The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 19 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL How Michigan Coaches Have Fared During Their First Four Years On The Job The 2019 campaign will be the fifth for head coach Jim Harbaugh during his time in Ann Arbor, a juncture that only eight previous coaches have reached during their respective U-M tenures — Fielding H. Yost, Harry Kipke, Fritz Crisler, Bennie Oosterbaan, Bump Elliott, Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr. Harbaugh's 38-14 (.731 winning percentage) record during his first four years at the helm ranks just sev- enth among the nine coaches, with only Bennie Oosterbaan (.702 from 1948-51) and Bump Elliott (.472 from 1959-62) posting lower totals through their first four seasons. That statistic is not a knock on Harbaugh, however, but instead an indication of how incredibly well many of his predecessors have performed. The legendary Yost, for example, registered a 43-0-1 record at U-M from 1901-04, equating out to a .988 winning percentage. While no other Wolverine head man in history has compiled a winning percentage better than .900 dur- ing his first four years at the helm, Schembechler (.863), Kipke (.847) and Crisler (.812) all managed to tally marks in the 80s. One of the main differences that separates Harbaugh from the other eight leaders on the list, though, is his 0-4 record against Ohio State. Elliott is the only other U-M head man who accumulated a losing record to the Buckeyes during his initial four seasons in Ann Arbor, going 1-3 against the hated rivals from the south. A similar sentiment can be said about Harbaugh's 8-10 mark against Associated Press top-25 opponents, with Elliott once again being the only other coach with a losing record (2-6) against such foes. Fortunately for Harbaugh and the 2019 Maize and Blue, though, fifth seasons have often yielded outstand- ing results for the aforementioned men. Yost (1905), Kipke (1933) and Schembechler (1973) each enjoyed campaigns with one loss or fewer, while Carr's crew put together a 10-2 mark in 1999 that culminated with an Orange Bowl victory over No. 5 Alabama. U-M Coaches During Their First Four Years At The Helm Coach (Years) Overall Record Vs. MSU Vs. OSU Vs. AP Top 25 Fielding H. Yost (1901-04) 43-0-1 1-0 4-0 N/A Harry Kipke (1929-32) 29-4-3 2-0-2 2-2 N/A Fritz Crisler (1938-41) 25-5-2 4-0 3-0-1 4-2-1 Bennie Oosterbaan (1948-51) 25-10-2 2-2 3-0-1 8-6-1 Bump Elliott (1959-62) 17-19 0-4 1-3 2-6 Bo Schembechler (1969-72) 38-6 3-1 2-2 5-5 Gary Moeller (1990-93) 36-9-3 2-2 3-0-1 10-6-2 Lloyd Carr (1995-98) 39-11 3-1 3-1 15-9 Jim Harbaugh (2015-18) 38-14 2-2 0-4 8-10 Note: the Associated Press poll was not introduced in college football until 1936 U-M Coaches In Their Fifth Season Coach (Years) Overall Record Vs. MSU Vs. OSU Vs. AP Top 25 Fielding H. Yost (1905) 12-1 — Won N/A Harry Kipke (1933) 7-0-1 Won Won N/A Fritz Crisler (1942) 7-3 Won Lost 2-2 Bennie Oosterbaan (1952) 5-4 Lost Lost 1-1 Bump Elliott (1963) 3-4-2 Tied Lost 1-1 Bo Schembechler (1973) 10-0-1 Won Tied 0-0-1 Gary Moeller (1994) 8-4 Won Lost 2-3 Lloyd Carr (1999) 10-2 Lost Won 5-1 Jim Harbaugh (2019) ? ? ? ? Note: the Associated Press poll was not introduced in college football until 1936 — Austin Fox Galko said. "Great bend, great flexibility in the hips. He's actually our highest Michigan senior this year as far as where we think he might go. "I think he has awesome upside if he can add a bit more good weight and show that he can play a linebacker role in the NFL." Peoples-Jones is receiving first-round buzz heading into 2019. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller in his mock draft released April 29 had the junior wideout going with the No. 22 overall pick. "He's a reliable hands catcher," Galko said. "He's a guy that's shown quickness and shiftiness as a returner and as a receiver as well. I think the biggest question for him is, can he be more than an efficient hands catcher and be more explosive?" Galko said Peoples-Jones needs to become a bet- ter route runner and not always lean on his length to get by. If he can develop his corner and post routes, the analyst thinks the pass catcher could be a high pick in the NFL Draft. Another potential 2020 draft selection is fifth-year left tackle Jon Runyan Jr. Galko said that he is a bit limited laterally and athletically, and likely a later round selection. Offensive guard Ben Bredeson is another prospect Galko likes. "We targeted him a year ago as a guy who could be really impressive and be a top-three or four round offensive lineman," Galko said. "He's an effective guard who's got enough length to play in a man or zone-blocking scheme. … He has a chance to be one of the better guard pros- pects this year. Not a first- or second-round guy; at least that would surprise me." With cornerback David Long leaving early for the NFL, he leaves behind senior corner- back Lavert Hill, who has a very good shot at joining him in the league. "He's very aggressive at the line and has very strong hands," Galko said. "His ability to press and engage and win with strength and then stay tight to those receivers with elite speed is really, really impressive. The two areas I'm most curious about are can he con- tinue to add good weight and work against stronger interior receivers, guys who are able to win as route separators on the perimeter? "I think he's a very effective corner. He's got to add more bulk, and he's got to show the ability to work off double moves a lot better and not just rely on strength and speed." Galko thinks if Hill can improve in those areas and show NFL teams he can play on the outside, he can go as high as a second- or third-round pick. Another player on Michigan's defense that could be selected in 2020 is linebacker Khaleke Hudson. His athleticism is something that Galko thinks makes him attractive for NFL teams, though the analyst noted he has to do a better job in pass coverage. "The versatility is a huge win," Galko said. "He's a guy we focused on a lot a year ago. The question is — is he a tweener or is he a neither? "Can he be a linebacker and safety, or can he be a guy who's not one of those at the NFL level?" — Andrew Hussey Harry Kipke, Fritz Crisler, Bennie Oosterbaan, Bump Elliott and Bo Schembechler are among the previous U-M coaches who reached five seasons as the head man. PHOTO COURTESY BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY