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Tuesday, January 30, 2024

What's on Sherrone Moore's Checklist?

 

Former offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was introduced as Michigan's head football coach on Saturday, replacing Jim Harbaugh, who left for the Los Angeles Chargers. That has elicited several changes in the program, including the loss of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, safeties coach Jay Harbaugh, and strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert.

Here are the main staff components as they stand today, and some of these positions may be fluid:

  1. Head Coach: Sherrone Moore
  2. Offensive Coordinator (expected)/Quarterbacks Coach: Kirk Campbell
  3. Running Backs Coach: Mike Hart
  4. Wide Receivers Coach: Ron Bellamy
  5. Tight Ends Coach: ???
  6. Offensive Line Coach: Grant Newsome
  7. Defensive Coordinator: ???
  8. Defensive Line Coach: Mike Elston
  9. Linebackers Coach: ???
  10. Cornerbacks Coach: Steve Clinkscale
  11. Safeties Coach/Special Teams Coordinator: ???

So here are some of the things that should be top of mind for Moore.

Hit the jump.


  1. Hire a defensive coordinator. Michigan has had several elite defensive coordinators in a row, going all the way back to Greg Mattison. Yes, Mattison did have his struggles at times, but he was a revered NFL defensive coordinator and a great defensive line coach, too. Mattison gave way to D.J. Durkin in 2015, then Don Brown from 2016-2020, Mike Macdonald in 2021, and then Jesse Minter in 2022-2023. As an offensive guy, Moore can make his imprint on the offensive side of the ball and take more of a hands-on approach, but he needs to give away the keys to the defense to a high-level mind on defense. Will he try to stick with someone who knows the Baltimore Ravens' system that has been so successful the past few years at Michigan? Or will he step out on his own and try to hire someone who has a different philosophy?
  2. Hire an offensive coordinator. This is less of a priority because Moore will certainly have his hands on the offense. While Moore said at his press conference that he will likely step back a little bit from his coordinator duties, he should have someone in place who he sees eye-to-eye with when it comes to philosophy and personnel. Despite playing for an Air Raid offense at Oklahoma back in the 2000s, Moore seems to be a bit more 11- and 12-personnel friendly, and that has worked for him over the past few years when calling the offense in Ann Arbor. Until defenses catch up to that philosophy, Moore needs to stick with what has been working. Furthermore, Michigan's current player personnel lends itself to a run-heavy approach, whether it's a game manager at quarterback (Jadyn Davis, Davis Warren, Jayden Denegal, etc.) or a run-first QB (Alex Orji). This may be as simple as promoting quarterbacks coach Kirk Campbell.
  3. Retain the staff that needs to be retained. The new hires are the ones that will make the headlines, but Moore also has to figure out who needs to stick around on the staff. Sometimes there are guys the fans like, but who are going to be upset because somebody else got promoted . . . or because they didn't get the head coaching job. That can be toxic in a coaches' office and in the locker room. Taking this into account, Moore needs to be wary of who's going to support him . . . and who might be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
  4. Fix NIL. The first two items on this list are necessary to keep current players from hitting the portal out of pure spite. Fixing NIL is a way to keep players from getting poached in the spring and recruiting players for the class of 2025. Unfortunately, fixing NIL isn't like flipping a switch or hiring someone to mend a fence or pour some concrete. Name, Image, and Likeness is an ongoing issue that is going to require full-time attention from collectives, a "general manager," etc. It's also probably going to require Moore to go out and campaign, make appearances, make Zoom calls, do some favors here and there, etc. My fear is that NIL is going to turn a very political job of being head coach at a huge university into even more of a political job. Is Moore up for that challenge? We'll see. Ultimately, numerous reports indicate that while Michigan has the ability to offer up decent incentives for players already enrolled in the program, the money cannon does not necessarily line up as well as numerous other schools that are . . . south from the state of Michigan.
  5. Find a tight ends coach. Former tight ends coach Grant Newsome has been elevated to offensive line coach, which has long been the plan. Newsome is a very intelligent young coach who has been groomed to coach the line. It helps that Moore is an offensive line guy himself and can offer advice. But Michigan has also traditionally had a stable of good-to-great tight ends, including potential Mackey Award winner Colston Loveland coming back in 2024. Considering how much Michigan has used tight ends - and assuming Moore will continue using that personnel group so heavily - he needs to find a solid coach for the position, preferably one who can also recruit at a high level.
  6. Find a linebackers coach. I feel like this was forgotten in the run to the national championship, but Michigan fired its linebackers coach in the middle of the season. And not because his linebackers sucked. Michigan does not often fire coaches midyear, but Chris Partridge was let go because of his part in the sign-stealing investigation. Fortunately for the Wolverines, the father of defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was none other than former Cincinnati head coach Rick Minter, who had been serving as an analyst for the team, anyway. Minter stepped right in and took over the linebackers job, but he will presumably be gone along with Jesse.
  7. Find a safeties coach. Jay Harbaugh served several roles in his time at Michigan, from tight ends coach to running backs coach to safeties coach. Perhaps that was part of his being groomed to someday be a head coach, but he did a great job with the safeties over the past couple seasons, no doubt supported by Jesse Minter, a secondary guy himself.
  8. Find a special teams coach. Jay Harbaugh had served as Michigan's special teams coach for several years, and this may be an underrated aspect of his departure. Michigan had very good special teams under Jay, which might run in the bloodline since Uncle John Harbaugh made his bones as a special teams coach before becoming the Baltimore Ravens head coach. Now Moore will need to find someone to coach special teams, preferably someone who can also hold down a position coaching job.
  9. Figure out your recruiting vision: Tweaks to recruiting inevitably come along with coaching changes. Recruiting has changed a ton since Lloyd Carr . . . and since Rich Rodriguez . . . and since Brady Hoke . . . and even since Jim Harbaugh was hired in 2015. Carr and Rodriguez would offer somewhere between 110-200 players per cycle. Now Michigan is offering upwards of 300 players per cycle. There may have been some under-the-table inducements back in the day, but now everyone is looking for perks to go along with nice facilities and a path to a college degree. What size linemen does Coach Moore want? Does he want to offer only kids who take visits, or will he throw out offers to kids who haven't set foot on campus? Will he stick to the high academic kids, or will he try to get the admissions department to allow more exceptions like Rich Rodriguez did? Will Coach Moore go for undersized receivers and cornerbacks because of their athleticism, or will he stick to trying to find mostly 6'0"+ guys because of their length?

