Brandon's Resignation Relieves Pressure On Program, Sets Michigan On Road To Harbaugh
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - By accepting the resignation of athletic director Dave Brandon this week, Michigan relieved the pressure.
The toxicity around the program had reached a terminal level. With the football team floundering and new scandals popping up seemingly every week, Michigan fans were clamoring loudly for the university to fire Brandon and head coach Brady Hoke.
Fans wanted the duo removed because such action would be an acknowledgement from the university that the current state of affairs is unacceptable. With Brandon's departure, fans got their wish.
Now the fervor to fire Hoke subsides, simply because his removal is now inevitable. Hoke will coach out the rest of the season, preserving a stable-as-possible environment for the players, and then he will be done.
The interim athletic director will be the one to fire Hoke, allowing the next athletic director to start his tenure with a clean slate.
This season has affirmed the old adage that winning cures all ills. In the context of a winning team or a healthy program, none of the little side stories that garnered so much attention this season would have registered as more than a blip on the radar.
To the thinking of many observers, the righting of the Wolverines' ship starts with the hiring of San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, an alumnus of Michigan and currently one of the most successful coaches at the highest level of football.
Paid a base salary of $5 million now, Harbaugh tabled contract extension talks with the 49ers before this season. NFL insider Jay Glazer reported earlier this month that he sees no way Harbaugh remains with the 49ers after this season, even if San Francisco wins the Super Bowl.
Harbaugh would have his pick of jobs since he has guided the 49ers to 41-14-1 record over the last three seasons, each of which the 49ers has reached the NFC championship game.
Whether Harbaugh wants to come back to coach his alma mater, whether Michigan's president can stomach paying Harbaugh the sum he might command, and whether Harbaugh would be able to win enough to satisfy fans all remain to be seen.
Michigan cannot control whether Harbaugh wants to leave the NFL to coach in the college ranks again, and the school cannot guarantee that putting him at the helm of the program will fix everything and do so quickly enough to pacify an anxious fan base.
The Wolverines can control how hard they pursue Harbaugh, however, and particularly how much money they throw at him. That aspect should not be a problem; Michigan lured defensive coordinator Greg Mattison from the NFL in 2011 and made him the fourth-highest paid assistant coach in college football. He makes $851,400 this season, according to USA Today.
The process of getting Harbaugh, if indeed the Wolverines do, will take a while to play out. The NFL season extends beyond the college season, so although Michigan only has a month of football remaining, the 49ers could have significantly more.
In the meantime, Michigan has at least taken the first step, placating the masses by removing Brandon and in effect promising a removal of Hoke as well. Michigan gets a new beginning. Whether that starts with Harbaugh or someone else, hitting the refresh button was desperately needed.