The athletic department must show support for Jim Harbaugh
John U. Bacon made an incredible and, at this stage, obvious point; Jim Harbaugh's future with the program is dependent on support from the athletic department. A plethora of NCAA investigations will not push Jim into another organization but Michigan can.
Everyone that supports Michigan football must have complete confidence that Warde Manuel and the athletic department are doing everything they can to show support for Coach Harbaugh. We should not have to guess where the administration stands regardless of the investigation. A public statement of support for Jim Harbaugh regardless of the investigation's outcome could potentially do wonders in bolstering the relationship between Harbaugh and the school. Also, a contract should be presented as quickly as possible that not only makes Coach Harbaugh the highest paid in the Big 10 but all of college football.
Jim Harbaugh is leading a successful program with young men who love playing for him. We can tell by the interviews and conduct of Michigan's captains that this team is filled with good character guys that will make Harbaugh look good for decades. Jim built this at Michigan and he should be supported publicly and privately as he continues this work at Michigan.
This school had to endure a long period of medocrity on the football field and, while it took some time, Harbaugh has turned things around emphatically. Our team is enjoying one it's best stretches of winning in our program's history. This team is going to potentially break the record for most draft picks in the NFL by one school. Finally, the athletes that Jim has recruited have done well in the academic field.
Knowing that Michigan has it within its power to back and retain Jim Harbaugh but instead effectively pushes him out the door is a mistake that could cost it for decades. The school must not let this happen. If John U Bacon is right and the relationship with Manuel and Harbaugh is icy then Manuel must change this. If he refuses to do so then he should be fired. Please if you are reading this and have influence support Coach Harbaugh and Go Blue!
October 25th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
Well technically that person doing 55 in the left lane if not passing someone is impeding traffic and is illegal in itself.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:25 PM ^
So buck stops w/ warde, by your logic, doesn't it?
October 25th, 2023 at 3:52 PM ^
If Harbaugh knowingly broke a rule / directed staff to do so, that's clearly a no-no and deserves to be punished. But based on what we know now, it's not a fireable offense, and it seems unlikely major NCAA sanctions are coming. Michigan's reputation takes a bit of a hit, but mostly among people who are already inclined to hate Michigan anyway.
If Michigan wins the title this year (KNOCK ON WOOD), they can throw any asterisks and yeah-buts on it and strip it retroactively or whatever else they want to do — I frankly won't care and it will be one of the happiest days of my life as a sports fan.
October 27th, 2023 at 2:16 PM ^
If he did not, then Harbaugh is no more culpable then warde or ono. That's the point I'm making.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
What is the downside if just giving him a new contract? Like if he did do something really bad all those contracts will allow you to fire with cause.
Honestly I don't think Harbaugh stays another year, I thought that before the sign stealing. Because they had an opportunity to show support through the cheeseburger thing and Warde delcined. I really think Warde needs to go.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
Yep. I have the same thought. Ono has to pick a side here.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:34 PM ^
I've never thought this before , but Warde needs to be fired immediately. If he's going out to dinner with Stapleton, he needs to be completely recused from all issues involving Harbaugh. Since Harbaugh is the football coach, this is untenable and that only logical conclusion is, if Warde is friends with this douche nozzle, he's got to go.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:00 PM ^
All of this right here.
If Warde really is friends with someone who has been openly hostile to the football program for 15+ years he needs to be fired today. And probably should have been years ago.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:55 PM ^
If Warde really is friends with someone who has been openly hostile to the football program for 15+ years he needs to be fired today. And probably should have been years ago.
If only someone here had loudly advocated that very thing all the way back in 2016 when he failed to stand up for Jim after the OSU officiating debacle and made him take the media hits alone.
If only one of us had the foresight to see what a lazy, ineffectual tub of goo this fucktard is and that he's far more worried about the seat he gets at the B1G ADs annual dinner than anything that happens to our athletic department.
Sucks that on one here saw him for what he is years ago when he let the basketball get royally screwed over in the B1G tournament and said and did nothing.
And I'll bet a dollar that even as late as last year during the contract fiasco that required Ono to step in to keep Jim nobody saw Warde for the spineless, useless coward he is.
Well everyone's seeing it now. Hope it's not too late.
