Harbaugh breaks his silence: "Although no one knows the future, I think I will be coaching Michigan next year."
Title says it all. Not sure how a random local news reporter in Charlotte managed to get him on the record, but there you have it. He's not quite as definitive as he was a few weeks back, and he gives himself some wiggle room, so it would seem like at least some of the smoke was real. Having said that, this certainly ratchets down the likelihood a bit.
In a conversation with Jim Harbaugh, the Michigan Head Coach tells @Queen_City_News “although no one knows the future I think I will be coaching Michigan next year.“
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 4, 2023
The reporter also felt it necessary to add this for some reason:
This conversation was tonight and took place privately.
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 4, 2023
January 4th, 2023 at 8:04 AM ^
If he doesn't leave it a little open ended, he loses a ton of leverage. He has a really shitty contract, his buyout is a joke, and provides no real security from the M side of the table.
I don't understand why this is so hard for people to grasp.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:50 AM ^
Well he has an agent again, and that's likely how an agent would want to play things. A bigger paycheck for Harbaugh is a bigger paycheck for the agent.
Warde had all the leverage a couple years ago, Harbaugh has all the leverage now.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:53 AM ^
I completely agree with you.
He got eff'd by Warde two years ago because he didn't negotiate a favorable contract ahead of that time. This time he has someone to drive the terms he should want with favorable protection (and what ever else floats his boat).
The other thing I don't think people appreciate is the time it would take to approve a new contract (if its in the range of $8M-$10M per year). I suspect that the regents will need to approve the contract. There is probably some time required to get Santa up to speed on the details and then socialize the plan with the regents. And this is all happening during the holidays.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:55 AM ^
Love it. Seth's point (which I had never considered) entirely.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:39 AM ^
1 and. 2 sound out of character for Harbaugh
January 4th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^
Nope, it's the first one. We saw the same thing last year.
Bushwood has the best take I've read today. To paraphrase that excellent comment, he wants a specific situation and significant control in the NFL. If he gets offered that, he gone. If not, Michigan is his fallback, just like it was this year. He will attack the season and give it his best, just like he did this year, but it is still a fallback.
Another poster (sorry, can't recall) said it's pretty clear he's not looking to be the "long-term" coach for Michigan, despite his earlier statements -- which were probably borne out of a sense of wounded pride.
So this is where we are. For me, the best case scenario is one more year, taking the loaded 2023 team to whatever heights he can. Then, since it appears we are hosed at QB (assuming JJ leaves), he will probably transition out. Yes, I'm assuming Davis won't come here.
So Jim, give us one more run, and then go to the NFL if you want.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
This is bad strategy as every year we will get negative recruiting about Harbaugh is just waiting for the right NFL offer.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:39 AM ^
Harbaugh is a quirky and cheeky fellow. This may be just something he says often in life. Not unlike when someone says to me (be it one of my daughters, my wife, or in my law practice) "I will never...", or "That will never happen."
I'm in the habit of retorting "Never is a long time," "One never knows," or "I'm just asking that you keep an open mind."
And its not just a handful of people who have later said to me, "I know I said never, but..."
Certainty from Coach H is seemingly in M's best interest (i.e. recruiting), but Coach is honest to a fault. I will not and cannot hold that against him, not that Coach H cares what I think.
January 4th, 2023 at 5:04 AM ^
At the same time, “no one knows the future” is referring to what he does in the next month. We aren’t talking about “never” here.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:15 AM ^
Let's stop with this "honest to a fault thing."
He told WM that this wouldn't happen every year.
He told WM that'd be be "enthusiastically coaching Mich in 2023"
Even if you twist the words pedantically and say, "it's 2023 now!" He's doesn't seem enthusiastic here.
He said he'd be at Michigan until they didn't want him.
This is not honesty.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:57 AM ^
The statement last year could have been completely honest at the time. He may have felt he was done with the NFL. However, perhaps the urge to coach in the NFL arouse again.
So it is possible he lied because what he said didn't turn out to be true, but didn't intend to lie because when he said it he thought it was true.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
Okay, but if everyone always used the caveat "well, I meant it at the time" then aboslutely nobody's word or promise to do anything would ever mean jack shit.
Either you can take a person at their word, or you can't. Jim said that last year's looking to jump to the NFL was a one-time thing, and yet here we are the very next season playing the exact same game.
If Jim wants to go then that's fine, by all means do so, but why does he have to jerk around the university and damage recruiting two years in a row?
January 4th, 2023 at 10:18 AM ^
I agree with this--people change their minds. It doesn't mean they were lying before, it means that they are human and their views changed.
January 4th, 2023 at 5:40 PM ^
This is really, really backward thinking. It literally breaks all relationships if you honestly believe this.
It's okay for me to break, say, wedding vows because I changed my mind and there's no moral fault there?
And what's the time limit on this? If I ask you to grab me a drink while you're in the kitchen and you say, 'sure thing.' but then when you get to the kitchen you don't feel like grabbing my drink then when you return without my drink, I shouldn't be offended because you simply changed your mind?
