need a Midwest Man.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Jeff Brohm

Quick background: Played QB for Louisville in the early 90s and eventually ended up coaching at Western Kentucky before ending up at Purdue. Won big at WKU in a short time and has had some success at Purdue, albeit without a breakthrough season.

Years of HC experience: 7

Overall record: 49-34

Signature win(s): 2018 blowout win over OSU

Would he take the job? Very likely. He turned down the Louisville job a couple of years ago, but I think that he would jump from Purdue to UM.

Hanni's assessment: I really like this guy. When he took over the Boilers, there was an immediate change in the effort and attitudes of the players that you could see on the field. Darrell Hazell left the program in abysmal shape and he got them to a bowl game in year 1. I get the impression that his players will run through a wall for the guy, and I think that would translate into immediate big winning at UM. His landing of Rondale Moore at UM suggest the ability to recruit at a very high level at a place like Michigan. Midwestern background means that he can make us a recruiting power here again. On the downside, his teams at Purdue have been turnover prone and also injury prone. I am somewhat a believer that injuries are not 100% luck and at least partially a result of poor technique/conditioning. He also, despite having wont he big one over OSU, has yet to have a breakthrough season at Purdue.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Brent Venables

Quick background: Has been about as close to a household name as you can be if you are a defensive coordinator. Has now spent over 20 years as co-DC or DC at Oklahoma and Clemson and has been part of three national championships. Some of his defenses have been elite, but some haven't.

Years of HC experience: 0

Overall record: N/A

Signature win(s): None, but his defenses have had some great overall performances over the years. Some of his defenses at Clemson especially have been hellaciously good.

Would he take the job? It seems really unlikely. Why would he come here if he likely could have already jumped to Florida State or a lucrative SEC job? Maybe he is happy being a DC for his career. I'm surprised that he hasn't tested the HC waters though.

Hanni's assessment: This would be a "swing for the fences" hire. This guy could be another Nick Saban. He could also be another Will Muschamp. I'm really a fan of hiring proven winners and not career assistants. He's an excellent recruiter and he brings energy, which we need. However, he doesn't have any Midwestern roots. I could see the guy pulling in classes very similar to the ones that Harbaugh pulled in in 2016 and 2017 -- nationally very strong, but lacking in cohesion. I wouldn't complain about this hire, but I wouldn't be super optimistic either.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Mark Stoops

Quick background: Part of the Stoops coaching family, he has been all over the place as an assistant before landing somehow as Kentucky's head coach, despite being part of the unsuccessful Mike Stoops regime at Arizona. Since then, he has make Kentucky a competitive program, which is somewhat impressive.

Years of HC experience: 8

Overall record: 47-50

Signature win(s): 2018 Bowl win over Penn State

Would he take the job? Almost certainly.

Hanni's assessment: I think that Stoops is a meh coach but a great "fit". He is a "defense and running game" guy, probably to a fault. He has made Kentucky more respectable, but has yet to really break through unless you count his one 10-win year. He is a really good recruiter and he recruits Ohio. His teams are fundamentally sound and they play tough defense. Well, most of the time. But he would be a frustrating coach with a hard ceiling. He would probably be Lloyd 2.0, which I would have mixed feelings about. Maybe one day he would land a generational athlete and ride him to a 12-1 season and a B1G championship. For the most part though, I think that he would produce 9-4 and 10-3 seasons. We could do worse, but we could also do better. I wouldn't complain about this hire but I would expect him to infuriate me as a coach at least a couple of times per year.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Bob Stoops

Quick background: A man who needs no introduction, and the only remotely feasible candidate who has won a national title. But that national title was 20 years ago. Since then, he has appeared in the title game a few more times, losing a couple of close ones and getting blown out by USC. Was he a legit great coach, or did he just benefit from being an early adopter of the Air Raid? He is also 60 years old and was thought to be done with coaching a few years ago. But for some reason, he ended up in the XFL this year.

Years of HC experience: 18 (not including one year in the XFL)

Overall record: 190-48

Signature win(s): Lots. Multiple Big 12 championships. But some really frustrating and embarrassing losses in there too (e.g. loss to USC in '04, blown out by WVU in '07)

Would he take the job? I have no idea. I would have said "no" a while back, but then again, why did the guy coach in the XFL? If he wants to get back into the game big time, then Michigan is a perfect entryway.