October 25th, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
At the time we had a university President more interested in fucking his secretary than in actually running the school. And who saw football as nothing more than barbaric entertainment for "those people".
I hope that Ono has his eyes open now and that it isn't too late.
October 25th, 2023 at 5:14 PM ^
We should ask the NCAA for Stapleton’s computer to investigate NCAA leaks
October 25th, 2023 at 2:36 PM ^
omfg how many threads do we need on this topic? if we ever need a snowflake thread sticky, it’s now.
as Green Day infamously sang
wake me up, when investigations end
October 25th, 2023 at 2:39 PM ^
Ok Sleeping Beauty.
Go ahead and dream until 2050, princess.
October 25th, 2023 at 5:08 PM ^
this isn’t gonna be over until 2050?
great :/
October 25th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
Imagine a world in which the next week where someone says, spies and a Warde were spotted together at a Stapleton Concert, eating cheeseburgers. Trust me it'd be true!
October 25th, 2023 at 3:05 PM ^
Bye week. Need some content.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
UGH. I would think it prudent for the AD to have an internal investigation to find out facts from all concerned. Only after that is accomplished might a public show of support be forthcoming, assuming the facts warrant it.
While I am appreciative of the program turnaround under Coach Harbaugh, that in and of itself is no reason to publicly make a supportive comment until facts are known.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^
It could take a year or more for the NCAA to gather all the so-called "facts" and hear UM's appeal. A delay in providing support would invite more damage to the reputation of Harbaugh and UM.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
I disagree. I think it perfectly acceptable to presume him innocent until credible evidence to the contrary is revealed.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:59 PM ^
The facts ARE known:
- A staffer bought tickets to other teams' games on his own credit card
- A staffer used 3rd party, publicly available film to attempt to decipher signals
- Stealing signs is NOT against any rule the NCAA has in written form
- No staffer attended other teams' games
The only 'fact' that may be in dispute is whether Stalions was good enough at deciphering signals as to make a game day benefit bigger than opponents tendencies given any down, position, and formation - things the scouting group is suppose to determine.
Basically, this whole circus boils down to a whine that our scouts are better than theirs.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
I'd suggest another fact: JH and the UM program are living rent free in All Day's head.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:07 PM ^
Yeah. Sure. Like the wonderful job he did with the internal investigation with the hockey coach. Warde has issues. I do not trust him to do the internal investigation correctly.
October 25th, 2023 at 9:04 PM ^
I don’t trust the NCAA to gather “facts.”
October 25th, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
An elite football coach is the most valuable asset for an athletic department period. Every other major program seems to understand this. And especially in this case, I would venture that Michigan will NEVER find such a perfect fit considering success on the field, culture/principles off the field, and strong ties to the university.
Anybody not 100% behind Harbaugh needs to go. Warde first and foremost. Thank goodness we have Ono because he seems to get it.
October 25th, 2023 at 9:05 PM ^
Let’s hope Santa 🎅🏻 comes early this year! 🤞
October 25th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
I'm not going to say anything that JUB hasn't said before.
If Michigan loses Harbaugh and it wasn't over a "I just need to go win a Super Bowl before I die and there's nothing Michigan can do to dissuade me from that!" kind of reason, then honestly, Michigan has no one to blame but itself for whatever comes next.
If Harbaugh leaves and Michigan reverts to an 8-4 or 9-3 squad on an annual basis, the blame for that is squarely at the feet of Warde Manuel AND Santa Ono. If Warde can't (won't?) fix it, then that responsibility falls to Santa and he either needs to mend the fences, or if the situation is untenable, decide which one needs to go. And its pretty clear who provides more value to the university at this time. So if that situation comes to pass and Santa balks, abstains, or just says "you two need to figure it out yourselves," then he is to blame if Harbaugh leaves as well.
It shouldn't be this hard to have this guy's back and yet, here we are. So if Harbaugh walks because he didn't feel appreciated by the decision-makers, then Michigan is going to get what Michigan deserves.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:43 PM ^
Must it? For all we know, his 2020 season is his last actual coaching job.
We need to investigate and figure out how high up this went before we do anything else. As of right now, we don't know if harbaugh was just hoke 2.0.