This is called psychopathy.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:36 AM ^
Remember his first introductory press conferece " .... as long as the creek don't rise, I'll be coaching here at Michigan ..." (Paraphrasing there, but right on about JH verbal quirks)
January 4th, 2023 at 9:46 AM ^
I think it's something like this. Didn't he guarantee a win against Ohio State as a player, then as a coach in a similar situation say he wouldn't make a guarantee like that since he's been burned on it before?
I think he's just trying to be careful with how he talks. Not that I'm saying he's definitely coming back, really that it all doesn't mean anything.
When Harbaugh came, I felt that he was uniquely situated to be the Michigan coach -- fits the bill of "Michigan man" and has a proven track record in coaching so great that he can basically end all serious questions on whether or not he should be the coach.
I think he's done what he needed to do. He took a program that was a steaming pile and made it Michigan again, and really we ought to realize how lucky we were that he came in the first place. This is the first time I've felt he can leave if he wants to go to the NFL, and Michigan can just move on to the next guy - hopefully with some lessons learned from 15 years ago.
January 4th, 2023 at 6:09 AM ^
Came to say this, basically. Comes off as extremely disingenuous and even duplicitous.
Let me put it another way: this is some grade-A horse shit lingo from someone who wants to avoid feeling accountable for his actions. Given what we know about Harbs, not all that surprising, but still disappointing.
January 4th, 2023 at 7:07 AM ^
100% spot on.
(Also - The MGoBlog downvoters who don’t like the truth are out in force again)
January 4th, 2023 at 7:45 AM ^
No he can't. He can't predict what NFL teams will do if any of them reach out to them with the keys to their empire.
Jim promised he would not pursue an NFL job on his end. But he did not say he wouldn't listen if a NFL team comes to him with a solid job offer with the key that they want him and ONLY him for the job.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:39 AM ^
He reportedly told Warde Manuel "I'll be at a Michigan as long as you'll have me."
I don't see "unless a better offer comes along" anywhere in the quote.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:09 AM ^
“I think” = “It’s been real”
Bye Jim. Thanks for the last two OSU games and the last two B1G Championships.
And OP I’m at a complete loss how Jim saying basically “I might honor the contract I currently have in place and coach Michigan next year but I might not, you never know” rachets down anything.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:14 AM ^
"It's been real I will be coaching Michigan next year".
I can dig it.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:15 AM ^
I guess it at least means that the "done deal" chatter (which was the actual phrase used by one of Feldman's sources) isn't accurate. If he had made up his mind to leave and was just waiting until the end of the NFL regular season to see what offers he can snag, he wouldn't go on the record like this.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:31 AM ^
This doesn’t make any sense. It’s a “done deal” if he gets the right offer from the right team. Not he’s leaving no matter what.
January 4th, 2023 at 6:24 AM ^
This all feels like trying to figure out what is really going on inside North Korea. Organizations function best with clarity of objectives and leadership predictability. What we’re getting is murkiness and uncertainty. If I’m Warde if give Harbaugh 24 hours to definitely state he is in or I’m going to definitely state he is out.
January 4th, 2023 at 6:52 AM ^
And that's why you're not an AD at a major university.
Warde is not in a position to strong arm Harbaugh or make demands. He's just not. He doesn't have a better candidate banging on his door so there's zero chance he's firing Harbaugh for being uncertain about his future. Why is this hard for people to understand?
January 4th, 2023 at 10:06 AM ^
I understand there aren't any better candidates readily available, but how do you let this continue (for recruiting's sake) two years in a row if you're Warde?
At some point, he (Warde) has to make program stability more important than the name of the coach. And how stable of a program are you going to have if your head coach tries to leave for the NFL every single year? We're on two years in a row right now where this has been an issue for the program. Harbaugh has already said that last year was a "one-time" thing, so clearly that wasn't true. Which means even if Harbaugh doesn't get an NFL offer and returns to Michigan for 2023, there's zero reason to think he won't try to leave for the NFL again NEXT off-season. We just can't keep playing this game every year. If the head coach doesn't want to be here that badly, how do you think recruits will feel?
January 6th, 2023 at 12:10 PM ^
From the AD's perspective - who cares how the recruits feel if your current coach keeps winning the conference, going to the playoffs, and making you $. There is virtually nowhere to go but down.
January 4th, 2023 at 9:01 AM ^
Clearly you have no idea how things work. Harbaugh has all the leverage. Warde Manual isn’t going to risk the short and long term health of the program to quell your anxiety. Most likely they are in the middle of a negotiation and Harbaugh holds most of the cards. Are you going to wish Warde had fired Harbaugh if he signs a huge deal in a week and a half? What if he gets huge raises for his staff?
January 4th, 2023 at 9:47 AM ^
I’ve never been an AD. True enough. I have lead teams and organizations and I’m pretty confident saying that you can not have one person hold the organization hostage. Not and remain viable as a leader.
I believe Harbaugh is a really good coach but since when does a prima donna get to renegotiate a contract every year? Especially after giving his word he is staying put as long as he is wanted. Guess what, there are other highly talented coaches out there. Maybe even a few whose word is good.
