Rumor on the Rivals board that Harbaugh has accepted the Kansas HC position...

Submitted by blueadams on
http://michigan.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=338&mid=129289681&sid=883&ti… here's the link for those with rivals access. not the most reliable source, but i've been hearing rumblings all over the place. if true, im guessing that #1) hello torrian wilson, #2) harbaugh must be sick of the academic restrictions at stanford...meaning that big fuss he made about the importance of academics (and lack there of at the university of michigan) was a bunch of b.s.
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MGoJoe

December 12th, 2009 at 2:04 AM ^

I can see this happening. Kansas is a bigger football school than Stanford, lower academic requirements, $2.7 million, wife is from Kansas, etc...it all makes sense.

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Talpostal

December 12th, 2009 at 2:11 AM ^

If this happened, and I agree that it seems a little unlikely, I would be disappointed in Harbaugh. I understand that it's ridiculous to hold everybody up to Bo's ideals but Harbaugh really seems like he's left them behind.

Joined: 09/07/2009

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Don

December 12th, 2009 at 9:19 AM ^

this makes absolutely no career sense. While not an upper-echelon power itself, Stanford has much more juice in the world of college football than KU, which always has been and always will be primarily a basketball school. It also would make Harbaugh look even more two-faced than these situations usually do, since he flapped his gums so loud and so passionately about how much Stanford was always the place he loved best, he remembers his time there as a kid so fondly, the way Stanford does academics is the right way to do things, etc. etc. etc. At most, Harbaugh has talked to KU, and will simply use it to extract more $$ from Stanford.

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bmiddy

December 12th, 2009 at 9:41 AM ^

Jimmy moves into Big 12 North territory where his only real competition for the Big 12 Championship game is Nebraska (and every once in a while Missouri). He gets away from USC, Oregon, Kelly's ND, and an Arizona program that is coming on BUT he still has his recruiting ties to CA. His ego is large enough to believe that he can make Kansas into a power rivaling their bball program.

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Raback Omaba

December 12th, 2009 at 9:53 AM ^

Why would he do that? Stanford is for all intents and purposes a better job than at Kansas, a middling Big 12 program at a basketball school. Here's Harbaugh's business plan. Coach Stanford for one more year and see what happens with RichRod at Michigan. If RichRod fails, Harbaugh will be the favorite for the job at his ALMA MATER. If RichRod succeeds (which we hope is the case), then Harbaugh either (1) continues to coach at Stanford where he will continue to succeed, or (2) look at the current coaching openings at the end of next year and be one of the hottest coaching prospects around (let's be serious, there have got to be better jobs opening up next year than freakin' Kansas) or (3) look into coaching at the NFL level, where his family ties lie. All four scenarios are MUCH better than the Kansas position this year. He is an absolute fool if he takes this job.

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Raback Omaba

December 12th, 2009 at 10:01 AM ^

Kansas Denies offering it to Harbaugh per CNNSI.Com In all seriousness, I would even say that the Illinois job is better for Harbaugh....if it opens next year, which it probably will.

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jabberwock

December 12th, 2009 at 11:28 AM ^

Seriously though, Brian has EDSBS as his first non-Michigan football blog on the sidebar. It should be read daily (after MGoBlog), and you should always have a hot-link to it. The article is here. There's also a bit on MSU, but you'll have to find it for yourself ;-)

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umhero

December 12th, 2009 at 10:12 AM ^

That's tough to say. Illinois doesn't have anymore recent tradition than Kansas. Illinois has to recruit against Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and even Northwestern. I would say the jobs are at least equal and maybe Kansas is better.

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B

December 12th, 2009 at 10:10 AM ^

This is all about getting a new contract at Stanford. He has lost his Notre Dame leverage, so he has to get it from somewhere. I highly doubt this happens. His team at Stanford is young, at least at the skill positions. He can make a run at the Pac-10 championship next year.

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The Tater

December 12th, 2009 at 10:25 AM ^

Interesting sidenote for anyone who was in school around 2003 or so. Check out who's reporting for the KC Star on the coaching search: http://www.kansascity.com/166/story/1623907.html It's our own beloved J. Brady McCollough, former Editor of the Daily Sports Page. I was a big fan of Brady's columns, and worked on the page my freshman year for a bit while he was the editor. Seemed like a good guy, and I'm glad to see things are going well for him.

Joined: 04/03/2009

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Hoken's Heroes

December 12th, 2009 at 10:31 AM ^

Don't get me wrong, Harbaugh is the real deal when it comes to football and coaching but he is a jerk. He screwed his own bro last week by running onto the field to argue with officials for a pro team he wasn't coaching! His bro expect the NFL will fine him and/or the team for Jim's idiotic actions. Mangino was a jerk too. So KU, assuming they hire Jim, will just be replacing one jerk for another. And why KU? KU is a basketball team. MAngino had to fight tooth and nail to get the school to allocate resources for the football team. Maybe it's just that Harbaugh likes these type of challenges. Take a team that no one ever things will do anything and prove he can make them winners. He's done that everywhere he's gone and KU might just be the next step in proving what a football coaching god he is.

