Michigan could attempt a ‘high-wire act’ with Kalen DeBoer

The Michigan Wolverines are still looking for a head coach, two weeks after they fired Sherrone Moore for cause.

There’s a case that can be made that the Wolverines don’t need to rush this decision, because it’s a big one. There’s also a case to be made that their time is quickly running out, though.

Another 15-day transfer portal opens on Jan. 2, and the last one closed before Moore was fired. If the Wolverines don’t have a plan in place before then, they could see an exodus from Ann Arbor of crippling proportions for the football program.

Michigan has taken a shot at Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham, but that led to a new deal for the Sun Devils’ head coach. That’s called pulling a Penn State.

Michigan also had interest in Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer, but he publicly expressed how much he loves coaching at Alabama, not all that long after that interest came out.

Still, Michigan could take another shot at DeBoer. While mentioning Missouri Eli Drinkwitz, Washington’s Jedd Fisch and former longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham as new potential targets for the Wolverines, Pete Thamel of ESPN did say that DeBoer could still be on the table.

“Every day that goes by, the chance increases that Michigan could take another whack at Kalen DeBoer,” Thamel said on ESPN on Wednesday (h/t On3). “Again, Louis (Riddick) mentioned a risk. That comes with exponential risk. Indiana plays Alabama in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. There’s no guarantee that Kalen DeBoer would take the job. Michigan would be waiting, in theory, for a conversation with Kalen DeBoer.”

Michigan Wolverines taking a chance potentially waiting for Kalen DeBoer

The timing of that wait has to be scary for the Wolverines. That would make Jan. 2 the best day for just a conversation with DeBoer, and there’s no guarantee he’d be receptive to that conversation. If Alabama beats Indiana in the Rose Bowl, that convo could be pushed out even further.

In this scenario, the portal would open, and Michigan could lose a ton of talent to other schools. DeBoer is the candidate that Michigan covets, though, according to Thamel, so the Wolverines may consider waiting for him worth the risk.

Still, the calendar in this scenario is a big concern.

“The timing still looms as a near impossibility and a giant risk for Michigan officials and Athletic Director Warde Manuel, whose own career is in the crosshairs as this search unfolds with an outside investigation of the athletic department,” Thamel said. “To wait for DeBoer would be like a high-wire act we’ve never seen.”

The question is whether or not Michigan could stomach the idea of waiting and still getting turned down by DeBoer. At this point, though, it’s already been a disaster of an offseason for the Wolverines. 

Their brand is big enough to help them with roster retention, and they could always dip into the portal themselves once they have a head coach in place.

It’s a big risk, but if Michigan believes that DeBoer is the right guy for the job, it could all work out eventually for the Wolverines.