SEARCHBITS XV: MACHINATIONS
Eric DeBoer
REMAIN CALM. I am now getting some chatter to the effect that Harbaugh is coming, pending t-crossing and i-dotting. None of it is from a source I would consider rock solid, and all of it comes with an ominous "barring a last second change of heart" disclaimer. Please remain calm.
It feels like warranted optimism transforming itself into e-fact via a game of telephone—I can confidently say that there are people close to the situation who think it is happening, some of them very strongly. Whether they're right is another matter. Harbaugh may get NFL offers that change the equation. Right now Michigan can talk to him all they want; NFL teams would get hit with accusations of tampering if they did so. Everyone, including Harbaugh, is working with incomplete information.
A POTENTIALLY MEANINGLESS STATEMENT WE'LL TAKE AS GOSPEL. Raiders owner Prince Valium on his general manager:
-Q: Have those two wins helped you in your assessment of the football operation? Are you sticking with Reggie McKenzie?
-DAVIS: As I said, I never really said I wasn’t going to keep Reggie on board.
-Q: He’s your guy still, right?
-DAVIS: He is my guy right now, absolutely.
-Q: That means there’s still the possibility of dramatic changes, I guess.
-DAVIS: There are always possibilities for anything.
-Q: What do you think about Jim Harbaugh?
-DAVIS: (Laughs.) It was great talking to him.
McKenzie (not that McKenzie) is coming off an excellent draft, FWIW. Davis seems positive about him but "never really said" and "right now" are back doors that indicate some hesitancy. The upshot for Michigan is that if Oakland is inclined to keep McKenzie, they wouldn't be offering Harbaugh the moon that is full personnel control.
Of course, Oakland could be convinced to throw McKenzie overboard if Harbaugh was interested. Cue rumor:
Oakland preparing for sweeping changes that involve its GM Reggie McKenzie, according to league sources. Mark Davis getting ready to spend.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 14, 2014
This has been a completely useless searchbit. Thank you for your patronage.
OTHER NFL MACHINATIONS. Dolphins coach Joe Philbin is under pressure in Miami, with local reporters asserting that his job "may hinge" on making the playoffs. Philbin's in his third year with Miami, having gone 7-9 and 8-8 in his first two years. They're 7-6 this year and currently trailing the Patriots. If they do lose that game they'll have a very tough road to a bid.
The guy firing Philbin is of course Stephen Ross, Michigan mega-donor. Ross has been rumored to be amongst the heavy hitters putting together a neato financial package for Harbaugh, so a Harbaugh pursuit would be an about-face. Said local reporter says this would happen. At least, I think so. The article is full of seeming autocorrect errors:
The source said Ross would try to upgrade a team that missed the playoffs for a sixth consecutive year by revisiting the idea of hiring Jim Harbaugh. … If the Dolphins cannot get to the postseason, Ross would have work to do and most of the assignment will center on Harbaugh.
What?
Anyway: Ross pursuing Harbaugh would be tricky if Ross wants to get into all the good parties when he comes back to Ann Arbor. If Harbaugh does turn down a generous Michigan offer because he wants to stay in the NFL and that becomes public—probably because Michigan hires someone else—then Harbaugh could end up with the Dolphins without making Ross look that bad. Anything else and not so much. Steve Lorenz reports that Ross gave his word he would not chase Harbaugh to "more than one figure" in the Michigan community.
Given that, if the Dolphins do go hard after Harbaugh you should take that as a sign the dream is dead.
NON-MACHINATIONS? Ian Rapoport says the Dolphins are still not a player for Harbaugh. Rapoport previously reported that M left a meeting with Harbaugh "convinced he wants to be an NFL coach" a week ago, something that is almost certainly not true given the way the search has developed (or not developed) and the steady drumbeat of positive insider chatter. So take it with the appropriate level of certainty.
I do think Rapoport's more likely to be on point when he's talking to NFL teams about what they plan to do than trying to read the mind of Jim Harbaugh. Also:
@dpascoe72 yes i do.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 14, 2014
If Michigan was convinced that Harbaugh wasn't coming, wouldn't Ross 1) know that and 2) being going full guns here?
PLAN B. To my moderate chagrin, it is looking increasingly like Miles is the fallback option. He is definitely a fallback option, and depending on who you listen to (and what time you listen to them) there are somewhere between 0 and 2 guys between him and Harbaugh. Since the guys who could intervene are usually of the Stoops/Mora/Payton variety—longshots—Miles would become the favorite if Harbaugh turns M down.
The heavy favorite: everyone who knows Miles swears up and down he would come with two nanoseconds of the offer. What about 2007? Miles was never officially offered in 2007 and got roped into an LSU extension before Michigan could seriously contact him; with LSU on the verge of playing for a national title and Michigan's interest uncertain Miles had to go with the LSU AD's clever power play. There is no such hold on Miles now, as his team prepares to play in the Music City Bowl.
