I think the argument could be made that the reason Michigan doesn't always seem like a high-pressure job is because they have been very consistently good from year to year. I mean, we are talking about a football program that had an unprecedented streak of 33 straight bowl appearances. Over a 33-year timespan they averaged nearly 9 wins a season. Up until last year, the last season they did not go to a bowl game was 1967. That's amazingly consistent.

That timespan consisted of the tenures of Bo Schembechler and Lloyd Carr. Those are two pretty legendary coaches.

All the other teams on the list (Notre Dame, Bama, Nebraska, etc) have had their share of ups and downs, so their times of trouble get exploited by the media and the backlash is obvious. But Michigan has been up there at the top year in and year out. Of course there won't be much criticism from the supporters if things are going well. But as was evident last year in their 3-win season, Michigan still has standards that have to be reached. The jury is still out on Rod in Ann Arbor. Some think he will get things turned around, others do not.

But don't be mistaken, I think the longevity of UM's coaches' tenures can be attributed more to their success rather than tolerance from the fans/supporters.