Dave Portnoy’s Thoughts On The State Of Michigan Football

What this episode is about

Dave Portnoy discusses the turmoil surrounding Michigan football, highlighting the lack of communication and infighting among the university's regents, which complicates the hiring of a new coach. He suggests that a streamlined approach, with a single decision-maker like Larry Ellison overseeing the football program, would simplify the leadership structure and enable a quicker resolution to the current chaos.

Key takeaways

• Michigan football: Where regents argue, chaos reigns, and AD decisions feel like a game of musical chairs.
• Attempts to cut through the chaos? 'Just hire Larry Ellison and let him run the show!' Genius or madness?
• With every passing day of uncertainty, Michigan's pool of potential coaches shrinks faster than enthusiasm at a funeral.
• Controversy at Michigan isn't new; it's just the latest episode in their reality show, 'As the Regents Turn.'
• Rumor mill spins: If Michigan had beaten Ohio State, would Chiron Moore still be coaching? What ifs are the best drama!

Who speaks in this episode?

• Dave Portnoy (Guest) · 11 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Kalin Dbor, Ward Emanuel, Kenny Dillingham, Jeff Monkin
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Arizona State
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Ward Emanuel, Kalin Dbor, Connor Stalions, John Beline
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Ward Emanuel, Kalin Dbor, Jeff Monkin

Notable quotes from "Dave Portnoy’s Thoughts On The State Of Michigan Football"

• The AD going to be there? I don't understand what they're doing. Maybe they have a plan. Maybe they're waiting for Kaylin Dbor till the Alabama thing's done. You hear rumors of…

  about Kalin Dbor · at 1:13

• Michigan came with a great offer and he was convinced we're not chaos, he'd be interested. How can you not? I know he loves Arizona State, but how can you not be interested in…

  about Arizona State · at 3:02

• That credibly I thought changed I then it's like Ward saved his job because regents voted for him. By the way I think that is the move. If you don't know what you're doing, get rid of Ward and I it's nothing against him but he's under an.

  about Ward Emanuel · at 7:02

• Don't consider Connor Stal like Connor Stallions to me did not cheat. Like people can say whatever they want. He was in the crowd. He's a smart guy and he did things that are gamesmanship.

  about Connor Stalions · at 8:54

• It's Dbor. Is it Dor? I'd be happy. If you don't have any of these guys on the hook, go get Jeff Monkin. That will end the Michigan man. This guy is the Army coach. He's a…

  about Jeff Monkin · at 11:45

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Ward Emanuel — Person · Referenced athletic director under scrutiny · 3 mentions · first at 0:40
  Discussed as a focal point of Michigan's internal power struggle and instability; speaker claims he may have been fired and then retained via regents.
• Kalin Dbor — Person · Referenced coaching candidate (likely mis-transcribed) · 4 mentions · first at 1:17
  Mentioned as a rumored top target whose situation is tied to Alabama; the discussion frames him as the only justification for Michigan's delay.
• Kenny Dillingham — Person · Referenced coaching candidate · 1 mention · first at 1:51
  Raised as a realistic, quickly-hireable option to stabilize Michigan football if leadership/finances align.
  Facto Dave, go get it. I'm telling you, I could if someone said you have the resources, I could get Kenny Dillingham in 24 hours. In 24 hours, he would be the coach of…
• Jeff Monkin — Person · Referenced coaching candidate · 2 mentions · first at 2:12
  Presented as a 'clean it up' hire with strong morals and leadership; positioned as an alternative if other top targets aren't available.
• John Beline — Person · Referenced interim AD option · 1 mention · first at 6:56
  Floated as a stabilizing temporary athletic director replacement amid claims Ward Emanuel was briefly fired; used as an example of a trusted, reputable figure.
  Get somebody who everyone agrees is like morally on in the right spot. But I don't know how they're just doing nothing. And the only thing I can imagine is there's people who feel like.
• Connor Stalions — Person · Referenced controversy figure · 1 mention · first at 8:58
  Used as a comparison point in the broader Michigan scandals discussion; speaker argues his actions were 'gamesmanship' rather than cheating.

