Michigan's new "Team Mom" has been a hot topic on this site a time or two.  Since there has been a lot of speculation as to what lead to the hiring of Gwen Bush (aka Wayne Lyon's mom and Momma Gwen), I thought I would let everyone know that Sports Illustrated has now posted a story on it.  So as it goes, Lyon's mom contacted Harbaugh first, and through their interactions, it lead Harbaugh to think she would be a perfect fit for his player development position.  The quote from the article that seems to sum it up is below.

He had a job open on his staff that would involve acting as a liaison between the players, their parents and the coaches. Answering Bush’s constant questions had reminded him of what he learned while recruiting Lyons for Stanford: No parent was more thorough than Bush. She could be the ideal resource for the parents of the Michigan players—if she wanted the job.

I actually had presented this as a plausible scenario in a forum post in the beginning of March.  I might not have gotten it exactly right, but it was close.

Those that want to remain skeptical about this particular hire can continue to do so, if they so desire.  I just wanted to share since the story is now out.

Getting away from the hiring of Michigan's Team Mom specifically, the most illuminating part of the story for me is the fact that there is no NCAA rule against hiring prospects' coaches or family members in football.  That rule only applies to basketball.  Seems like it should be a generic rule.  If it is good enough or even thought to be needed for basketball, why not football?