Let's start with the internal guys...
JOSH GATTIS
Cons: His first two years as coordinator at Michigan leave some questions, as "speed in space" never really materialized. Still pretty young to be a head coach at this big a job.
Pros: 3 years as a coordinator, winning the Broyles Award. Eight years at major programs (Penn State, Bama, Michigan) and worked under three successful coaches (Franklin, Saban, Harbaugh). Young and relatable to players. Resume shows a steady pattern of accomplishment - did well as a position coach at multiple stops, advanced to partial coordinator, then full coordinator, all before 40. Played in the NFL - he was a safety, so he actually has some understanding of both sides of the ball. has been a candidate for head coaching jobs, so he has been identified as someone with the understanding of how to run a program. He's the choice if you want continuity.
MIKE HART
Cons: His resume is totally inadequate.
Pros: But I really liked him as a player. And that smile!
SHERRONE MOORE
Cons: Beware of the "Clay Helton Effect" - the guy who everyone just likes a lot. That's the dressing, not the meat, of the job. He was an undistinguished TE coach and inherited a veteran OL this year that did good things.
Pros: Appears to have some innate leadership qualities. Good recruiter.
***
Now let's go to the outside guys...
BOB STOOPS
Pros: This would be my first call. Best resume we'll possibly get. 191-48 at Oklahoma - his average year there was 11-3 - with a National Championship and six other top 5 finishes. Ohio guy - cradle of coaches - and understands/appreciates Big Ten culture despite winning big at Oklahoma. Actually only two years older than Harbaugh - he seems older than he is because we've known him for so long. Hard to imagine him not winning at Michigan. And given that he hasn't been coaching in a few years, he probably doesn't have a whole staff of guys ready to bring with him, so we would likely initially keep a lot of the staff in place for some continuity.
Cons: Does he want another coaching job? I mean, I assume Oklahoma asked if he wanted to come back full-time when Riley left. And what would his salary demands be? But I would still make the call and let him say no.
URBAN MEYER
Pros: I mean, 100% chance he will win and win big.
Cons: We're all going to hell if we do this, but YOLO?
LUKE FICKELL
Pros: Dude went and killed it at Cincinnati after 12 years at OSU. There is little question he could do the job and do it well.
Cons: Born and raised in Columbus, plus 17 years at OSU as a player and coach... this is someone who would donate his testicles to science before he would take the Michigan job. He has lived all but one year of his life in Ohio. He's waiting for Day to vacate the OSU job. He won't leave Cincinnati before then. Stop mentioning his name.
PJ FLECK
Pros: He took WMU from 1-11 to 8-5 twice to 13-1 in a single four-year cycle, and has been a solid 35-23 at Minnesota, including an 11-2 season in 2019, and has won all three of his bowl games. His "act" that may rub some the wrong way is the kind of thing that you tend to embrace when it's on YOUR sideline. 41 is a good age - not TOO green, not too old. And having been in Michigan for four years and then in the Big Ten for five, this is a plug-and-play candidate who knows the landscape.
Cons: Just signed an extension at Minnesota, so there is likely a significant buyout. And while he has had great success in the MAC and moderate success at a program that is normally middling... he hasn't spent time at a "big" program and only had 2 years as a player and one as a coach in the NFL.
MATT CAMPBELL
Pros: Like Fleck, had really good MAC success at Toledo, then has covered the spread at a mid-level Power 5 at Iowa State. Also like Fleck, he's in his early 40's and has deep roots in Big Ten country as a Massillon alum and in his coaching career. Like Fleck, knows the landscape and is plug-and-play.
Cons: Like Fleck, he has not spent time at major programs.
BILL O'BRIEN
Pros: Two years as HC at a "peer" school, Penn State, and while his record there was middling, don't forget that he was the guy who had to take over for Paterno amidst a scandal. That's a tough beat for anyone. Worked his way up though the college ranks and then four years in the successful Patriots environment prior to PSU. A solid 4 division titles with the Houston Texans (his overall record is skewed by the year Watson was out with an ACL), so this is someone with experience ranging from small college to major college to NFL. Brown graduate, so a highly intelligent guy. Spent 2021 on a Nick Saban Analyst/Career Rehabilitation Fellowship.
Cons: While he didn't fail in either head coaching role, he didn't just "kill it" at either. Despite obvious competence, would not be a sexy/buzzy hire.
MATT NAGY
Pros: Has NFL creds and a creative offensive mind. Players really liked him in Chicago - a very intelligent and classy guy whose personality would probably translate well to recruiting. Someone who will "win the press conference". Still a pretty young guy at 43, and lots of guys grow immensely from mistakes made in their first head coaching gig. Being a "system coach" may work better in college than it did in the NFL.
Cons: No college experience - he would really need the right staff around him as well as someone who could be his "Phil Martelli". Biggest concern, and central to his undoing with the Bears, was that he was more interested in fitting Justin Fields into his system than building his system around Justin Fields. Again, system coaches work better in college than the pros. But it's a concern.
