Fire The Coach? Not So Fast!
If you’re a sports fan, it’s difficult to ignore the frequent calls for a head coach’s job. If your team is a perennial under-performer, I get it. However, most times, that’s not the case, and, a small losing streak, or, not winning by enough points versus a perceived lesser opponent fans the flames of basement dwelling armchair quarterbacks across the land. I get it, some of these coaches are paid more in one year than most of us will make in our lifetimes, and, with that, comes above-average scrutiny, so to speak.
Living in Michigan, we have a little rivalry that will play out tomorrow in East Lansing, and, I’d like to present you with some interesting facts related to the loyalty of the respective universities to their head coaches.
Representing the home team, Mark Dantonio, has served as the Spartan’s head coach since 2007, and, according to sports-reference.com, has a record of 104-47-0…a winning record of .689. His bowl record at Michigan State is 5-4, only missing out on the post-season twice. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll discover that he’s delivered 3-B1G conference championships, and, a berth in the 2015 college football playoff. For his efforts, his current salary stands at approximately $4.4M, ranked #18 according to a USA Today salary listing of college football head coaches. It’s safe to assume that loyalty to Dantonio has paid off for Michigan State and their brethren. Note: I need to mention that since 2007, his rival, which we’ll get to in a moment, has only defeated Michigan State three times in Dantonio’s reign.
As for the visitors, or victors as they like to be known, Jim Harbaugh is Michigan’s fourth head football coach since the 2007 season. Since then, Michigan football as a record of 95-58-0 (.621). In comparison to “little brother” as they say, Michigan has won zero B1G conference championships, has never been in the college playoff, and sports a bowl record of 3-5. Harbaugh currently ranks 3rd in annual salary at a whopping $7.5M behind, yet within striking distance of, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Ohio State’s Urban Meyer. Oh, by the way, Saban, who has also been in his current role since 2007, has amassed a bowl record of 7-3 including participation in six national championship games, winning that game 5 times. As for Meyer, he’s been the head coach at Ohio State since 2012, has a bowl record of 4-2 with one national title.
Lloyd Carr was “encouraged” to leave Michigan football after the 2007, 9-win season. His overall record at Michigan as head coach was 122-40, (.753), and, delivered a share of the national title in 1997. His record against Michigan State is an undeniable 10-3.
Make of this what you will, but I suggest to you that Michigan football made a huge mistake by giving up on Lloyd Carr. I know they had a bad loss at home to open the season against Appalachian State in his final season, but just imagine, in the longer term, how many wins Michigan has left on the table by not remaining loyal to Carr. What we don’t have to imagine, is the number of years that it will take Michigan to even the recent series against Michigan State. I’ll leave that math to you.