All the RPS pluses from the UFRs are in doubt right now.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:46 PM ^
Please tell me this post is satire.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:51 PM ^
Harbaugh and Hoke in the same sentence is just a joke. Please tell me you are kidding! Are you suggesting that these supposed sign stealings catapulted Harbaugh and the team to their success in 2021 and 2022. If you are indeed saying this then screw you. Our players work too hard for moron fans like you.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:58 PM ^
Even if you want to argue that 2021 and 2022 are tainted and getting wiped, whatever. I think that's a dumb position to take currently, but whatever. However, if you are going to say Harbaugh 2015-2019 is equal to Hoke 2011-2014. Then no. Just no. Nothing in Hoke's coaching career brings him anywhere close to Harbaugh's level. It just doesn't.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:17 PM ^
And our players didn't work hard from 2008-2020??
October 25th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^
Way to take a rhetorical defense against a position nobody took. Instead adressing any of the points brought up contrary to what you initially said.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:52 PM ^
I just took a shit less nasty than this post.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
You're logged in to MGoBlog not RCMB man.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:06 PM ^
This is the most blatantly ignorant post I have ever seen. Tell me you don't know a fucking thing about football without saying those words.
October 25th, 2023 at 3:09 PM ^
Tell me more keyboard warrior about a coach who took his team to Superbowl about his skills. Did you forget that or you just like to troll?
October 25th, 2023 at 3:40 PM ^
Have you been a football idiot long or is it recent ?
October 25th, 2023 at 3:47 PM ^
You should probably stop posting for a while
October 25th, 2023 at 5:10 PM ^
obvious Sparty troll is obvious
October 25th, 2023 at 2:44 PM ^
I could be way off here so neg me away, but I have never felt Warde likes Harbaugh. Only until he beat OSU did I ever even see Warde show any gratitude to Harbaugh. I am not a WM hater but there does not seem to be any mutual respect from either WM or JH. This unfortunately sucks because, I think Harbaugh is the best coach we could ever possibly have and I think Warde could be just fine as our AD due to his allegiance to our University. Now neg away.....
October 25th, 2023 at 3:36 PM ^
I think it's pretty obvious as to why; Warde and Stapleton are buddies. That pretty much says it all.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:44 PM ^
I suggest that each of us copy your post and send it in some form to each of the regents as well as Santa Ono. Does anyone have their email addresses?
October 25th, 2023 at 2:48 PM ^
https://youtu.be/oImYZCnXxD4?si=Cv6zBnrKO9BV2lF1
Cover 3 has the best non UM analysis so far. Basically said this was stupid and Harbaugh will likely have plausible deniability. It was funny and they detail how wide spread sign stealing is and that not much will likely come from this.
I hope Jim stays.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:51 PM ^
People that don't have influence can still make our voices known. During the Purdue game, let's chant
"We Love Harbaugh"
before, during, and after the game. Make it obvious that we want him, we support him, and that none of this SignalGate bullshit rises above laughable noise to us. Make it hard for Warde to ignore. Make it harder for Santa to ignore.
And, as someone also said in a previous post - we can also sing 'For He's a Jolly Good Fellow' to him during the game!
October 25th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
October 25th, 2023 at 4:18 PM ^
Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Warde Manuel has got to go!
October 25th, 2023 at 2:57 PM ^
There is no doubt in my mind that our stadium is going to have a loud voice in our appreciation for Harbaugh. It is hard for me to believe Michigan is dealing with the ridiculousness of this accusation, but then I realize we haven't been at the top of college football for quite some time. Our biggest rival has the largest fanbase in all of college football. They are the loud voice right now. In the end, we have a damn good football team with leadership galore and a coach that bleeds maize and blue. We will have so many more opportunities to stand by and support our coach including the last weekend in November. I cannot wait to see how this season plays out! Go Blue!!
October 25th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
I have absolutely no faith in Warde. And through either his ineffectiveness or incompetence, we may be staring down the barrel of a return to 2008-2014 Michigan, or 2015-current Nebraska.
I just cannot understand the hubris these men have. That personal gripes and ego are so much more important than the success of the programs they oversee.
October 25th, 2023 at 2:56 PM ^
I don't know much about the power structure at a university. Could Ono step in and make sure that Jim is offered a contract? Doesn't Ono answer to other people who may want Jim gone? The timing of this is really curious. There's talk of a contract extension, and suddenly Connor Stallions is front page news.