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Question of the day: Who will and should be the next football coaches at Michigan and Stanford?

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Writers from around the Tribune Co. weigh in on the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times

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The next Michigan coach should/will be LSU Coach Les Miles, who would have had the job three years ago if the timing was better. You remember that debacle, with Miles having to deny an ESPN report by Kirk Herbstreit that Miles was the next Michigan coach.

Except he wasn’t. Herbstreit was on the right track, but Miles that day was on the verge of leading LSU to the national title. Not hiring Miles, a Michigan grad who mentored under Bo Schembechler, led to the Rich Rodriguez disaster, but Miles is in a much better position to leave now.

Stanford should/will go in-house to replace Jim Harbaugh, with assistant coach Greg Roman or David Shaw being the obvious candidates, unless it can lure Chris Petersen out of Boise.

Petersen has rejected numerous offers to leave Potato State. He’s a small-city guy, not interested in the limelight, but Stanford could be the one place that stimulates his creative/competitive curiosity while not intruding on his family life. Petersen is used to wide-open spaces, so what could be better than The Farm?

[Updated at 11:14 a.m.:

Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel

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Now that the nation has been released from Jim Harbaugh’s evil clutches, another name that should be considered for Michigan and, in lesser part, Stanford, should be Boise State Coach Chris Petersen.

Petersen has proven that he can coach against top-quality opponents. His 61-5 overall record is impressive enough but his 2-0 record in BCS bowl games is even more of a feat. His teams are 6-2 against Top 25 teams during his tenure.

However, in the immortal words of Michael Corleone in ‘The Godfather,’ “Never go against the family.”

That’s why I think both schools will look to hire someone from the family. In Michigan’s case, I think LSU’s Les Miles will end up in Ann Arbor. For Stanford, I think Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby will take a serious look at some in-house candidates such as assistant coach Greg Roman or offensive coordinator David Shaw. My money is on Roman.]

[Updated at 1:33 p.m.:

Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune

I’d like to see Jim Mora, who reportedly ‘really’ wants the job, to land at Stanford. Mostly so that when someone asks if he’d like to change college football’s postseason format, he can reply: ‘Playoffs?’

But I think Chris Petersen will end up as the Tree-hugger. Answering those are-you-worthy-of-the-BCS questions must get tiresome after so many years. And though I’ve never been to Boise, I can say with 100%t certainty that I’d rather live in Palo Alto.

Michigan should hire Les Miles. Actually, the Wolverines should have done it three years ago. The guy does a Bo Schembechler impression while answering questions without even trying.

But I think Brady Hoke will end up getting the job. Wolverines Athletic Director Dave Brandon has known Miles for nearly 40 years. If he hasn’t hired him by now, I can’t imagine what he could possibly learn from an interview.]

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[Updated at 2:10 p.m.:

Desmond Conner, Hartford Courant

Les Miles should be the next football coach at Michigan. He has done his time at LSU. Time for the Michigan man to go back home and make things right again.

The faithful are hollering for one of their own to come back and lead the program. Miles should have been the guy ahead of Rich Rodriguez. Problem is, he was leading the Tigers to the national title. The timing wasn’t right.

It’s OK now. Michigan needs and wants Miles, but does he want to go back to where he played and was an assistant?

It’s time for Boise State’s Chris Peterson to take a step up. Stanford is it.

Peterson loves the smallness of Boise State -- and the bigness of his program on the national stage.

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He can win at Stanford. He can recruit the heck out of California like he already does. He’d be in a BCS conference. He’d get the attention and credit he deserves for being one of the best coaches if he went to Stanford.]

Upper photo: Les Miles. Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Lowerphoto: Chris Petersen. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire

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