Joel Klatt updates Michigan coaching search candidates, still not ruling out Kalen DeBoer

Joel Klatt dished the latest on the Michigan coaching search and didn’t rule out Kalen DeBoer being the top candidate, despite statements released by the coach and AD. The Alabama head coach is focused on the College Football Playoff against Oklahoma, but Klatt, even though he said he could be crazy for saying it, said DeBoer is still in the mix.

“So at the time that I’m recording this, I still believe that the three names that they are looking at are names like Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State, Clark Lea at, of course Vanderbilt and Kalen DeBoer. I would still throw that out there, and I know I’m recording this after Kalen has come out and put out a statement,” Klatt said on his podcast. “But I’ll just say this, that statement was like, if you really read it, it’s like, I haven’t had any conversations. Okay, you know the ending part, I have not spoken and have no interest in speaking with anyone else about any other job. I am fully committed to this program and look forward to continuing as the head football coach at the University of Alabama. Now it seems cut and dry. 

“Maybe I’m crazy. I don’t know. We’ll see. And until there’s ink on a contract and he’s signing an extension at Alabama, I think that they’re still going to be smoke in the air. So we’ll see what goes on with Kalen DeBoer.” 

The other names on the docket, Dillingham and Lea, are very intriguing. Dillingham seems committed to Arizona State, but nothing is set in stone. Lea just signed as an extension, but as we know, that could change on a dime if Michigan pulls out all the stops.

“Dillingham, I think, is interesting. And Clark Lea is interesting as well,” Klatt said. “Now we knew that this was not a great time for Michigan. They’re at the tail end of this thing as far as the coaching carousel goes, so it’s going to be difficult for them. And again, I think that they should not be scared by extensions. Okay, so a guy signed an extension, great like, go talk to him. See what you’ve got. There’s obviously problems with all three of these guys. 

“DeBoer has a game on Friday, so it’s not like, and that’s going to only dig his heels in at Bama, because it’s not like he can say he can’t do the Kiffin deal and just be like, ‘I’m not going to comment on open jobs.’ You know, he’s not going to do that. So he might dig his heels in because of the Friday game that they have with Oklahoma. If they win, he would be playing January 1 the portal opens the next day, so that creates some err on Kalen DeBoer.”

Klatt pivoted from DeBoer to Dillingham and mentioned how Michigan might have to work against an extension offered from Arizona State. But the ink isn’t dry yet.

“Dillingham is at his alma mater, and they’re reportedly working on an extension with Kenny Dillingham at Arizona State,” Klatt said. “There’s also some family dynamics that might keep him in the Phoenix area. Clark Lea already signed an extension at his alma mater. But again, you know, like, I think that you’ve got to kick the tires on a guy that you would feel might be a good fit. 

“So those are three names I think you still keep an eye on, if they miss out on what one of those guys? I don’t know. I would just say this. I don’t think it’s ever time to panic. If anything, you know what was it, early 2000s when USC went, what? Five names deep to find Pete Carroll and then went on a historic run at USC? So there’s a lot of guys that can succeed. No one thought Curt Cignetti was going to do what he did at Indiana. So even if it’s not one of those names, you just got to dig until you find the right fit and the right guy at Michigan.”