January 4th, 2023 at 6:44 AM ^
i dunno, mgrow. i think this confirms he's staying, but with a nod to james 4:13-17.
however, i have begun collecting pop cans along the side of the road in preparation for having to pay off my gambling debt ($1) to you in the instance that harbaugh leaves. last thing i need are some leg-breakers from cleveland up here, chasing me around to pay my bet off.....
January 4th, 2023 at 8:42 AM ^
i dunno, mgrow. i think this confirms he's staying, but with a nod to james 4:13-17.
Exactly! See my post above. I said the same thing in a different way.
January 4th, 2023 at 9:38 AM ^
If it is intended as a nod to that passage, then why not just say “if it is the Lord’s will” then yada yada yada? Why not be clear by using the phrasing recommended in that passage, rather than offering an opaque, cryptic that so few can agree on how to interpret?
January 4th, 2023 at 10:10 AM ^
I was gonna ask the same thing. Harbaugh is a Christian, so he almost certainly knows the actual verbiage. And, he's never talked that way before when asked whether or not he'd be coaching here. We go from "enthusiastically" to "well, no one really knows the future" in a matter of weeks? Also at the same time that NFL smoke starts rising from the Harbaugh camp? I'm sorry, but that's not a coincidence.
Either Harbaugh is really looking to leave or he's playing 4D chess to get a better contract from the AD. I just hope this doesn't drag out to signing day or God forbid past it :/
January 4th, 2023 at 8:10 AM ^
WTF?
How in the hell do you rationalize this "thinking"?
I can't believe how over the top, reactionary a bunch of grown men are behaving here. I'm annoyed by the whole thing, but also realize there's a lot that I do not know (and neither does anyone here), and am content to see what happens.
There will be plenty of time to react, after something actually happens, one way or the other. But the way people carry on here, it's like if you don't react with the most outward display of emotion and/or animosity it doesn't count or something.
Let it play out. Please.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:33 AM ^
TIMMMAAY,
I’ve grown up learning from grown men like Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, and many others that being a grown man doesn’t mean you have to mature one minute past the age of 13. Or possibly younger. We can melt down, throw tantrums, have absolutely zero resilience and still be the hero of our own story. Maybe your name isn’t the South Park reference I always thought it was.
January 4th, 2023 at 8:38 AM ^
Definitely a South Park reference, spelled how my friends used to say my name when we were younger.
It's still early, and I'm not quite "with it" yet today, but I'm not sure I follow what you mean with the rest? I mean, yes obviously people do those things... I'm just saying maybe we shouldn't. I'd feel pretty foolish saying most of the things I keep reading in every "Harbaugh" related post. But most just keep going further, and further.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
TIMMMAAY,
Im just teasing you. There is a lot of immaturity around here and you eloquently pointed it out. We should be better. I’m with you on that.
But we live in/grew up in the age of the manchild being the cool guy and the hero and so now we have to endure all of this crazy overreaction and childish loss of composure. Especially on the internet.
“Oh god the takes!”
- Brian Cook. Frequently in the last decade.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
Thanks man. My detectors are all f'd up lately...
January 4th, 2023 at 9:16 AM ^
Lol right!?
All this quote from Harbaugh does is VERIFY that the NFL smoke is actually real, it was NOT a one-time thing, and as of right now the future of the head coaching job of Michigan Football is 100% NOT certain…
Translation: “I might stay, I might jump to the NFL…we’ll have to see what job offers I get.”
If you were a kid trying to decide on where to commit, which coach to choose, would “I think I’ll be at Michigan next season” be enough for you to make that commitment? If I were the recruit, it’d make me slam on my brakes and completely re-evaluate all of my options…thanks a lot Jim. Two seasons in a row now. Awesome.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:16 AM ^
“although no one knows the future I think I will be coaching Michigan next year”
Translation:
“As soon as the ink is dry I’m outta here.”
January 4th, 2023 at 2:17 AM ^
This is how much I trust sources these days...
January 4th, 2023 at 4:20 AM ^
This is the correct response. None of this moves the needle for me, and I'll believe it when it becomes official. My hopeful prediction is that there will be a lot of people who regret some things they wrote on this blog the last few days.
January 4th, 2023 at 9:43 AM ^
I doubt that self-reflection happens. These are a kind of mega-game thread, as we all react to the latest play, and those are notorious for their toxicity.
January 4th, 2023 at 9:59 AM ^
Honestly, that would be pretty awesome, and I say this a bleeding heart liberal who is slightly to the right of Bernie.
January 4th, 2023 at 9:59 AM ^
Honestly, that would be pretty awesome, and I say this a bleeding heart liberal who is slightly to the right of Bernie.
January 4th, 2023 at 2:19 AM ^
Well shit
January 4th, 2023 at 2:20 AM ^
Sounds like he wants to leave. If he does I want Kalen DeBoer. Has any guy ever been hired as a new head coach two years in a row in P5 conferences?
January 4th, 2023 at 6:15 AM ^
Mel Tucker left CU after one year lol
January 4th, 2023 at 8:57 AM ^
Willie Taggert?