Eloquent Incoherence

The University has announced a new apparel and footwear deal with Adidas. The 9-year deal is worth $7.5 million in cash and merchandise and contains a clause guaranteeing that Michigan will be Adidas’ highest-paid school. Adidas replaces Nike as the University’s athletic apparel sponsor. The new deal with Adidas will take effect in 2008 after the current contract with Nike expires.  

Well, sort of. 4-star QB Steven Threet of Adrian, MI has transferred to Michigan after committing to Georgia Tech last fall and enrolling early. Threet will have to sit out the 2007 season as per NCAA transfer rules, but will be eligible to practice with the team. He was ranked among the top 15 QB prospects in the nation by all the major scouting services this past recruiting season. He’s a traditional pocket passer QB and fits into Michigan’s offense perfectly. He’s known for his accuracy, not his arm strength. The addition of Threet means that 5-star QB Ryan Mallet, the crown jewel of the 2007 recruiting class, will have some competition for the starting QB position when it opens up in 2008.

Two months after suspending star wide receiver Adrian Arrington indefinitely for unspecified reasons, Coach Carr has allowed Arrington to rejoin the team for summer conditioning. Arrington is apparently earning his spot back through the fulfillment of several conditions outlined by Carr, which include running the steps at Michigan Stadium for an hour starting at 6 am each day for 60 consecutive days. Though Carr hasn’t guaranteed that Arrington would be back in the fall, he mentioned that Arrington “wants very much to be a part of this team, so he’s done the things that I’ve asked him to do. He’s working out. He’s in our summer conditioning program. We’re all hoping he’s going to be here (this fall), but it’s really up to him. We’ll see what develops.”

In other news, running back Kevin Grady and wide receiver Mario Manningham, two key playmakers who were kept out of spring practice by knee injuries, are making progress. Grady, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL, is “ahead of schedule” and “could practice at some point this fall.” Manningham is healthy and participating in summer conditioning.

SI’s Stewart Mandel notes that it’s been a rough spring for Lloyd Carr and the Wolverines. Disciplinary problems involving several key playmakers have resulted in dismissals (Carson Butler, Eugene Germany, Chris Richard) and an indefinite suspension (Adrian Arrington), and injuries have sidelined others through Spring practice (Mike Hart, Jake Long, Mario Manningham) and beyond (Kevin Grady).

There is some good news for the future, however. Carr has landed two huge commitments for the 2008 recruiting class: OL Dann O’Neill from Grand Haven, MI, and CB Boubakar Cissoko from Detroit, MI. Both are projected to be among the nation’s top prospects in the next recruiting season. In addition, the University Regents just approved plans for a $26.1 million state-of-the-art indoor practice facility. Upon its completion, Michigan will be one of the only programs in America with two indoor practice facilities (Oosterbaan Fieldhouse will continue to be used).

CORRECTION: This post initially listed Rondell Biggs as among the players suspended. Rondell Biggs has graduated and has not been dismissed or subject to any other disciplinary action.

Tommy Amaker was fired as head coach of the Michigan basketball team. I don’t normally follow college basketball very closely, but I think the way in which the athletic department has handled Amaker’s hiring, firing, and the search for his replacement is indicative of serious problems with athletic director Bill Martin’s leadership.

In 2001, Martin fired head coach Brian Ellerbe after several disappointing seasons, chronic player discipline problems, and declining attendance. However, the decision was announced a full 5 days after the season’s final game. The delay is significant because Rick Pitino, who has long been regarded as one of college basketball’s top coaches, had recently become available. Ellerbe’s firing was a foregone conclusion (despite Martin’s claim that it was the most difficult decision he had to make as athletic director), but because Martin delayed the announcement, Michigan entered the Rick Pitino sweepstakes at a significant disadvantage vis-a-vis Louisville, Pitino’s other major suitor. When he did manage to talk to Pitino, Martin offered him a deal that was significantly less lucrative than Louisville’s offer. Pitino ultimately chose Louisville, and has since coached them to four NCAA Tournament appearances and one Final Four appearance.