Why only moderate chagrin? Hey, he's not Schiano or Adddazio.
ON THE OTHER HAND. Webb reports that contact with Miles has not yet been "substantive." The focus is on Harbaugh.
IT COULD HAPPEN
JOE MOGLIA IS ALL YOU NEED TO HEAR. Football Scoop weighed in again, for what little that's worth. Michigan's honchos now "understand that Jim Harbaugh is unlikely to come to Michigan," according to site that previously said M had been turned down flat two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Steve Lorenz reports that the idea that Jim Mora and Dan Mullen have been run by the regents is "total bunk," so that's most of the post.
The rest of it is spent promoting the fortunes of Joe Moglia, the CEO-turned-Coastal-Carolina coach, who is 65 and coaching FCS. (Yes, that's totally different than pumping Bob Stitt.)
While I'd like half of that post to be true (the bits about Mora and Mullen being next options), it's clear that whatever FS gets right about this search will be by accident. This offseason they've already "reported" Bo Pelini to Youngstown State, Bret Bielema to Nebraska, and Lane Kiffin winning the Broyles.
GOING OFF THE BOARD? Ohio State OC Tom Herman is under heavy consideration at Houston. Houston's a good mid-major job that has sprung Art Briles and Kevin Sumlin into the big time, and Herman has a decade of Texas experience to his credit. Houston would be dumb not to offer him the job; Herman would be dumb not to take it. If Houston does in fact go after Herman that'll almost certainly be before Michigan gets down to the coordinator-scouring level. So merph.
Given the Miles chatter this is all likely to be moot anyway.
ALSO OFF THE BOARD. Sportsbook.ag again pulled the Harbaugh bet after more and more Michigan money came in. Last time this bet came up, a commenter pointed out that as online books go, Sportsbook.ag has a D- grade from an industry rating service and is not taking major money on this—it wouldn't take a whole lot to swing those odds.
FOUR WAY TRADE? Bo Pelini for Pitt. Yeah. Yeah man.
Etc.: ESPN's Dan Murphy has the least dismissive national take on Michigan's search that I've yet seen.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:15 PM ^
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December 14th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
Boobies.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
Don't you mean Harboobies?
December 14th, 2014 at 3:19 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
This says it all, we hope...
December 15th, 2014 at 5:41 AM ^
to your hair.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:45 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
Add to the fact that he says this source isn't rock solid and that there could be a change of heart. I want to be excited like everyone else but then I read what Brian posted and couldn't. I don't understand how others can considering what follows the claim.
December 15th, 2014 at 12:19 AM ^
Agreed, the only thing we can say at this point is he hasn't said no, which is a good sign, but it's defintiely does not mean yes.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:21 PM ^
...though it may signify SOMETHING.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
And... everybody breathe.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:22 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:28 PM ^
Keeping our fingers crossed!
December 14th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:44 PM ^
And likely anatomically accurate for 99.99% of this blog.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^
The medical term for those knotted fingers is "Repetitive F5 Syndrome."
December 14th, 2014 at 3:25 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 8:34 PM ^
So awesome to think that not only did my Seahawks knock the Niners out of playoff contention but may also have provided the final motiviation for Harbaugh's return to Ann Arbor.
December 15th, 2014 at 10:44 AM ^
Another thing to keep in mind for all those who don't think he'd leave the NFL. Jim is a smart guy. He's gonna look at what happened, or what didn't happen, in Santa Clara and see that the same thing could easily happen in Oakland or anywhere the Niners send him. He lost the locker room. NFL players don't respond to the ass chewing style of coaching a la Bo. I don't see the Niners FO releasing him since he has trade value. They could send him across the country to a team he may want no part of.
Even if the Raiders are an option there are rumors they may relocate once again to LA. That would blow any notion of him taking the Raiders job so he could keep his family where they are for daily involvement. LA is almost 400 miles away from the Bay with flight time, gate time and driving time that's a 2 hour commute at minimum. With bad CA traffic that could be more like a 3 hour propostion. Not exactly something you'd want to do daily after late nights at the office.
UM may be the most attractive choice if he can't be near his family, in terms of how he wants to coach and the control he wants to have. I don't see Jim staying in the NFL and transforming himself into Pete Carroll.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:26 PM ^
I feel better already....
Make it happen regent$.
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December 14th, 2014 at 3:27 PM ^
How can he ask us to remain calm????
December 14th, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:29 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 3:34 PM ^
You don't get how we could consider hiring a coach who's won over 75% of his games playing in the SEC West for a decade with a National Championship under his belt who went here and loves Michigan over Mullen?
December 14th, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
If Hackett is serious about putting "the Michigan Man" to rest he wouldn't be looking at Miles over Mullen.
