Wednesday, May 10, 1995 - The Michigan Daily- 11 Search for new coach to begin soon By Scott Burton Daily Sports Writer Back in December 1968, Michigan Athletic Director Don Canham faced the biggest dilemma of his young administra- tive career. Wolverines football coach Bump Elliot had resigned following the conclusion of the season and attendance at Michigan Stadium had dropped despite an 8-2 record. As a result, it became Canham's re- sponsibility to find a coach who could further elevate an already successful pro- gram. So he turned to Miami (Ohio) - a school that had produced a slew of coach- ing legends - and handed a five-year contract to someone who changed Michi- gan football forever. Canham's appointee - Bo Schembechler-- turned out to be a two- decade investment. Michigan was one of the most preeminently successful teams in the nation during Schembechler's reign (1969-1989) and continues to thrive on the foundation that Schembechler built. However, with Gary Moeller's resig- nation Thursday, Michigan's current ath- letic director, Joe Roberson, faces Canham's dilemma. Moeller led the Wol- Many fans verines to two Rose Bowls in his five-year career and leaves his successor a talented team. Yet, Roberson's choice of coach must both overcome the stigma of Moeller's misconduct and revitalize the program. It is not surprising then that the names most prominently mentioned to replace Moeller share one thing in common - youth. The top candidate is Cam Cameron, 34, a former Michigan quarter- back coach and Washington Redskin as- sistant coach. Tony Dungy, 39, an assis- tant coach for the Minnesota Vikings is also another possible leading candidate. "Obviously, we are looking for some- one with strong, strong leadership quali- ties," Roberson said in a press conference Thursday after announcing Moeller's res- ignation. "We would like to have some- one who is publicly articulate and who is comfortable. We would like to have someone who is a motivator and who's inspirational with young people." Cameron, who won't comment on the situation until Michigan contacts him, has never been a head football coach at any level. However, he seems to fit Roberson's desire for someone "who's inspirational with young people." In his one year at Washington, he was instrumental in the development of young quarterbacks Heath Schuler and Gus Ferrote. At Michigan, he guided the careers of receivers Desmond Howard, Greg McMurty and Chris Calloway, all of whom play in the NFL. Many NFL personnel say that Dungy - who was also mentioned as a candidate for Michigan State's coaching position be- fore they hired Nick Saban-is destined to one day coach a top football pro- gram, be it a pro- fessional or col- legeteam.- qu< legeteam. Redskins; young, talen H ow evyer, he was spurred - in the offseason - si by ah numbersof Michigan native; Big Te by a number of NFL teams with - head+ coaching vacan- record; young with mu cies and Minne- sota Vikings - h spokesman Bob ailing Blue Devil progra Hagen said that Dungy was - hea somewhat bitter with bad talent at having been overlooked. He interviewed for Jacksonville's coaching spot two years.. ago and for the Philadelphia Eagles this year. Dungy, the Vikings' defensive coor- dinator, has made Minnesota one of the best defensive teams in the NFL since joining the organization in 1992. The Jackson native and University of Minne- sota alum has also coached for Pittsburgh and Kansas City since beginning his coaching career in 1981. arterbacks coach, Washington ted; knows Michigan well tant coach, Minnesota Vikings; en star; solid defensive mind coach, Youngstown State; great ch enthusiasm ead coach, Duke; turned around am )d coach, Northwestern; good coach sympathize with Moeller's plight By Scott Burton Daily Sports Writer If anyone knows the perils of excess alcohol consumption, it is college students. Yet, Michigan students struggled with whether Wolverines football coach Gary Moeller's arrest for assault, battery and disorderly conduct should have resulted in his resignation. The debate whether Moeller should have resigned or not centered around "second- chances." Was Moeller's behavior at Excalibur Restaurant reprehensible enough to exclude Moeller from forgiveness? Or does everybody, including public figures, de- serve a chance to make up a single mistake? "It is unfortunate that just one mistake like that can basically ruin his whole career," University alum Dave Durant said. "It was kind of an ugly incident, but at the same time, I feel kind of bad for him." "He was the coach of a major program, so he should watch out what he does," Engineering senior Jon Stephens said. "But it was a one night thing, and it is unfor- tunate that that stuff is io much in the public eye." Although Ann Arbor resident John Lloyd is not a huge football fan, he followed the aftermath of Moeller's resignation. He said that like any person in a prominent public position, Moeller should be held accountable to higher standards of conduct. "He is in a political position, and like any politicians in the public eye, he can't really afford to do what he did - and he should have known that," Lloyd said. "He represents the University more than just a student does." LSA senior Rachel Rouse agreed, saying that not only did Moeller put his career in jeopardy with his conduct, but also the viability of the whole football program. "I think it was the appropriate thing to do, as far as the program goes," Rouse said. "When you take the circumstances on the whole, he shouldn't have had a second chance, because obviously the reputation of the program was damaged and that might hurt recruiting. "Maintaining the respect of the players might have been a problem. You have to SEE FANS, PAGE 14 Tapes' release just went too far Just one week ago, I wrote that Michigan football coach Gary Moeller would not lose his job over his drunken outburst in Southfield's Excalibur Restaurant. What a difference a week makes. Then-Michigan football coach Gary Moeller is now ex-Michigan football coach Gary Moeller, and the Athletic Department has delved full-throttle into a search for his successor. Now, I've been wrong many times before, but I should not have been wrong this time, and I shouldn't have been wrong as fast as I was. Less than a week after the incident became public knowledge, Moeller gave up his position as the Wolverines' coach, a job that is one of the most coveted in college football. He surrendered his job four days before he ever set foot in a courtroom, four days before he ever even --_ - entered a plea to the charges that were facing him. What ever happened to " innocent until; proven guilty? - - I'll tell you RYAN - audio tapes. WHITE It seems that White on in order to Target protect themselves, the Southfield police decided it was necessary to tape Moeller once he was delivered to Providence Hospital. The result was a recording of Moeller cursing at police one moment and apologizing for his behavior the next. The tapes were released last Wednesday, and the next day Moeller resigned. There is no way to know if it was the audio embarrassment that forced Moeller to make his decision, but it may well have been the straw that ,.,_ broke the coaches' back. As a result, the media was made an easy target by all who stepped behind the podium at last Thursday's press conference. When asked if he had first thought the incident had been misreported, Athletic Director Joe Roberson sarcastically remarked that the media SEE TAcer, oPAGo14 I chigan Athletic Dirctor Joe Roberson was dismayed by last week's events.