The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/402034
quickly an NFL roster can be flipped. Not so in college. Both Skene and Ray agreed that more patience will be re- quired, no matter what lies ahead. "We're in a position of reestab- lishing," Skene offered. "It's not a finished product yet, obviously, but that's where we're at. We need to establish some old traditions and old familiarity to what Michigan football is, but make it fit the demands of the modern game." "As an entire Michigan football na- tion, you have to understand that we're not where we want to be, and it's going to take some time to get it back, and it's going to take some patience," Ray said. "Whether you want to be patient or not, you have to be patient. "You can't change anything that has happened so far, and if you want to change the future, you have to start with changing your approach right now. "Everybody needs to be evalu- ated at the end of the year, as far as their progress in their particular job. If you need to make changes, then you make those changes. If you keep some people in place, you'd better surround whoever you have at any job with the right help, that can get what you want done." TRANSITION TRAUMA Don't tell Skene how easy it was going from Schembechler to his suc- cessor, Gary Moeller. Compared to the Carr-Rodriguez transition, the handoff following the 1989 season was obviously smooth as a frozen pond. That doesn't mean it wasn't tough emotionally, though. Skene remem- bers that well. "There was a great wave of emo- tion that Bo was leaving from the current team in the building," Skene said. "It was a very emotional day for a lot of guys. A lot of guys had come to play for Michigan, but also to be coached by Bo, myself included." The Wolverines of 1990 needed to deal with a loss. They wrapped their heads around it with plenty of help from their exiting head coach, whose message stayed the same. They also drew comfort from the familiarity all around them. "When that happened, the old program that Bo had always talked MICHIGAN'S COACHES OVER THE LAST EIGHT SEASONS Season Head Coach Off. Coordinator Def. Coordinator 2007 Lloyd Carr Mike DeBord Ron English 2008 Rich Rodriguez Calvin Magee Scott Shafer 2009 Rich Rodriguez Calvin Magee Greg Robinson 2010 Rick Rodriguez Calvin Magee Greg Robinson 2011 Brady Hoke Al Borges Greg Mattison 2012 Brady Hoke Al Borges Greg Mattison 2013 Brady Hoke Al Borges Greg Mattison 2014 Brady Hoke Doug Nussmeier Greg Mattison