December 14th, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^
This is absurd. Mullen has had one good year under his belt. Miles has been consistently one of the best modern day football coaches in the hardest league in college. He has a talented roster but so do his divisional foes. He coaches against the best football minds in the game today and has held his own to the tune of being a coach who has a winning percentage that stacks up with some of the best to ever "lead young men". This anti Miles bias is ridiculous to say the least.
December 14th, 2014 at 7:20 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 11:51 PM ^
Every time Les Miles goes to bed he takes off a god damned MNC ring from a team he was the head ball coach. Mullen hasn't even won a god damned BCS game.
Mullen is a good coach. Miles is better.
Bottom line.
December 15th, 2014 at 1:16 AM ^
Plus, starting Bo-alumn and a Michigan Econ major. I'd love to see the mad hatter go out a hero at home at the end of his career
December 14th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
First of all, 61 just isn't that old in today's coaching world. Saban is 63, would you take him?
Secondly, Miles hasn't grossly underpreformed in his more recent years like the anti-Miles faction on here likes to say. Find the diary on it.
Lastly, just because Hackett isn't making prior M connections a requirement for the job doesn't mean you turn down a prime candidate because he does love the school and used to play here. Do you not want JH either because he's a Michigan Man? All the inside chatter is that Mullen isn't a candidate at this point anyways, so this is a pretty meaningless argument, but still. Take the Miles track record ten times out of ten. We need a winner.
December 14th, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^
I have never, and will never understand that sentiment. Nobody was talking about Mullen before this year, and nobody here was talking about him even then, until Brian started. Mullen has done nothing, and his team plays fairly sloppy football.
December 14th, 2014 at 4:17 PM ^
Both Harbaugh and Miles are or have been successful college coaches. VERY successful. There is NO reason to think that they ultimately would not be successful at Michigan.
They each of track records - Miles longer at the collegiate level - and have Michigan ties, so they're known commodities (currently discounting any rumors of a personal nature which may or may not have basis in fact). Additionally, they are familiar with the academic and athletic culture of Michigan, so won't try recruiting and admitting athletes who cannot get admitted or who have a poor chance of succeeeding academically.
That's not to say that others cannot be successful here, but it is obvious why they may be the top 2 choices.
December 14th, 2014 at 4:12 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 4:16 PM ^
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December 14th, 2014 at 8:06 PM ^
December 15th, 2014 at 2:07 PM ^
And if he didn't?
December 14th, 2014 at 7:22 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 6:40 PM ^
This is getting fun guise!
LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (2005–present) | ||||||||
2005 | LSU | 11–2 | 7–1 | 1st (West) | W Peach | 5 | 6 | |
2006 | LSU | 11–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd (West) | W Sugar† | 3 | 3 | |
2007 | LSU | 12–2 | 6–2 | 1st (West) | W BCS NCG† | 1 | 1 | |
2008 | LSU | 8–5 | 3–5 | 3rd (West) | W Chick-fil-A | |||
2009 | LSU | 9–4 | 5–3 | 2nd (West) | L Capital One | 17 | 17 | |
2010 | LSU | 11–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd (West) | W Cotton | 8 | 8 | |
2011 | LSU | 13–1 | 8–0 | 1st (West) | L BCS NCG† | 2 | 2 | |
2012 | LSU | 10–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd (West) | L Chick-fil-A | 12 | 13 | |
2013 | LSU | 10–3 | 5–3 | 3rd (West) | W Outback | 14 | 14 | |
2014 | LSU | 8–4 | 4–4 | T–4th (West) | Music City | |||
LSU: | 103–28 |
56–24 |
December 14th, 2014 at 8:08 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 9:16 PM ^
I guess their records are similar if you subtract about fifty wins, a national title, and two major upsets over top-five Oklahoma teams.
But hey, keep telling yourself that Miles and Mullen are equal. It isn't even close.
December 14th, 2014 at 10:43 PM ^
December 14th, 2014 at 11:10 PM ^
there's a vocal minority of our fanbase who gives a shit about things other than saying "HEY BUCKNUTS WE GOT A COACH WITH A RING TOO AREN'T U SCARED?" on Monday mornings
and a silent majority who would kill their own mother's if it meant Michigan would win even one game
big deal. If Les is hired, I'll stop posting here. I'll actively disengage from the program. We can win all the games you want, Les is scum. Old, massively overrated scum at that.
December 15th, 2014 at 6:50 AM ^
And no one will care.
December 15th, 2014 at 7:52 AM ^
RRRRRRRiiiiiiiiigggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh no, please not that!
If Harbaugh is not hired, Miles should be #2 IMO, or right up there. Get real, will ya? Have you been paying any attention at all in the past 15 years?
It will be tough, but frankly, I will live with your defection if we end up with Miles. /s
December 14th, 2014 at 11:54 PM ^
SZHough is starting to troll.
Note the Giant F'N Ring on Les' hand.
This differentiates him from Mullen. Quite a lot.
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