Haven't you been watching?!?!?! I'm pretty sure they've already disbanded the men's basketball program!!! :142smilie
Hockey is the #1 winter sport at UM, anyway! Of course, they lost to tOSU over the weekend as well......sigh.
michigan's new coach
- Thread starter DR STRANGELOVE
- Start date
Haven't you been watching?!?!?! I'm pretty sure they've already disbanded the men's basketball program!!! :142smilie
Hockey is the #1 winter sport at UM, anyway! Of course, they lost to tOSU over the weekend as well......sigh.
Me, too...but don't see it happening...:shrug:
I was walking thru the mall the other day with the wife and kid and Santa was there--no one in his lap--
So I told him that all I wanted for X-mas was for Ferentz to take the Michigan job. He laughed and said he would see what he could do....:mj07:
Ball State's Brady Hoke
Ball State's Brady Hoke
The Sporting News' Tom Deinhart said that Ball State's head coach Brady Hoke may be the front runner now. Even though, Hoke is a Ball State alum, he spent eight seasons on the staff at Michigan under the guidance of Wolverine?s head coach Lloyd Carr. Hoke spent his last season at Michigan as the associate head coach and defensive line coach.
Don't laugh (Big 10 fans) or cry (Michigan fans). Though not a big name, I think this would be a fantastic hire. I am not a Michigan, or even a Big 10 fan, but if Hoke brings Ball State's offense, Michigan will compete at a high level in the conference. He'll run a bit of the spread offense and he'll use the playmakers that they already have a helluva lot more than Carr.
Ball State's Brady Hoke
The Sporting News' Tom Deinhart said that Ball State's head coach Brady Hoke may be the front runner now. Even though, Hoke is a Ball State alum, he spent eight seasons on the staff at Michigan under the guidance of Wolverine?s head coach Lloyd Carr. Hoke spent his last season at Michigan as the associate head coach and defensive line coach.
Don't laugh (Big 10 fans) or cry (Michigan fans). Though not a big name, I think this would be a fantastic hire. I am not a Michigan, or even a Big 10 fan, but if Hoke brings Ball State's offense, Michigan will compete at a high level in the conference. He'll run a bit of the spread offense and he'll use the playmakers that they already have a helluva lot more than Carr.
You're forgetting one thing...how the H-E-double-hockey-sticks do you think this guy can recruit at Michigan. He is an unknown outside of the beautiful state of Indiana :mj07:
There is no way that this guy is the front runner for the head coaching position at UofM. From what I understand Brian Kelly isn't even in consideration and there is much more backing for him around AA.
No way the big dollar boosters support Hoke. no way, no how.
The only thing I can think of is that Hoke is nothing more than a smoke screen as a result of the fiasco of last weekend. The funny thing is, no one believes this smoke screen...
Brady Hoke was never the front runner. Not a chance. UM "interviewed" him to help him gain credibility for other jobs. Really, it was more of a chat than an interview.
Bill Martin upped his offer to Ferentz and they had a sit down in New York last night.
Also, Miles is still in play. He still wants the job and is making it known. UM does not seem interested at this point. If Ferentz says no, that could change. There is a good chance he'll take a pass IMO.
The way backup plan is hiring Ron English but I suspect the AD would not survive that hire. There is a mutiny in the works if he tries to promote from within. Some big hitters are quite pissed about the botched Miles deal. They're even more pissed he isn't trying to rectify the situation now.
Some other names are floating around but nothing serious until Ferentz is out of the picture.
Bill Martin upped his offer to Ferentz and they had a sit down in New York last night.
Also, Miles is still in play. He still wants the job and is making it known. UM does not seem interested at this point. If Ferentz says no, that could change. There is a good chance he'll take a pass IMO.
The way backup plan is hiring Ron English but I suspect the AD would not survive that hire. There is a mutiny in the works if he tries to promote from within. Some big hitters are quite pissed about the botched Miles deal. They're even more pissed he isn't trying to rectify the situation now.
Some other names are floating around but nothing serious until Ferentz is out of the picture.
A Letter to Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman
Following the debacle that was the Michigan coaching search this weekend, there are a lot of questions that require answers. Below, please find a letter sent to Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and the University of Michigan regents meant to solicit some of that information. Please note that the email referenced in this letter is something that I received last night. I do not know if it's true, but numerous internet posts and stories from people generally in the know corroborate some or all of it.
Dear President Coleman,
There is not an alumnus who will speak about the University of Michigan more glowingly than I will. I received an incredible education for which I still feel indebted; I established meaningful friendships that will endure for the rest of my life; I participated in published research; I wrote for the Daily; I studied with incredible professors. My time in Ann Arbor was nothing short of incredible, the sort of rich, transforming experience that colleges always boast about offering.