34 comments:

  1. I think you got the list largely right, though in some cases 3 (retain) maybe elevated. I think Newsome at OL tells you how important he is. I also think it maybe tells you which way the wind is blowing on OC (towards Campbell). An external OC would typically want some say on the OL coach. Maybe some negotiation happening there with Campbell, if Harbaugh wants to take him to the NFL.

    Anyway, yes DC and OC are top priorities because the dominos fall from there generally.

    DC is going to be a tough one because Elston and Clink both are big assets and have resumes that warrant a promotion. Yet it's not clear if they are the best fit at Michigan for that job. Michigan is going through a pretty elite run of DC hires since Rich Rod (Mattison was very good and overqualified for the job). Clink and Elston aren't as shiny, but they are pieces you really would love to retain if at all possible. Something has to give unless those guys just really want to be in AA.

    Maybe this is semantics but I think fixing isn't the right word for NIL. NIL got us back Corum, Zinter, Keegan and a bunch of others who could have gone to the NFL last year. This year it got us back the best safety in Michigan history, Paige, Edwards and perhaps others. I would say NIL is working pretty well for everything besides getting blue chip recruits out of high school.

    I'll take that since it seems like there is a market inefficiency happening that Michigan is moneyball exploiting in a)holding on to it's vets and b)landing impact guys from the portal. So go ahead and let these other programs spend millions on Dante Moore and Nykolas Harbor. We'll spend ours on Zinter and Keegan and come out ahead. Evolve and grow NIL? Sure, but I don't think it's broken.

    *IDK if I would be ready to call Dengal, Orji, and especially Davis as game managers. Typically that's an older guy like Cade in 2021. It would be nice if they were ready for that though. More likely - those guys are going to go out there and try to make some plays and that means they'll take risks when sometimes you don't want them to.

    **I was under the impression that admissions made no changes between the Carr and Rodriguez era. There was always a few spots open for marginal cases but the expectation was that the bulk of guys would be well above NCAA minimums. I think that was one of those narratives that was cooked up and inflated at a time when Rodriguez was vilified from everything ranging from swearing too much to stretching too much to recruiting in Ohio too much.

    ***Focusing on length at WR would be an odd regression to the Hoke era and counter to the direction under Harbaugh and the direction of the NFL over the last decade plus. If Moore went this way it would be a real head-scratcher. I would immediately have doubts his tenure would go differently than Hoke's. I can't imagine an OC from anything other than the stone-age (no offense to Al Borges or Mike DeBord) would buy off on this kind of thinking.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cade was in year three during the 2021 season, same as Denegal & Orji for 2024

      Delete
    2. But yes, your statement is 100% true Anon. So was mine - McNamara was older in 2021 than either Denegal or Orji will be in 2024.

      McNamara was a junior (a commonly used shorthand to say year 3) in school. But he's a year older than most in his class because Daddy held him back - likely so he could have a physical advantage in sports relative to his peers. McNamara is the same age as Joe Milton, Michael Penix, Bo Nix, etc. These are all year 6th year QBs while he is a 5th year QB.

      McNamara was 21 his junior year, the age of most college seniors. Denegal will be 20 his junior year, the typical age for most college juniors.
      Denegal is a junior and born in April of 2004. McNamara is May of 2000. There should be a 3 year difference between a 6th year senior and a junior but there is a 4 year difference. Orji is somewhat in the middle (he will turn 21 towards the OSU game.

      Does age matter? Not so much as you get older but McNamara certainly took advantage of that extra year, making the rounds at QB camps, getting a leg up in winning a starting job in high school, etc. on his way to Michigan. And we've seen guys like Penix and Nix of course take advantage and be Heisman contenders after looking very much not like that earlier in their careers. McNamara will attempt to take advantage of his extra year (well, 2 years counting COVID, and 3 counting red-shirt) at age 24 next season. Denegal will be a junior, yes, but he'll be competing in the same league as a guy 4 years older than him.

      Not to turn this into another Milton/McNamara debate but I would argue that, despite the difference in college experience (11 pass attempts in 2 years vs 0 pass attempts in 1), Joe was still not as well positioned to start in 2020 as McNamara because McNamara was the same age and got a ton of coaching at camps for many years prior. At best they were on equal ground.

      Anyway, any of these guys COULD be a game manager but even Cade (a year older, well prepared through high school, and already with a start under his belt at Michigan) was still managed more than he was a game manager to start the season. Michigan was terrified to throw the ball through the first month of the year. So that's a bit of a "best case scenario" for a game manager and it still took a ramp up period.

      In my mind there is a big difference between a game manager (avoid mistakes, keep the chains moving, audible in response to the defense, dial it up when you need to) and a guy like sophomore Brandon Peters in 2017 where the coaching staff is just simply not letting him throw because they are terrified of what might happen if he does.

      If we end up with a game manger in 2024 I think it'll be either Warren or a Tuttle/Bowman type of vet via the portal. I just don't see it for the younger guys already on the roster. But I've been wrong before.

      Delete
    3. Age? AGE? Yeah, it's the birthday candles

      https://twitter.com/FamouslyGarnet/status/1753140670775103589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753140670775103589%7Ctwgr%5E37fd56dbc2adbbf37c1dbf9064b906015cec1708%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fvikingswire.usatoday.com%2Flists%2Freeses-senior-bowl-american-team-practice-2024-nfl-draft-joe-milton-spencer-rattler%2F






      https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/lists/reeses-senior-bowl-american-team-practice-2024-nfl-draft-joe-milton-spencer-rattler/

      Delete
    4. @JE

      So the guy you asserted needed to dip from D1 to get a starting job is so successful in college that he got a senior bowl invite? Interesting. I had the impression that game was only for the top college seniors who played well enough in college to garner NFL attention.

      Same guy you claimed was getting projected as 5th round at best last week? Seems like you didn't do your research. First round grade to at least one guy.
      https://firstroundmock.com/2023/12/joe-milton-iii-go-big-or-go-home/

      I'll put it on your tab.

      ------------------------------------------

      Youre still picking nits about a guy you said wasn't good enough to start in college. "Yeah well, he's not 1st round material, he's got some issues to be a successful pro." Cool. That's called moving the goal posts.

      Nobody here EVER argued he was the perfect QB and would go in the first few rounds of the draft. The only arguments were that a)he might be better than Cade McNamara given how 2020 played out (yes, you'll always have Rutgers) and b) that your assessment was overly negative. B has been repeated over and over again. Which, again, has PROVEN to be true time and time again over the last 6 years.