Upon settling for Amaker, Martin pledged to make significant upgrades to Michigan’s basketball facilities (including the construction of a separate practice facility). Six years later, the upgrades have yet to materialize, and Michigan’s facilities are now regarded as among the worst in the Big Ten. In addition, Amaker’s compensation totaled $700,000, well below the $1.2 million that the average major conference coach makes. Although a football-dominated university like Michigan cannot pay its basketball coach more than it pays its football coach, having an elite football program shouldn’t necessarily hinder a university’s ability to attract a top basketball coach–Ohio State coach Thad Matta makes $1.75 million a year and has his team on the verge of a national championship. However, Carr’s salary is a significant limiting factor for Michigan; his annual compensation package of $1.1 million is worth less than half that of Ohio State’s Jim Tressel. Although foot-dragging on facility upgrades and lowballing coaches’ salaries might be good for the athletic department’s short term bottom line, such a strategy handicaps Michigan’s ability to attract good coaches and build a top program.

Martin seems to have approached the search for Amaker’s replacement with the same lack of commitment and urgency that characterized his search for Ellerbe’s replacement six years ago. In the aftermath of Amaker’s firing, other schools with coaching vacancies pulled off major coups, with Minnesota snagging Kentucky coach Tubby Smith and New Mexico hiring Iowa coach Steve Alford. Smith will reportedly earn $1.7 million a year at Minnesota while Alford’s deal at New Mexico will total almost $1 million a year (an impressive figure for a university of New Mexico’s size and stature). Michigan was not even mentioned in connection with either of these high-profile coaches in the lead-up to their hiring.

In short, though Amaker may not have been the best coach, the basketball program’s performance has been largely commensurate with Martin’s management of it. Yet in Martin’s reality, three 20-win seasons and an NIT championship was not good enough for a program whose mediocre facilities and underpaid coach have relegated it to second-tier status.

This stands in stark contrast to Martin’s attitude toward the football program. Michigan’s football program is the winningest of all time, both in terms of percentage and total wins. The tradition and reputation of the program spans 125 years and is second-to-none. Its facilities are top-notch, boasting the largest on-campus college football stadium in the United States. Michigan consistently attracts some of the nation’s top recruiting classes and routinely produces top NFL prospects. In light of these impressive attributes, there is no reason why Michigan shouldn’t contend for the National Championship every year. And yet, in light of our record in big games the past six years, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the program’s performance of late has fallen short of its potential. Repeated losses to Ohio State and USC have been characterized by predictable playcalling and a failure to adapt to innovative offensive schemes. It has become apparent to all but the most obtuse that the program is sorely in need of a change in philosophy, and that Carr’s replacement (when he retires) should come from outside the program. But not in Martin’s reality. When asked about finding Carr’s eventual successor, Martin said that he would like to “clone Lloyd or Bo [Schembechler].”

Martin’s questionable management and expectations of the basketball program coupled with his complacent attitude toward the football program leads one to wonder what world he lives in. Lloyd Carr’s impending retirement will soon confront the athletic department with its most important decision in almost 40 years. But with Martin at the helm, I’m not even sure they realize it.

UPDATE 4/4 7:40 PM: West Virginia coach John Beilein has been hired to replace Amaker. When I first heard about Beilein’s hiring, I took it as a positive sign that Martin’s cavalier attitude toward the basketball program might be changing, given that Beilein’s contract with West Virginia included a $2.5 million buyout clause. But it appears that Michigan won’t be paying the buyout; when asked about the issue, Martin responded, “It never came up because there was no way Michigan was going to pay it. To John Beilein’s credit, he said, ‘The buyout is my responsibility.’” It’s great that Martin was able to snag Beilein without paying his buyout (if the deal holds up, which isn’t a certainty), but Martin’s assertion that there was “no way” he would have paid a $2.5 million buyout is an indication that his level of commitment to the basketball program hasn’t changed. I hope Beilein knows what he’s getting into. Don’t expect a practice facility any time soon, Coach.

Football Updates: It’s been a moderately eventful offseason. Coach Carr recently dismissed tight end Carson Butler, cornerback Chris Richards, and defensive end Eugene Germany from the team. According to reports, the players allegedly assaulted a student on St. Patrick’s Day and are currently facing criminal charges stemming from the incident. Carr also suspended wide receiver Adrian Arrington for the duration of spring practice for unspecified reasons. Though Arrington has not been officially dismissed from the team, when asked whether he would be back in the fall, Carr responded that it was “possible, but maybe not probable.” The potential loss of Arrington is significant, since he’s a key member of a receiving corps that would likely be among the best in the nation. Running back Mike Hart is missing spring practice after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his knee; according to Carr, “he’ll be fine”.

