Coaching Search Primer: Who are the top candidates to be UM's coach next year?

CFMB's Top Coaching Candidates:

Brady Hoke

1. Brady Hoke (Current Michigan Head Coach) - Look, I know this is a tough sell, but the chances are not very good that UM could secure any of the other top candidates on this list so we might just be better off sticking with Hoke for one more year. Of course, he would have to win out the rest of the season in order for this to be a viable option. Many of us fans have said all along that nothing less than an 8-5 record is acceptable, and if he can salvage the season after all the train wrecks that have occurred along the way thus far then he probably deserves another shot. It cannot be understated how big wins in Columbus and in a bowl game would be for this argument. Most people think I am crazy, but until we lose a sixth game I am completely staying on board with the Hoke regime. Seriously, the dude has killed it on the recruiting trail and his guys are finally becoming upperclassmen. I could easily argue that we should at least wait until all of Rich Rod's guys are gone and more of Hoke's four and five star recruits are of age before we start jumping ship. Besides, we need to give the offense, particularly this young O-line, another year to get it together. Anybody in the coaching world will tell you that it takes at least 12 months to install a system and it becomes a much harder task when you are teaching it to a load of freshmen and sophomores. OC Doug Nussmeier hasn't even been in Ann Arbor for a year yet and Gardner, a fifth-year senior and former Rich Rod recruit, hasn't helped much at all either. The defense, which has played very well overall, put us in a good position to even up the score early against MSU last weekend and Gardner, like many times this year, promptly coughed it up on the ensuing series. That is unacceptable stuff that we shouldn't have to worry about next year. Having said all that, if we don't beat Indiana this weekend I will most-likely be getting out my life preserver.
2. Jon Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens Head Coach) - He might be the most unlikely of the top candidates to actually take the job, but he is numero uno in my book no less. His household name, resume, and personality make him a good fit for a lot of head coaching jobs at any level. However, the only reason he would want to take the Michigan job is for the specific challenge that it poses for him. In other words, if he ended up in Ann Arbor and were able to turn the sinking program back into a national contender then he would be an immortal hero and could then have just about any job he wanted in football. In the end though, the reality is that he doesn't need Michigan anywhere near as much as Michigan needs him. As it is he has already done enough to be a widely coveted commodity in the NFL and will probably not be leaving the league any time soon.
3. Pat Narduzzi (Michigan State Defensive Coordinator) - Recognized as the best assistant coach in the country while receiving the 2013 Broyles Award, Narduzzi is on the tip of just about every Michigan fan's tongues right now. He is a Midwestern guy that has a lot of ties to the region to go along with his growing credibility as a defensive coordinator. His close relationship with Spartan's Head Coach Mark Dantonio would add a lot more fuel to the in-state rivalry. I am not saying that he should automatically be a leading candidate but if he doesn't at least get a call there is truly something wrong with the entire UM Athletic Department. Am I wrong here? I don't think so. The guy has constructed one of the best defenses in the country, ranking in the top five in total defense in both 2012 and 2013. He hasn't necessarily had the best raw talent to work with either as none of the Spartan's recruiting classes have ranked in the top 25 under Dantonio. Narduzzi seems to get the most out of each guy though, and that is something that the Hoke regime has failed to do up 'til this point. 
4. Les Miles (Louisiana State Head Coach) - We all know the connection here but I have never been as high on Miles. He seems a bit too goofy to me at times and seems to win a lot of games on trick plays. Realistically, Miles hasn't had to work too hard in the bayou simply because they always get great recruits down there, and Michigan might pose too big of a challenge for him. However, if he is up to the challenge and he were able to come in and turn things around with multiple Big Ten Conference championships, then he might find his statue someday erected somewhere on the campus in Ann Arbor. 
5. Dan Mullen (Mississippi State Bulldogs Head Coach) - I believe that Mullen is as good of a candidate as any to receiver a phone call from Michigan. Sure he likes the spread option running game, but that doesn't scare me. Michigan was number one in the Big Ten in offense when it ran the spread option under Rich Rod. One could even argue that Mullen is more of an offensive master-mind than Rodriguez. He's "not a Michigan Man". Who cares? Neither is Harbaugh or Narduzzi. By the way, Brady Hoke never attended Michigan before becoming a Wolverines' assistant coach in 1995, and as far as I know neither Bo Schembechler or Lloyd Carr ever stepped foot in a UM classroom either! So let's just cut this "Michigan Man" crap already. Nobody really knows or cares about what that even really means. If the guy can win at Michigan then he is a Michigan Man in my book. If you didn't already know, many of us loyal fans didn't attend Michigan either. We just choose to be a part of Wolverine Nation and support the program that represents our beloved state with faith and trust that they will put a good product on the field. Mullen should at least get a phone call, if he hasn't already. He is 40-28 overall with a 3-1 bowl record in six seasons as the Bulldog's head coach.
6. Jim Harbaugh (San Francisco 49'ers Head Coach) - To say Harbaugh is a bit off might be an understatement, and I am not as high on him as many other fans. However, he has the name and credentials to be a top candidate for any college football program if he does indeed find himself on the way out in San Francisco. His intensity might just be what this roster needs. Just look at what he did for Stanford! In the end, I would still rather have his brother John at the helm even if he didn't play for or coach the maize and blue at any point in his career. Jim would be a decent consolation prize though, and is probably the more likely candidate to take the job of the two.

The Brothers Harbaugh

One Wild Card:

Tommy Tuberville

• Tommy Tuberville (Cincinnati Bearcat Head Coach) - I love this guy's resume. He is a former Walter Camp and Bear Bryant Coach of the Year recipient after guiding the Auburn Tigers to an undefeated season (13-0) in 2004. He is 141-82 overall and 7-4 in bowl games with stints at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, and currently Cincinnati. He is by no means a perfect candidate, but he has a lot of experience and now follows in the footsteps of a long list of successful Bearcat coaches that went on to bigger and better jobs. I would be surprised if he wasn't on a short list of possible candidates.