      Like, this goes back to Dylan McCaffrey (the guy I was higher on than ANY other Harbaugh recruit). McCaffrey stunk. But even after we saw Milton beat him out and prove to be a vastly superior QB you STILL won't acknowledge that Jim Harbaugh watched these two guys in practice and elevated Milton ahead of him. LOL

      I can pull video for JJ McCarthy and Michael Penix making bad throws, bad reads, throwing reckless INTs, etc. They are not perfect QBs either. They are better than MIlton and projected higher in the draft accordingly.

      Is McNamara? Well maybe when he approaches AGE 25 we'll finally find out if he's at the senior bowl, if he's outproduced Tom Brady in college, etc.

      Milton has proven you wrong for YEARS. But please keep it up. It's comical.

      Delete
    5. You're lying again. When was this ever about Joe being first round, great or even good? Neither of us have had a back & forth on such. I said he sucked in 2o2o, one of the worst I've seen. He needed MOAR snaps - tons of snaps - to work out his atrocious habits. He went to Tennessee, sat on pine, and here we are. One. Big. Question. Mark.

      I've never heard of this guy. But even your internet rando says:
      - Hardest evaluation I’ve ever done
      - He had 29 passes that were broken up in 2023 (2.42 per game average)
      - It was disappointing how much Tennessee tried to get him to play ‘dink-and-dunk’ football
      - There were a ton of quick short passes this season for Milton
      - "Projected by 2.3% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of December 24, 2023" ... from this to hardest evaluation?
      - Inconsistent rhythm and timing. The coach had to set the tempo.
      - unsettled footwork
      - can sail high or get overthrown due to a higher release point and his left leg locking up when releasing
      - Most consistent in short range
      - Deep ball 32% (charted games)
      - not a runner by nature
      - leap of faith

      He agrees with me - probably drafted based on the arm - but who the fxck knows

      I WAS RIGHT

      Delete
    6. *the two picks in the Senior Bowl, back me up as well. Not just that he threw them, but WATCH THE TAPE ... ugly, wtf are you doing type decisions & throws ... before the INTs he was getting sacked on his first play., and another near sack in his EZ, staring down field
      In real games, coaches must win. They design game plans to maximize strengths while guarding weaknesses. Huepel carried Joe with short passes off single reads
      In this setting, the goal is to demonstrate talent. Joe proved what I've been saying. Stats count, but there's a need for context - and this was bad
      Joe is a joke, but maybe worth a gamble during late rounds for some starry eyed GM ... the combine is made for such fools

      Delete
    7. https://t.co/BjEurMi17U

      https://twitter.com/TSV__1/status/1753854938697150740?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753854938697150740%7Ctwgr%5Eb793cb83df55a6951e751a3f79d9b9dc92bb4be3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fathlonsports.com%2Fcollege-football%2Fjoe-milton-college-football-fans-are-all-saying-the-same-thing-about-senior-bowl-qb

      https://twitter.com/UMvsEveryone/status/1753874047216345207?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753874047216345207%7Ctwgr%5Eb793cb83df55a6951e751a3f79d9b9dc92bb4be3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fathlonsports.com%2Fcollege-football%2Fjoe-milton-college-football-fans-are-all-saying-the-same-thing-about-senior-bowl-qb

      https://twitter.com/migueljdn/status/1753855551635673384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753855551635673384%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      https://twitter.com/colinreags2/status/1753860781597163840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753860781597163840%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      https://twitter.com/TyreekMVP/status/1753856007548104769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753856007548104769%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      https://twitter.com/SherroneMost/status/1753857933857718528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753857933857718528%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      https://twitter.com/VaquitaDawg/status/1753855679205372167?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753855679205372167%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      Delete
    8. https://twitter.com/Bron_China1/status/1753887923563340274?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753887923563340274%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      https://twitter.com/GoBlue135/status/1753891974967353484?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753891974967353484%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      https://twitter.com/JohnnyGB412/status/1753855760046669953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753855760046669953%7Ctwgr%5Ea4f377e812aa9daca7980860f0c92782e186c4a7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2Fnews-cfb-world-roasts-former-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-performance-senior-bowl-showdown-should-playing-baseball

      https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/senior-bowl-live-score-stats-highlights-2024-nfl-draft/9d33103ace7e7f3736a75d4e

