JUB: Harbaugh wants the “Bear Hug”
Working from home this afternoon on a snowy day here in West Michigan, I tuned into The Finebaum Show and caught his short interview with JUB.
Nothing groundbreaking but here’s what I surmised:
From their discussion, it seems that Harbaugh wants to be “wanted” and took his job with SF because he and his family were sent personalized 49ers SWAG. According to JUB, that was enough to sway him to the NFL. This is the “bear hug” effect.
Additionally, he mentioned there is little-to-no connection between Warde Manuel and Harbaugh. That might be a major factor for his future decisions (uh, yeah!?)
Lastly, he cited the intangibles go Michigan’s way and the career/contract go the NFL’s way.
I don’t know, man…
January 9th, 2024 at 6:53 PM ^
Did anyone see the btn interview with Warde? From my perspective I was surprised to hear a genuine and thoughtful affirmation that he wants Jim to retire at Michigan.
January 9th, 2024 at 6:58 PM ^
Get this man all the custom personalized chino pants and crooked M hats he wants. Side note does he become the first face on the Michigan Mount Rushmore after what he did both as a player and now coach?
January 9th, 2024 at 7:00 PM ^
Jim and only Jim knows , ok maybe Sarah … I love JUB and have read all his sports books but this is only speculation on his part just like Sam … have they talked to Jim and gotten an answer ? NO !!! It’s all click bait and will continue to be so until Jim is signing a contract with Meechigan or he is interviewing for an NFL job !!!
January 9th, 2024 at 7:01 PM ^
Man I’m just enjoying the moment and not worrying about this at all right now.
January 9th, 2024 at 7:16 PM ^
Easy. Fire Warde. Offer the job to Harbaugh, a la Bo. If Jim doesn't want it, let Jim help pick Warde's replacement.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:33 PM ^
Exactly! I said the same and thought exactly of Bo too.
January 9th, 2024 at 7:29 PM ^
In the NFL, you’re hired to be fired.
Harbaugh can retire a legend at Michigan.
January 9th, 2024 at 7:54 PM ^
And effectuate real change by combating the NCAA and pushing for player compensation. Make a real difference in these young men's lives instead of making a Superbowl ring the end all, be all.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:09 PM ^
And effectuate real change by combating the NCAA and pushing for player compensation.
This is exactly why I think he will leave. The NCAA is out to get him and will probably come down with some asinine suspension for next year. He knows this and I doubt he wants to deal with their bullshit, or the conference's either.
January 9th, 2024 at 7:38 PM ^
Pack up Warde's shit in a banker box and ask Harbaugh for a short list of Ads he wants to work for. Warde lurking at the back of the stage no interacting with anyone made it beyond clear how little Harbaugh, or it seems the team, think of him.
January 9th, 2024 at 7:49 PM ^
I like JUB but he’s getting played on this one. We’ve had this conversation for months now, and it’s clear at this point it’s not about a “bear hug” or SWAG - Jim wants a shot at the Super Bowl, something that M can never offer. Harbaugh floats that he’s not getting something from Warde, and everyone eats it up bc they hate Warde for some odd reason.
Now, Harbaugh can leave and people can blame Warde - genius really.
January 10th, 2024 at 2:55 AM ^
Jim wants a shot at the Super Bowl,
Ostensibly yes, but there's a reason he got drunk and self-sabotaged the Vikings interview last year. I think subconsciously Harbaugh wants to stay, even if he doesn't know it.
January 9th, 2024 at 7:52 PM ^
Get it done, Warde.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:29 PM ^
I’ll tell ya what. If it came down to fans and alum to choose between Warde and Harbaugh, Warde knows who’d be chosen and so does Santa. Goodbye Warde and give Jim the AD job too. Bear Hug the hell out of him.
January 9th, 2024 at 8:42 PM ^
Can we just lose Warde Manuel already? For any number of reasons.
Harbaugh may leave one way or another, but Manuel has proven to be close to useless. Better than Dave Brandon? Yeah, I guess, but that's a low bar.
January 10th, 2024 at 2:54 AM ^
Better than brandon only becuse the school learned its lesson and refuses to let Manuel do the same. Ono had to overrule him publicly on the Harbaugh negotiations.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:10 PM ^
Poggi for AD! I mean, he set the direction for the culture in the fb program, imagine him coaching the coaches and hiring for that same culture...get his a bevy of admin wizards to navigate the rest of the role.
January 9th, 2024 at 9:53 PM ^
damn......Biff would be an outstanding choice for AD......should that need to happen
January 9th, 2024 at 11:56 PM ^
This entire Warde and Jim fan fiction bullshit has to stop. Go back and watch Warde’s interview on BTN from *checks notes* YESTERDAY where he goes on and on about his love for Jim and the job he’s done. They don’t have to be #bffs. This is entirely silly.
January 10th, 2024 at 2:52 AM ^
He can say whatever he wants but the fact remains Santa Ono had to step in and do his job for him.
January 10th, 2024 at 6:46 AM ^
I think we are being fed manufactured drama is my point.
January 10th, 2024 at 12:45 AM ^
Other universities serious about football would never tolerate this from an AD. I’m so tired of Warde, and don’t even want tot think about him hiring a potential replacement.
January 10th, 2024 at 1:01 AM ^
Bacon said he was gone last year too. If Jim leaves it’s bc he wants to coach in the NFL, not because Michigan didn’t give him a hug and t shirt.
January 10th, 2024 at 2:50 AM ^
So he did want to take the Vikings job. But then he got drunk for the interview and they didn't offer him. My theory is subconsciously he didn't want to go, so there was some self-sabotage going on there. And you know what, his subconscious was absolutely right!
January 10th, 2024 at 2:49 AM ^
Make Jack the AD if that's what it takes to keep them.
January 10th, 2024 at 8:52 AM ^
I've suggested this on other board topics...
Offer JH an eye-popping deal. Make the deal TOO good to pass up. Hand delivered by Santa.
- $18M/year deal for 10 years. Highest paid coach in NCAA by far.
- A statue of him in #4 jersey, wearing a headset, holding a chicken, with that 11 year old ball boy visible in the shadow
- Plan to name a building the Harbaugh Family Legacy Center.
- Build his family a mansion in Ann Arbor.
- Support his personal crusade to pay Student Athletes with a separate legal team
Make it SUCH AN EASY button to stay at Michigan until he retires. He can get anything he wants, new AD, NIL, a chocolate milk machine in his office.
There are resources at Michigan to pay him. The AD's budget is $200M, with $50M to football. The BIG10 TV money is $80-100M annually and rising. We have successful boosters that the school can reach out to.
Michigan is the biggest and the BEST. Put it in writing.
Set him up to eventually retire in 10 years, with a legacy bigger than Bo Schembechler, leaving his handpicked guys in place to continue his passion.
Replacing Bo and Lloyd started decades of "dark times". Replacing the perfect fit will be VERY DIFFICULT. There are some good candidates, but none are JH.
Matching the NFL deals is not enough. We need an offer that no NFL team can match.
January 10th, 2024 at 9:48 AM ^
It is pretty oily that a guy like this would share a detail like this but here you go. Kind of a clue on Jim's future. I noticed no one at all picked up on this but given the religious underpinnings of everything Jim does, wouldn't be surprised if Harbaugh has a connection to this guy. https://twitter.com/RickWarren/status/1744745006588678585