Tag: coaching changes

Jim Harbaugh, Wolverine (again)

Jim Harbaugh

Today Michigan is expected to announce that they have signed Jim Harbaugh to be the next head coach. After finishing up his tenure as the San Francisco 49ers head coach with a win on Sunday, he and the 49ers “mutually agreed” to part ways. Harbaugh hopped on a plane on Monday to head to Ann Arbor, and he reportedly signed the contract last night. Several NFL teams were reported to be interested, including the across-the-bay Oakland Raiders, who made overtures to Harbaugh but were turned down.

I already posted a somewhat in-depth summary of Harbaugh’s career and accomplishments (LINK), so I won’t rehash most of that info.  Harbaugh played for Bo Schembechler at Michigan in the 1980’s, went on to a successful but unspectacular NFL career, turned around programs at San Diego and Stanford as a head coach, and then had a good four-year run with the 49ers. Despite making it to three straight NFC championship games – and one Super Bowl – the wheels came off during the 2014 season, when Harbaugh’s clashes with the front office became public and the team fell to 8-8, missing the playoffs. It had been understood for half the season that Harbaugh would not return, regardless of how the season turned out.

In my ranking of viable coach options, Harbaugh was #1 on my list for numerous reasons. First and foremost, I guess, is that Harbaugh embodies what Michigan’s administration, fans, and alumni want. He is demanding and intense, and for a program that deifies Bo Schembechler, that intensity pairs nicely. Harbaugh’s competitiveness showed during his career. He was never the fastest guy or the most accurate or the one with the strongest arm, but he was a Heisman contender as a senior and scrapped as a pro football player and coach to try to get to the highest levels.

Another somewhat nice thing about Harbaugh is that his desired personnel and systems are already mostly in place. He had to rebuild at San Diego and Stanford, while the 49ers job had some decent talent already in place. Either way, he wants to run the ball, pass efficiently, and play good defense. Michigan has recruited and developed the roster to do just those things. There are a couple highly touted running backs on the roster, some big-time recruits on the offensive line, some solid tight ends, and good defensive players at every level returning in 2015. The question marks are at quarterback and wide receiver, but a commitment to running the ball should take some of the pressure off of whoever wins the QB job. Harbaugh will regularly send out multiple tight ends, and with the current quarterback situation, he’ll probably use a fullback quite a bit instead of the read option that he used with San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

There are a few drawbacks with Harbaugh, as there are with any coach. Most immediately, he is a different breed of coach than Brady Hoke; Harbaugh is still a good leader, but he may turn off some players with his intensity. Hoke is a fatherly type and a great guy, by all accounts; Harbaugh is an in-your-face task master. Secondly, Harbaugh probably can’t be described as controversial, but he will be outspoken at times. Some of his antics, comments, and behaviors will be dissected by local and national media, such as his post-game handshake with the Lions’ Jim Schwartz a few years ago or his negative comments about Michigan’s academics when he was at Stanford. Lloyd Carr kept everything behind closed doors and was mostly tight-lipped with the media, and Brady Hoke was the same. In between, Rich Rodriguez was an outsider who ruffled some feathers by having a West Virginia accent and screwing up some Michigan traditions. Harbaugh will be given some leeway because of his local roots, but the spotlight will be bright.

Lastly, I do not believe Harbaugh is a long-term answer at Michigan. Unfortunately, virtually everyone agrees that he wants a Super Bowl ring. He might fall in love with being Michigan’s coach, but I think there’s a good chance that in, I don’t know, four years, he might want to head back to the NFL. However, if he can get Michigan back on the right track and develop a coaching tree like he did at Stanford, then Michigan might be okay post-Harbaugh. The Wolverines might be looking for a new coach in 2018 or 2019, but he set Stanford up for success (they won double-digit games for the first three years after he left) and could do the same in Ann Arbor.