Many alumni share my passion for our alma mater, and I have always observed that Michigan athletics--football, in particular, as the flagship program--collectively serve as a vehicle for connecting people, providing a platform on which this passion can coalesce and be expressed. I imagine that you understand this, at least implicitly. Why else would you, President Gerald Ford, and many others have sung our fight song when you kicked off the Michigan Difference campaign? Michigan athletics, Michigan football are special parts of the Michigan experience.
But I am concerned that your administration is allowing this fundamental element of the Michigan experience to slowly erode. Any objective observer who cares about Michigan football has seen a program in decline over the past few years. Uninspired play, failure in crucial moments, middling strategy, and physical inferiority have become program hallmarks as the Wolverines have faced opponents with commensurate levels of talent. Merely making it to a few recent Rose Bowls, along with several other hollow accomplishments, cannot obscure the mounting evidence that radical change is needed in Ann Arbor. Michigan can no longer compete with Ohio State, a team playing for its third national title in six years, and it is regularly defeated, if not embarrassed, by the truly elite programs, such as Texas and USC. Not a single friend of mine did anything other than cringe yesterday when it was announced that Michigan had to play Florida next month. The ignominy of losses to Appalachian State and Oregon this past season only reinforced the sad reality: due to an out-of-date culture and approach to college football, Michigan is no longer among the leaders and best.
Lloyd Carr's retirement offered a needed opportunity for change, but sadly, it appears that this change may not come swiftly, if at all. I spent my weekend in Boston first dismayed and then, as I watched and read more, infuriated that Michigan had been outmaneuvered by LSU and would not be bringing coach Les Miles home to Ann Arbor. (Don't even get me started on a basketball program that cannot beat Harvard.)
First, let me say that Les Miles may not have been a panacea for all that ails Michigan, but no other coach appeared as likely to solve so many problems while avoiding the precipitous decline that has plagued Nebraska, Notre Dame, Alabama, and several other football powers. Despite having played and worked for a Michigan football legend, Miles seemed to offer the promise of much needed change. In fact, hiring Miles would have given the program continuity--no one doubts how much Miles cares about Michigan or reveres Bo Schembechler--while allowing Michigan to implement a modern strength and conditioning program, to hire the best possible coaching staff (something that should be a priority), to do away with the cronyism that seemed to inform many decisions of the Carr era, and to be led by someone whose intensity is undeniable and whose energy would have galvanized on-field efforts and off-field recruiting and preparation.
However, Michigan fumbled this chance. Below, I am forwarding a story I received from a former football player. Michigan is alleged to have never made clear to Miles that he could have the coaching job if he wanted it. The story says that Athletic Director Bill Martin, waiting until Sunday to speak with Miles, was on vacation as the deal fell apart. Worse, when he had a chance to salvage the situation, Martin would only offer Miles an interview and supposedly was reluctant to pay a market-rate salary for a premier coach.
If this story is true, it is the epitome of incompetence and institutional arrogance. (If it is not true, please disabuse me of the idea, and I would appreciate if I weren't merely referred to Martin's stilted statement from last evening.) How could Michigan have bungled this situation so badly if it wanted Les Miles to be its coach? No one is na?ve enough to think that the public statements about waiting until Sunday precluded the University and its agents from finalizing a deal with the Miles camp in the interim. And worse, how could Michigan fail to understand that it must offer a competitive salary if it wants a great coach to carry on the school's football tradition? Let's not forget that Michigan's athletics budget is in the black and there is a new, revenue-generating stadium in the works. Please answer these questions. Further, If Mr. Martin was, in fact, on vacation during this crucial period--or even unavailable to rectify a failing negotiation at a critical juncture--then Michigan should find a new athletic director. Tales of a lazy, frugal effort to hire such an important figure only reinforce the growing concern that the people who run my alma mater are out of touch with the realities of college football.
Of course, this all presupposes that Miles was a preferred candidate, and perhaps he was not. It is no secret, of course, that Lloyd Carr and several of his supporters do not like Les Miles. One merely needs to read the Detroit Free Press or Detroit News to understand that a rift exists. But given that the Carr regime has ended so poorly and has left the program with a number of festering ills, I hope this group of people was not allowed to render undue judgment of Miles. It's obvious that they do not understand what it takes to win in contemporary college football, unless Michigan is now settling for consolations like its domination of Minnesota.
