Michigan Fires Brady Hoke: Here are 5 Potential Coaching Candidates

Michigan football has decided to fire Brady Hoke today, interim athletic director, Jim Hackett announced.

Hackett stated according to the press conference:

"I met with Coach Hoke today and informed him of my decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program. This was not an easy decision given the level of respect that I have for Brady. He has done a great job of molding these young men, making them accountable to their teammates, focusing them on success in the classroom and in the community. I wanted to make sure that Brady received adequate time to exhibit the results that would come from his effort and I believe that Brady and our coaching staff had enough time to produce those results and unfortunately they are not there."

Instead of dwelling on what used to be, the team is moving on and here are some of the top coaching candidates that Michigan can bring in.

1. Les Miles, LSU

Les Miles, 61, is a former Michigan player that has a great track record. Miles led LSU to two national title games in 2007 and 2011, winning in 2007. He has a great record of producing NFL-caliber players and will most likely be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame with his record of 131-49. On top of his success as a head coach, Miles has expressed his support for the Wolverines, tweeting "Geaux Blue!!.... Beat em in the Horseshoe!!!"

2. Jim Harbaugh, San Francisco 49ers

Jim Harbaugh, the San Francisco 49ers coach, has been dealing with his own trade rumors this season. After losing to the Seattle Seahawks last week, many believe that this season could be Harbaugh's last one with the 49ers. Michigan could try and get Harbaugh, who is definitely the people's choice. Whether or not Harbaugh will choose to leave the NFL and return to his Alma Mater is unclear.

3. Greg Schiano

Greg Schiano just ended his year-long hiatus and could bring a fresh start to Michigan. Schiano, 48, coached 11 years at Rutgers and helped rebuild the program leading them to at least eight wins in five of his last six seasons. In 2012, Schiano was hired to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was fired after the second season. His combined record was 11-21.

4. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State

Dan Mullen has proven that he could win by revamping the program at Mississippi State. Mullen, 42, led the Bulldogs to 10 wins in the SEC West, which is one of the toughest divisions. Mullen is also quite innovative with his offense and has trained under Urban Meyer.

5. David Shaw, Stanford

At only 42, David Shaw has had experience with college and NFL teams. For nine years, he was an assistant coach for multiple NFL teams, which included the Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders and the Baltimore Raven. In 2007, he started his coaching run at Stanford under Jim Harbaugh and was promoted to head coach in 2011. Shaw has had a great deal of experience working and improving the offense.