Look, it stinks. Let's try to dissect, and think rationally about what can be done to fix it.
Last night was the worst effort I've seen from any Michigan team in decades. Probably since 2008. This team doesn't trust the coaches and they have flat out quit on them. You could see it when they ran out of the tunnel to start the game. The body language made me want to puke.
That's not on the kids. Reminder: These. Are. Kids. Some as young as 18, no older than 23. That's on the coaching staff, and quite frankly, it's not something you can come back from. We've all been on teams where the coaches lost trust and kids didn't want to bust ass for them. You can't fix that without changing coaching staffs. You really can't.
This looks a lot like Jim's last year with San Francisco, when they were just lost and didn't really give much effort. It's also clear the coaches have lost confidence in themselves, and thus are not thinking or acting rationally.
Which is why we cannot let this problem continue to get worse and need to part ways with Jim at the end of the season. This isn't good enough to earn a mulligan.
So we need to move and find a new coach. I've already shared my thoughts that we need to rebuild the program's identity and culture from the ground up. We simply can't try to do this half-Bo/half-modern approach and try to recreate 1985. It's not working. Maybe our golden boy failing so badly will be the humbling moment this program needs. I've also thrown some names out there that I believe could be successful here (Fickell, Campbell, Klieman, Allen). We don't need to go over that list ad nauseum.
The reason I think it's critical to make the swift change now, is because I really don't think there's a widespread talent issue on this roster. There's clearly flashes. Corum is a baller waiting to happen. Sainristil showed incredible acceleration and body control on his TD. Dax Hill is a freak. Cade comes in and leads a BEAUTIFUL TD drive. Joe's dime to CoJo, which was an incredible route and catch. Barrett blasting Morgan. I get this team has given up, and quite frankly may lose out (it's time to mentally prepare for that, folks), but there is talent. Could we use more DL depth? Totally. Are the CBs young? Totally.
But I think the biggest issues plaguing this team are coaching and confidence. Our coaches don't instill confidence in our players. They in turn mail it in, assuming the worst even when they try. Look at Gemon Green. He has his head on a swivel when guarding solid receivers for Minnesota. You could smell the swagger after each pass breakup. After he gives up one long TD vs State, he begins to question his technique and commits fouls and then gets beat. He's talented, but doesn't believe in himself.
I understand those that don't want to make a change. I understand there are many here that view JJ as a generational talent who we cannot lose. He's very good, but we need to not make short term decisions at this point. We need to think about what is best for the long term of this program. He may stay even if we make a switch (based on his tweets). There's enough resources here to consistently beat everyone not named Ohio State, and we are not doing that. Wisconsin is a well run program. So what, we should beat them every year with our resources.
I really think, if we make the tough choice, mutually and respectfully part ways, that we can be very good in 2021. If we have a new staff come in and get a talented roster to believe in themselves again, we can have a solid season and build from there. This isn't a 5 year rebuild. This program isn't dead. It needs to be decisive, because if we let it fester, it will become a talent issue. The brand will get impaired. Look at the 2015 team. Grad transfer rental QB. No real RB talent. A team that went 5-7 losing at home to Maryland! Harbaugh (still with energy) comes in and builds an instant winner. Players like Taco Charlton, who had not reached their potential, became All-Americans.
This roster isn't far off. You can see it in flashes. But the coaches don't trust themselves, and the players don't trust their coaches.
I appreciate what Jim did for the program. He got us closer than we had been since Carr. He's not Lloyd. He's running out of gas. That's ok. It's ok to fail.
It's not ok to fail in the same manner over and expect different results.
If I was running this program:
I'd go to Jim, tell him I don't think this is fixable in it's current state. It's time to move on after the season. It can be amicable or not.
Hopefully Jim agrees. Then he tells the players this is his last year. And that he loves them. That they want to finish the season with their heads held high. There's nothing to lose. He's proud to coach them.
Maybe that inspires the team.
I'd reach out back channels to Chris Klieman. He's not fancy. He's no flashy. Michigan doesn't need flashy. It needs humble. Bo was humble. Listen to him speak at his K State introduction. He talks about building a culture where the players take ownership of the program. You hear major coaches speak the same way. It takes a rock solid culture to win 4 of 5 championships, regardless of level. He gets his 2* talent to believe and they always play UP to competition. They always are right there in games against OU (won twice!), UT, OSU, Baylor last year (under Rhule).
Hope that he's the guy.
Win
The point of this post isn't that I hate Harbaugh, or me pumping Klieman. The point is that this is not an unfixable program. It's just not fixable by this staff.
