Craig Melvin to replace Hoda Kotb as co-anchor on NBC's 'TODAY' who in January
Michigan football may just have another Brady Hoke, Rich Rodriguez situation on its hands
Michigan football may just have another Brady Hoke, Rich Rodriguez situation on its hands
(CCN) — NBC top executives announced on Thursday (Nov. 14, 2024) that Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb as co-anchor of its morning "TODAY" show. Kotb announced in September that would be leaving after nearly two decades as the popular host alongside Savannah Guthrie.
Melvin will now join Guthrie in the 7 am and 8 am hours, beginning on
(CCN) — NBC top executives announced on Thursday (Nov. 14, 2024) that Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb as co-anchor of its morning "TODAY" show. Kotb announced in September that would be leaving after nearly two decades as the popular host alongside Savannah Guthrie.
Melvin will now join Guthrie in the 7 am and 8 am hours, beginning on Jan. 13.
In a statement released by NBC, Melvin said, "“I am beyond excited and grateful. I’ve enjoyed just a lifetime of blessings and this is the latest in a long line of blessings.”
Melvin has been hosting the third hour after Guthrie and Kotb co-anchored the first two hours every weekday morning since early 2018.
Kotb said Melvin was “literally made for this job” and said: “You have all the things this job needs. You are the right person for it.”
Kotb, who will remain as co-anchor until Jan. 10, said her decision to leave NBC came after she turned 60 in August. “I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new,” she told her fellow hosts in September as she fought back tears.
PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Craig Melvin who will replace Hoda Kotb as co-anchor of "TODAY" on NBC.
Michigan football may just have another Brady Hoke, Rich Rodriguez situation on its hands
Michigan football may just have another Brady Hoke, Rich Rodriguez situation on its hands
Michigan football may just have another Brady Hoke, Rich Rodriguez situation on its hands
Monday, Sept. 23, 2024 Column
Later today, Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore will meet the media in Ann Arbor.
It's a tradition. All coaches do it in college football.
I'm not going today, so you can bet nobody will ask the big question on every realistic Michigan football fan's mind: "Do we have another Brady Hoke-Rich Rodriguez situation on ou
Monday, Sept. 23, 2024 Column
Later today, Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore will meet the media in Ann Arbor.
It's a tradition. All coaches do it in college football.
I'm not going today, so you can bet nobody will ask the big question on every realistic Michigan football fan's mind: "Do we have another Brady Hoke-Rich Rodriguez situation on our hands?"
Sure, the Wolverines won 27-24 over USC with a late drive to avoid two losses in a row.
They're talking in Ann Arbor about how Moore is an offensive lineman at heart and is getting back to Bo Schembeckler's brand of smash nose football — run it down your opponent's throat behind the big fellas up front.
UM has a good offensive line. They have a great defense. The running game is looking good with Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullins.
But you don't win national championships without a great quarterback.
UM does not have a top quality QB.
Alex Orji was 7-for-12 for only 30 yards in his first start for the Wolverines. He saw action behind David Warren in the first two games but it was mostly for his legs.
He adds another dimension to UM's offense with his ability to run the ball. He ran it 13 times on Saturday against USC for 43 yards.
He has potential. But he's not yet good enough to take UM to the top of the polls. Maybe he can help the Wolverines win the Big 10. Maybe.
Potential does not win big football games against nationally-ranked opponents but Coach Moore benched Warren after he threw three interceptions in the 31-12 loss to Texas last week at the Big House. Warren was 22-for-23 for 204 yards through the air but Orji got the call this week.
Sherrone had to do something.
Losing twice in a row at the Big House?
Yeah, that would be taking us back to the disastrous era of Brady Hoke following Rich Rod.
So Sherrone chose to go with potential and chose Orji to save his job.
Yes, save his job. Losing to Texas already had many in the UM faithful remembering back to the days of Brady Hoke and Rich Rod. Some suggested talking Tom Brady into giving coaching a try instead of broadcasting if he wants to stay in football.
Losing two in a row at the Big House would have doomed Sherrone.
So he benched Warren.
Potential does not win big football games against nationally-ranked opponents but Coach Moore benched Warren after he threw three interceptions in the 31-12 loss to Texas last week at the Big House. Warren was 22-for-23 for 204 yards through the air but Orji got the call this week.
Thankfully, Mullins ran 17 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns to lead UM's 290 yards on the ground to only 96 for USC. It was 199 to minus-16 in the first half.
USC came into the game 2-0 in non-league play and ranked 11th in the country.
But did the Trojans deserve to be ranked that high? If so, Big 10 football is presenting some national championship kind of talent with UM, Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois all joining USC in the top 25.
The Wolverines jumped up to No. 12 after the Texas loss sent them from No. 9 to No. 18.
Ohio State is No. 3 and Penn State is No. 9 this week. Both are 3-0 while 4-0 Illinois is now No. 19. USC fell to No. 12 behind UM this week by loisng its debut game in the conference after leaving the Pac 10 this season.
Minnesota's P.J. Fleck is rowing his boat of Golden Gophers to the Big House this week for UM's second Big 10 showdown. If Sherrone lets his troops take their eyes off the challenge to become better fast, he could find himself quickly in the coaching fraternity unemployment line. UM's fan base won't tolerate "pretty good" — just ask Brady Hoke or Rich Rod. And they got the ax before Jim Harbaugh delivered last season's national championship trophy to Ann Arbor.
But Minnesota is coming off a 31-14 loss at home to Iowa — its first of the season after non-conference romps of 48-0 over Rhode Island and 27-0 over Nevada. You can bet Fleck will have his Gophers pumped to play UM on the road. “Row the Boat” is a mantra and philosophy used by Fleck that encourages people to embrace challenges and achieve their goals. It's how he put Western Michigan University on the national map to get the job at Minnesota in the first place.
I'm predicting a Minnesota upset to end any talk around Ann Arbor of making the expanded NCAA playoff field this season. Talk of Coach Sherrone not being the right guy for UM will dominate the rest of the year and he will get his walking papers when his Wolverines don't win the Big 10 crown again when losing to Ohio State, and maybe even Michigan state.
I hope I'm wrong. I sure enjoyed that last ditch drive to nip USC — probably more than the national title since I was relegated to watching that one from a hospital bed at UM Hospital in Ann Arbor after a kidney transplant to save my life.
When initially told my new kidney wasn't working, I figured God was giving me a "going away" gift with that national title game victory by the Wolverines I've rooted for since my childhood.
But I can be in Heaven on earth if I'm wrong about Sheronne being the guy to lead UM
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Mike Killbreath appears daily on Metro Flint News/Talk Radio via The Michigan Sports Zone at 4:45 pm. He's an award-winning sports writer, sports columnist, news columnist and investigative reporter who is the former long-time owner of the local Metro Flint area chain of 14 community newspapers. This fall marks his 50th year as a journalist. He also hosts a new weekly national TV show known as The American Crusaders on cable TV and various OTT TV live streaming platforms.