Places & events

• Arizona State — Place · 1 mention · first at 3:08

Full transcript with timestamps

0:00 gave your college in institutional chaos. They got to uh Yeah, there's so much going on there and I'm like on the outside. I I'm not I'm not I get a couple of leaks here and there. I talk to more coaches than I do. There's no communication uh or nothing from Michigan. Not that I deserve it or anything, but there's a lot of chaos there. And the more you delve into uh the way the school is set up, which I kind of knew and I kind of didn't know, you got these regents who I think they're voted on and these guys like are run the school basically. There's like five regents and from what I've gathered there's infighting, there's jocking for power. Some of them are Ward Emanuel fans, some aren't. So everyone wants to hold on to like a power struggle. We we I I tweeted it and I maintain it. They should just for the football be like Larry Ellson's the head of the football thing. He picks the AD. Everything goes

0:59 through him. They get the money. Single chain of command. But right now there's too much infighting. I don't I don't know how they anybody would sign a coach at Michigan right now. I don't even know who like we're under investigation. Is the AD going to be there? I I don't understand what they're doing. Maybe they have a plan. Maybe they're waiting for Kaylin Dbor till the Alabama thing's done. You hear rumors of that, fine. At this point, I take anybody good because every day that goes by, I don't see how these kids are going to stay there. We have major problems. And and I just I don't know how you start when you don't even know who's running the show. Yeah. And I have no idea who's running the show. Like, who can be like, "Hire this guy who has that final say you."

1:44 I I It should be Larry Ellison, then de facto Dave, go get it. I'm telling you, I could if if someone said you have the resources, I could get Kenny Dillingham in 24 hours. In 24 hours, he would be the coach of Michigan. If you said, Dave, go get your guy. You have the financial backing. We'd have Kenny Dillingham. If you want to go the way of which I've heard some people say they got to clean it up, get away from Harbaugh totally. We need a man of honor, courage, whatever. Get Monkin. He'll go do it. Like there's people out there, but you need we I and maybe they're ahead of the game. Maybe there people from Michigan are sitting here listening to this and laughing at me being like Dave doesn't know what's going on. We have it under control.

2:27 We're waiting for this to happen. I hope I'm wrong. To me, it seems every single day that goes by, unless it's Kalin Dbor, in which case Kalin's like already locked up, but he's like, I'm finishing with Alabama and I don't want this thing to leak till after. Unless it's him, I don't know what they're doing. every single day that goes by seems like a major major problem. So, it's chaos.

2:51 Has Dillingham made a comment on it or has anybody said like him about it a lot?

2:56 I he I I I think he's been my interpretation of his answers is if Michigan came with a great offer and he was convinced we're not chaos, he'd be interested. How can you not? I know he loves Arizona State, but how can you not be interested in Michigan now? We're We're I again

3:15 a [ __ ] show. That's how you cannot. Yeah, correct. I said Taylor won and I talked Taylor thinks we have I have no idea. At one point I thought I was getting on a plane to fly to Ann Arbor. Like someone reached out. They're like, "Will you sit down with like the AD and the Regents?" Like they'll listen to you. I'm like, "Yeah, fine." And and that was total garbage. So I don't know what I don't know what they're doing. I don't know what they're doing, but I think it's a lot of people probably there who are holding on for relevance power. I will say on the other side, I don't think Michigan knew from what I knew about everything. Everyone's like they waited till the signing date.

3:53 I do not believe that's the case. I think Can I ask a question? I may I can I hear the question and then decide whether I got I'm just asking questions. Questions should be allowed to be asked.

4:04 Okay. If Michigan had beaten Ohio State, would Chiron Moore be coaching them in the playoff right now?

