The Search for the Coach - Day 12

Yes, it's only been 12 days since Lloyd announced his retirement from the Maize 'n Blue. In that time, in case you haven't been following, head coaches heads have been rolling all over the land...Some obvious, others, well, let's just say that I don't know what some schools, fans and alumni are thinking when it comes to their programs and the expectations of said programs. And what they expect one man to do to right the ship given the set of circumstances they currently find themselves in...

Reflecting on this, I believe that Rutgers Coach Schiano, Boise State Coach Peterson, and Southern Florida Coach Leavitt, Kansas' Mangino, and others have screwed things up royally for many coaches at the big names schools, and I will explain why. Previously, these small, no name schools were known for one thing and one thing only: Be the fodder for the big Name, Big Budget National Title Contenders - Nothing More. We don't want Cinderellas in College Football, it ruins the delicate balance of nature (of the beast). All the Big Names want the small guys to stay small - and beatable - so they can get their victory and move on to a 10 win season...But the little guys haven't been paying attention. The Knight Report that came out a few years ago, for those of you that remember, and foreshadowed this kind of landscape with unrealistic expectations for all schools in Division 1A. And here we are. Small market, small alumni schools with a shot at winning the whole ball of wax, West Virginia and Missouri, and one of the teams isn't even FAVORED in their Title game...What's more, one of the schools that could slip into the title game (Georgia) won't even play in their CONFERENCE TITLE GAME...and that's what has everybody at smaller schools steaming...Look at these little guys and why can't we be them? Where is the next unknown BIG TIME coach that can take us to the promised land?

Schools like Southern Mississippi canning their head coach with 14 out of 17 winning seasons - for having a 7-5 record...Schools like Arkansas canning a head coach after beating the #1 team and said coach was immediately scooped up by Ole Miss, who canned their guy when Nutt became available - regardless of what went on at the strip club 2 years ago. Ole Miss has told the world that they can live with that if you get us to 9 wins and a New Year's day Bowl. Georgia Tech firing Chan Gailey for being competitive in the ACC with 2nd rate talent out of the State of Georgia...because he didn't meet with the school's expectations of mingling with the Boosters the right way - and didn't beat Georgia...These schools figure that if small market schools can do it, why can't they? Even though these schools compete in conferences that are powerful and have perennially tough teams at the top...

I guess what surprises me the most is not that these schools are doing this, but have they looked around at what could be waiting for them by trading the known for the unknown? Have they seen what can happend to once great programs like Nebraska? Notre Dame? (Jeez, I hate these guys) Do they somehow think that their schools and programs have more tradition, allure, and attraction to recruit better coaches and talent to go there and take them to, well, where exactly? Is it really reasonable in the BCS Day and Age to expect Georgia Tech to compete annually for a National Title? Okay, they won one under Bobby Ross way back God-knows-when, but is that reasonable to expect that goal on an annual basis from that school? I don't expect that as a Michigan Alum - and remember, I am a slappy fan...I figure, realistically, that if you can get a sniff at a National Title once every 5 years or so, you're doing pretty good among the elite schools that are out there competing for the same goal every year...

So, this post wasn't so much an update on the Michigan situation - and I will do that, but as a lead in to the comments on what I think about Les Miles and what my expections are from the next head coach at Michigan, whoever that may be.

Yes, Bill Martin has finally gone public and asked for permission to speak to Les. My guess is that Michigan has a contract ready, regardless of what Lloyd Carr thinks or feels about Les Miles. Lloyd isn't the guy whose ass is on the line for the next 5-10 years with this decision (See Tom Goss Hires Tommy Amaker...Was he the Best Thing for Michigan? He was a Duke Guy and not a Michigan Man...I know - you can't compare Michigan Basketball to Michigan Football, but you had better learn from the last AD who got canned in front of you) And it's hard to ignore 36-4 in the SEC over the last 3 years with some of the best talent in that league...Yeah, I know, Satan recruited them...But Miles developed them. So, think what you want. Do I think Miles is the next coach? Well, given the fact that Lloyd's pick was Ferentz - I think that's going to come out if you watch mgoblog and the story that's unfolding there, told Michigan, "Nope, I am happy at Iowa." And thank your Maize and Blue Lucky Stars he IS HAPPY at Iowa...Because I would have not been happy with the Ferentz hire.....

So, I think Les is your next coach. Is that a good or a bad thing? Well, let's look at the good (with MMQ comments thrown in):

The GOOD!

1. He is a Michigan Man (MMQ Comment: I have thought about this a lot the last couple of weeks and after all is said and done - So what? Can he win here is all that really matters...I think he can and it helps that he played in the Game and understands what it takes to beat OSU...So, it matters a little, but not as much as people think..I'M a Michigan Man - Me - The MMQ...Does it matter? Really?)
2. He "Gets" the Michigan OSU Game...(Recently speaking, this is getting to be kind of a big deal - so this is a plus - a Big Plus....)
3. He Can Recruit - Bill McCartney credits Miles with the 5 year turnaround that he oversaw at Colorado... (This hasn't gotten a lot of press - but it's the first I have heard someone give Miles behind the scenes credit for early work...)
4. I don't care whose players they are or how he has won the games, he is 36-4 in the SEC... You can't ignore numbers like that (All Right - this one time and ONE TIME ONLY - I will admit - God, I hate doing this - That the SEC might be a better conference than the rest - MAYBE. Caryl Brown, I know you will throw this back in my face for the rest of my life)
5. He's brash and outspoken (This can work both ways. Schembechler was outspoken, but was a legend, so he could get away with it. IF Miles doesn't win, His Big Talk will get old with the Alumni really fast..)
6. He surrounds himself with good coordinators (For now. Will the Michigan Loyalty take over when he gets here or will he continue to look for the best coaches who find the new wrinkles in the game?)
7. He will probably coach here until he hangs up the whistle (This, if he maintains the integrity of the program and the winning tradition, is a good thing - trust me....)
8. He beat Stoops twice while he was at OSU, Urban Legend twice while at LSU, and these guys are supposed to be big game coaches...(He can win big games against guys who are supposed to be the best X's and O's coaches out there - read Tressel)
9. He is two OT games away from the National title game this year....(I know - So What? Can he do it here? is the question that needs to be answered...)
10. He Loves Michigan....(So What? We ALL LOVE MICHIGAN! Right????)

