Blog: Michigan's List Is Down To Four
By Tom Millikan
Brady Hoke is out as Michigan's football head coach I believe interim athletic director Jim Hackett has a very short list of candidates. In fact I'll go on record saying I'll be stunned if one of these four guys is not Michigan's next head coach. They're ranked based on how I think it stands versus who I really want.
- Greg Schiano
- Schiano is the clear cut favorite to me. The timing is perfect. He is available right now. There is no haggling or wrestling with another college or NFL team. He could literally already have a contract in place. He could hit the ground running with recruiting right away and try to save the 2015 class. He had past college success at Rutgers and he is familiar with academics being a part of the process from his Rutgers days. Some of the academic stuff is hogwash, but it matters on the surface at Michigan and in the Big Ten. Schiano would be supported by both the academic side of the university and the athletic side. He would be a uniting hire.
Odds of happening: 4/1
- David Shaw
- Shaw is second in the line of favorites to me. Schiano is cheaper, but Shaw might wow recruits more. Is it worth the coin to go for Shaw? That's up to Michigan President Mark Schlisssel and Hackett. Shaw would be Michigan's first African American head football coach. He is a Harbaugh disciple. He would likely get Harbaugh's blessing which could weigh significantly with football alumni. Shaw is somewhat available now with Stanford having finished their regular season. He is familiar with the importance of academics which again weighs heavily in this process even if it is a façade.
Odds of happening: 8/1
- Les Miles
- Miles is the classic fall back option that will pacify the football people. I like Les Miles, but this ship may have sailed. There would be some criticism as to why Michigan didn't get Miles sooner, but overall this would calm down the fan base for a while. There's no doubt to me that Miles could restore Carr-like days to Ann Arbor. He has put a lot of players in the NFL and that's been a recent criticism of Michigan. He could restore Michigan's NFL brand.
Odds of happening: 15/1
- Jim Harbaugh
- The dream grand slam candidate that I've harped about since the Rich Rod days. Friends of mine can tell you I wanted Harbaugh offered the job when Michigan lost at home to Purdue on Nov 7, 2009. I've worshipped Harbaugh since I was a kid when he played at Michigan. He can be a jerk, he can rub people the wrong way, but he is a winner when it comes to football. Harbaugh faces a personal dilemma. The only way he takes the Michigan job is if it's in his heart. The NFL money and desire to win a Super Bowl may just be too much. Harbaugh would win at Michigan and it may be as soon as two years. It's almost like he is too good of a fit to be true. It would be a storybook ending to a horrible era of Michigan football. But in the end, it's a long shot, it's complicated, and I just don't know if Michigan can risk waiting into mid-to-late January. There's always a chance, but I'm not letting my heart get burned in hoping it will happen.
Odds of happening: 25/1
I'd be shocked if anybody else got the Michigan gig. These four guys fit Michigan considering the factors involved at Michigan with their president, their AD and the football alumni. Sure a lot of other people should be considered, but in the end the Mike Gundy, Gary Patterson and the Dan Mullen types just don't seem like real Michigan candidates. So are you with me or are you taking the field?
