Coaching search?  That means the return of Death March Madness, which won’t help matters (it might actually hurt) but it’ll keep you busy while you watch your Twitter feed like a freak.   Here’s a look at the 2011 bracket. Oosterbaan Region Round 1: 5.  Josh McDaniels (Former NFL Coach) — Huge connections in Ohio and grad-assistant to Nick Saban at Michigan State.  He may have some support from Tom Brady during his time with the Patriots however, recently he has had some issues with management and the NFL. vs. 6.  Mike Stoops (Arizona) — Might be a longshot candidate as he has been on some thin ice lately at Arizona — has resurrected Arizona’s program but has yet to get over the hump. [poll id=42] Oosterbaan Region Round 1: 3.  Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern) — Rumored to be a candidate however, he has decided to decline the opportunity with Michigan.  He is young, fast-paced and successful however, he might be a "lifer" at his alma mater.  Perhaps Brandon can still make him an offer he can’t refuse. vs. 4.  Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State) — Could be a dark horse candidate as he has been quietly successful at OSU.  He would have a hard time leaving his alma mater as well — successor of Les Miles.  Plus he’s just past 40, and…

Coaching search?  That means the return of Death March Madness, which won’t help matters (it might actually hurt) but it’ll keep you busy while you watch your Twitter feed like a freak.   Here’s a look at the 2011 bracket. Crisler Region Round 1: 5.  Cam Cameron  (Baltimore Ravens OC)  — Michigan man who currently coaches with John Harbaugh.  College roots along with NFL roots but his success is mostly at a coordinator level, not a head coaching level. vs. 6. Tim Beckman (Toledo) — Could be a potential hot-name coach in the next few years.  Ohio roots along with roots in the south — he has connections with many successful college coaches including Jim Tressel and Urban Meyer. [poll id=40] Crisler Region Round 1: 3.  Jon Gruden (Former NFL Coach) — Another coaching candidate that seems to come up every major coaching search.  Gruden hasn’t coached since 2008 but has expressed interest in coaching at the collegiate level and interviewed for the Miami (FL) opening and declined the offer.  He has Ohio roots and could be a potentially outstanding recruiter.  Winner of Death March Madness 2007. vs. 4.  Jeff Tedford  (Cal) — Was rumored to have interviewed in 2007 and has a great offensive mind along with being a great recruiter.  However for whatever reason, has not been able to…

Coaching search?  That means the return of Death March Madness, which won’t help matters (it might actually hurt) but it’ll keep you busy while you watch your Twitter feed like a freak. Here’s a look at the 2011 bracket. Yost Region Round 1: 5.  Tommy Tuberville (Texas Tech) — Rumored to be a candidate at Miami (FL) so he may be open to listening.  He has always been successful wherever he has been however, age is something to consider. vs. 6.  Gus Malzahn  (Auburn OC) — Offensive mastermind but does not have any head coaching experience.  He would be a gamble but could be a very good head coach down the road. Winner: Malzahn (current bracket and results) Yost Region Round 1: 3.  Charlie Strong  (Louisville) — Coming off his first year at Louisville, he went 6-6 and has already really improved Louisville’s recruiting class tremendously.  He is a bright defensive mind with a great background in the SEC (South Carolina and Florida). 4.  Kirby Smart (Alabama DC) — Defensive mind who has major roots in the SEC and south.  He could be another Will Muschamp type candidate however, I doubt he would leave the south as he has a strong foundation there (UGA alum). Winner: Strong (Strong always beats Smart) (current bracket and results) More on DDM II here.…

  In November 2007 I launched Death March Madness, a bracket-style attempt to waste energy while Bill Martin worked on finding Rich Rod.   I’ll steal the description from DMM I: So continues the non-stop parade of radio talk show hosts & callers, pundits, bloggers, journalists and anyone else with a pulse that will speculate on a replacement. This death march will drag Michigan fans through the holidays and most likely beyond the BCS Championship in early January. The beauty in all this is that no one really will have a clue what’s actually going on inside Dave Brandon’s head until we get close, and maybe not even then. Have fun with those out of town relatives peppering you with takes on this. Prepare yourself man. To combat the stupidity of the next few months I’ve decided to fight fire with fire: a tired old radio show stunt to determine the next coach. It’ll be fought out in the blogosphere amongst my fellow nerds, which is where it belongs. The results will be as meaningless as the opinions of the talk show callers (except for maybe ‘Linda from Grand Blanc). Should you chose to participate in Death March Madness you may actually feel yourself getting dumber as a result. Jon Gruden won the event in 2007, edging out Brian Kelly by…