First published 2015
John U. Bacon examines how the University of Michigan's football program collapsed from within during the 2000s. The program that had dominated college football for over a century suddenly faced unprecedented crisis through administrative mismanagement, financial missteps, and leadership failures. Bacon gained access to university offices, boardrooms, and team facilities to document the internal conflicts that nearly destroyed the program's reputation and success. The book reveals how greed and poor decision-making at the highest levels threatened everything Michigan football represented. Yet the story becomes one of restoration when players, alumni, students, and faculty recognized the threat and fought back. Their collective effort forced changes in athletic leadership and coaching staff. The movement culminated in hiring a new coach who chose Michigan over more lucrative offers elsewhere, validating the community's belief in the program's deeper values. Bacon shows how those who cared most about Michigan football ultimately saved it from self-destruction.
Genres: biography, non-fiction, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: community-effort, restoration
Setting: University of Michigan
Period: 2000s
424 pages · Hardcover · St. Martin's Press