Bill Martin retiring as Michigan AD

Actually, Red Berenson would be a great choice if he weren't 112 years old.

 

What about Keith Molin, isn't he the assistant AD still?

 

Hope he makes it until I see his team play later this season.

 

I don't think so. I think he retired a few years ago.
Molin is as candid as they come and was very helpful during the Michigan BAseball probation in the early 1990s. But he also lost a little passion once his wife Peg died several years ago...

 

Well, Michigan does make all of its major hires from West Virginia (Rodriguez, Beilein, and a century earlier, Hurry-Up Yost). It'd be high comedy indeed if the U of M continued that by calling Ed Pastilong to continue his wars with ol' RichRod and Beilein.

 

Bo raved about Brad Bates in the book that came out just after he died. Said he would make a great AD for Michigan one day. Not sure if Bo still has pull from the Great Beyond, but it certainly seems clear Bates is who he would recommend.

 

Bates would appear to be a good consensus choice: he has the Bo Schembechler pedigree, but he left campus long enough ago he is not really associated with the Lloyd Carr camp.

This is fairly important because there is perceived to be a power struggle going on between alumni, boosters and some AD personnel all connected with Carr, who have been very resistant to the Rodriguez regime and are supposedly lying in wait to hang him at the first opportunity, and then install some Carr protege as head coach. Ironically, there's been no indication Carr himself is actually involved in any of this.

Since Bates graduated one year after Carr joined the U-M staff as a low-level position coach, and has made his bones at other institutions (Vanderbilt and Miami) in the 27 years since, he's seen as being independent of that faction.

 

Brad Bates would be a great choice. He's a former Bo player and has worked his way up the athletic department ladders at Vanderbilt and now Miami (Ohio). He's earned this shot.

Bob DeCarolis certainly has experience and would be a good choice, too, but I imagine he's moderately close to retirement. Would he want to ride out his career as AD at Oregon State, which is a pretty good program in its own right? And, would it count against him that when he coached softball at U-M, it was OK, but Carol Hutchins turned it into a national powerhouse? Why couldn't Bob do that with the softball program, but Hutch could?

Jeff Long, Arkansas' AD, was very well respected when he was an assistant AD at U-M. Don't count him out. But, would having Ryan Mallett, a U-M transfer, at quarterback hurt his chances?

One who might have an outside shot: Warde Manuel, a former U-M football player/track athlete who is AD at Buffalo. He's steadily earning his stripes. One who doesn't: Eastern Michigan AD Derrick Gragg, U-M's former compliance guy. He hasn't accomplished enough yet at EMU. The football and both basketball teams stink right now, though I'm sure he earned maize and blue brownie points by hiring Ron English as football coach.

Bruce Madej shouldn't be given the time of day. Maybe I'm biased because he treats the smaller media outlets like dirt. Keith Molin is retired. Mike Stevenson, the current No. 2 in the athletic department, is very close to retirement.

Lloyd Carr comes across as happy to be the assistant AD in charge of shaking people's hands. I get the impression he was tired of the stress toward the end of his time as football coach. I think he's relieved, more than anything.

The assistant AD in charge of women's sports and compliance, Judy Van Horn, certainly didn't help herself when allegations about practice time surfaced against RichRod. She immediately issued a blanket denial. And, if the football coaches did break the rules, it happened on her watch, which is inexcusable.

 

Of course, this might hasten his retirement, which might hasten DickRod's departure...

http://www.annarbor.com/news/michigan-athletic-director-bill-martin-accused-of-assaulting-student-employees/

 

Nah, let DickRod stay another year. That way he can lose to Michigan State, Ohio State, et al for three straight years.

 

When was the last time Michigan lost to Illinois, Penn State, Ohio State and Michigan State three years in a row?

 

DeCarolis was in the running for the Indiana job, when it leaked out that the Hoosiers went elsewhere I know he got hundreds of e-mails from Beaver fans expressing their appreciation for the job he's done at Oregon State.
He even replied to them - at least he did to my e-mail.
He deserves the shot - he's done an amazing job in Corvallis (which was like New Mexico State when he arrived) but given limited resources and I think he's banging his head on the ceiling. As much as I'd hate to see him go, Michigan would be lucky to have him.