      https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/draft2024/insider/story/_/id/38496853/ranking-top-2024-nfl-draft-quarterbacks-hot-board-team-fits
      While Milton's physical traits are apparent, he still struggles with deep accuracy. He completed 28.6% of his passes of 20-plus air yards (tied for 104th in the FBS). Touch on vertical throws remains a concern despite the arm strength

      https://twitter.com/crissy_froyd/status/1752882949819617473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1752882949819617473%7Ctwgr%5Ec439f88d2ef62393828858372f42d20366559fd8%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportingnews.com%2Fus%2Fnfl%2Fnews%2Fsenior-bowl-live-score-stats-highlights-2024-nfl-draft%2F9d33103ace7e7f3736a75d4e

      https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1753855154128834928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1753855154128834928%7Ctwgr%5Eb793cb83df55a6951e751a3f79d9b9dc92bb4be3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fathlonsports.com%2Fcollege-football%2Fjoe-milton-college-football-fans-are-all-saying-the-same-thing-about-senior-bowl-qb


      I WAS RIGHT
      CASE CLOSED!

      Delete
    9. it went on all week for Milton. From drooling over arm strength to questioning everything else

      "Joe Milton continued to struggle with accuracy, something that plagued him his whole college career"
      https://www.si.com/nfl/giants/draft/senior-bowl-day-one-practice-report

      "Milton showed off a powerful arm, but he was terribly inconsistent"
      https://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2024practice4.php

      "he showed the inconsistency and stiffness in the lower half that makes him a risky proposition for any teams interested in drafting him"
      https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/lists/2024-nfl-draft-reeses-senior-bowl-american-team-day-1-practice-spencer-rattler-joe-milton-jamari-thrash/

      https://twitter.com/DBro_FFB/status/1752408348564009315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1752408348564009315%7Ctwgr%5E183054d5ebd88e0a7d86000a47cb687eb052bd87%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fatozsports.com%2Fnashville%2Ftennessee-qb-joe-milton-struggled-at-first-day-of-senior-bowl-practice%2F

      "cartoon arm, spotty accuracy"
      https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/former_tennessee_qb_joe_miltons_senior_bowl_debut_is_met_with_his_perfect_nfl_comparison/s1_17313_39897852

      arm strength good, but accuracy is not: "According to PFF, Milton was 49 of 127 (38.5%) on passes of 10 yards or more. That number dropped to 18 of 61 (29.5%) on passes of 20 yards or more"
      https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/2024-qbs-senior-bowl-michael-penix-jr-bo-nix-spencer-rattler/55f3f682355fa373dfccb535

      CBS: 248th overall
      https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospect-rankings/quarterbacks/

      Delete
    10. Trolling the internet and twitter to find rando guys who agree with you. Congrats?

      Who are you arguing with? What point are you proving? What quotes are you referring to.

      I have the receipts. You have opinions from people on twitter.

      I will point a basic fact out, with a quote. Then I will link you to a FACT that contradicts it. Instead of holding your L you will deflect to change the subject, move the goalposts, and claim I AM RIGHT.

      You have no quotes. You have no facts. Everything is subjective so you can say "watch the games" and dodge holding your L.

      You are fooling no one. You were wrong at every turn. Always wrong. Everytime.

      Delete
    11. YOU WERE WRONG

      https://youtu.be/Im4ZGVmw21U

      Delete
    12. "He went to Tennessee, sat on pine, and here we are. One. Big. Question. Mark."

      The first part of this is a lie. He started 16 games at Tennessee and played in 29. Same number Tom Brady played in 5 years at Michigan. Did he also sit the pine?

      The second one is a non sequitur -- you arguing with yourself about who knows what. In other words, moving the goal posts.

      You made a statement. I quoted it. I disproved it with evidence. Try doing the same and you'll know that "I WAS RIGHT" is just another one of your fantasies. have fun with those! tell the guys at the rec center in suburban Sacramento about it. Don't let them scooting away from you be dissuading in any way. They are VERY impressed again.

      Delete
    13. Certainly sounds like - at his age - experience / QB IQ are concerns


      https://steelersdepot.com/2024/02/2024-nfl-draft-scouting-report-tennessee-qb-joe-milton-iii/

      Delete
    14. Who said otherwise? Milton is being evaluated by NFL standards, which he should be, now as an NFL draft choice. I've been defending Milton for 5 or 6 years here from his time as a freshman at Michigan when he was definitely not an NFL draft choice. I'm also saying I wouldn't bother drafting him if I was a GM.

