Michigan Football: What's Taking Wolverines so Long to Find New Coach?

Brady Hoke was fired two weeks ago and his replacement remains a mystery. Since Hoke’s dismissal, Florida and Nebraska have swiftly replaced head coaches while Michigan’s search drags on.

Michigan football is at a crucial juncture. Previous searches have proven that coaches aren’t lined up waiting to come to Ann Arbor. As the days without a head coach accumulate, Michigan risks damaging its national stature.

It’s been 10 years since the Wolverines' last Big Ten title—another bad hire, and Michigan’s greatness may recede even further in the past.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The search is complicated by a number of internal and external factors that have prevented a quick resolution to finding a new head coach. These factors make it appear that Michigan hasn’t learned from previous searches.

The resignation of David Brandon has put the interim athletic director Jim Hackett in a difficult position. Nebraska had gone through a long, painful search before and was determined to not do so again.

Nebraska University chancellor Harvey Perlman explained it best to Mitch Sherman of ESPN: "We've experienced some searches that weren't handled very well. Now, a lot of that is fortuitous. Things have to break for you. The point is, every athletic director -- every good athletic director -- has a list of guys for every coaching position that he's been looking at for a long time."

Hackett’s previous experience is in the corporate sector—he has no athletics administrative experience or network to rely on and had no time to generate a thoughtful list.

To make up for this shortcoming, Hackett has enlisted a search firm to help him identify and vet candidates, a strategy from his corporate days. The decision has further slowed the process.

The search is also hampered by Michigan president Mark Schlissel who acknowledges his lack of expertise when it comes to “sports stuff.”

Tony Ding/Associated Press

Schlissel had to apologize last month for the disparaging academic performance of the football program, contributing to the season’s chaos.

Hackett’s interim status also complicates the search. The relationship between the football coach and athletic director is crucial to each other’s success. The Brandon-Hoke axis showed how the relationship can be detrimental to a coach. Michigan’s next coach will be wary of a similar relationship with Hackett or his successor.

There may be another solid reason for the search to be dragging on—Michigan may be targeting a coach who simply isn’t available yet. Michigan reportedly covets Jim Harbaugh, who is still finishing his season.

If fan favorite Jim Harbaugh takes the job, the length of the search will soon be forgotten. There are other top-tier candidates (Les Miles, Jim Mora Jr. or Sean Payton) who will also satisfy most fans.

But if the search stretches on much longer and results in a less famous name succeeding Hoke, then the damage will be done. 

Michigan's stature has already been damaged by poor records and political infighting since Lloyd Carr's retirement.

A third botched coaching search might be the last strike for Michigan's national perception as an elite football program. 

Phil Callihan is a featured writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations obtained firsthand

Follow @PCallihan