Following directly on the heels of a pretty tumultuous run of coaching hires, coordinator and position coach shifts, and the unceremonious end of the Rich Rodriguez years, thinking about Michigan being so firmly on the other side of the line -- the side with incredible stability for a coaching staff -- is somewhat jarring but ultimately comforting in all the ways that GERG was not.
Michigan right now sits as one of just five programs primed to keep the same staff for three straight years going into the still a ways off 2013 season. This was the same staff that Brady Hoke put together upon his arrival at Michigan, and things have worked out just about as well as anyone could have asked for.
The defensive staff has been pretty much the greatest thing ever, turning Michigan's oft-maligned unit into one of the better defenses in the country under the guidance of Greg Mattison. The offensive staff has had its ups and downs, but given the state of the offensive depth chart, hiccups are somewhat expected.
The other schools on the list? Mostly Big Ten schools. Michigan State, Northwestern, and Minnesota all join Michigan on the list, and given the improvement at Minnesota as well as the close knit nature of the other two staffs (and the loyalty of both head coaches) it wouldn't be out of the question for each staff to stay complete until 2014.
Michigan State is probably the odds on favorite to fall off. Either Dan Roushar gets canned after the offense continues to flounder, or Pat Narduzzi finally gets the head coaching job that he most assuredly deserves.
However, Michigan has a ways to go to catch the other member of this elite group.. Oregon paces the pack with a whopping five years of staff continuity. No wonder Chip stuck around.
Given the age of both Michigan's coordinators, and the history that most of the staff has together, it wouldn't be out of the question for Michigan to make it to five or six years with the same guys.
We're a long way from wondering if some guys would even make it to the end of the week.
(Update: well, I guess Oregon is out of the running here. Thanks, Chip Kelly.)