Regardless, I’m happy Harbaugh is back at Michigan. This was the ideal choice at this juncture, and interim athletic director Jim Hackett somehow made it happen. Harbaugh will be welcomed back with open arms, Michigan is getting some positive publicity, and we should see some improvement on the field next year. Hoke did a good job of recruiting a roster full of talent. Now we can watch as Harbaugh molds that talent into a quality football program once again.

Current FBS Coaches Coaching at Their Alma Maters

Kliff Kingsbury, the most photogenic coach in college football, coaches where he played college football.

In the midst of a coaching search that has a lot of “insiders” believing Jim Harbaugh will return to Michigan as its head football after playing in Ann Arbor in the 1980’s, I thought I would take a look at current college coaches who are at their alma mater. Harbaugh could be the first Michigan player to return as head coach since Bump Elliott, who played at Michigan in the 1946-1947 and then compiled a 51-42-2 record as the head coach from 1959-1968.

Troy Calhoun, Air Force (59-44 since 2007): Calhoun was a Falcon quarterback from 1983-1986. After a career as an assistant in both college (Air Force, Ohio, Wake Forest) and the NFL (Broncos, Texans), he returned to Air Force in 2007. The Falcons made an impressive turnaround from a 2-10 season in 2013 to completing a 10-3 year with a win over Western Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl a few days ago.

Hit the jump for the ten other coaches on the list.

Scott Satterfield, Appalachian State (11-13 since 2013): Satterfield was a Mountaineer quarterback from 1991-1995. He has spent most of his coaching career as an assistant for ASU, with brief trips to Toledo and FIU. Hired as the new head coach in 2013, he went 4-8 in his first year but improved to 7-5 this year, which included a loss to Michigan in the Big House. The Mountaineers are ineligible for a bowl game after moving up from FCS.

Bryan Harsin, Boise State (11-2 since 2014): Harsin was a Broncos quarterback from 1995-1999. He returned to Boise State in 2001 as a graduate assistant and worked his way up the ranks, eventually going to Texas as co-offensive coordinator and then to Arkansas State as head coach in 2013, where he went 7-5. When Chris Peterson got the job at Washington, Harsin was brought back home to Boise, where the Broncos will play Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31.

Paul Haynes, Kent State (6-17 since 2013): Haynes was a safety at Kent State from 1987-1991 and has since spent over 20 years in the coaching ranks, including as an assistant for Kent State, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Louisville, Michigan State, and Ohio State. His first head coaching gig is not going particularly well, as the Golden Flashes went 2-9 this past season.

Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern (60-53 since 2006): Fitzgerald was a stellar linebacker for Northwestern in the mid-1990’s, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice, being a consensus All-American twice, and winning the Nagurski and Bednarik Awards twice each. He began coaching linebackers at Maryland, moved on to Colorado, and then Idaho, before returning to Northwestern under head coach Randy Walker. When Walker tragically passed away, Fitzgerald was promoted to head coach. He has one 10-win season under his belt but has gone 5-7 for the past two seasons.

Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (83-44 since 2005): Gundy was an Oklahoma State quarterback from 1986-1989. After former Oklahoma State coach Les Miles moved on to LSU, Gundy was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach; he had previous stops at Baylor and Maryland as an assistant. Since then Gundy has shown a pretty steady ability to put points up on the board and has three double-digit winning seasons. He has also been mentioned in Michigan’s coaching search, although it seems unlikely that he would leave his alma mater, despite a disappointing 6-6 season in 2014 (his worst record since going 4-7 in his firat year).

David Shaw, Stanford (41-12 since 2011): Shaw played high school football at Rochester (MI) Adams when his dad was an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions. He then went on to play wide receiver at Stanford from 1991-1994, as well as joining the basketball and track teams. After some small-time jobs and quality control stints, he worked in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens before joining Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Stanford, where he was the offensive coordinator from 2007-2010. When Harbaugh bolted for the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, Shaw was promoted. He won 11, 12, and 11 games in his first three years before falling off to 7-5 this past season; the Cardinal will play Maryland in the Foster Farms Bowl on December 30.

Kliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech (12-13 since 2013): Kingsbury was a record-setting quarterback at Texas Tech under Mike Leach. After a meandering NFL career, he started coaching at Houston, moved on to Texas A&M to help Kevin Sumlin and Heisman-winner Johnny Manziel in 2012, and then took the Red Raiders job in 2013. A promsing 8-5 season in 2013 fell to a disappointing 4-8 record this past year, including an embarrassing 82-27 loss to TCU.

Matt Wells, Utah State (19-9 since 2013): Wells was a quarterback at Utah State from 1993-1996 and then coached at Navy, Tulsa, New Mexico, and Louisville before returning to Utah State as an assistant in 2011 under Gary Anderson. When Anderson left for Wisconsin after the 2012 season, Wells was promoted and has since gone 9-5 and 10-4. The 2014 season culminated with a win over UTEP in the New Mexico Bowl a couple days ago.

Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech (229-115-2 since 1987): Beamer was a cornerback for the Hokies in the late 1960’s. After some coaching stops at The Citadel and Murray State, he got the job in Blacksburg in 1987 and is now the longest tenured coach in the FBS. He had eight  consecutive years of double-digit wins from 2004-2011, but has since gone 21-17, including a 6-6 record in 2014. The Hokies will play Cincinnati in the Military Bowl on December 27.

Paul Chryst, Wisconsin (0-0 since 2015): Chryst was a quarterback for the Badgers in the late 1980’s. He has lived the nomadic life of a coach for most of his professional career with stops at Oregon State, the San Diego Chargers, and Wisconsin, among others. He was the offensive coordinator for the Badgers from 2005-2011 but booked it for Pitt’s head coaching job in 2012. He went 19-19 in three seasons there, but when Gary Anderson left Wisconsin for Utah State, the Badgers came calling again. He was just announced as Wisconsin’s new coach and has yet to coach a game there, although it seems likely that he will be able to continue their success since he was a big part of it for seven seasons.

CONCLUSIONS
Not many. Most of these guys have been pretty successful at their alma maters, although unsuccessful coaches usually find themselves without jobs pretty quickly. It would be great if a potential Jim Harbaugh hire could result in a Frank Beamer-like run that lasts about 30 years, but Harbaugh is too old for that and could feasibly bolt back to the NFL after a few years. Interestingly, none of the above guys ever turned into even mediocre NFL players. Almost all of them returned to college to coach within a couple years of graduating, and Harbaugh’s solid NFL career would immediately be the most impressive on this list. That’s not really meaningful, but it’s a little interesting.

Also interesting is that 7 of the 11 players on the list were quarterbacks; the others were a cornerback, a wide receiver, a safety, and a linebacker. A lot of coaches played quarterback in their athletic days, probably because they’re used to leading and they’re generally pretty intelligent guys. Quarterbacks also have to pay attention to everyone on the field because they have to understand backfield play, blitzes, coverages, protections, route combinations, etc.

Regardless of his potential level of success, it would be an extremely interesting homecoming for Harbaugh if he were to take the job. It’s not often that elite football players return to their alma maters as head coach, and this could be the best homecoming story since Heisman winner Steve Spurrier developed a powerhouse as the Florida Gators’ head coach.

Coaching Candidate Rumors

Jim Harbaugh

Brady Hoke’s firing was publicly announced on December 2, so it has been 17 days since Michigan has had a head coach. Obviously, athletic director Jim Hackett is waiting on Jim Harbaugh, who declined comment about the Michigan job when asked on Thursday afternoon. News leaked – from one side or the other – that Harbaugh had been offered a 6-year, $48 million contract but Bruce Feldman says that figure is inaccurate (LINK).

Rumors persist that Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops would be Michigan’s #2 option, but he might be off the table because someone of his coaching stature would not want to play second fiddle to Harbaugh. I say there’s no shame in being the backup to an NFL head coach who would potentially be coming back to his alma mater. That’s not an insult to Stoops, but hey, the guy has won more championships than Harbaugh.