4:16 Yeah, probably. So, but this is a theory. I don't know anything. The the way this goes is he broke up with her and when that happened, she then went like they were in lock step. Nothing's happening. Nothing's happening. Everyone hears the rumors. I love these guys. Like [ __ ] I I gave the the the Big E example like Biv Big Big E tweeted like if the things I'm hearing are true, Michigan has big who's telling you that like the Hogy sandwich big like everyone heard the same [ __ ] rumors. Everyone's acting like they're Josh P some great source. The It was the worst kept secret. like you heard the rumors, but if the two grown adults, consenting adults, are being like there's nothing going on here, there's not a whole [ __ ] ton you can do until she comes forward with these allegations and everything in proof. Now, to answer your question Dan they say from what I've gathered, he broke up with her, she didn't like it,

5:14 she came forward. I've heard people be like, there's regents, there's people behind who like enticed her, somehow coerced her. whatever you want to say to come forward and get this. Do I think maybe there's something to that and if they win those people don't this does this just pushes off maybe. Now the holding the butter knife to himself threaten to kill himself. Well that that's just you know if you listen if you're going to do it big do it big. Like I you were and I were texting like when I'm in the middle of this controversy everyone's talking about Michigan.

5:49 Everyone's talking about Michigan. It was bet to lose. It was a spectacular step up to [ __ ] up.

5:56 It was spectacular crash out in 24 hours. It was quite something. And I mean, I thought it was fake at first when they're like, he just got arrested. And you're hearing all the things before they're like reported. It's like he was holding a knife to her. It's like what? Like what are we talking about? They got this girl's name on a pizza at the Brown J.

6:17 I saw that. I thought that was fake. So I texted the guy, know the guy. go, "Is this true?" And he's like, "Yeah." I'm like, "Why the [ __ ] is her name on your menu?" And he's like, "Uh, we just put the the everyone on the Michigan athletic staff rotates through. It's really bad timing." I'm like, "That sounds so unbelievable."

6:37 Like, and she's a nobody. Then he's like, "Well, I rated their pizza 1.2." He's like, "If you didn't do a 1.2, it would have been your name on it." Um, nice kid. But I'm like, I I It's like I don't even know if I believe what you're telling me. I heard credibly that Ward Emanuel was fired at one point in in uh John Beline was the replacement temporary ad. Like I heard that credibly I thought changed I then it's like Ward saved his job because regents voted for him. By the way I think that is the move. If you don't know what you're doing,

7:11 get rid of Ward and I it's nothing against him but he's under an investigation. Get John Beline. Get the woman who coached their softball team who by all accounts is like revered across the sport and won national championship.

7:24 Bring back Yeah. Bring back some stability. Get somebody who everyone agrees is like morally on in the right spot. But I don't know how they're just doing nothing. And the only thing I can imagine is there's people who feel like if you get word award, you lose your in to influence. So it it it's a bad scene. And every day that goes by I feel like hurts the program more and more.

7:50 Yeah, it does feel that way. But you're Michigan. You'll figure it out. Unless it's Kaylin Dbor like Yeah, you will figure it out. It's just it it to me it's like all right, how many years of damage are you doing? Like the portal opens what? January 1st.

8:06 And I would say, am I right about that? I think it does. I think it does the So it's like what are you not going to have a coat? You're not going to have anything and and anybody can go anywhere. Yeah. So, that's the [ __ ] by the way, about the signing date that I don't really This isn't old school. Like, these kids can all leave in a week and a half.

8:22 Last question because I think I know the answer to this, but I want to ask it anyway. All of this that has happened, you would you you'd be like, "Yeah, that's a great deal cuz we won a national title.

8:34 I wouldn't trade anything. I if you told me Chiron Stallions slit his wrist with a butter knife and bled out but we won a national championship two years I think I got to take that title.

8:47 I Yeah. I mean the ending was obviously tragic. Yeah. Yeah. There's different things here. I still don't consider Connor Stal like Connor Stallions to me did not cheat. Like people can say whatever they want. He was in the crowd. He's a smart guy and he did things that are are gamesmanship. I have absolutely no problem with any of it. This

9:07 this is like a totally and again the people who blame Ward Emanuel like how are you supposed to know the guy you hire is going to have an affair and show up how Jawan Howard's the punch like the hockey coach thing I think is pretty typical for hockey and people being [ __ ] but like some of these things are not Ward's fault to me but but I don't know they can come back from this

9:31 haven't like seven dudes been arrested uh we've had Yeah I I mean the but there's [ __ ] [ __ ] on every single like the and Michigan State guy I forget his name is like dude you guys forfeited games you have Larry Nasser you have all like there's always [ __ ] everywhere if you dig deep enough in this in some of the arrests I mean a DUI like all right he got DUI that's terrible but like a lot of people getting DUIs breaking into the the offensive coordinator Matt Weiss breaking into like