I will conclude my note with this: I know that I am not a big-money donor, although I do lay out more than a thousand dollars a year to make contributions to academic and athletic funds, and to travel to home and away football games. I know that much of what I have written will be disavowed, even if it's true. And I know that there are many people with much invested in this process, me being only one of them. I get all of that. But if the University of Michigan really is committed to being among the leaders and best, and to serving its many constituencies in the best possible fashion, then you and the regents I have copied here will consider my words, because my sentiments are shared by many people who care deeply about Michigan.
We are alumni and fans who have grown frustrated by and tired of Michigan football's cultural inertia and the seemingly arrogant presupposition that just because it's Michigan, there is no need to change and everything will work out. That's ignorant. Michigan must enter the modern era if it would like for the football program to remain both elite and an important part of university life. One merely needs to hear ESPN analysts laughing at the idea of Michigan competing with Florida in January's Capital One Bowl--as they did last night--to realize the sobering state of affairs. No one suggests that the University compromise its standards or do anything unethical. That would turn Michigan into Ohio State. But there is nothing wrong with paying a market-rate salary to a coach who will break from the prevailing order, restore Michigan, and lead it to the highest successes.
What is wrong is embarrassing the University and the football program, as Bill Martin and this administration did over the weekend. Not only did the University of Michigan miss out on an ideal coach, but the way that this process has been handled suggests that the people making decisions are either not cognizant of or not willing to do what it takes to be successful. If that's the case, I guarantee that alumni and fans like me--people who want to come to Michigan Stadium, share in a cherished University ritual, and cheer for a team that makes us proud while winning--will remain dissatisfied and keep making noise. Nothing could make me sadder.
Sincerely,
Joey
(Begin forwarded story)
Les Miles did want to coach here very badly, and the reports were right. This can be attributed to him being on the phone with a former teammate and very good friend of his until 2:00 am Friday night wondering why he hadn't been contacted yet when Michigan authorities knew about the contract extension. Les was put in a very difficult spot because he had not been assured that the job would be his by anyone at Michigan. There were financial arrangements between third parties beforehand and that was all agreed upon but there was no indication from Michigan directly that the job was his. The discussion of finances before interviews is pretty standard for Michigan when conducting a job search as I was told.
It was apparent that the Michigan admin. had reservations about him (that's another topic all together and can be discussed by someone else) and were not ready to pull the trigger even though the search committee all but confirmed he was the right guy. The search committee, by the way, is a front with no real teeth. When the developments happened yesterday morning with ESPN, Les was put in a real bad position and had to address the issue so that it would not be a distraction. As everyone knows the extension offer was only good for Saturday and he stood to lose a lot of money with no word whatsoever from Michigan about his position. He did what a lot of people would do.
A former player and member of the search committee tried to frantically call the Michigan Admin. as this was all developing and did not get anyone on the phone. Reason why? Sailing.
Contact was made today by Michigan Admin. to Les with Les telling him "door is not closed but closing." The Admin. responded that Les was one of several in a pool of candidates they are considering, and that Michigan wanted someone who was more invested in being at Michigan than at being well paid. Les's agent considered it a dead issue.
It appears that the Michigan Admin. was not all that interested in hiring Les and used the gentleman's agreement of not calling until after the game to his advantage. It looks like Michigan Admin. got over on Les.
Don't blame Les on this one. He wanted to be the head coach here but it seems other people had other agendas. A lot of former players are really upset about the way this was handled, including myself.
Following the debacle that was the Michigan coaching search this weekend, there are a lot of questions that require answers. Below, please find a letter sent to Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and the University of Michigan regents meant to solicit some of that information. Please note that the email referenced in this letter is something that I received last night. I do not know if it's true, but numerous internet posts and stories from people generally in the know corroborate some or all of it.
Dear President Coleman,
There is not an alumnus who will speak about the University of Michigan more glowingly than I will. I received an incredible education for which I still feel indebted; I established meaningful friendships that will endure for the rest of my life; I participated in published research; I wrote for the Daily; I studied with incredible professors. My time in Ann Arbor was nothing short of incredible, the sort of rich, transforming experience that colleges always boast about offering.
Many alumni share my passion for our alma mater, and I have always observed that Michigan athletics--football, in particular, as the flagship program--collectively serve as a vehicle for connecting people, providing a platform on which this passion can coalesce and be expressed. I imagine that you understand this, at least implicitly. Why else would you, President Gerald Ford, and many others have sung our fight song when you kicked off the Michigan Difference campaign? Michigan athletics, Michigan football are special parts of the Michigan experience.
