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Top 6 Coaching Candidates For Michigan

See who are the top head coaching candidates for the Michigan Wolverines.

Mark Gunnels

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The storied Michigan Wolverines’ football program holds claim to 11 National Championships, but their last one came nearly 20 years ago, back in 1997.

Brady Hoke went 31-20 during his four year stint in Ann Arbor. Things started off well for Hoke, as he led Michigan to an 11-2 record during his first season, which ended with a Sugar Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Since then, Hoke accumulated a record of 20-18, with an 5-7 record this season, which resulted in his firing.

Moving forward, the Michigan faithful just wants a winner, but who is the right man for the job?

Let’s take a look at their best options:

Jim Harbaugh – It seems like a foregone conclusion that Harbaugh will be out of San Francisco following this season, despite leading them to the conference championship every year and even reaching the Super Bowl in 2012, where they were defeated by the Baltimore Ravens.

What makes Harbaugh a serious candidate for the Michigan job is his previous success at Stanford and the fact he’s a Michigan alum doesn’t hurt either.

Les Miles – This isn’t the first time Les Miles has been inked to the Michigan. Miles has Michigan ties, which makes him more of a sexy candidate. He was an offensive lineman for two years in Ann Arbor and he was an assistant coach for the Wolverines.

However, it doesn’t appear likely Miles will leave LSU.

“When someone says, ‘Where are you from?’ I say with great pride – ‘Louisiana.’ There isn’t any question about it.”

 

Although the SEC is a lot more challenging than the Big Ten, winners of the SEC are almost guaranteed a spot in the four-team playoff, while the Big Ten winner could be left out. Don’t believe me? Well, just look at the position Ohio State is in now.

Mike Gundy – He’s a 47-year old man now. Gundy’s 10th season at Oklahoma State hasn’t gone so well, as his team is currently 5-6.

However, Gundy’s overall time at Oklahoma State has to be considered a success. His record is an impressive 82-44, which includes a Fiesta Bowl victory over Stanford nearly three years ago.

Cowboy fans that would like to retain Gundy might be in for a disappointment. Gundy has endured strained relationships for a while in Stillwater, which may be enough for him to take a job offer elsewhere. But it’s important to note that Gundy is an Oklahoma State alum, where he played quarterback.

Greg Schiano – Back in 2007, Schiano had a chance to become Michigan’s head coach, but he ultimately decided to stay at Rutgers. Seven years later, Schiano appears to have the same opportunity and it doesn’t appear that he’ll turn it down this time around.

After being fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Schiano has had time to clear his mind, but there’s no doubt he’s itching to get back on the sidelines. It’s easy to look at Schiano’s 11-21 record in Tampa, but what he did at Rutgers was remarkable. He led Rutgers to a 5-1 record in bowl games, with the Texas bowl in 2006 being the school’s first ever bowl victory, which capped off an 11-2 season.

If Schiano was able to bring in future NFL recruits to Rutgers, he surely wouldn’t have a problem doing it at Michigan.

Dan Mullen – There’s no hotter coaching candidate than Dan Mullen right now. The 42-year old has accumulated an impressive 46-30 record during his six years at Mississippi State, but no other season has been as special as this one. The Bulldogs finished the regular season with an 10-2 record, which is the first time they’ve won 10 games since 1999.

Mullen appears to be loyal to Mississippi State, but he isn’t ruling out the possibility of leaving.

“If they do [make job offers], then who knows? I think that’s one of the most challenging things in this profession, as a coach, you’re either on the hot seat, or you’re on the way out the door. This time last year, I was on the hot seat after the Alabama game. This time, this year now, I have all the answers. So you go from smart to dumb to smart in a hurry, I guess.”

Steve Addazio: This wouldn’t be the home run hire Michigan fans want, but it could end up being the right choice. Addazio doesn’t have Michigan ties, but his athletic director Brad Bates is a Michigan alum, which makes you wonder could this be a package deal?

Addazio has led Boston College to consecutive winning seasons, which hasn’t happened since 2010.

At the end of the day, all Michigan wants is a winner. So whomever is their next head coach, as long as he wins, the Michigan faithful will back him all the way.

Mark Gunnels is an NFL columnist for Football Insiders. He has several years of experience covering the NFL and NCAA football. He's the radio color commentator for Lincoln University football. Mark's work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and Yard Barker.

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