Hanni's assessment: I dunno man. He's 60 and that's not an ideal age for a new coaching job. He likely only has a few "prime" years left. His pre-Michigan track record was very impressive, although he was never able to reproduce the success of that incredible 2000 season. He has produced some elite assistants and his coaching tree has seen a lot of success -- that's usually a pretty good sign. He has enough Midwestern roots to check off that box. I wouldn't complain about this hire but I wouldn't be shocked if he crashes and burns spectacularly.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Tom Allen

Quick background: You may know Tom Allen as the guy who always cries on the Indiana sidelines. Looking at his bio on Wikipedia, it is a long list of high school head coaching jobs and assistant jobs, with him having lucked into the Indiana HC spot when Kevin Wilson was forced out.

Years of HC experience: 4

Overall record: 23-21

Signature win(s): None. Unless you count wins over PSU and Indiana this year. Which -- eh -- I don't.

Would he take the job? Hell yes. .

Hanni's assessment: Meh. I think that he is a good coach, but I don't think that his shitck is going to translate into wins in the Big Time. Also, his hiring of Mike Debord is a huge red flag for me. Granted, he had the good sense to ditch him, but hiring him in the first place means that his judgement with assistants stinks. Still he is 13-6 in his most recent 19 games at Indiana, and he is doing it without a gimmicky system or a once-a-generation athlete (like Nate Davis for Brady Hoke). He may have found some good assistants in Mike Hart and Nick Sheridan, and that will help him slide into the Michigan job, should it happen. Those guys can certainly give him a Midwest recruiting boost. I'd like to see the guy get a signature win like a bowl game first. But he could work out at Michigan.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: PJ Fleck

Quick background: The "row the boat" guy. Quickly turned around Western Michigan. and actually ended up in the Cotton Bowl. Since then, has brought "row the boat" to Minnesota, with one great year last year and an 11-win season. Only 39 years old, so he's got a lot left in the tank if he's the right guy.

Years of HC experience: 8

Overall record: 55-40

Signature win(s): Penn State and Auburn last year

Would he take the job? I think that he would in a heartbeat, yes.

Hanni's assessment: I don't like gimmicky coaches with gimmicky motivational schemes and crap. PJ Fleck strikes me as being a clown. With that said, it's really difficult to ignore the success that he has had at WMU and Minny. I love that his teams at Minny run the hell out of the ball, but still with a modern offense that relies heavily on RPO. His players do seem to play hard for him, but I haven't seen any evidence that he can recruit. I wouldn't love this hire, but maybe he can energize the program again.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Paul Chryst

Quick background: A branch of the surprisingly impressive Barry Alvarez coaching tree. He was the OC at Wisconsin when Bielema's teams were smashing the shit out of people, and after taking over a few years ago, he has continued the legacy that was built by Alvarez. Before he became the HC at Wisconsin, he had a brief three-year meh period at Pitt.

Years of HC experience: 9

Overall record: 73-36

Signature win(s): Win over LSU in 2016. WMU in a bowl game? 35-14 assrape over Harbaugh's 2019 squad? Got a few in there, although no B1G championships

Would he take the job? Probably not, but you never know. Wisconsin has a very hard ceiling, which he has hit. Michigan's is higher. But he's a great fit at Wisconsin. He's a great coach but he would probably be wise to stay where he is.

Hanni's assessment: I like Paul Chryst a lot and I would love to see what he can do with Michigan's recruiting base. The only thing that gives me trepidation is that he might be a "fit" coach at Wisconsin like Bielema was. But he appears to be a better recruiter than Bielema and he has landed some impressive guys to Madison. I would really love to see him at Michigan, but I don't think that he is a realistic candidate. Then again, nobody ever thought that Chris Petersen would leave Boise State, and he eventually did.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Joe Brady

Quick background: Joe Burrow's offensive coordinator. That's basically it. Not only has he not been a head coach, but he has only been an assistant for 8 seasons in a combination of college and NFL jobs. He's 31 years old.

Years of HC experience: 0

Overall record: N/A

Signature win(s): As an assistant, Brady, or rather Burrow, piled up the signature wins last year. The most impressive being, of course, the decisive win over Clemson in the NC game.

