Coach Spotlight - Glenn “Howie” Dotson, Michigan

USDA THE MAGAZINE | SPECIAL REPORT | MICHIGAN FOOTBALL

THE CLOCK IS TICKING IN ANN ARBOR

9–4. No Big Ten Championship. No Playoff. A rules scandal. And another loss to Ohio State. Glenn “Howie” Dotson is running out of excuses — and two five-star recruits may represent his last chance to generate momentum before a potentially career-defining season.

ANN ARBOR, MI — There are certain expectations that come with being the head coach at Michigan.

Win championships. Compete for the College Football Playoff. Recruit at an elite level.

But above everything else, there is one responsibility that has defined the position for generations.

Beat Ohio State.

Glenn “Howie” Dotson has already failed that assignment once.

And after a 9–4 debut that fell well short of the administration’s expectations, there is growing reason to believe he may not survive failing it twice.

CHAPTER I: NINE WINS AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH

Michigan didn’t hire Dotson to deliver nine victories and a consolation bowl appearance.

It hired him to compete for championships.

Instead, the Wolverines finished 9–4, failed to reach the Big Ten Championship Game, missed the College Football Playoff, and watched their biggest rival celebrate another victory in The Game.

Ohio State 28. Michigan 14.

As if the result wasn’t embarrassing enough, Dotson’s defeat came with an additional black eye.

HandsGate.

The Michigan head coach was found guilty of violating league rules by failing to use timing-based catching.

It’s one thing to lose to Ohio State because your opponent was better.

It’s another to lose, violate league rules in the process, and still only manage 14 points.

That is not exactly the foundation of credibility Michigan expected from the man entrusted with leading one of college football’s premier programs.

Dotson’s 6–4 record against Top 25 opponents demonstrates that Michigan can compete with quality teams.

But competing is not the same as winning championships.

And right now, the Wolverines have plenty of evidence of the former and precious little of the latter.

CHAPTER II: ZION ELEE — HOWIE’S FIRST CHANCE TO BEAT OHIO STATE

NO. 3 NATIONAL PROSPECT

Zion Elee

5★ EDGE | Baltimore, MD

6’4”, 220 lbs | Speed Rusher

Ohio State leads Michigan

This is where Dotson’s situation becomes particularly fascinating.

Michigan’s head coach may not get another opportunity to beat Ohio State on the football field until next season.

But he has an opportunity to beat the Buckeyes right now.

And that opportunity has a name.

Zion Elee.

The nation’s No. 3 overall prospect and top-ranked edge rusher is currently considering both programs, with Ohio State holding the lead.

For most schools, landing Elee would simply represent a monumental recruiting victory.

For Michigan, it would mean substantially more.

It would give Dotson something he desperately needs against the Buckeyes.

A win. Any win.

Because at the moment, Ohio State has beaten Michigan where it matters most: on the football field.

And now the Buckeyes are threatening to beat Michigan for one of the most talented players in the country.

Imagine the optics of Elee choosing Ohio State.

Dotson loses The Game, fails to reach the playoff, gets caught in HandsGate, and then watches the nation’s third-ranked prospect choose the very program responsible for his most humiliating defeat.

What exactly is the Michigan administration supposed to celebrate?

Conversely, if Dotson can land Elee, he suddenly has something tangible to sell.

Michigan can recruit directly against Ohio State and win. Elite prospects believe in the program’s vision. The talent gap can be closed.

It doesn’t erase the 28–14 defeat.

But it would finally put something positive in Dotson’s column against his biggest rival.

And right now, Howie needs that more than Ohio State needs another five-star.

CHAPTER III: BRALAN WOMACK AND THE TOP FIVE LIFELINE

Elee isn’t the only five-star who could reshape Michigan’s offseason.

Bralan Womack, the nation’s No. 4 overall prospect and top-ranked safety, is another major target.

Texas currently leads his recruitment, with Michigan second and Oregon remaining involved.

