He doesn't have to fall on the sword, he could just as easily be brought back next year & he can show his play calling & Offensive prowess.
The players are terrible & he's great, so just give him some great players to match his greatness & the results should be similar to Michigan 2021.
It seems plausible enough & I think if Mario really believes this is the case then he can convince the majority of the fan base to back off & give Gattis another shot.
It's simply a matter of communication; if he puts it out there that this is the plan he can turn the tide & extend some leeway in his favor for year 2.
He doesn't have to change anything realistically speaking after this season, especially considering if he signs a top 5-10 class & brings in some impact Portal players.
I actually wouldn't mind seeing it happen tbh, I don't think Gattis will work here at all, but I'm not an expert & don't know sh*t about Offense as is, so I'm more than willing to be wrong like I usually am.
And I'm not being sarcastic either, if Gattis is really who this article says he is, then he actually deserves at least 1 - 2 more seasons with his own recruits to show how great he really is.
There is upside to keeping Gattis.
1. Millions saved
2. If he fails, Mario will have something to sell to '24 recruits.
3. Every kid that does stay will know the offense as it was taught in '22.
Downsides
1. We could still suck in '23 even with more kids they hand-picked. Likely around 22 from '22 (including Portal) and 35-40 from '23 (including portal). for a combined 60ish of 85.
2. TVD and other "keepers" could be out the door leaving us searching for even more portal kids
3. Fans will burn Mario down at the first sign of under performance moving forward if he keeps Gattis.