College football is changing rapidly, like it or not. It mirrors pro football in many ways already. The model of college football has always been the AD hires a head coach. The head coach works under and answers directly to the AD. The head coach then runs every aspect of the football program from A-Z. That really stretches a HC. Is there an opening for a different model now? We already have $10mil HC, and it’s only gonna climb. Maybe instead have a 7-8mil HC and a 2-3mil GM. The GM runs the “army” and all the other off the field stuff. He leads the talent acquisition department and handles all the NIL (wink-wink) go betweens. This will free up the HC and allow him to focus solely on developing and coaching the players. I’ve heard Billy talk several times about one of the purposes of the “army” is to take all of that workload off the assistant’s so they could focus on coaching the players and spend more time with their families. Why not take it all one more step?
Probably just be easier for Napier to hire an OC and then be the de facto Program GM as HC. Realistically any coach worth their salt would likely demand to pick the GM and GM answer to coach....which makes the coach the GM anyway.
Many different models out there. Saban probably doesn’t so much answer to anyone and then I’m Dallas, Jerry Jones neuters everyone involved.
Whole world knows I am 100% ALL IN on Billy. However, and your post leans to inducing it, Billy is spread too thin at the moment trying to be HC and handle QB and OC. All he needs to do is hire an OC and then he can be GM and HC. That is the model that will work.
I definitely think we need to re-think the model, and CBN is the perfect person to do so. If he asked me I would tell him to cut his salary by a million or two, and invest that money into some great coordinators. Then have him do all the non-coordinating stuff, which he is very good at (by all accounts.)
I'll be shocked if he brings in an OC. The fact that he didn't adapt the schemes to the players abilities at all this season makes me believe he has his system and believes in it and will ride or die with it. Time will tell.
This is an interesting argument. I kinda agree that hiring an OC may provide similar outcomes. Having the support staff he hired would have to mean he isn’t responsible for every little bus ride and hotel stay and QB read and film breakdown and lunch and tickets and boosters and commits and….. A GM type that handled logistics, etc may be worthy. Have to ponder on that.
Not many can proactively take a 10% pay cut for no “real” reason. If confronted with this or else? Maybe. To think hey! I’m gonna cut my pay by a few million….. If it worked, it could pay itself in spades but that’s a tough ask.
College athletics has lost its way. It is time to quit pretending academics matter and go from 85 to a 53 man roster.
Harbaugh did it. No shock Michigan has been on a tear ever since. When you give up something like this as a leader, everyone notices. It speaks volumes.
I didn’t know that, but…he had a career in the nfl and as head coach at Stanford and San Fran. I imagine the bank acct looks a bit different. Money is less a factor when you have a ton of it. I’m in agreement with the idea, not trying to be argumentative.
We the fans cannot fathom continuing to not hire an OC, to ride with such inconsistency would be just dumb. He has the intangibles to be a good, maybe great HC if he can make the right changes in his staff, meaning bring in a OC that can use what he has and get consistency on offense, on defense find someone to bring an aggressive SEC type defense. He can be Dan Mullen 2 or he can be here forever with the right moves, there is a reason Saban is not an coordinator, he should know this since he has seen him work, and I add, been successful with his head coach setup!
Imo, once napier has his system totally in place and has his players and we are on cruise control we will shift to 1 OLine coach and add an OC. ST will be by committee like it or not and there will be no change at DC unless we struggle through all of year 2.
Agree 100%. But Michigan was also patient and willing to give Harbaugh time, and he responded in kind, taking a pay cut and revamping his coaching staff. It paid off big time. Michigan showed commitment to him, and he showed commitment to Michigan, and I am sure the players noticed. Judging by most of the posts on this board, we aren't smart enough to do the same. Sad.
Harbaugh had a successful track record prior to Michigan and was an alum. Not really a good comparison and he didn't go 6-7 in yr 1.