Would he take the job? I don't know. He's probably not ready. If he is wise, he will get some more experience first.

Hanni's assessment: I threw this guy in here because he has been getting mention in some forums. He is also James Yoder's favorite candidate. My opinion -- hard pass. No way. He's got one incredible season as OC, but that's it.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Brian Ferentz

Quick background: Kirk Ferentz's son and OC. His career his consisted of a series of highly unimpressive performances as an offensive assistant.

Years of HC experience: 0

Overall record: N/A

Signature win(s): He was the OL coach when Iowa beat Harbaugh and when they blew out OSU in 2017. Do those count?

Would he take the job? Probably

Hanni's assessment: Brian Ferentz's biggest accomplishment as a coach was choosing his grandparents wisely. His offenses at Iowa are the same boring, predictable, unimaginative crap that was already outdated 20 years ago. He is a 100% nepotism hire. Hard, hard pass.

[Hannibal]

Candidate: Jeff Hafley

Quick background:I wouldn't put this guy in there, but I saw an OSU message board poll recently that ranked all of the coaches based on who would scare them the most if they were coaching at Michigan. Fickell was #2. Hafley was #1, to my surprise. He was OSU's defensive coordinator last year and he fielded a very good defense, despite having a somewhat unimpressive record prior to that in a variety of assistant jobs. Still, it would be hard not to field a good defense with the insane talent that he had at his disposal last year. This year, he has piloted BC to a 6-4 record.

Years of HC experience: 1

Overall record: 6-4

Signature win(s): As DC? The 38-7 blowout of Wisconsin where they completely shut down Jonathan Taylor was probably his most impressive win. They did a pretty good job against Clemson. The win over UM was less impressive when it comes to the defense.

Would he take the job? Probably

Hanni's assessment: I don't know what it is that scares the OSU folks if he becomes our coach. He had one really good defense anchored by Chase Young. He has one year as a coordinator and one year as an assistant. His resume is totally incomplete. I'd keep on eye on the guy but he's a hard pass for now.

[lineygoblue]

I think the scenario will work out for Harbaugh to be escorted to the door, but not with an outright firing. I think he'll be "promoted" to a front office position within the athletic department in some sort of a consultant role. I sincerely doubt that he will attempt to go on to the NFL. I don't think NFL teams will be lining up at his door anyway. He doesn't have a very good resume since SF. But, I think he can still have a role at Michigan off the field, if he chooses to take it.

I've listed some names before that I think may get phone calls. The guy at Iowa State makes some sense. He's improved teams at each stop. I wouldn't be surprised to see Meathead Bielma get a call, and even an interview. To be politically correct, they'll need to find at least one minority coach to interview. I wish David Shaw at Stanford could be persuaded, but he seems to be comfortable in Palo Alto. Eric Bienemy at KC could be looked at, but he's likely headed for an NFL job, maybe even the Lions, if they're smart.

I don't think Brian Ferentz is 'garbage'. Iowa has always been a tough out, especially at Kinnick. Their teams always play sound fundamentally. But, he's likely hanging around there for when his dad retires.

There are NO current coaches in the Big Ten that I'd want. Pat Fitzgerald has his best team ever at NW this year, and promptly went into East Landfill yesterday and lost to one of MSU's worst teams in the last 2 decades. We need that at Michigan? Yeah, right.

Chryst isn't going to leave Wisconsin. He's their Gary Moeller.

Purdue and Indiana's coaches are staying put. Guaranteed.

Yes, Luke Fickell should get a phone call, but I doubt he'll agree to an interview. He's on record bad-mouthing Michigan in the past, and he has no interest in coming to Ann Arbor. He's going to be on the short list of a lot of teams with coaching vacancies. He's likely going to get tons of money tossed his way in a bidding war that Warde Manuel will not participate in.

I think Doc Holliday at Marshall should get a phone call, but considering his age, they'll want to have an heir apparent in mind. He could probably get the train back on the tracks and hand it off to someone else.

Mike Hart --- no. Not enough experience. Same with Sheridan. No.

That should be enough to get things flowing ...

[THE_WIZARD_]

...is RichRod available?