      The discussions/arguments on this site have always been about Milton as a college player not his NFL prospects. The fact that the NFL conversation is being had at all is proof of how much Milton has exceeded expectations. Relative to who he was as a recruit and how he was perceived during his time at Michigan, and how his time as a grad transfer played out in Tenn. If he stunk overall, was a turnover magnet, was getting benched for freshman, was wildly innaccurate -- the NFL would just say LOL NO THANKS. But he wasn't those things - which was proven out at Tennessee.

      Nobody in 2017-2021 was on this blog saying this is an NFL QB. They were saying he had to go to D3 to get snaps. Evaluating Joe Milton as an NFL player is in and of itself an acknowledgement that most of the arguments and assertions on this website were incorrect. It's moving the goalposts.

      I don't think Joe Milton will be a good NFL player but that has next to nothing to do with the fact of his successful college career, even if it followed an unusual path and required more time and development than most NFL draft choices, he outperformed his recruiting rank and a bunch of people ahead of him. He also outperformed what people said about him when he left Michigan.

      Everything is relative.

      Delete
    15. Randos?

      I quoted YOUR article numbnuts, and added from Sporting News, PFF, CBS, SI and Walter Football ... you're mad

      You lost. I WAS RIGHT

      Delete
    16. More insults from JE. Nobody is surprised.

      More denial from JE. Nobody is surprised.

      More projection from JE. Nobody is surprised.

      Sorry you don't like the facts lil buddy. Joe Milton, who you said stunk and needed to go to D3 to start, is drawing NFL interest after being a successful SEC starter, and Orange Bowl MVP. He has proved you wrong wrong wrong and wrong some more. You be you though.

      Delete
    17. Did I quote YOUR article or not? You're truly in denial ... here, take this
      https://giphy.com/gifs/CPFC-cpfc-guehi-marc-0vJ5lqrwRIvS4RH2PX

      Delete
    18. Give a quote. Give some evidence that contradicts it.

      You can't. Hold it up high.

      Delete
    19. you didn't answer ... dEnIaL

      Delete
    20. Did you quote "Johnny GB" or not?

      Delete
    21. Challenge stands my lil cOmPetItoR (bicep emoji). Find something I said - quote it, then provide a fact that proves it wrong, link to the evidence. I'll admit I was wrong as soon as you point it out.

      I'm sure it's happened! I just don't think you're capable of showing it. Stack those Ls. Post those emojis. Don't be afraid to go all caps (I AM RIGHT!) lol. Let those emotions out if you need to.

      Delete
    22. I quoted you: "case closed"

      I quoted YOUR article

      You lost. Not an athlete. Not smart. Mommy & daddy wasted their money on your education. Big fail

      You lost. I was right. Again

      Case Closed

      Delete
    23. You don't know what case closed means and you never proved it was wrong either. Double L.

      You haven't proved me wrong once and even though you're a cOmPetItoR all you do is hold up Ls. When challenged, you fold like the Detroit Lions in the second half of the NFC championships. Doink!

      What were you right about? Nobody knows. No quotes. No evidence.

      Donovan Edwards - thrives as a starter
      Joe Milton - patient, thrives at Tennesse, likely NFL draft pick.

      Tip of the iceberg.

      Delete
  2. "Moore needs to be wary of who's going to support him, and who might be a wolf in sheep's clothing."

    I sure hope he has a wise and honorable mentor to help him here. Harbaugh will no doubt be available for phone calls on occasion, but as time goes by his understanding of the internal dynamics will fade, as will his influence.

    I have to believe -- or at least I hope -- that since Moore has been with the team since 2018, and has showed his allegiance to the school during that time, that the silly "Michigan Man" thing will apply, and that he won't suffer any internal back-stabbing. Since Warde Manuel elevated him, I have to assume -- or hope -- that Manuel will have his back.

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    Replies
    1. Agreed about the older mentor type situation. That's why I thought it would be good to have Fred Jackson on staff for Rich Rodriguez, for example. I think it's important for a young coach to have an "old head" on staff who can be a sounding board. It can probably be tempting as a 37-year-old to be like, "Alright, I want to fill this staff with guys who have energy to go out and recruit and demonstrate drills on the field!" But I think there's a flaw with that.

