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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

D Train and Cabrera?


The Detroit Tigers have officially traded Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo, and three unnamed minor leaguers for Cy Young winner Dontrelle Willis and 3rd basemen Miguel Cabrera. Let the shock sink in, I didn't believe it myself at first, Tigers in the sweepstakes for two of the most sought after young players in all of baseball. Not only did they have to give up the two best prospects, but seemingly the entire farm system as well. With this move it is clear that the Tigers are planning for the now and believe that they can win with this nucleus of players. With the bat of Miguel Cabrera added to the likes of Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, and Curtis Granderson the Tigers should boast one of the most powerful lineups in all of baseball. Adding a Cy Young winner, and a young one at that, to the rotation can only boost the Tigers stock as well. Look for more analysis to come, most likely when it all sinks in.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Finding the next 'Michigan Man'

From RealGm.com, but written by me.

In case you haven’t heard, Lloyd Carr has retired and the University of Michigan is in the midst of a head coach search.

The prerequisites for this position are very simple; he must be a “Michigan Man”.

What is a “Michigan Man” you ask? Simple, it is a man who understands and respects the culture and winning tradition of the University of Michigan.

Here are the top 10 candidates for being awarded the title of Head Coach at the University of Michigan.

The Head Coach Long-shots

10. Rich Rodriguez – Head Coach West Virginia University
- His name is simply thrown into this pot because of his renowned success with his unique 3-3-5 defense and run-heavy offense at West Virginia. He isn’t a great fit for the position because he isn’t a traditional coach like Lloyd Carr was and his system doesn’t look to be a great fit in the Big 10. He could land the job however if he wins the National Title and Michigan decides to buy into his system

9. Jeff Tedford – Head Coach University of California
- Tedford is known for churning out great college Quarterbacks such as Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller and Akili Smith; just imagine what he could do with Ryan Mallett. Tedford has no real connections to UofM but could really benefit if the Michigan brass puts a lot of emphasis on the development of the offense.

8. Bob Stoops – Head Coach University of Oklahoma
- The King of the Big 12 moving to the Big 10? Maybe, but he probably won’t want to abdicate the throne he has built at Oklahoma. He has one of the best QB’s in the country in Sam Bradford and a great recruiting class coming in headed by two 5-star prospects (RB Jermie Calhoun and DE R.J. Washington) to boot. If he is willing to leave all that then maybe he is a Michigan Man after all, but all signs point to Stoops remaining a Boomer Sooner.

7. Greg Schiano – Head Coach Rutgers University
- The most likely of all the long shots is Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano. While he doesn’t have any major ties to the University, he plays a very run-heavy I-Formation offense that would translate very well in to Big 10 play. He was almost dragged to Alabama after last season, so his name is out there, but don’t be surprised if he remains in Piscataway.




Small Name Guys with an Outside Shot

6. Mike Trgovac – Defensive Coordinator Carolina Panthers
- Trgovac is a name that many may not know but has strong Michigan ties and therefore is a contender for this position. Trgovac played Offense Guard at the University of Michigan from 1977-1980 under Bo Schembechler. Not only did he play, but he was a second team All-America at his position in his Senior Year. He has proven to be a very keen defensive mind and will warrant at least a look as the Head Coach of his Alma Mater; if not there then someone else will come calling soon.

5. Jim Harbaugh – Head Coach Stanford University
- If you are a Michigan fan then this name is pretty familiar. Harbaugh was a 3 year starter under Schembechler and led his teams to both the Fiesta and Rose Bowls in his tenure. After being drafted with the 26th overall selection in the 1987 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, he went on to have a relatively successful playing career. Coaching-wise Harbaugh began as an unpaid assistant at Western Kentucky University from 1994-2001, then becoming an assistant coach at for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. His most recent stop before becoming the Head Coach at Stanford this past year, was as the Head Coach at San Diego State University. Harbaugh’s coaching record is not as stellar as most would like, but his passion and connections to the University could win out in the end.

4. Brian Kelly – Head Coach University of Cincinnati
- Just a year ago this man was the Head Coach of the best Central Michigan football team to take the field but this year he is the Head Coach of a much-improved Cincinnati Bearcats program. Kelly has been known to get the most out of his players and can recruit with the best of them. His connections to the state and the local talent-rich areas, could give him the inside track. But his relative inexperience as a head coach at he major level could also hold him back.


The REAL Candidates

3. Ron English – Defensive Coordinator University of Michigan
-This would be by far the easiest transition of any of these candidates. English has been around the program for several seasons and was Lloyd Carr’s best assistant. He is very active in the recruiting process, so this move probably wouldn’t cost as much in terms of recruiting. The players are very familiar with his style of coaching and would likely respond very well to his leadership. This move would make a lot of sense but the UofM administration may be looking fro a complete overhaul and English would most likely be a casualty of that move.





2. Kirk Ferentz – Head Coach University of Iowa
-There may not be another coach at a major program that gets more out of his players than Ferentz. He has made stars out of undersized and underrated players like Drew Tate and Charles Godfrey, and he has many connections throughout the Big 10. His tenacious coaching style and experience in the Big 10 really make him a solid fit for the job. He doesn’t have the direct connections to UofM, but what he lacks in direct connections he makes up in Big 10 familiarity. If he decides to finally break his allegiance to the University of Iowa, we could see him in the Maize and Blue come fall 2008.

1. Les Miles – Head Coach Lousiana State University
- Shocker, huh? Miles is far and away the best candidate for this job. He has the connections to the school, he played and coached under Bo Schembechler in his career and constantly says that he owes all of his success to the folks in Ann Arbor. He may be, outside of Pete Carroll, the best recruiter in America and he has roots all over the country and he could bring many of those current LSU commits up north. LSU was obviously worried about Michigan when they wrote Miles’ contract, putting a clause in which will cost Miles more than $1 Million if in fact he chooses to become the coach in Ann Arbor. If Michigan is able to pry Les away from the deep and open wallets down in the bayou, then they have will have themselves a great coach for a long time to come.

Published 11/29/07

RealGM.com NFL Section “Standing 10”

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