In which I discuss the sports teams at the University of Michigan

[Paperback Writer]

Either way, UM will be good next year. I predict very good. Good chance that whoever wins "The Game" will move on to the Big Ten Championship game.

While I expect improvement from Michigan in 2015 and beyond, I suspect Michigan St. will continue to be a major factor in the B1G East.

[woot]

Seems like things are starting to come together at last. John Baxter, most recently making $1.1m at USC as associate head coach/ST coordinator under Kiffin, has been hired to coach special teams, presumably at a lower salary. He was interviewed for the CSU HC opening so he might head that route eventually. His special teams have been really good and I like the idea of a dedicated ST coach.

Tyrone Wheatley has been offered the RB gig, and is expected to accept. SJSU OC Jimmy Dougherty, another Harbaugh guy at USD and Stanford has been brought on, perhaps to coach WRs but maybe TEs if John Morton is still in the mix.

Durkin is official, and Mattison, Roy Manning and Greg Jackson seem locks. It's still unclear whether they bring in a dedicated DL coach, which would require Manning to coach CBs (didn't go so well last year), or whether they bring in Morton to coach WRs and give the DL to Durkin or Mattison. I'm hoping it's the latter scenario.

I'm really excited about these hires, not necessarily because they'll have the team eating planets anytime soon, but because they're all really competent people, with the coordinators savoring the chess match that I find so interesting. As good as Mattison is, he still didn't ever change a call in response to anything the offense did, which was kind of maddening.

The class structure of the team is still pretty imbalanced, causing 2015 and 2016 to be heavy on upperclassmen. So if Harbaugh can fix or find a QB it's possible things will set up well for 2016 at least.

[Paperback Writer]

Thanks for the update on Michigan. It's always good to follow what other teams are doing in the B1G. Mike Riley at Nebraska is close to finishing his new staff with one more hire expected. They appear to be a competent group of coaches with a lot of experience but perhaps not ace recruiters. Nebraska and Michigan are not scheduled to play again until 2018 when Nebraska managed to draw Ohio St., Michigan, and Michigan St. as its cross-division opponents. Both programs should be rebuilt by then so it will be interesting to watch. Hopefully, they will meet before 2018 in the B1G championship game.

[woot]

So now it seems that Jedd Fisch, recently fired from his gig as OC of the Jaguars and formerly OC of Miami, has accepted the job as co-OC (passing game coordinator)/WR coach. That would seem to rule out Morton, and probably means Dougherty gets the TEs if he is indeed on board. It seems like they were hoping to find somebody to do OT/TE leaving Drevno just C/G, so it's possible they go away from Dougherty, who is more a WR guy.

On defense, it seems that a second DB coach is all that's needed, so that's where Manning will be (probably as CB coach) if they keep him on. Otherwise, Chuck Heater, current Marshall DC, is apparently an option.

[dabrockster]

So now it seems that Jedd Fisch, recently fired from his gig as OC of the Jaguars and formerly OC of Miami, has accepted the job as co-OC (passing game coordinator)/WR coach. That would seem to rule out Morton, and probably means Dougherty gets the TEs if he is indeed on board. It seems like they were hoping to find somebody to do OT/TE leaving Drevno just C/G, so it's possible they go away from Dougherty, who is more a WR guy.

On defense, it seems that a second DB coach is all that's needed, so that's where Manning will be (probably as CB coach) if they keep him on. Otherwise, Chuck Heater, current Marshall DC, is apparently an option.

Thanks for the continued updates. I am interested to see how things play out. Exciting times in the Big Ten!

[woot]

While still not official, it seems the staff is now complete. Mike Zordich, safeties coach at Youngstown State and formerly with the Eagles, has been hired to coach DBs (presumably safeties), meaning Roy Manning won't be retained. This doesn't seem too exciting, but he's expected to be a better coach than Manning, who was mostly valued for his recruiting prowess.

To coach TEs, it looks like Harbaugh's son Jay is in. He's been an offensive quality control coach/staff with the Ravens, so he should be good at breaking down game film but this will be his first actual coaching job. On the surface it seems like a bit of a last resort option or one that benefits his progeny more directly than the team, but TEs are so important for Harbaugh's offense I have to think that either he actually has great confidence in his son or that he plans to let Baxter, the ST coach who also has lots of experience coaching TEs, help him.

[SeattleUte]

Harbough's timing was terrible. He's going to be eating buckeye turds his entire life at Michigan, as long as Urban is around.

[woot]

Harbough's timing was terrible. He's going to be eating buckeye turds his entire life at Michigan, as long as Urban is around.

That could be the case; I have no doubt Harbaugh will improve the team drastically, but Urban is simply amazing. Their defense was inconsistent this year but their offense was a joy to watch. I do love Oregon's offense as well, but a scheme that consistently gets its athletes in space while also running straight-ahead power is ideal, imo. Even RichRod's offense seems to consistently struggle against great teams, perhaps at least partially because it's a bit too much "basketball on grass". OSU's offense accomplishes everything that Brady Hoke always talked about doing, incorporated into a modern framework that gives the offense an extra blocker and makes the defense wrong no matter what they do.

[smokymountainrain]

Sad to watch Michigan's basketball team right now. They are almost as bad in the frontcourt as BYU. Well, not almost as bad as BYU, but still, they don't get much production from their bigs.

[SeattleUte]

That could be the case; I have no doubt Harbaugh will improve the team drastically, but Urban is simply amazing. Their defense was inconsistent this year but their offense was a joy to watch. I do love Oregon's offense as well, but a scheme that consistently gets its athletes in space while also running straight-ahead power is ideal, imo. Even RichRod's offense seems to consistently struggle against great teams, perhaps at least partially because it's a bit too much "basketball on grass". OSU's offense accomplishes everything that Brady Hoke always talked about doing, incorporated into a modern framework that gives the offense an extra blocker and makes the defense wrong no matter what they do.

Actually, I think Harbaugh is great. I hope Urban stays, just to watch that rivalry.

[woot]

Sad to watch Michigan's basketball team right now. They are almost as bad in the frontcourt as BYU. Well, not almost as bad as BYU, but still, they don't get much production from their bigs.

Yeah the loss of all 3 bigs from last year was devastating. The team actually looked better than expected against Nova and Syracuse, but that turns out to have been illusory. It also hurts that the PG has turf toe; he was expected to be the #2 offensive option and instead should probably be sitting.

Having one of the youngest teams in the nation every year was bound to catch up eventually (unless you're Kentucky).

[woot]

Michigan's bball team has been hard to watch this season. Even when they win it's just brutal viewing, and only one guy has been playing well at all -- Caris LeVert.

LeVert is expected to miss the rest of the season after injuring his foot in yesterday's close win over NW. Even the NIT would appear unlikely.

Harbaugh.

[Pelado]

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/2/2/7962557/super-bowl-mvps-by-college

Michigan No. 1 in all-time Super Bowl MVPs after Tom Brady's third award

[TripletDaddy]

Michigan finished with maybe the 50th ranked class. Whoops.

[dabrockster]

Michigan finished with maybe the 50th ranked class. Whoops.

Don't let DDD get to you woot. Seems the only thing SC and DDD have been winning lately are paper trophies like in recruiting..

I am sure his recruiting rankings were never as high as SC but Harbaugh won on the field none the less..