Coaching Hello: Dan Enos Comment Count

Brian

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Per Bruce Feldman, Michigan is hiring another former Arkansas assistant:

For what is as of yet unknown. Rumors that Pep Hamilton and/or Tim Drevno are on their way out seem likely to come to fruition as a result of this, since Enos is another offensive architect type and not a recruiting-maven/position-coach sort.

Enos is a former MSU quarteback who entered coaching immediately after his playing career ended; since 1991 he's been a college coach. After bouncing around small schools for a decade he landed at Cincinnati as Mark Dantonio's QB coach and followed him to MSU for four years; he landed the head job at CMU in 2010. That didn't go that well—a couple of 3-9 seasons to start followed by .500 ball after—but he was something of a trendsetter in college football when he voluntarily left the CMU job to go be a P5 coordinator, joining Arkansas as OC in 2015.

His tenure through the lens of S&P+:

RUSH O PASS O OVERALL
2015 5 1 2
2016 74 22 39
2017 9 47 43

That's better than I expected in the SEC West; Bielema would probably still have a job if his defense hadn't cratered to the 113th this year.

Enos is a college guy whose most prominent stints as an assistant were at mashing pro-style programs, and he had good results despite working at a substantial talent disadvantage. College-lifer pro-style coaches are an endangered species, and while Enos doesn't have a Don Brown resume he's probably the best available coach who's at all a fit for what Michigan wants to do.

Comments

yossarians tree

January 5th, 2018 at 3:06 PM ^

Can't be for anything less than OC. Assume Drevno slides to OL (they owe him for like 4 more years) or he moves on. Tough to move on after a season like that, and it's rather late. I'd like to see a new RB coach and adding a WR coach. 

UMVAFAN

January 5th, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^

I think this could be a good hire, but could blow up in Harbaugh's face. I don't think it's a step back from Pep if he takes over the passing game, or from Drevno if he becomes 1a for play calling behind Harbaugh. He's had good numbers at Arkansas, but their defense was horrible. But one thing that's not being mentioned is his in depth knowledge of MSU and Dantonio. Having someone from the "inside" over in East Lansing is something that Michigan has never had in the past. MSU has owned Michigan the past decade, so any edge Harbaugh can gain in this realm is a plus. On the other hand, if Enos gets the OC position and is a complete bust, Harbaugh is going to have egg on his face bringing in an MSU guy that shits the bed. 

I wonder if Enos and Dantonio had a falling out -- or even Enos with MSU. This hire is weird on so many levels. I always had the understanding that anyone associated with Dantonio hated Michigan immensely. And Enos played for MSU. This would be like Roy Manning becoming the DC at MSU (I'd say Mike Hart as OC, but that would never happen). It's a head scratcher, but I'm willing to see what happens. Good luck, Enos!

Arb lover

January 5th, 2018 at 6:52 PM ^

Dantonio is likely super pissed at this news, and that makes a small part of me happy.

Regardless of what you think of Enos or his work ethic, any decent coach is going to be living in the  present, so i don't see his past MSU knowledge as anything but a bonus. Hope he does good things here. 

Also, let's not forget people that almost all MSU alumni would love an opportunity to become Wolverines if the opportunity presented itself. (A study of this would work best if done blind and polled only after they were offered the opportunity).

Quailman

January 5th, 2018 at 7:59 PM ^

How do you know there were better options? Just bc there are OC's you like more, or are better, doesnt mean they were options. They have to want to come to and be able to come to UM. Enos might be the best plausible coach UM can add at this stage, and he might do a good job.

Fezzik

January 6th, 2018 at 1:32 PM ^

"he's probably the best available coach who's at all a fit for what Michigan wants to do."

I do not agree with this at all from Brian. If this is a position coach thats one thing, but we can do better for OC.

Mongo

January 6th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^

Pep and Frey are moving on ... Pep to the NFL (TBD) and Frey to FSU. The zone-spread / 4-WR era ends.

Hope the offensive assignments are:

Drevno - OL and run game coordinator (good at this role / field general)
Enos - QB and pass game coordinator (booth guy on game day)
Jay - TEs / HBs / FBs & ST
TBD - RBs (this is where Mike Hart belongs)
TBD - WR (need more than a grad assistant, need a Zordich-like hard-ass)

With Herbert taking over the S&C program we are going 100% back to Manball. People shit on Drevno, but I think when we went back to power and gap blocking with pulling guards it was highly effective. Tim is the master of that kind of attack and is an excellent OL coach. Adding Frey and zone concepts was probably a mistake. Enos is a power pro-style offensive guy and gets the whole concept of integrating the pass game into that identity. Those guys need a couple of strong position coaches at RB and WR - guys who can teach and demand playmaking skills. Like Zordich did for the young DBs this past season. We did not have that kind of accountability on offense out of the WRs in particular. Hart would be an excellent RB role model and teacher of tough-nosed pass protection in Manball.

If Shea wins the QB job, then we might see some pistol added to power. Something the B1G hasn't seen before and Shea could really make it go with his mobility / playmaking. Pistol and power worked well together for JH / TD with the 49ers as the blocking schemes are the same. Easier to keep the OL in sync versus having to add zone concepts.

2018 will be the time for JH to come back to his roots.

Danny R C

January 5th, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^

I agree. I mean can he even be trusted. I could see a Sparty giving Dantonio inside info just because he hates us so much. Am I crazy friends?

Brianj25

January 5th, 2018 at 3:42 PM ^

Something like that has never happened as far as I can tell. It would effectively end his coaching career and probably open him up to civil liability. That's a stupid risk to take unless MSU is willing to give him more money, by several orders of magnitude, than his "inside info" would ever be worth -- and of course that money trail would be public information. 

In short, yes, that is craziness. 

Brianj25

January 12th, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^

That guy was removed from the coaching staff, and like a jilted ex lover gave out information afterwards. That type of thing probably happens all the time. 

What the original comment was suggesting was completely different. 

uncleFred

January 8th, 2018 at 7:48 PM ^

"...on average college players aren't anywhere near as insane in their love of school as we are..."

While I freely admit to not having surveyed Michigan's college athletes, I'm a bit curious as to the basis of your assertion. Frankly I think that you're full of it and, were I to make a bet, I'd bet that the majority of the scholarship athletes at the University of Michigan love the U at least a much if not more than the average "fan". The vast majority of those athletes never compete again after they leave school. They devoted hundreds of extra hours every year, and somehow you think their pride and devotion to their alma mater is less than ours?

I think the righteous self indigent fan bus picks people up over there. Why don't you hurry to be first in line.  

TrueBlue2003

January 5th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^

obviously, but he inherited a senior Brandon Allen (third string QB for the Rams), Hunter Henry (no description necessary) and a couple of NFL OL.  Their offense was 22nd the season before Enos arrived.

To drop to 39th and 43rd the past two years is, by definition, mediocre.  It is good to know he can field an elite offense with good players.

funkywolve

January 5th, 2018 at 6:59 PM ^

Take the S&P stats with a grain of salt. S&P ranked Bama with the 12th best rushing offense this year while Michigan had the 14th best rushing offense according to S&P. Call me crazy but I'd take Alabama's rushing game over UM's seven days of the week.