Michigan Tuesday: Thinks There is a 30 - 30 Documentary at WVU

So how is that West Virgina Football Program doing these days?  The Bill Stewart hire after RR left for Michigan has to be considered  a very poor decision after he blew out Oklahoma with RR's players in the Fiesta Bowl.  I remember a prominent booster said something to the effect, "they just hired the JV coach" when Bill took over the program.

Back in December, I predicted the 1 year coach in waiting would not work.  In fact, it was the most bizarre college coaching situation I have ever seen.  The first day of business school they tell you partnerships don't work.  This one didn't even last 6 months before Bill tried to go project "National Enquirer" on Dana Holgorsen.

Well done Bill!  Your first head coaching job you got fired for a racially-insensitive comment.  You get fired from your second head coaching job because you tried to air your coach-in-waiting dirty laundry in the media. 

I see now why the WVU fans were so upset when RR left.   It set the the program back years.    He is available for hire if the Mountaineers current coach goes on another casino bender.

Think about all the drama this program has had the past 3 years. 

• A healthy QB thump (or finger I don't remember) away from the NC game
• RR takes the Michigan Job
• The RR shredding documents thing
• WVU blowing out Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl
• Bill Stewart gets the head coaching job
• RR fights the buy out
• Michigan pays most of the buy out
• NCAA investigates RR practice schedule at Michigan and WVU
• RR fails at Michigan
• Dana Holgorsen is hired to replace Bill Stewart in 2012 and will be coach-in-waiting in 2011
• Bill Stewart releases "dirt" on Holgorsen to the media
• Bill Stewart gets fired  resigns

This has to be a 30/30.

• Pryor signs with Drew Rosenhaus.  Shocker, I guess Rob Pelinka wasn't available?

• Kyle Dodson a 4 Star Offensive Line prospect spurns the Buckeyes and committed to Wisconsin last night.  Michigan was also recruiting Kyle.  Many had thought he was a Columbus lock.

• Love this quote from new Wolverine Erik Magnuson on taking other visits:  “I’m not sure. I will definitely be going to Michigan for an official visit, and if coach is ok with me taking an official visit to place where I have friends at, then I might do that, but if not then it’s not a big deal to me. I’m going to Michigan. I don’t care about any other school.”

Coach "In Waiting" For What?

The financial industry is no joke these days, but the running joke in the business world is: if you want to become a Vice President get hired by a bank. They will give you a title instead of paying you what your worth.

In what seems to be a new fad in college and pro football is the term "coach in waiting". Many successful programs have lost their top assistant/coordinators to other schools that had an open head coaching position. What coordinator doesn't want to be a head coach? They all do.

To stop the loss of their top guys, head coaches are now anointing their top coaches with the "coach in waiting" label. Recent examples include; Jimbo Fisher at Florida State, Will Muschamp at Texas, Jim Mora for the Seattle Seahawks, and yesterday Chip Kelly for Oregon.

What is strange about some of these anointment's is that the head coaches haven't announced their retirement or new jobs yet. There was a clear reason to name a "coach in waiting" when Mike Homgren announced last year that he was retiring after this year. You can also make a case for Florida State to name one with Bobby Bowden close to closing down his hall of fame career at FSU. But what is the deal at Texas and Oregon?

Mike Bellotti has been at Oregon for 14 years and will become the next Athletic Director at Oregon when he decides he is done coaching football. When asked yesterday, if he was going to move to the AD position after this season? Mike responded: "It could be a year, it could be more," he said. "I don't know."

The Texas example is even crazier then Oregon's. Mac Brown has 8 years left on his contract and doesn't have a time table of when he is going to hang it up: "I won't be a Bobby Bowden or a Joe Paterno," Brown said. "But I'll be here a long time and as long as it works for me. "For me, it's not any immediacy. I have eight years on my contract and plan on being here. It's exciting that Will would wait until the right time to move forward. Not many people would do that. I hope people don't think it's a twilight for me. It's a new beginning for all of us," he said. Seems to me the move was more to give Will a big raise ($900,000) and keep him away from the University of Washington job then really have him wait nearly a decade for the Texas head coaching position.

Some schools don't even care if a coach has the "in waiting" title when West Virgina went after Jimbo Fisher last year after their head coach left for Michigan. Jimbo seriously considered taking the job before staying with the Seminoles.

Here is my take, it's ok to want to protect your top guys, but don't try to lock them down when other schools come calling. The American way is to look at every opportunity and if you have a chance at a pay raise and the job you want, you should be able to go after it.

Most of these titles are done for recruiting purposes, kids need to be comfortable with their decision to commit to a certain program if the head coaches retires or moves on. So the kids are happy, but what about the alumni and University officials? Usually making a decision 5 years in advance doesn't make a lot of sense. Things can change dramatically, a certain "hot candidate" may not be so hot 5 years from now.

For Michigan fans it would have been a little scary if Lloyd Carr had announced a "coach in waiting" a few years ago. What will be very interesting in these situations is if Will's or Chips's dream jobs come open and that "dream" program comes a calling.