USC has had a nice run of dominance over the past few years. Since 2002, the Trojans have lost only 6 games, won 5 conference championships, made 2 appearances in the National Championship game, and won 2 National Titles. But they haven’t been tested much in the Pac-10. The fact that USC has won the Pac-10 championship every year since 2002 is as much an indictment of the rest of the Pac-10 as it is a statement about USC. Over the course of USC’s impressive run, the Pac-10 has been the only conference without at least two dominant powers, and the gulf between USC and the conference’s next best team is pretty wide. Ivan Maisel’s latest column discusses how that may change. UCLA and Oregon State, the two teams USC lost to this past season, each return at least 18 starters. Stanford has hired Jim Harbaugh to turn its program around. Arizona State has hired Dennis Erickson, one of the few college coaches with a resume more impressive than Pete Carroll’s. Though USC will likely remain the pre-eminent team in the Pac-10, they can no longer cruise through their conference season.

Why is it that trouble always seems to follow USC along the recruiting trail? Shouldn’t Southern California weather and beaches be enough for USC to attract recruits?

No major surprises on National Signing Day. Though our recruiting class doesn’t rank in the nation’s top 10, it’s probably the best class in the Big Ten in what has turned out to be a down year for the conference. Jerimy Finch, after committing to Michigan, changing his mind and committing to Indiana, then changing his mind again and declaring that he was “50-50″ between Michigan and Indiana, ended up signing with Florida. Though we didn’t pick up any eleventh-hour commitments, we didn’t lose any either. As expected, Florida, USC, and Tennessee pulled in the nation’s top 3 classes.

The biggest Michigan-related story of the week turned out to be a hoax. Sirius NFL Radio reported that defensive coordinator Ron English had interviewed for the defensive coordinator position with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. In response to the report, Coach English issued a statement through the athletic department denying having had any contact with the Vikings and affirming that he intended to stay at Michigan. The timing of the report strikes me as extremely odd. Even if Coach English was interested in other opportunities, there is no way he would interview for another job the day before National Signing Day. Given how nasty recruiting battles have gotten in recent years, it wouldn’t surprise me if the false report may have been part of an effort to sabotage Michigan’s recruiting.

I don’t know how I missed this, but junior linebacker Shawn Crable announced in late December that he’ll return to Michigan for his senior season. Crable’s decision is a bright spot amidst all of the bad news about Michigan football that has come in over the past month and a half. It’s also a bit of a surprise, since he has two kids and could definitely use the money. In fact, I had pretty much assumed Crable was leaving, which is why I might have missed his announcement. On the other hand, the fact that he has two kids might explain his maturity, since his decision was reportedly driven by his desire to finish his degree. With the departure of Alan Branch and LaMarr Woodley, Crable will likely be the anchor of our defense next season.

After months of speculation about his future, standout DB/WR Ronald Johnson verbally committed to USC today. Although losing out on RoJo is disappointing, it’s certainly not the end of the world. Michigan needed the most help at the cornerback position, and Johnson’s decision to play at USC probably indicates that he’s more interested in playing wide receiver. USC lost both of its star wide receivers (Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith) to the NFL and has only one other wide receiver in this year’s recruiting class. Michigan, on the other hand, has an excellent receiving corps returning next season (Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington, and Greg Mathews), with a solid group of wide receivers among this year’s commitments that RoJo would have to compete with for a starting job (Toney Clemons, Martell Webb, Zion Babb, and Junior Hemmingway). Donovan Warren is a committed cornerback–one of the best in the nation–and his unexpected decision to play at Michigan makes up for losing RoJo. Furthermore, RoJo tore his ACL during his junior season. While it’s true that a 17-year old can bounce back 100% from an ACL injury, RoJo starts his college career with a narrower margin of loss in the injury department than most of his peers. Another injury to that knee could end his career.

Though we probably won’t pull in a top 10 recruiting class this year, all is not lost. We’re still in the running for four-star safety Jerimy Finch, who is deciding between Michigan and Indiana. And as always, anything could happen before signing day. Stay tuned.