The Not so Good

1. Game Decisions. Say what you want, I don't see how you can call for an end zone pass with 12 tics on the clock when a field goal wins the game agains Auburn. BAD CALL. (This is at the top of my worry bead list. You can get away with calls like this when they work and you have talent, but when they don't, oh man...You will be hung in effigy by the 2nd guessers and, ahem, Monday Morning Quarterbacks!)
2. Tunnel Vision. I think, after watching LSU a lot this year, that they seem to stick with what works - even when it's not working... While that's not a bad thing, I am still a firm believer in adjustment and taking what the other guy is giving...Which is probably why I am not a head coach...But I think LSU could have beat both Kentucky and Arkansas if they hadn't been quite so stubborn...)
3. LSU fan boards seem to be 50-50 on whether or not they want the guy to hang around, saying he is not that good of a coach...(So What? Every Coach who isn't winning the National Title this year in the SEC is on someone's sh!t list Blog...See Urban Legend, Satan, Tommy Tutone, Sly Croom, Richy Rich, The Ole Ball Coach, Etc.)
4. He's 54. If he follows the Lloyd route, he's here for 10 years, and might be gone...But I think he may coach for a few more years than Lloyd...
5. Can he out-think and out-scheme the Vest? (This remains to be seen. I am actually starting to get a little intimidated by The Sweater Vested Troll.... The Luckeyes seem to have the Big Ten figured out and the recruiting train is at full speed...How does the new guy derail the juggernaut? Is Tressel Woody re-incarnated? Is OSU the Midwest Powerhouse? Is it 1968 all over again in 2007? History does repeat itself, you know....and we all know what happened in 1969... Read: Bring on 2008!)

The Really Bad
1. We just don't know....(I know, I hear all of you out there saying, "WTF MMQ! Come On! We have been living with Lloyd "boring" Carr for 13 seasons - at a .750% win rate...Loosen up and move forward...Yeah, well, Lloyd did give us 1997 and 2006, even if 2006 didn't end that great...And I saw what happened to the other "Great" programs that tried "moving forward" One is literally in the sh!tter and had to revive the last living legend to come back to right the ship - if the "Titanic" known as Nebraska Football can be saved from sinking and the other is literally wallowing and sinking in the greed that they let consume them (Domers)with no turnaround in sight (Weis will get the ax before next Turkey Day).....I don't think this will happen to Michigan (it didn't happen to LSU with two head coaching changes), but how can you really KNOW? - Bottom line is you can't - there is always risk....
2. Is there a better guy that we aren't "seeing"? See number 1. What if Les Miles gets here and he's the boob that everyone in the SEC is saying he is and he has just been lucky down there? What do we do then, Sports Fans? What do we do when we are Nebraska or the Domers and we are looking for the "next" guy and he's already coaching another school that he doesn't want to leave? Is there a better choice out there right now that we aren't looking at as closely as we should be based on the fact that Les has too much clout and can't be ignored?

Anyway, What you are really reading this for - My Expectations of the Next Coach:

1. Don't lose the Michigan tradition. I want to be able to watch the Wolverines on New Year's day.
2. 1st year OSU Bye...Unless you want to establish your legend and beat the Suckeyes like Bo did his 1st year....Then, by all means, kick their asses in Columbus...and I mean beat the ever living sh!t out of those inbred, mealy mouthed, truck driving, sister-kissing, one-syllable vocabulary, monkey-loving, nut-sucking, braying-hyena morons...Yes, I am a little preturbed that we haven't beat them in awhile...Can you tell?
3. Let's mix up the offense a little bit and attack the spread a little more aggressively....There has to be a scheme that works against that offense and a mobile QB...and if we can come up with a better play then tailback off left tackle on first down, then by all means, let's use it and use it regularly...
4. In Mallet's junior year, if he is that good, with the defense that got a lot better this year maturing...I think a whiff of a National Title in in your 2nd year as head coach isn't unreasonable...That's the slappy in me coming out...Of course, this means you beat OSU, too....
5. Beat MSU, The Domers, and everybody else.... (Or at least beat all the DII schools on the schedule...Sheesh... and re-establish the rivalry with OSU - meaning we beat those little c_cks_cker_! Remember: you can't spell that word without OSU!)

First Season: 9-3 or 8-4....Anything less and you better have a good explanation...
2nd Season: See above...I think we should be looking at a shot at the BCS National Title Game given where other programs are currently and will be in two year's time...and you better figure on beating OSU - did I mention that?
3rd season...Same as 2nd season....

After that, we will need to see how good a recruiter the new coach is and what he can do with his own talent....and beat OSU....

Tough Job with High Expectations? You bet. But Florida had high expectations, OSU had high expectations, as did LSU, as did Alabama (snicker) as will LSU again if Les leaves....

Bring on the new coach and let the new Era Begin!

MMQ