But I am concerned that your administration is allowing this fundamental element of the Michigan experience to slowly erode. Any objective observer who cares about Michigan football has seen a program in decline over the past few years. Uninspired play, failure in crucial moments, middling strategy, and physical inferiority have become program hallmarks as the Wolverines have faced opponents with commensurate levels of talent. Merely making it to a few recent Rose Bowls, along with several other hollow accomplishments, cannot obscure the mounting evidence that radical change is needed in Ann Arbor. Michigan can no longer compete with Ohio State, a team playing for its third national title in six years, and it is regularly defeated, if not embarrassed, by the truly elite programs, such as Texas and USC. Not a single friend of mine did anything other than cringe yesterday when it was announced that Michigan had to play Florida next month. The ignominy of losses to Appalachian State and Oregon this past season only reinforced the sad reality: due to an out-of-date culture and approach to college football, Michigan is no longer among the leaders and best.
Lloyd Carr's retirement offered a needed opportunity for change, but sadly, it appears that this change may not come swiftly, if at all. I spent my weekend in Boston first dismayed and then, as I watched and read more, infuriated that Michigan had been outmaneuvered by LSU and would not be bringing coach Les Miles home to Ann Arbor. (Don't even get me started on a basketball program that cannot beat Harvard.)
First, let me say that Les Miles may not have been a panacea for all that ails Michigan, but no other coach appeared as likely to solve so many problems while avoiding the precipitous decline that has plagued Nebraska, Notre Dame, Alabama, and several other football powers. Despite having played and worked for a Michigan football legend, Miles seemed to offer the promise of much needed change. In fact, hiring Miles would have given the program continuity--no one doubts how much Miles cares about Michigan or reveres Bo Schembechler--while allowing Michigan to implement a modern strength and conditioning program, to hire the best possible coaching staff (something that should be a priority), to do away with the cronyism that seemed to inform many decisions of the Carr era, and to be led by someone whose intensity is undeniable and whose energy would have galvanized on-field efforts and off-field recruiting and preparation.
However, Michigan fumbled this chance. Below, I am forwarding a story I received from a former football player. Michigan is alleged to have never made clear to Miles that he could have the coaching job if he wanted it. The story says that Athletic Director Bill Martin, waiting until Sunday to speak with Miles, was on vacation as the deal fell apart. Worse, when he had a chance to salvage the situation, Martin would only offer Miles an interview and supposedly was reluctant to pay a market-rate salary for a premier coach.
If this story is true, it is the epitome of incompetence and institutional arrogance. (If it is not true, please disabuse me of the idea, and I would appreciate if I weren't merely referred to Martin's stilted statement from last evening.) How could Michigan have bungled this situation so badly if it wanted Les Miles to be its coach? No one is na?ve enough to think that the public statements about waiting until Sunday precluded the University and its agents from finalizing a deal with the Miles camp in the interim. And worse, how could Michigan fail to understand that it must offer a competitive salary if it wants a great coach to carry on the school's football tradition? Let's not forget that Michigan's athletics budget is in the black and there is a new, revenue-generating stadium in the works. Please answer these questions. Further, If Mr. Martin was, in fact, on vacation during this crucial period--or even unavailable to rectify a failing negotiation at a critical juncture--then Michigan should find a new athletic director. Tales of a lazy, frugal effort to hire such an important figure only reinforce the growing concern that the people who run my alma mater are out of touch with the realities of college football.
Of course, this all presupposes that Miles was a preferred candidate, and perhaps he was not. It is no secret, of course, that Lloyd Carr and several of his supporters do not like Les Miles. One merely needs to read the Detroit Free Press or Detroit News to understand that a rift exists. But given that the Carr regime has ended so poorly and has left the program with a number of festering ills, I hope this group of people was not allowed to render undue judgment of Miles. It's obvious that they do not understand what it takes to win in contemporary college football, unless Michigan is now settling for consolations like its domination of Minnesota.
I will conclude my note with this: I know that I am not a big-money donor, although I do lay out more than a thousand dollars a year to make contributions to academic and athletic funds, and to travel to home and away football games. I know that much of what I have written will be disavowed, even if it's true. And I know that there are many people with much invested in this process, me being only one of them. I get all of that. But if the University of Michigan really is committed to being among the leaders and best, and to serving its many constituencies in the best possible fashion, then you and the regents I have copied here will consider my words, because my sentiments are shared by many people who care deeply about Michigan.
