Coaching carousel now picks up speed...

He seemed to suggest that during his post game comments which might lead him to stay. Plus, he lives next door to his parents and his young children attend the same schools he had attended when he was an Ann Arbor youngster which are factors suggesting he intends for M to be his last coaching job. But, he took a lot of abuse from the fan base and was nearly fired and played and coached in the NFL and reportedly likes coaching in the NFL where the draft provides teams more of an opportunity to compete on an equal footing. The Michigan forums that I read are convinced he is staying. I am not as there are plausible reasons both for staying and leaving.

 

Greg Studrawa's contract (offensive line) will not be renewed per Ohio State. This will be the second assistant coach to leave the Buckeyes this season.. Studrawa joined Ohio State coaching staff in 2016.

 

Was this a surprise, Don?

 

I would say yes but I think some people questioned some of his moves on the line positions, that maybe prompted this decision.

 

Meanwhile our new coach is loading up on off field staff using Sagan a a model.

His coaching staff is not completed yet but there are rumors of some people coming in from the NFL.

 

UNC hires Gene Chizik as the DCoord, he was Mack's DCoord during the 2005 NC Championship season, then left for Iowa State. He's been out of coaching for several years.

Ohio State hired UCLA OL coach Justin Frye. On ND boards there were a lot of people who hoped that Freeman would hire him but speculated that since he was also the OCoord at UCLA that he wouldn't make that move.
It seems like a great hire for the Buckeyes, he has developed a great running game everywhere he has coached

 

I see that the Alabama of the FCS, North Dakota State won it's 9th National Championship in the last 11 years today.

They are an old school team, tough defense, run the football and be efficient passing the ball.

 

We]ll be just fine wish Heistand I think

 

Bob what are Michigan fans saying about Harbaugh rumors continuing to not go away about him going to the Raiders. Where do you think UM turns for a replacement if he does in fact leave for the NFL?

 

There was panic after it was reported that H told a recruit that he was going to “entertain” NFL offers but some reliable reporters seem to feel he will stay if M commits to implementing a strong NIL program. He attended a M hockey game last night wearing M gear which posters on Mgoblog interpreted as a very positive smoke signal. Most feel like the Raiders would be his choice if he leaves. The NFL’s Black Monday is tomorrow so that will really stoke up the rumor mill.

Fickell and Campbell of ISU seem to be the fan favorites but have a hard time seeing a born and bred Buckeye like Fickell leaving to M. But Alcibiades left Athens to play for Sparta so I guess there is precedent for such a move. Far less support for Gattis or Hart.

Just interesting how the nosiest M fans on the web who seemed to want H fired last year are now lighting votive candles for him to stay.

 

He's an alum, of course he'd wear M. He can still wear M in Clark County.

 

Just saw this on 11Warriors.com:

After two years as the Buckeyes' defensive coordinator, and eight years total in the program, Coombs will not be back on the Ohio State staff in 2022, according to multiple reports.

Ohio State hired former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to take over in the position on Dec. 7, but Coombs remained on staff through the Buckeyes' Rose Bowl win on Jan. 1. The Buckeyes are also reportedly hiring Cincinnati cornerbacks coach Perry Eliano and former Ohio State corner and Jacksonville Jaguars cornerbacks coach Tim Walton.

This news makes sense with Matt Barns already have left the Buckeyes for another position.

 

I agree Don, once Combs was demoted the die was cast, not to mention it makes sense to give the new DCoord the chance to create his own staff.

 

Gotta feel a little bad. Combs was a huge success for six year as OSU's cornerbacks coach and a good recruiter and lots of success elsewhere. Somehow the last 2 years as D coordinator were not good...and he handled his "demotion" with class. I suspect he will land somewhere decent.

 

At this moment there are seven HC vacancies in the NFL. This ride isn't over yet.

 

Kerry Coombs is being hired by Luke Fickell and the Bearcats since leaving the Buckeyes.

 

Gary Patterson spent his career hating Texas, negative recruiting Texas and now he's at Texas.

Gary Patterson, who had great success against Texas as the head coach at TCU, is set to join Steve Sarkisian's staff with the Longhorns in an off-field role as special assistant to the head coach, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

 

crazy?!

 

So Bobda are UM people getting tired of the weekly Harbaugh going to the Bears, Harbaugh going to the Raiders and now Harbaugh going to the Vikings? He reportedly has a contract on his desk from UM. Is this just a ploy to get UM to pay in a ton of money? If so do you think UM will cave and up the ante to keep him?

Of course he's not the only coach to have used this tactic to get more money out of his current University.

 

He is already signed to a contract although I suspect the 50% haircut he received in that contract prompted him to hunt for an NFL job which he did not do until then. I think he began looking for an NFL HC job when the 2021 contract was being negotiated at terms he did not like but was unsuccessful, gritted his teeth, eventually agreed to M’s terms, and did a great job in 2021. The end result is that he is now more marketable and I suspect he will be the Vikings next coach. The odd thing is that if M had fired H after the 2020 season and had not provided him the opportunity to continue coaching, I doubt if there would have been any significant interest by any NFL team to hire him.

I think nearly all M fans are tired of the drama especially given that he will be having his 2nd interview in Minneapolis on NSD. However, I think the fan base is split with many still hoping he remains at AA and others wishing he would just go.

IMHO, if he stays, things will be difficult for him as all of the positive emotions generated by 2021 season have pretty much evaporated and I can’t imagine the relationship between the AD and him will be a good one. Plus, other schools will have a field day negatively recruiting against him and much of the M fan base will return to sh***ing all over him if things go south next year although the 2022 schedule is probably the easiest one in years until the last game in Columbus.

On the other hand, he worked his ass off for 7 years and dragged M mostly out of the sinkhole it had fallen into during the RR and Hoke eras. M football fans overestimate the present value of the M brand name and just how difficult it is to compete in this era with the elite programs of the SEC or OSU where universities and athletic departments work hand in glove when you are a head coach of a school where the goals of the university and athletic departments are sometimes at loggerheads, and where a creative and brilliant AD like Don Canham has been succeeded for the most part by mediocrities.