NLGrizFan said:
Anyone involved with the current staff should be gone. A losing season, a one and done, and a not exactly stellar season is NOT Griz Football. I'm not buying it. The defense has stepped up but the offense has fallen considerably. Our recruiting hasn't been all that great either. If I remember correctly, we didn't pick up one single O lineman last spring and look what we've got going now. I don't have to tell you guys that the O line is VITAL to any football program especially one that is a "running team". Yes, Canada got his 1000+ yards for the second season in a row and that's great, but didn't Chase have 3 solid 1000+ yard years? We lose 16 seniors next season... It seems the Griz have stumbled a bit losing last years guys. 2015 and a new era is just right around the corner. We need an experienced HC, not a "likely" good coach.
A rebuttal. The losing season was primarily attributable to not having JJ or any other qb with experience. Even with Montana, UM would have won several more games. The offense had very good numbers last year, and was certainly clicking last weekend. Losing the 2 starting tackles and the next guy up, playing with a 253-pound true frosh replacement, losing the expected starting TE, and losing 3 of the 4 top receivers, including an all-american, have severely impacted the offense. Hopefully, the O is continuing to improve and is now picking up steam.
What makes you think UM would be a running team after Delaney is gone? That's not my guess.
Bringing in a head coach from a lesser or low level program, especially one without connections to UM, Montana, and/or the northwestern recruiting area, is not without risk--in fact significant risk. TG is already here, a great recruiter, and a known commodity. Would more than hit the ground running. The others would not have those advantages. A coach like Baldwin, if interested, would be a step up from the others being mentioned and would have less risk.
I have concerns about next year, due to the loss of JJ and some other good players. Any coach is going to have to deal with that. UM signed only 10 schollie guys, I believe, due to lack of schollies. I'm pretty sure there was at least one lineman. In any event, how can you blame that on TG? He wasn't the head coach.
Getting the schollies back and getting the weight/locker room building built will be very important to getting back to greatness. No incoming coach is going to be able to speed up that process. Delaney may stay involved with fund-raising after he retires. I assume he'd be more motivated with a coach he's comfortable with.