After Michigan Athletics fired Mel Pearson Friday morning, its attention immediately shifted to filling its vacant head coach position. With just under two months left until the first exhibition game of the season, the Wolverines desperately need someone to take the reins.
But the program’s image took a hit during the investigation, created in part by Michigan’s self-inflicted employment drama. The next hire will need to prioritize restoring its credibility and controlling the damage done by Pearson’s misconduct.
Under that lens, The Daily analyzes likely candidates who could become Michigan’s ninth head coach in program history.
The No-Gos: Bill Muckalt, Brian Wiseman
Trigger warning: mention of sexual assault
It’s important to distinguish who’s unlikely to receive the head coaching position. The key issue to start the next coach’s tenure will be image repair after what unfolded under Pearson. These two candidates would undermine that goal.
In the cases of associate head coach Bill Muckalt and former assistant coach Brian Wiseman, both likely won’t be in the running due to their backgrounds.
Muckalt holds deep ties to Pearson as a coach, having worked alongside him for parts of nine seasons. He held a position of power in Pearson’s program, and some of his responses in WilmerHale’s report contradict what alleged victims say happened inside the program. That proximity to the Wolverines’ recent investigation complicates a potential hire.
In Wiseman’s case, rumors of his apparent return to Michigan swirled in recent weeks, especially after his slated assistant role with the New York Islanders wound up going to a different coach. But that was before disconcerting news of a sexual misconduct trial from his past resurfaced. In the wake of Pearson’s culture of abuse, a candidate whose background includes alleged sexual misconduct could only further damage the Wolverines’ credibility, and hiring him would only reinforce the notion that the Athletic Department does not protect, or care for, women.
The bold hire: Brandon Naurato
Assistant coach Brandon Naurato coached under Pearson last season, but his time in the program superseded most instances of misconduct. On paper, his lack of coaching experience makes his hiring seem unlikely, yet everything else about him feels right.
Before last year, he spent parts of five seasons in player development roles, most notably with the Detroit Red Wings. His skills in…
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