AD Dave Brandon and coach Brady Hoke have provided only more on- and off-field reasons for their ousters in the time since I wrote that they should be gone, 13 days ago. It’s a broken program in need of new leadership and direction.
Still, some questions remain:
Will things devolve to the point of in-season firings? (We might reach that point Saturday at Rutgers, whether that’s been fully realized.)
Can Michigan pull off simultaneous searches for a new AD and a new coach?
And where will it ultimately turn?
From talking with coaches and those intimately familiar with the program, my sense is that Michigan really wants to wait until December to move on from Hoke, though Brandon could be gone before then.
And when the time comes, LSU coach Les Miles -- not Jim Harbaugh, or anyone else -- should be the first and only call. For one, Miles is established enough that he wouldn’t feel unsettled if an AD were named after his hiring. He wouldn’t feel pressure from that office the way others might.
Miles is being dismissed in some circles because of his age. But he’s 61, not 71. And he’s a young 61, at that.
If a "brand" such as Michigan got 10 or so years from Miles, wouldn't that be more than sufficient given the recent run of turnover and turmoil? The "30-year college coach" isn't a thing anymore, right? We can agree on that. Take what you can get, and a decade is gold.
After the rumblings in 2007 and then again in 2011, this could finally be the right time for Miles to return to Michigan, where he got his start as a GA in 1980. Someone close to Miles told me last fall that he could see him heading back to UM, for his "last job." Coaches are buying it, too.
"I would think Les would try to get Michigan this time," a Power 5 head coach suggested this week by text.
That's where we begin the Saturday Storylines, with a hearty dose of CoachSpeak. If Miles were to leave, where would LSU look? And would Harbaugh consider a college program other than Michigan? Some of his friends think so.
Later, we'll hit the breakout players to watch this weekend. Plus my off-the-radar upset pick that would dramatically shift the playoff picture.
• First, more on Miles. He is notably kooky, and I’m told that he isn't 100 percent adored by the leadership at his alma mater. But give him this without hesitation: He’s intensely passionate about his job, players, program, etc. If he’s that bought in at LSU, what then would it mean to resurrect the school he attended?
Isn't that what Michigan wants and needs? Miles is not only a "Michigan Man," but one who is 99-25 in a pressure cooker like LSU -- where, by the way, he had the unenviable challenge of following Nick Saban. I’d like his chances of following Hoke and Rich Rodriguez’s failed tenures.
One thing that could hold him back: his current roster. An SEC coach pointed out last week that LSU, playing a bunch of first- and second-year players on both sides of the ball, is terrifically situated for 2015.
Based on freshmen and sophomores, plus the 2015 recruiting class, LSU and Texas A&M look like top-five teams. Alabama, too.
The conundrum: Would winning a second national title at LSU mean more than propping up your alma mater? I’d bet on the latter, just knowing Miles.
• As for Harbaugh, most in the coaching world anticipate him staying in San Francisco or possibly taking another NFL job. But if he does leave for a college gig, those close to Harbaugh told an ESPN colleague that it would be for Kansas. Yes, Kansas.
The last time the KU job was open, Harbaugh strongly considered leaving Stanford for Lawrence. So some believe the embattled Niners coach would again kick it around.
Harbaugh’s wife is from Kansas City and, evidently, the man has great affinity for the Sunflower State.
"He's just crazy enough to do it," a Harbaugh confidant told Seth Wickersham, who wrote a definitive profile of Harbaugh for ESPN The Magazine.
Why not Michigan? I'm told that Harbaugh is just too maniacal, given the current state of things and the prideful way that the school's administration postures. UM administration isn't wont to "sell out" for a winner. Miles strikes a balance.
• If Miles goes to Michigan, it creates another high-profile opening.
LSU went to Oklahoma State for a coach the last time, and it worked. Why not again?
Mike Gundy is a name to note. He's quirky and controlling, but man, the guy can coach. If you didn't already know that, this year's Cowboys -- replacing a majority of players on both sides of the ball -- had no business having the success that they did in September.
An almost entirely new group pushed the reigning national champ to the final minutes. It's impressive what Gundy, as well as defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer, has done.
Sources close to the program were clear in saying Gundy's flirtations with Arkansas and Tennessee two years ago were messages for his bosses. The next message could very well be Gundy packing his office.
“Everyone knows he and [AD Mike] Holder aren't on the same page,” a Power 5 head coach said. “If Michigan or Florida open and they call, he’d go.”
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