Michigan football: 5 replacements for Jim Harbaugh if he goes to NFL
By John Buhler
Head Coach. Matt Rhule. 2. player. 87. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Carolina Panthers
Matt Rhule might be better suited as a college head coach than an NFL one
Don’t kid yourself. If the Michigan job does open up, you better believe the Wolverines will put out an inquiry on Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule and see if he is interested in the gig. While he is a Penn State alum, this is a job worth leaving the Panthers over. If Carolina stinks for a third year in a row, new owner David Tepper is kicking him to the curb. Could Rhule force his hand?
Prior to arriving in Charlotte, Rhule was a widely-acclaimed college coach and program builder. He rebuilt the Temple Owls and the Baylor Bears in short order. While Baylor bounced back even better after he left under Dave Aranda, Temple has not been as lucky. No doubt about it. Rhule would thrive in the Big Ten. The question is if he wants to give up on being an NFL head coach.
The compensation might be comparable, but Michigan is absolutely the better job over Carolina.
1. 837. Pick Analysis. Matt Campbell. Iowa State Cyclones. player. Scouting Report. Head Coach
Michigan would be the job that would get Matt Campbell to leave Iowa State
If Michigan were to go big-game hunting to potentially replace Harbaugh, the athletic department needs to back up the BRINKS truck for Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell. He has been tied to lower-tier NFL jobs, as well as the USC gig that went to Lincoln Riley. Campbell may want to stay in Ames and be the next Bill Snyder, Gary Pinkel or Gary Patterson. But what if he is aspirational?
His blue-collar coaching mentality would be right in line with what it takes to be successful in Ann Arbor. If Campbell did leave Iowa State, he would probably take defensive coordinator Jon Heacock with him, a guy who may be in the mix to replace Mike Macdonald at Michigan anyway. It may take a year or two, but Campbell has the blueprint and the track record to win big for the next decade.
Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Luke Fickell may also be considered, but should we expect the former Ohio State Buckeye to turn heel and go coach the school up north?
College coaches who would be the life of the tailgate party. dark. Next
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