Up on mgoblue.com right now, a nice piece on the Michigan coaching ties to Miami, OH, and its famed Cradle of Coaches. It includes a few great quotes from longtime assistant coach Jerry Hanlon, Tirrel Burton, Jon Falk, and others. Hanlon: “I’m a double ‘M Man,’ ” Hanlon said. “You can’t get Miami out of my blood because it gave me my start. It’s going to be tough this Saturday, but I think I’ve worn the maize and blue a little too long.” More importantly, I got a kick out of this. The lead pic features Bo’s staff in 1975 during team photo day…but look who’s chilling in the background! Here’s Les Miles, a senior offensive guard in ‘75, in the front row of the team photo if you need him:
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Inside The Hat – Bayou Perspective on Miles
WWBD [Special guest post by Brandon Harig. Brandon is a Michigan alumnus who has returned to the great white north after years in exile. Harig enjoys, “Michigan not sucking and people who don’t use mlive”, and you can find him on Twitter as user NewAwlins.] For more on the current Miles buzz, check out mgoblog’s post this morning.] During the 2009 season, I found myself crumpling my hat and swearing into a pitcher of beer at a bar in New Orleans called Cooter Browns. An embarrassing Indiana squad was giving Michigan fits and the tide within the bar had swung. Whereas we were merely some Yankees cheering for a crappy team, now we were the target of a variety of morning drinkers. Gator Bait and Purple Tigers united in the IU arm motions as the game slowly seemed to slip away, supporting the one, essentially quiet, Indiana fan in attendance. Michigan ended up winning the game but the prick nature of the SEC could not have been captured better. I mention this story not because it is all that emotionally scarring or, really, all that notable. Instead, I introduce a piece on The Hat with this story because it essentially captures the situation surrounding Michigan’s current coaching search. We find ourselves burrowing into our own fandom, dying a slow death…
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Free Press: Miles spoke with Martin, Coleman Friday
Mark Snyder just reported on Freep.com that Mary Sue Coleman and Bill Martin did indeed speak with Les Miles last week. He doesn’t cite any direct sources. Two quotes from the article of interest: Miles had a phone conversation Friday morning with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and school president Mary Sue Coleman, according to several people with knowledge of the call. …. While the call between the two sides did not identify Miles as the leading candidate for the coaching vacancy, it did give them a chance to interact formally for the first time and to discuss a number of issues previously handled through intermediaries. He did get one slightly interesting quote from one of Coleman’s people: “We’re not going to be discussing anything about recruiting (a new coach) until after the announcement is made,” Coleman’s spokesperson, Kelly Cunningham, said today. While we didn’t see what the question or comment was that prompted this comment from Cunningham, what does she mean by “the announcement”? What announcement? The phrasing is peculiar here because it’s not like anyone is aware of any type of pending decision in this process, thus, an announcement. If this is true, apparently Martin and Coleman didn’t have the LSU AD’s blessing who said today: “I’d be under the assumption that the permission to speak to Les…
