Michigan is officially into its second week of a search to find its next head football coach, and there’s no reason to believe a decision is imminent.

All major coaching searches take on a certain level of murkiness. The list of candidates and their interest, contact or flirtations with a school remain fluid until all of skeptic speculation ends in a hire. Under interim athletic director Jim Hackett, Michigan’s athletic department has avoided adding to the noise and confusion.

Former teammates and others close to Hackett say his deliberate and measured approach in rerouting the football program during the last six weeks is no surprise.

Jim Hackett has sought input from all corners but made clear the decision on Michigan's next coach will be his. AP Photo/Tony Ding

“He’s very reserved. He was the quiet guy back when we were playing,” said Jim Bolden, who was a teammate of Hackett’s during the mid-1970s under Bo Schembechler. “He doesn’t make a lot of hoopla about much of anything.”

In what will come as a refreshing change of pace for many in maize and blue, Michigan’s third coaching search in the last seven years is reflecting the processes of the business world more than the political world. Hackett has made that much clear since taking over for Dave Brandon on Oct. 31.

Hackett is a rookie in athletic administration, but he is not new to leadership positions. Along with holding a seat on several Michigan boards of directors, he worked as the CEO of Steelcase, an industry-leading office furniture company, for two decades before retiring earlier this year. During his time at Steelcase, Hackett cut thousands of jobs and shifted the company’s focus toward technology. He has used a similar businesslike approach when making decisions about the football program so far in his time at Michigan.

“I think [making] choices about people is a difficult thing in business,” Hackett said at a news conference where he announced his decision to fire Hoke last Tuesday. “You can bet on a process that helps reduce that risk. I describe it as a highly divergent exercise in the beginning to make sure we see the landscape, and then we’re going to work quickly to narrow the question. I have a lot of confidence that process will yield a great answer.”

Hackett used boardroom lingo like walkaway dates and swim lane charts to describe the process he plans to use during the search. Hackett set specific dates for when he expects an answer from candidates before moving on to the next, but hasn’t made any of that timeline public. As the rumor mill cranks into high gear while dissecting names such as Jim Harbaugh, Les Miles and David Cutcliffe, there has been no posturing one way or another coming from the offices in Ann Arbor.

The newcomer has reached out to former Michigan players from several eras, including his own and current members of the team, to get a better understanding of what the program needs in its next head coach. He hired a search firm familiar with the university to help introduce to him as large of a candidate pool as possible. While he’s asked for help from many sources, he also has made it clear that he plans on making a unilateral decision when the time comes – a bold step in the heavily fractured hierarchy of Michigan athletics.

An initial gathering of names, what Hackett called “the divergent part of the process,” appears to be complete as Michigan moves on to contacting potential candidates and gauging interest this week.

It’s not clear how long the Wolverines will wait before naming their next coach, but the process to find him is playing out in a logical, thorough manner. That’s an encouraging first step for Michigan fans.