Michigan 2014 Coaching Candidates: Tiered By Fan Reaction

Michigan should be making a head coaching hire in the coming months. Ruling anything in or out at this stage would be premature, as its not yet clear who will be making the hire. But, we can project how fans would react. Here are a smattering of plausible candidates tiered by the reactions they would create.

Spray the Champagne

Jim Harbaugh [San Francisco] Michigan Man. Best proven coach who may be available. He turned 1-11 Stanford into a title contender. He turned sad sack San Francisco into a Super Bowl threat. He is the man who would put a target on Urban Meyer and end Mark Dantonio. He would be perfect. The question is whether Michigan would be perfect for him.

John Harbaugh [Baltimore] Michigan Man at heart. He has a Super Bowl ring. He has the positive traits of his brother with a softer impact. The thing about coaches with comfortable NFL situations leaving for college, though, is they don’t exist. Not clear his relationship with the Ravens has soured that much over Ray Rice.

Let’s Do This

Dan Mullen [Mississippi State] Mullen appeared to have plateaued. But, finding the right quarterback and the right veteran quarterback, he may win the SEC, or come as close as Mississippi State can. Mullen is a northerner. Michigan offers an easier, more consistent route to winning. Maybe he jumps. Maybe he reups in Starkville.

Bret Bielema [Arkansas] This tastes funky at first. Then it makes sense. “Michigan Football,” when it existed, was intimidating defense and bowling over teams with a massive, angry offensive line. That is Bret Bielema football. He’s a B1G man, with a B1G physique and hair cut. Stylistically, it makes sense. How would his personality fit in a bigger spotlight at a snootier university?

Bob Stoops [Oklahoma] Bob Stoops struggles in big games. But, with double-digit wins and a Top 15 finish in 12 of the last 15 years, he plays in them. He’s a low risk, high-reward option for Michigan. But, it’s unclear what Michigan would offer him, besides a fresh challenge.

Talk Yourselves Into It

Butch Jones [Tennessee] He’s not a Michigan Man. But, he’s from Michigan and spent most of his coaching career in the state. Jones has not won at Tennessee, but has been competitive with an under-manned roster against brutal schedules. Would a lateral move be worth the uncertainty for him?

Les Miles [LSU] Michigan Man to the point he looks like Bo Schembechler. He’s weird. He also consistently wins at a high level. The right time for this move was 2007. It could have worked in 2010. It’s hard to see him jumping in 2014 at 61, especially when you factor in a very talented young LSU team.

Jim McElwain [Colorado State] McElwain had a great track record at Alabama. In his third year at Colorado State, the Rams are 9-1 and in the Top 25. He should be a strong candidate for any power five job. Is he strong enough for Michigan to pay his $7.5 million buyout?

Mark Stoops [Kentucky] He’s recruiting, competing and building something at Kentucky, which is nothing to snicker at. He’s up and coming at 47. Michigan is clearly a better job. It’s a risk, hiring someone with a 2-13 conference record as a head coach, but one that may pay off.

Unproven But Intriguing

Pep Hamilton [OC – Indianapolis] Hamilton has quite the track record in college and the NFL, albeit working with Andrew Luck. He recruited well at Stanford. He could be a young, potentially great coach on the upswing. The trouble is he may already be out of Michigan’s league. It sounds like he will have some A-grade NFL options this winter.

Pat Narduzzi [DC – Michigan State] This would be worth it, if only for the ensuing panic in Spartyland. It is a risk, though, as he has never been a head coach. While Michigan is a caliber of job he’d have to consider, it’s unlikely Narduzzi would do longtime partner Mark Dantonio like that.

Chuck Martin [Miami of Ohio] Martin went 74-7 and won two Division II titles at Grand Valley State. He had a solid run as coordinator at Notre Dame. While Miami of Ohio remains far from good, they are more competitive than when he arrived (jumped from 124th to 81st in yards/play offense). Martin could be the right guy. Is he a guy Michigan’s next AD could sell?

Palpable Fear

Greg Schiano [Unemployed] Schiano knows how to recruit and build a program. He has not impressed as a coach during games. That’s sort of what Michigan already has. At 48, he should get a second act in college. Not at Michigan, where he nearly landed in 2007.

Jerry Kill [Minnesota] Kill has won in I-AA, has won in the MAC and has won in the Big Ten. He has rebuilt Minnesota into a credible program. Does the skill-set required to bring Minnesota back to 7-8 wins translate into bringing Michigan back to 11-12 wins? His health issues, while unfortunate, are also a concern.

Tyrone Wheatley [RB Coach – Buffalo] Michigan Man credentials up the wazoo. Well regarded assistant coach at Syracuse and now with the Bills. Should be a candidate for a starter job. Michigan isn’t a starter job.

Brady Hoke in 2015 [Michigan] Hoke’s players have not quit on him. A Herculean performance and upset of Ohio State is not out of the realm of possibility. We were a two-point conversion away from that happening last season. Coming through could alter the narrative quickly. A coaching transition during a small 2015 class is weatherable. Coaching uncertainty during what could be a large 2016 class could be a disaster.