JOSH GATTIS
Cons: His first two years as coordinator at Michigan leave some questions, as "speed in space" never really materialized. Still pretty young to be a head coach at this big a job.
Pros: 3 years as a coordinator, winning the Broyles Award. Eight years at major programs (Penn State, Bama, Michigan) and worked under three successful coaches (Franklin, Saban, Harbaugh). Young and relatable to players. Resume shows a steady pattern of accomplishment - did well as a position coach at multiple stops, advanced to partial coordinator, then full coordinator, all before 40. Played in the NFL - he was a safety, so he actually has some understanding of both sides of the ball. has been a candidate for head coaching jobs, so he has been identified as someone with the understanding of how to run a program. He's the choice if you want continuity.
MIKE HART
Cons: His resume is totally inadequate.
Pros: But I really liked him as a player. And that smile!
SHERRONE MOORE
Cons: Beware of the "Clay Helton Effect" - the guy who everyone just likes a lot. That's the dressing, not the meat, of the job. He was an undistinguished TE coach and inherited a veteran OL this year that did good things.
Pros: Appears to have some innate leadership qualities. Good recruiter.
***
Now let's go to the outside guys...
BOB STOOPS
Pros: This would be my first call. Best resume we'll possibly get. 191-48 at Oklahoma - his average year there was 11-3 - with a National Championship and six other top 5 finishes. Ohio guy - cradle of coaches - and understands/appreciates Big Ten culture despite winning big at Oklahoma. Actually only two years older than Harbaugh - he seems older than he is because we've known him for so long. Hard to imagine him not winning at Michigan. And given that he hasn't been coaching in a few years, he probably doesn't have a whole staff of guys ready to bring with him, so we would likely initially keep a lot of the staff in place for some continuity.
Cons: Does he want another coaching job? I mean, I assume Oklahoma asked if he wanted to come back full-time when Riley left. And what would his salary demands be? But I would still make the call and let him say no.
URBAN MEYER
Pros: I mean, 100% chance he will win and win big.
Cons: We're all going to hell if we do this, but YOLO?
LUKE FICKELL
Pros: Dude went and killed it at Cincinnati after 12 years at OSU. There is little question he could do the job and do it well.
Cons: Born and raised in Columbus, plus 17 years at OSU as a player and coach... this is someone who would donate his testicles to science before he would take the Michigan job. He has lived all but one year of his life in Ohio. He's waiting for Day to vacate the OSU job. He won't leave Cincinnati before then. Stop mentioning his name.
PJ FLECK
Pros: He took WMU from 1-11 to 8-5 twice to 13-1 in a single four-year cycle, and has been a solid 35-23 at Minnesota, including an 11-2 season in 2019, and has won all three of his bowl games. His "act" that may rub some the wrong way is the kind of thing that you tend to embrace when it's on YOUR sideline. 41 is a good age - not TOO green, not too old. And having been in Michigan for four years and then in the Big Ten for five, this is a plug-and-play candidate who knows the landscape.
Cons: Just signed an extension at Minnesota, so there is likely a significant buyout. And while he has had great success in the MAC and moderate success at a program that is normally middling... he hasn't spent time at a "big" program and only had 2 years as a player and one as a coach in the NFL.
MATT CAMPBELL
Pros: Like Fleck, had really good MAC success at Toledo, then has covered the spread at a mid-level Power 5 at Iowa State. Also like Fleck, he's in his early 40's and has deep roots in Big Ten country as a Massillon alum and in his coaching career. Like Fleck, knows the landscape and is plug-and-play.
Cons: Like Fleck, he has not spent time at major programs.
BILL O'BRIEN
Pros: Two years as HC at a "peer" school, Penn State, and while his record there was middling, don't forget that he was the guy who had to take over for Paterno amidst a scandal. That's a tough beat for anyone. Worked his way up though the college ranks and then four years in the successful Patriots environment prior to PSU. A solid 4 division titles with the Houston Texans (his overall record is skewed by the year Watson was out with an ACL), so this is someone with experience ranging from small college to major college to NFL. Brown graduate, so a highly intelligent guy. Spent 2021 on a Nick Saban Analyst/Career Rehabilitation Fellowship.
Cons: While he didn't fail in either head coaching role, he didn't just "kill it" at either. Despite obvious competence, would not be a sexy/buzzy hire.
MATT NAGY
Pros: Has NFL creds and a creative offensive mind. Players really liked him in Chicago - a very intelligent and classy guy whose personality would probably translate well to recruiting. Someone who will "win the press conference". Still a pretty young guy at 43, and lots of guys grow immensely from mistakes made in their first head coaching gig. Being a "system coach" may work better in college than it did in the NFL.
Cons: No college experience - he would really need the right staff around him as well as someone who could be his "Phil Martelli". Biggest concern, and central to his undoing with the Bears, was that he was more interested in fitting Justin Fields into his system than building his system around Justin Fields. Again, system coaches work better in college than the pros. But it's a concern.
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