Together, Elee and Womack represent the difference between Michigan simply having a strong recruiting class and potentially assembling one of the country’s elite classes.

The Wolverines currently rank seventh nationally with 28 commitments, including 20 four-stars.

It’s impressive depth.

But there’s one glaring problem.

Zero five-stars.

USC has four. Notre Dame and LSU have three each. Ohio State has two.

Michigan has none.

For a coach already trying to convince his administration that the program is moving in the right direction, that distinction matters.

Landing both Elee and Womack would immediately change the complexion of Michigan’s class, giving the Wolverines two of the nation’s top four prospects and a legitimate opportunity to challenge for a Top 5 finish.

Lose both?

Michigan likely watches that Top 5 opportunity slip away, with Ohio State potentially delivering the most painful recruiting defeat of the offseason.

A seventh-ranked class may be celebrated elsewhere.

At Michigan, following a 9–4 disappointment, it may not be enough to distract from what’s missing.

CHAPTER IV: WHAT EXACTLY IS THE ADMINISTRATION BUYING?

Here’s the uncomfortable question Michigan’s athletic department must eventually answer.

What has Dotson actually delivered?

He hasn’t won ten games.

He hasn’t reached the conference championship.

He hasn’t made the playoff.

He hasn’t beaten Ohio State.

And his most important rivalry game ended with a league rules violation.

Yes, Michigan is recruiting well. Twenty four-star commitments cannot be ignored.

But recruiting rankings are promises.

Victories are results.

The administration didn’t hire Dotson simply to build an impressive roster on paper. It hired him to turn those players into wins against the programs Michigan measures itself against.

Which brings us back to Elee.

Securing his commitment would be more than a recruiting accomplishment. It would be evidence that Michigan can still take something valuable away from Ohio State.

Failing to land him would deepen the perception that the Buckeyes are winning this rivalry both on Saturdays and on the recruiting trail.

And that is a dangerous perception for a coach whose job security is already deteriorating.

CHAPTER V: NEXT YEAR’S OHIO STATE GAME COULD BE HIS LAST

At some point, explanations stop mattering.

It won’t matter how many four-stars Dotson signs.

It won’t matter how many close losses Michigan suffers against highly ranked opponents.

It may not even matter if the Wolverines improve their overall record next season.

Because the first line of Michigan’s head coaching job description remains unchanged.

BEAT OHIO STATE.

Dotson is already 0–1.

If he enters next season without Elee, without Womack, and without a Top 5 recruiting class, the pressure will be enormous before Michigan even plays its first game.

And should the Wolverines ultimately lose to Ohio State again?

That would make Dotson 0–2 against the Buckeyes, with consecutive seasons ending without a victory in the one game that defines the program’s identity.

Under those circumstances, it becomes increasingly difficult to envision Michigan’s administration remaining patient.

A second consecutive rivalry defeat could very well become the final entry on his Michigan résumé, regardless of what else the Wolverines accomplish.

Because there is a difference between giving a coach time to build a program and allowing him to normalize losing to Ohio State.

Michigan cannot afford the latter.

THE MAGAZINE VERDICT: WIN SOMETHING, HOWIE.

Glenn Dotson still has an opportunity to change the narrative.

Landing Bralan Womack would be a major victory.

Landing Zion Elee would be something even more important.

It would finally give Michigan a reason to believe its head coach can go head-to-head with Ohio State and come out on top.

But recruiting victories only buy time.

Eventually, Dotson must deliver the victory that actually matters.

And if he fails against Ohio State for a second consecutive season, the administration may decide that enough time has already been wasted.

Howie can win 10 games. He can recruit 20 four-stars. He can talk about building for the future.

But if he can’t beat Ohio State, what exactly is Michigan keeping him around for?

THE MAGAZINE’S FINAL WORD

“Zion Elee could help Howie win back some confidence. But only beating Ohio State can win him job security.”

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