ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- For the sake of their football program, the Michigan fan base, including former players and boosters with big bucks, needs to get over this "Michigan Man" obsession when it comes to hiring a new coach.
It is old-fashioned. It is limited thinking. It is arrogantly stupid.
And, assuming Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh is going to cash one of his NFL lottery tickets rather than try to revive his alma mater, it also leaves athletic director Dave Brandon without a standout candidate to replace Rich Rodriguez.
If you must go with a Michigan Man who has head-coaching experience, you're basically down to LSU coach Les Miles, a former U-M player and offensive line coach, or San Diego State coach Brady Hoke, a former U-M defensive line coach.
Miles, 57, went through an embarrassing fling with Michigan before Rodriguez was hired three years ago. The unconventional coach has been seemingly living on borrowed time, winning big games as much on incredible luck as anything. For personal reasons, he wouldn't be welcomed back by some in the Wolverine family, either.
Hoke, 52, has rebuilt programs at Ball State and San Diego State, but there are serious questions about whether he's ready -- or capable -- of doing the same with a big-time program. A high-profile resume isn't required to be successful, but Michigan can't take a chance. Brandon not only needs a solid coach, he needs someone who can help unify this divided fan base. It doesn't appear that will be accomplished with Hoke.
So there you have it. Your Michigan Man list of candidates. Harbaugh or bust.
For all of his accomplishments, Bo Schembechler actually did long-term damage when he uttered the words, "A Michigan Man will coach Michigan, not an Arizona State man."
It was in March 1989, when Schembechler was athletic director, a reference to basketball coach Bill Frieder accepting the Arizona State job right before Michigan played in the NCAA Tournament.
Schembechler, of course, had come to Michigan from Miami (Ohio) after having been an assistant at, of all places, Ohio State under Woody Hayes.
He was no more a Michigan Man in 1968 than Rich Rodriguez was in 2007.
The problem is that phrase has become an annoyingly overused cliche, and the mind set is doing more damage than good.
The fact is, the best coaches haven't all played or coached at Michigan previously.
If they did, there would be more than three choices right now, only one of which is the knockout punch the Wolverines need to deliver.
Here was Brandon's response when he was asked how important the so-called Michigan Man factor is to him:
"There are advantages and there are disadvantages to a variety of things on that job description. Whether it's a Michigan Man, quote, unquote, or not, what clearly is important is that whoever it is has a clear understanding of what Michigan is all about.
