The problem, Mike, that I see is I have to think there are few established coaches who want to monkey around with a rebuilding at this point in their established careers. Thus, it's my belief several "targets" are pretty well already off the table.
Meaning, Mich will have to find a guy who can re-build a program. This might take two forms
The guy who rebuilds and moves on
The guy who rebuilds and stays.
In my view, you want a lifer. I don't know much about Hoke, but from all I hear he would view Mich as his dream job (lifer) and he has taken [Mark May] football teams and turned them into relatively competitive groups (Ball State wasn't going to compete for national titles, but they were competitive with their peers). I also know there is concern about him - but frankly I don't know what they are. I have to assume they are Xs and Os, but I dont know.
LEM is a possibility as well, obviously. I'm with Smoov, though. I just don't know that he's up to the task of rebuilding a program that is not tailor made for winning (ie strong recruiting base right outside his door). Not to mention - if you've watched LSU football, LEM's decision making is .... unbelievably weird.... and his clock management is worse. Mich fans will point to LSU's win over Ohio State. They'll ignore the better comparable - Oklahoma State. (Mich feels they are on LSU's level. In my opinion, they're not even at Oky State's level right now). That said, I think LEM would at least put a competent product on the field.
The severe damage that has been done by the RR era puts Michigan in a significant hole. I don't know of any candidate that jumps off the page as a "slam dunk" hire. If I were you, I'd be worried about Brandon's ability to find the diamond in the rough. It seems to me, you have to find the guy who loves Michigan more than money, more than other lucrative opportunities and etc. Basically, you have to find Jim Tressel, Michigan version. I have little confidence that Dave Brandon is the guy to dig that needle out of the haystack.
And even with JT - he didn't inherit a program without any special teams or defense and a offense filled with guys who are... frankly... not built for Big Ten football. If he had.. well... I'm not sure we would have given him time. And that's what Michigan's going to need.