      There are guys on staff (Mike Hart, Steve Clinkscale, Mike Elston, Ron Bellamy, etc.) who might not get the promotions they want. Will they be understanding...or will they be vindictive? It's one thing not to get a promotion if nobody leaves...but now with a third of the staff gone, there are openings to move up, and some guys won't.

      Delete
    2. The Michigan Man thing is not silly. The culture is important and getting it is important. In the football program, the campus, the City, hell even the state as a whole. It matters. Maybe you don't have to know about the leelanau peninsula or Clyde's burgers, but you better know something about metro detroit, grand rapids, and flint history and culture.

      The issue with Rodriguez was that he was not given the chance to become a Michigan Man. Walking into a program where a circle of people around Bo had been in control for 40 years, felt entitled to have a say, and resented an outsider... it was a trap. He needed time to be a Michigan Man and he didn't get it. Maybe he's not blameless entirely but that says more about the environment than the individual that he didn't even spend 3 full years in AA. It takes time.

      Brady Hoke was considered a Michigan man after being an assistant coach here for 8 years. He didn't go to Michigan, play for Michigan, or grow up in AA or any of that but after 8 years of coaching the DL he was "in". It took time but he was bonafide Michigan Man by that point.

      Sherrone Moore has spent 6 years at Michigan. Pretty close to Hoke and with a much bigger role on the staff. I don't know where the cutoff for Michigan Man or not is but considering most alumni spend 4 years on campus I would say he has cleared the Michigan Man bar.

      Sherrone Moore is a Michigan Man.

      Delete
    3. I agree with you Thunder. Fred Jackson wasn't enough for RR. Moore has way more coming back already with himself and newsome locked in than Rodriguez had. And Fred Jackson is still here!

      Delete
    4. You fundamentally misunderstand what "Michigan Man" has turned into. The phrase has become a cudgel used by those who consider themselves gatekeepers to prevent those they don't approve of, or a stamp to allow those they do. It's less about adherence to certain values, and more about protection of some decades-old idea about how things once were.

      Delete
    5. OK Anonymous. I assume you're criticizing me. I guess you think you get to decide what "Michigan Man" means and I'm some ignoramus despite all my ties to the place. If you don't believe me perhaps you'll consider the perspective of Harbaugh and Moore.

      Harbaugh on Moore:
      “I’m not saying that I’m in a position of granting who a Michigan Man is or isn’t, or who a Michigan legend is or is not,” Harbaugh said Nov. 27. “I’m not the maker of those two lists. But I have nominated people before, and I nominate Sherrone Moore as a Michigan legend.”

      Moore on Harbaugh:
      "His development and guidance have helped put me in the position I am today. He’s forever a Michigan man and Michigan legend.”

      Moore on Moore:
      ""I hope some day I can be called a Michigan man""

      Maybe these guys mean being gatekeepers and protecting decades old ideas about how things once were. Or maybe what I said is true and they are about representing the values of the university, community, city, and state. Understanding the history, learn lessons, take the best of it, and put it into practice today.

      Delete
    6. Michigan Man means different things to different people and I think one of the distinctions is what Michigan Man means to a Michigan Man. I think we as a fanbase can be inclusive and inviting to everyone, ranging from the Michiganist Michigan Man that ever Michigandered to the Wal-martiest Wolverine who has no idea what the diag is and is wearing highlighter yellow and camo screaming "Yeah Big Blue!".

      It's all Go Blue to me, but at the same time I'm going to celebrate the identity of the school and program and I'm greatful for Sherrone wanting to be a part of that. As I said, in my eyes he is, but if Harbaugh isn't making that list then certainly neither am I.

      Delete
    7. One of my favorite things about Harbaugh was his insistence on turning yellow back into maize. Thank you!

      Delete
  3. This is one tough challenge. I do not envy college coaches, and worry that our favorite past time will be unrecognizable soon

    Good news is, Moore knows what needs to be done, and who he wants. He said he hopes to have the staff filled out in a week, but isn't advertising any openings. It's a fraternity, and his guys are already on tap, with alternates in mind



    https://careers.umich.edu/search-jobs?career_interest=50&work_location=4&position=F&regular_temporary=R&job_id=&department=Athletics&title=&keyword=

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  4. I'm usually driving the "be patient, these things take time" bus, but I have concerns dude about the coaching staff vacancies lingering while Sherrone is visiting high school kids out of state and doing media stuff. Hopefully the right things (staff, funding) are getting sorted behind the stage.

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