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myrtlebeachmai…

December 12th, 2009 at 11:30 AM ^

presentation, to not overcast his player's moment in the sun (Gerhart). We'll see, still not sure I buy it. One angle I haven't seen... could it be to start building Mid-West recruiting ties for, say, down the road if he ends up at Michigan? He woulg have Cali ties, Midwest ties, Big Ten area ties, and lingering UM Floida ties...

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DoubleB

December 12th, 2009 at 11:31 AM ^

that Stanford is a better coaching job than Kansas. Not even close. Stanford recruits at a different level than every other BCS school; not just in terms of academics, but process as well. It's absolutely brutal. He'll get paid 2 million MORE per year and have just about any resource at his disposal. He's striking while the iron is hot as there is no guarantee Stanford will be 8-4 next year. Kansas may be a basketball school, but what is Stanford? I don't think football factory when I hear the name "Stanford."

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PurpleStuff

December 12th, 2009 at 1:53 PM ^

In the Pac 10, only USC and Washington have been to and won more Rose Bowls than Stanford. Admissions are tougher at Stanford, but it is also one of the premier academic institutions in the world and can attract student athletes from a larger geographic pool because of this. KU is one of the premier academic institutions in Kansas, with zero cachet to outsiders. Stanford is also located in California, which considering the importance of the quarterback position is in my opinion the best state in the country for high school football recruiting. In the Big 12, KU is at best the fourth best program historically in their own division (well behind Nebraska, Colorado, and Missouri). It would be hard to rank them ahead of anyone in the Big 12 South besides Baylor. The school has almost no history of success and has to share a terrible recruiting base with a KSU program that has been stronger under Bill Snyder the last few decades. The only reasons to leave Stanford for KU would be money (they definitely do look like they are willing to spend) or some family concern.

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Undefeated dre…

December 12th, 2009 at 12:54 PM ^

I still don't get this at all. Unless Harbaugh's wife's family situation is a big factor, or Jimmy took a big (figurative) dump somewhere and wants to leave Palo Alto before anyone smells it. You know, the Jackie Sherrill special.

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The Nicker

December 12th, 2009 at 2:04 PM ^

I find it rather unbelievable that people would question Harbaugh's credibility for considering the Kansas job. "if true, im guessing that . . . harbaugh must be sick of the academic restrictions at stanford...meaning that big fuss he made about the importance of academics (and lack there of at the university of michigan) was a bunch of b.s." "If this happened, and I agree that it seems a little unlikely, I would be disappointed in Harbaugh. I understand that it's ridiculous to hold everybody up to Bo's ideals but Harbaugh really seems like he's left them behind." There are about 1,000 reasons Harbaugh could want to leave the Stanford program for Kansas, some of which make a lot of more sense than this. For you to jump from point A to point B puts you in line to take Rosenberg's spot at the Freep if Harbaugh ever replaces Rodriguez. I mean, personally, I like would prefer Stanford to Kansas, but keep in mind: -Easier to shine the Big 12 North -Bigger salary -Better facilities -Better cost of living -Wife's family is from near there -Has talked about the lack of enthusiasm/attendance from Stanford fans as something that has frustrated him. You would think this fan base would have learned not to pre-judge a coach's intentions for leaving a program behind, but evidently not. I also want to mention that those who think the reason for this move is that it is part of Harbaugh's "business plan" to get to Michigan are engaging in equivalent idiocy.

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Irish

December 12th, 2009 at 2:43 PM ^

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4736848
STANFORD, Calif. -- Jim Harbaugh wants to put an end to rumors linking him to other jobs, saying he will remain Stanford's football coach. "Though the rumor mill has been running full gear, my resolve and future proudly remains as head coach at Stanford University," Harbaugh said in a statement issued Saturday. "The reports of the last 24 hours are untrue, though I respect the University of Kansas and athletic director Lew Perkins. "I trust this puts an end to these rumors and reports, allowing the focus of fans and the media to shine a bright spotlight on Toby Gerhart today. I love Toby and our players and coaches at Stanford, and as Toby told reporters, I am a Stanford man."

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steve sharik

December 12th, 2009 at 5:28 PM ^

...are 2nd level jobs. First level would be us, USC, Texas, Florida, OSU, etc. Both Stanford and KU have to climb over some big boys to get to the BCS. Stanford is a better place to be...if you can afford it. Stanford is an Ivy-level education, great weather, great metropolitan area. Kansas has none of these things, but if you win at Kansas, you are revered b/c the community centers around the university. The same salary could get him a lot more bling in Lawrence, KS than in the Bay Area of Cali. If you want to be surrounded by quality, Stanford is the choice. If you have an ego and want to be King (or, in this case Knight b/c hoops is King), Kansas it is. I think if we can forget the ancillary benefits (weather, culture) and focus on football, Kansas may be a better job. We easily forget that they were in the Orange Bowl just two seasons ago. Kansas has brand new, top-notch facilities; Stanford doesn't. Kansas's competition for their division title is Nebraska and Missouri. Stanford has to tangle with USC, Oregon, Cal, Oregon St. It sounds crazy to academic-minded people like ourselves to consider Kansas as a better place to be than Stanford, but from a football standpoint it may be the case.

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