As always,
Go Blue
Last night was the worst effort I've seen from any Michigan team in decades. Probably since 2008. This team doesn't trust the coaches and they have flat out quit on them. You could see it when they ran out of the tunnel to start the game. The body language made me want to puke.
That's not on the kids. Reminder: These. Are. Kids. Some as young as 18, no older than 23. That's on the coaching staff, and quite frankly, it's not something you can come back from. We've all been on teams where the coaches lost trust and kids didn't want to bust ass for them. You can't fix that without changing coaching staffs. You really can't.
This looks a lot like Jim's last year with San Francisco, when they were just lost and didn't really give much effort. It's also clear the coaches have lost confidence in themselves, and thus are not thinking or acting rationally.
Which is why we cannot let this problem continue to get worse and need to part ways with Jim at the end of the season. This isn't good enough to earn a mulligan.
So we need to move and find a new coach. I've already shared my thoughts that we need to rebuild the program's identity and culture from the ground up. We simply can't try to do this half-Bo/half-modern approach and try to recreate 1985. It's not working. Maybe our golden boy failing so badly will be the humbling moment this program needs. I've also thrown some names out there that I believe could be successful here (Fickell, Campbell, Klieman, Allen). We don't need to go over that list ad nauseum.
The reason I think it's critical to make the swift change now, is because I really don't think there's a widespread talent issue on this roster. There's clearly flashes. Corum is a baller waiting to happen. Sainristil showed incredible acceleration and body control on his TD. Dax Hill is a freak. Cade comes in and leads a BEAUTIFUL TD drive. Joe's dime to CoJo, which was an incredible route and catch. Barrett blasting Morgan. I get this team has given up, and quite frankly may lose out (it's time to mentally prepare for that, folks), but there is talent. Could we use more DL depth? Totally. Are the CBs young? Totally.
But I think the biggest issues plaguing this team are coaching and confidence. Our coaches don't instill confidence in our players. They in turn mail it in, assuming the worst even when they try. Look at Gemon Green. He has his head on a swivel when guarding solid receivers for Minnesota. You could smell the swagger after each pass breakup. After he gives up one long TD vs State, he begins to question his technique and commits fouls and then gets beat. He's talented, but doesn't believe in himself.
I understand those that don't want to make a change. I understand there are many here that view JJ as a generational talent who we cannot lose. He's very good, but we need to not make short term decisions at this point. We need to think about what is best for the long term of this program. He may stay even if we make a switch (based on his tweets). There's enough resources here to consistently beat everyone not named Ohio State, and we are not doing that. Wisconsin is a well run program. So what, we should beat them every year with our resources.
I really think, if we make the tough choice, mutually and respectfully part ways, that we can be very good in 2021. If we have a new staff come in and get a talented roster to believe in themselves again, we can have a solid season and build from there. This isn't a 5 year rebuild. This program isn't dead. It needs to be decisive, because if we let it fester, it will become a talent issue. The brand will get impaired. Look at the 2015 team. Grad transfer rental QB. No real RB talent. A team that went 5-7 losing at home to Maryland! Harbaugh (still with energy) comes in and builds an instant winner. Players like Taco Charlton, who had not reached their potential, became All-Americans.
This roster isn't far off. You can see it in flashes. But the coaches don't trust themselves, and the players don't trust their coaches.
I appreciate what Jim did for the program. He got us closer than we had been since Carr. He's not Lloyd. He's running out of gas. That's ok. It's ok to fail.
It's not ok to fail in the same manner over and expect different results.
If I was running this program:
I'd go to Jim, tell him I don't think this is fixable in it's current state. It's time to move on after the season. It can be amicable or not.
Hopefully Jim agrees. Then he tells the players this is his last year. And that he loves them. That they want to finish the season with their heads held high. There's nothing to lose. He's proud to coach them.
Maybe that inspires the team.
I'd reach out back channels to Chris Klieman. He's not fancy. He's no flashy. Michigan doesn't need flashy. It needs humble. Bo was humble. Listen to him speak at his K State introduction. He talks about building a culture where the players take ownership of the program. You hear major coaches speak the same way. It takes a rock solid culture to win 4 of 5 championships, regardless of level. He gets his 2* talent to believe and they always play UP to competition. They always are right there in games against OU (won twice!), UT, OSU, Baylor last year (under Rhule).
Hope that he's the guy.
Win
The point of this post isn't that I hate Harbaugh, or me pumping Klieman. The point is that this is not an unfixable program. It's just not fixable by this staff.
As always,
Go Blue