LSU head coach Les Miles told reporters off the record that he would not be coming to Michigan.

A lot of people have been saying that Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen is not even being considered, but he has yet to sign a rumored contract extension with MSU. He may not be on Michigan’s radar, but he seems like a guy who might be waiting for some dominoes to fall in the coaching world before he marries himself to the Bulldogs for too long (or for too big of a buyout).

Meanwhile, potential Plan C option Steve Addazio signed an extension with Boston College through 2020 (LINK). Another potential coach, Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman, has been hired as Houston’s head coach for five years and $6.75 million (LINK).

With Pitt head coach Paul Chryst taking the job at Wisconsin, the Panthers are now looking for a head coach. While they probably wouldn’t be able to poach an established head coach, they may be able to snag an up-and-coming coordinator or head coach. Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck just signed a contract extension through 2020, but there are still guys like Greg Schiano, Tom Bradley (former Penn State defensive coordinator, current WVU assistant head coach) and Pat Narduzzi hanging around. I could see Schiano or Bradley taking the job, but Narduzzi seems to be holding out for something better than Pitt since he rebuffed UConn last year.

Coaching Candidate Rumors

Tyrone Wheatley, if for not other reason than bringing back happy memories.

THERE IS NOTHING TO WRITE.
I have a few posts waiting to be completed, and even a few that are already finished. But a lot of them have to do with recruiting, and I don’t think anyone cares much about recruiting right now. All Michigan fans care about is who the next coach will be, and I can’t say I blame them. As Michigan fans, we can’t move forward. (On the other hand, I have been moving forward with catching up on Parks and Recreation.)

Detroit Sports Rag contributor Jeff Moss tweeted out last night that there has been a “sea change” in the reporting on Michigan’s head coaching job. Other Twitter feeds have also changed their tune somewhat, based on someone in Michigan’s administration supposedly giving info that Jim Harbaugh could be leaning toward returning to Ann Arbor. Moss also said that he will release the source of this information at 9:00 a.m. today, so that ought to be interesting.

Aside from Harbaugh’s return, there have also been rumors that:

• Former Michigan running back Tyrone Wheatley, currently the Buffalo Bills running backs coach, will return as co-offensive coordinator
• Former Michigan offensive line coach Andy Moeller, currently the Cleveland Browns offensive line coach, will be Wheatley’s co-offensive coordinator
• D.J. Durkin is being considered as the defensive coordinator. Durkin was at Florida under Will Muschamp and is currently their interim head coach; he also worked for Harbaugh at Stanford

The Transition Effect: Carr to Rodriguez

Ryan Mallett

With an upcoming coaching transition, there has been some concern that players will take flight to greener pastures. When Michigan went from a pro-style scheme to a zone read option scheme in the off-season between 2007 and 2008, some offensive players headed out the door. Not much of that can be attributed to the spread. Every team loses players in the off-season. Sometimes players are sick of standing on the sideline, sometimes they get homesick, and sometimes they butt heads with the coaches. Here’s a look at what the transition from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez cost Michigan going into 2008 and beyond.

Decommitted due to coaching transition: John Wienke, Christian Wilson
Wienke, a pro-style quarterback, decommitted in favor of Iowa, where he never saw any significant time. Wilson ended up committing to North Carolina due to the fact that Rodriguez’s offense didn’t leave a ton of room for fullback/H-back types. Wilson played but never made a huge impact for the Tarheels.