We are alumni and fans who have grown frustrated by and tired of Michigan football's cultural inertia and the seemingly arrogant presupposition that just because it's Michigan, there is no need to change and everything will work out. That's ignorant. Michigan must enter the modern era if it would like for the football program to remain both elite and an important part of university life. One merely needs to hear ESPN analysts laughing at the idea of Michigan competing with Florida in January's Capital One Bowl--as they did last night--to realize the sobering state of affairs. No one suggests that the University compromise its standards or do anything unethical. That would turn Michigan into Ohio State. But there is nothing wrong with paying a market-rate salary to a coach who will break from the prevailing order, restore Michigan, and lead it to the highest successes.
What is wrong is embarrassing the University and the football program, as Bill Martin and this administration did over the weekend. Not only did the University of Michigan miss out on an ideal coach, but the way that this process has been handled suggests that the people making decisions are either not cognizant of or not willing to do what it takes to be successful. If that's the case, I guarantee that alumni and fans like me--people who want to come to Michigan Stadium, share in a cherished University ritual, and cheer for a team that makes us proud while winning--will remain dissatisfied and keep making noise. Nothing could make me sadder.
Sincerely,
Joey
(Begin forwarded story)
Les Miles did want to coach here very badly, and the reports were right. This can be attributed to him being on the phone with a former teammate and very good friend of his until 2:00 am Friday night wondering why he hadn't been contacted yet when Michigan authorities knew about the contract extension. Les was put in a very difficult spot because he had not been assured that the job would be his by anyone at Michigan. There were financial arrangements between third parties beforehand and that was all agreed upon but there was no indication from Michigan directly that the job was his. The discussion of finances before interviews is pretty standard for Michigan when conducting a job search as I was told.
It was apparent that the Michigan admin. had reservations about him (that's another topic all together and can be discussed by someone else) and were not ready to pull the trigger even though the search committee all but confirmed he was the right guy. The search committee, by the way, is a front with no real teeth. When the developments happened yesterday morning with ESPN, Les was put in a real bad position and had to address the issue so that it would not be a distraction. As everyone knows the extension offer was only good for Saturday and he stood to lose a lot of money with no word whatsoever from Michigan about his position. He did what a lot of people would do.
A former player and member of the search committee tried to frantically call the Michigan Admin. as this was all developing and did not get anyone on the phone. Reason why? Sailing.
Contact was made today by Michigan Admin. to Les with Les telling him "door is not closed but closing." The Admin. responded that Les was one of several in a pool of candidates they are considering, and that Michigan wanted someone who was more invested in being at Michigan than at being well paid. Les's agent considered it a dead issue.
It appears that the Michigan Admin. was not all that interested in hiring Les and used the gentleman's agreement of not calling until after the game to his advantage. It looks like Michigan Admin. got over on Les.
Don't blame Les on this one. He wanted to be the head coach here but it seems other people had other agendas. A lot of former players are really upset about the way this was handled, including myself.
Not in a position to know that Hawki. I just know there was a meeting between the two last night in NYC and Martin presumably made a new pitch to Ferentz
Thanks CWood. FWIW, I am a large Iowa supporter. I have seen almost every game Ferentz has coached at Iowa in person. He's a class act and I think he would be a great hire at UM. He has some deficiencies, but overall he's a great coach. I'd hate to see him leave.
No problem, I have a ton of respect for Ferentz also. Not only for his coaching ability but for his loyalty to the school that gave him his chance as a head coach. I think that loyalty wins out here, but Michigan has to be an intriguing option for him given his recent troubles at Iowa. I'll let you know if I hear anything more.
NO worries, guys. Les is still available. Due to the terms of his current contract, Les will receive a raise to make him the 3rd highest paid HC in the nation if he wins a Nat'l Title. There will be no signing of this contract until after the BCS title game in case LSU gets lucky and wins
NO worries, guys. Les is still available. Due to the terms of his current contract, Les will receive a raise to make him the 3rd highest paid HC in the nation if he wins a Nat'l Title. There will be no signing of this contract until after the BCS title game in case LSU gets lucky and wins
Can UM wait until January? Does either side feel the other can keep quiet 'till then?
Anything is possible but it seems far more likely at this point that UM will not hire Miles.
I agree. Les Miles will forfeit his opportunity for the dream job for a chance at the national tittle. I think he has a great chance if he stays focused.
those horses will know if he is a driver, or just hung up in the stirrups.
I agree with this. If he goes, or if it is hanging over their heads that he is going, then I will expect a comfortable win by Ohio State.
I would like Schiano at Michigan....like the sound of that......hope it happens.....and not that this fact means a hill of beans, I think hiring him would excite the on-edge fan base right now a lot more than Ferentz.
