Like a yeti or sasquatch, the mythical Michigan Man is a creature that really only exists in the minds of the hopelessly deluded. Michigan Man isn't just a Wolverine fan or former player, it's the embodiment of Mike Hart and Lloyd Carr and Charles Woodson and Bo Schembechler and every cranky Midwestern dad who wants to play The Right Way, but in the form of a coach that actually wins championships.
Michigan football fans only kind of know what that looks like. They'll give you some business about "values" and "character" or whatever, but they're so far removed from relevance and nationally recognized success that they can only describe actual coaching competence like how you'd describe the Loch Ness Monster or the Jersey Devil.