I think retaining Yaklich would be more about continuity for the roster next year and him wanting to stay at Michigan for his son, who will be a senior in high school next year. Yaklich keeps the players on board with a new coach, then departs for a HC job or an assistant job where he’d have more say.
And just because Howard and Yak have different systems, doesn’t mean Yak still can’t have a major impact. In football, position coaches have to change technique and philosophy almost every time a new DC or OC is hired. Yak might prefer one style of defense, but it doesn’t mean he can’t coach under a different style.
Perhaps Howard feels like Yak isn’t running the exact defensive scheme he’d want, but having him around for one more year would allow him to focus on other areas where there are far more question marks. Or sees the recruiting angle. But we’re at the crazy-rumors stage – recall back in late December 2014 all the rumors of five-star football kids ready to decommitt as soon as Harbaugh’s contract was signed. None of that stuff happened. At this point we’ve got to wait and see what shakes out.
If Yak is nearly as good a coach as we seem to think he is, he should still be a valuable assistant. He just doesn’t add as much value as he did for Beilein.
This isn’t the greatest time to put together a new staff. Juwan wants to hit the ground running in recruiting. Keeping assistants makes the transition easier. It’s said Yak is only committing to one year. It makes sense on every level.
Honestly, the CEO comment is WAY premature. His rep in Miami was that he was an exceptionally hands on and involved assistant. Becoming a CEO type head coach would be an abrupt and completely unexpected change. The only evidence is that he’s probably keeping the assistant every fan wanted Michigan to keep?
If Jay Smith comes, I’d bet plenty it won’t be as an assistant coach.
If worrying about how two defensive-minded coaches will come together to coach one of the best defensive teams in the country last year is our biggest concern, I think we’re doing alright. I’d much rather have Howard + Yaklich than Howard without Yak.
I’m fine to roll with what’s next here – it looks like what’s done is done and it could have been so much worse and this comes with a significant reason to hope – but there’s also a side of me that’s still just curious about what exactly was going on with Donovan, and whether they took a shot at Mark Few. The guy’s 56, he’s not a Gonzaga alum or from there, and he’s already been in the job 20 years. Maybe there’s a good reason he’d choose to stay in the same coaching job for 30 odd years, but I bet it’s more likely that one of these years somebody comes knocking at the right time.
Mark Few has had the opportunity to go to a myriad of high profile job openings in the last five or so years, yet he hasn’t. He’s clearly content being a west coast super power contending for a title nearly every year. He makes barely over $1.5 million per year. He’s not a normal coach, and that’s a cool thing to see.
Few also struck me as just a big of a long shot as Wright and the riskiest of the big name candidates. He’d have to transition from a weak conference and from spending his entire life in the Pacific northwest. The latter especially concerned me.
Is their precedence for a coach to stay at one job for 20+ years and then take a better offer from another school? In Few’s case, it’s the only place he’s ever coached. If he ever does leave, my guess is it will be due to something happening at Gonzaga he doesn’t like. Not because he wants more money or a bigger stage.
Of all the reach candidates, Chris Beard was the homerun. What he did at Texas Tech is amazing. I don’t know if he’s a great fit culturally at Michigan, but the man can flat out coach.
So when is the official announcement? Wonder how the current players feel about playing for a former member of the famed fab 5? Juwan has to hit the ground running with these 2019 unsigned recruits and see what Wilson’s, Wagner, and others thoughts are about coming or staying at Michigan.
I think, frankly, the endorsement of LeBron and Wade will matter to kids more than Howard’s place on a college team that played 3-7 years (depending on their class) prior to their birth.
The Fab Five is a HUGE cultural touchstone to me, but I’m 41. To the guys, Howard is the old guy on Lebron teams, Jalen and Webber are TV guys.
The crazy thing to me is that Beard just signed a big new contract and his buyout is less than LaVall’s and far less than Nate Oats. Maybe that means he wants to keep the door open for a move? I understand that his personal circumstances made it unlikely he’d consider Michigan, but I don’t think he’s on track to stay put in Lubbock.
The Johns/Dejulius/Nunez/Castelton class is going to give Juwan some good stability as he begins to bring in his own players. This year he’s obviously anchored with Zavier, Teske and Livers. The cupboard is not completely bare as some make it out to be. Hopefully Howard is able to bring in a mixture of good recruits and grad transfers next year to help fill things out.
Moss has thrown out stuff about Harbaugh that’s been ridiculously wrong. The things he’s saying may be true but I’m not inclined to believe them because he said so.
