Enough with the F*cking Navel Gazing Already
With Les Miles confirming for the second [and hopefully final] time that he’s not a candidate for the University of Michigan coaching job, the collective mood of the Michigan fan base seems to be ranging anywhere from wistful to batshit crazy. Apparently there are a substantial number of people who still believe Miles will be Michigan’s coach next fall.
The one interesting result from the on-again, off-again pursuit of the Louisiana State head coach was that it brought out into the open that there are deep divisions within the program. This was most blatantly displayed in this Ann Arbor News article. The knives were clearly out:
“Business 101 tells you don’t let the outgoing guy replace himself with his cronies,” Dufek said. “This job is one of the top 10 jobs in the country, but frankly for several years we haven’t even had a top-25 coaching staff. And people have kept their mouth shut out of respect for Bo, but after this, you’re seeing they’re not going to keep quiet any more.”
“Basically all (Carr) ever was was a steward of Bo’s program. And it’s Bo’s program that lasted that long. No disrespect for Lloyd, but he’s got to remember how he got there and what his real capabilities are. And frankly he’s not Bo Schembechler, never will be and he’s misread this situation horribly.”
With most sane people accepting that the boat has sailed on Les Miles coaching the Wolverines, the interesting thing to follow will be whether this internal schism was strictly related to Miles’ candidacy. If it was then this will likely be the last we hear of this conflict.
If the schism continues to exist - unlikely in my opinion - things could turn ugly as more and more people associated with the program go to the press to air their griefs and ill-will. That’s clearly not the Michigan way. But with such strong support for Les Miles there is at least reason to think this could happen.
The only way I see this happening is if someone from the current staff somehow becomes the head coach. This would prove that the critique of cronyism is completely true in regards to the current search. Suffice it to say I think this has absolutely no chance of happening. The program will almost certainly move on from Bo Schembechler’s coaching tree and will hire a coach from outside the program. Les Miles was likely the only direct descendant of Bo - Mike Trgovac hasn’t generated much in the way of coaching rumors - who would be seen as a high-caliber coach.
So with that likely being the case, I think it is imperative that Bill Martin make no demands on the new head coach when it comes to choosing his staff. Bo brought his assistants from Miami of Ohio and that seemed to work out just fine. This was brought up in this MLIVE article.
[Former line coach Jerry Hanlon] recalled the reception that Schembechler and his assistants - all viewed as outsiders - got when they arrived from Miami (Ohio).
“It’s understandable,” Hanlon said. “When we first got here in 1969, I think there might have been a little resentment…because it was something new. I think that’s what the guys are feeling a little bit now.”
So it’s time to move on from the hurt feelings and bitter recriminations. It’s time to hire a coach from outside who is going to breathe new life into a stagnant program. Bo was, after all, an outsider and he retooled a sleeping giant that has had a pretty impressive run that lasted for nearly 40 years.
The future is unwritten. Navel gazing doesn’t do anyone any good. It’s time to find the guy who is going to tell the story going forward - starting with the 2008 season.
Michigan FootballNo Comments
No comments yet.
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
