If Jim Harbaugh walks away from the reported $8 million-a-year contract awaiting him at Michigan, the school may want to consider a more untraditional route.
Both Kevin Trahan of SBNation and Chris Emma of CBSChicago.com have suggested the Wolverines take a look at Coastal Carolina coach Joe Moglia, and the idea is quickly gaining traction.
Moglia's story reads like something out of Hollywood. A football coach for 16 years from 1968 to 1983, Moglia stepped away from the sidelines to enter the business world. He rose up the ranks at Merrill Lynch before leaving to take the role of CEO at TD Ameritrade. In seven years at TD Ameritrade, Moglia helped the company increase its market capitalization from $700 million to $12 billion.
But Moglia still had a burning desire to coach, and after stepping down from TD Ameritrade he took a volunteer position at Nebraska under former coach Bo Pelini. After a few seasons he was named coach of the UFL's Omaha Nighthawks, where he spent one year before getting the job at Coastal Carolina.
Moglia has found immediate success at Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers have gone 31-9 the past three seasons and tied for first in the Big South conference each year.
Of course, running an FCS team is much different than heading one of the most storied teams in the country. With that said, college football programs are becoming more and more like businesses, and even respected tacticians like Pelini and Brady Hoke committed publicity fumbles that accelerated their firings. Moglia may not have the experience of other candidates, but he boasts a superb business background that makes him at least an intriguing interview.
+1 RT @k_trahan Hey Michigan, here’s why you (or the school you steal a coach from) should hire Joe Moglia http://t.co/ZxyVLboiP3
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) December 17, 2014
If Michigan had stones they'd hire Joe Moglia of Coastal Carolina, former Ameritrade CEO - no way he'd fail
— John Middlekauff (@JohnMiddlekauff) December 13, 2014
Pitt should hire Joe Moglia.
— Luke Zimmermann (@lukezim) December 13, 2014