Transferred to other FBS teams between regimes: Justin Boren, Ryan Mallett
Offensive guard Justin Boren would have been a junior starter in Rich Rodriguez’s first season, but some alleged frictions between Rodriguez and Boren’s family led to his departure. Boren transferred to his home state Ohio State Buckeyes program, where he eventually started and became an undrafted free agent; he never played in an NFL game despite making the practice squad with a couple teams. Meanwhile, his right guard position was taken by David Moosman, who turned out to be a decent but forgettable piece up front for the Wolverines. Theories differ on Mallett, a touted quarterback who transferred closer to home at Arkansas. Some say he was already on his way out the door because of butting heads with Carr; others say he realized he wouldn’t fit into Rich Rodriguez’s offense. Either way, he was replaced by walk-on Nick Sheridan and Georgia Tech transfer Steve Threet, both of whom were subpar passers and poor fits for Rodriguez’s scheme. After the 2008 season,

Left early for the NFL Draft: Adrian Arrington, Mario Manningham
Arrington blew up in his final game, a bowl win over Florida, which might have sealed the deal. His 882 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in 2007 as the #2 option behind Manningham were impressive, although he slipped into the Draft in just the 7th round, making just 9 receptions in a short NFL career. Manningham had some issues following rules/laws and seemed to be headed for the door after a stellar three-year career; he possibly would have been a 1st round pick if not for a marijuana charge, and instead fell to the 3rd round. He was picked by the Giants and has had a solid but injury-marred career with 2,849 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.

Transferred to other FBS teams after giving Rodriguez a chance:* Toney Clemons, Vince Helmuth, Dann O’Neill, Steve Threet
Clemons spent a year trying to wedge himself into the slot receiver role for Rodriguez, a role he was ill suited for because he was not very quick or elusive. Clemons had been recruited by Lloyd Carr as an outside wide receiver, and he transferred to Colorado for that reason. He had a decent career for the Buffaloes and managed to get drafted. Helmuth was brought in as a Lloyd Carr fullback, eventually moved to defensive tackle under Rodriguez, and then transferred to Miami-OH, where he never played, either. O’Neill spent a year redshirting and then transferred to Western Michigan, where his lack of lateral mobility was less of a hindrance; he started for several years for the Broncos. Threet got kind of a raw deal. After enrolling early at Georgia Tech in January 2007, he transferred to Michigan over the summer and redshirted during the season, hoping to follow Chad Henne as the starter for the Wolverines. Then when Rodriguez got hired, Threet and walk-on Nick Sheridan split playing time before Threet lit out for his third school, Arizona State. He had to sit out the 2009 season to transfer, and then concussions caused him to end his football career early.

Left early for the NFL Draft after giving Rodriguez a chance:* Carson Butler, Donovan Warren
Butler was unhappy with his role as a tight end in Rodriguez’s offense, so he made a mid-season switch to defensive end, finishing with 2 catches, 17 yards, and 5 tackles. He tested the waters of the NFL but was ultimately unsuccessful.  Warren left after his third season in Ann Arbor, hanging around through 2009. It’s unclear whether a different coach could have kept him around for a fourth season, but Warren was All-Big Ten and made 4 picks in 2009, after which he made an ill-advised attempt at making it in the NFL. He was not drafted and spent a few years bouncing around practice squads.

CONCLUSIONS
If Michigan changes systems to a spread or, say, a triple option, some transfers can naturally be expected. That change seems unlikely based on what we have been hearing, but anything is possible. The one guy who seemed like a possible early entrant into the draft (Devin Funchess) is gone already. The quarterbacks are mostly pro-style guys, so that would present a challenge if Michigan wanted to run any kind of option-type stuff. Michigan has been running a lot of zone schemes, so a loss of linemen would not seem to be a huge risk, regardless of the coach. The receivers are mostly big, pro-style guys who could get squeezed out if the new coach wanted to put tiny slot guys out there in spades. Michigan’s stable of tight ends would likely not be happy with a move to a spread, though A.J. Williams will be a senior and Jake Butt could be just a year away from heading to the NFL; the biggest flight risks there would probably be the young guys, Ian Bunting and Khalid Hill, who would still have time to redshirt for a year and make an impact elsewhere.

*There were some other transfers (Sam McGuffie, Marell Evans, Kurt Wermers, etc.) that seemed to have less to do with Rodriguez and more to do with homesickness, academic difficulties, etc.