10:02 that one's bad I don't I don't stand for that No. And let's clear up Shiron Moore. Chiron is not a Michigan man. Like there's a lot of people trying to be like, oh, I think it was Jim Rome like you got to stop hiring within Michigan. Well, he we didn't hire him within Michigan. He went to Oklahoma. He coached at Louisville and Harbaugh is a Michigan man. He went there. He did. But like he's not a Michigan man. So don't say we should. The Michigan man ideal has never been more alive in my mind. Listen to me talk. I DON'T LIKE I DON'T LIKE THE Michigan men who are abandoning what being a Michigan man is. Like Jake Butt who's nice. No, we are still Michigan men and the people like it it I gave the perfect analogy. It's for everybody in Dan, you're one of them.

10:48 It it it it's for the people who can't get into the club they want to get into and they just hate that club and they drive by it, they throw tomatoes and like I hate that club. But if you ever got that invite, you'd be the first one into that club. So, the Michigan Man Club is under attack by all the people who've always been like, "What's so good about that Michigan Man Club?" And yes, we're having a down moment, but we're still deciding the fate of the world and still have presidents and everyone's still saying it's the top five job. So, you're not going to get me to backpedal on Michigan, man. Do we want to attack our our mistresses with butter knives? No.

11:22 That's that's not a Michigan man thing. That's more of an Oklahoma Barry Switzer thing if we're being honest. And to your point, like the if the Michigan man thing is still strong, you if doing beline and the softball coach, you could refortify that be like, "Hey, yeah." So

11:36 I I honestly if you're I I don't know where they're at with the search. Like at one point it seemed like it was Dillingham. At one point it seemed like it's Dbor. Is it Dor? I'd be happy. If you don't have any of these guys on the hook, go get Jeff Monkin. That will end the Michigan man. This guy is the Army coach. He's a great motivator. He's like stern morals and I think he's a great coach. You have to bring in offensive coordinator obviously, but like I just don't know how I assume something has to be going on. We can't just be sitting there being like, "Well, we got to figure out what's going to happen with this investigation." Like I saw I think the president of the school give a speech the other day. Total dork to like I don't trust that guy as far as I can.

12:18 There's just a lot going on at Michigan right now. I I I do love these moments because you like obviously the the stalking and um Chiron going into the girl's house aside cuz that part's like that's real like you know that's a serious thing and he's been arrested all that stuff but everything else you're just a pig and [ __ ] playing it up on online like the people just when you I I think it was something like you were saying Shawn Moore is not a Michigan man he he never went to Michigan unlike Jeffrey Dmer who ate people and went to Ohio State and like

12:53 he did go to Ohio State and he did eat people. Yeah, I actually I forgot I wore that shirt before. Jeffrey Dmer went to Ohio State. I had that made. I also I I keep I'm I'm I've said I had like 10 different lists going like the uh you were on it for something, Dan. I forget. There was a couple

13:14 questions. Yeah. It it it just like if you're if you're saying Michigan did something, you're on a list. If you're doing this, I'm keeping a list. I said I was going to file a class action lawsuit.

13:23 People were to tweeting me being like, "Dave's gonna sue you." Oh man, that [ __ ] Imagine that in [ __ ] court. Oh man.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Dave Portnoy’s Thoughts On The State Of Michigan Football"?

Dave Portnoy (Guest).

What is "Dave Portnoy’s Thoughts On The State Of Michigan Football" about?

Dave Portnoy discusses the turmoil surrounding Michigan football, highlighting the lack of communication and infighting among the university's regents, which complicates the hiring of a new coach. He suggests that a streamlined approach, with a single decision-maker like Larry Ellison overseeing the football program, would simplify the leadership structure and enable a quicker resolution to the…

What is mentioned in this Dave Portnoy episode?

7 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Ward Emanuel, Kalin Dbor, Kenny Dillingham, Jeff Monkin, John Beline, Connor Stalions. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Dave Portnoy’s Thoughts On The State Of Michigan Football"?

The episode runs 14 min; the transcript is about 2,689 words in 32 timestamped sections.

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