Brian about to appear on WTKA

Submitted by M-Wolverine on
Should be interesting to hear how beat down he is from the week of constant news, and constant site repairs from it blowing up.

profitgoblue

January 6th, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^

I hate you for seriously mentioning Fulmer in connection with Michigan.  Maybe you don't remember Fulmer's crying about Woodson winning the Heisman over his precious Peyton?

(I don't really hate you, for the record.)

nsweet

January 6th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^

Fulmer should not be an option!  I live here in Knoxville, am married to a die hard UT fan, Fulmer was in same position that LC was, the game was passing him up.   Again horrible idea!

readyourguard

January 6th, 2011 at 9:38 AM ^

"I don't want a coach in his mid 50s just because he used to be a coach here." 

"Pinkel is a guy I looked at but he's too old"

A caller presumes that since Brandon said "The search has begun" that the search truly just started yesterday.  Am I the only guy who doesn't believe that? 

"Everyone has question marks because they're not named Jim Harbaugh"

MFanWM

January 6th, 2011 at 9:45 AM ^

 Posted on ESPN - Supposedly Ross is offering in the $7 Million plus range after confirming with UofM that they are not getting positive feedback from Harbaugh.

Initially, sources said Harbaugh was cool to Peterson's approach on behalf of the Dolphins and Ross. But the Stanford coach's interest grew warmer in the 48 hours after his Cardinal soundly defeated Virginia Tech with Ross among the spectators at Dolphins Stadium, sources said. Wooten said he also was told that Harbaugh was not very receptive to the Dolphins' initial approach.

Furthermore, Ross had dialogue with University of Michigan officials to ensure that he would not be competing for Harbaugh's services with his alma mater, sources said. Ross, who is one of Michigan's largest benefactors, was assured by a Michigan official that Harbaugh was not reciprocating interest in the college's now-vacant head coaching position.

Chris Mortensen is ESPN's senior NFL analyst

fitty88

January 6th, 2011 at 10:20 AM ^

I believe that is a real possibility. I don't know that Ross is involved, but I do think it's possible that DB is giving JH space to vet the NFL thing with some of the intense scrutiny deflected. Given their long-standing relationship, it seems unlikely to me that they won' t talk in the next day or two.

FGB

January 6th, 2011 at 10:32 AM ^

When Brandon was going through his whole "It's my belief Harbaugh will be in the NFL" stuff yesterday, my hope was that maybe he was faking us all out, and he was going to unveil him in 48 hours.

But why on earth would he do that?  It's not like it makes Brandon look better if he pulls off JH 3 days after everyone was hoping he'd pull him off.  It's not like Harbaugh looks better if he gets to do one more NFL interview. 

It makes no difference.  So, no, this isn't choreographed.  It's just an ex-Michigan player who isn't interested in coaching here.

fitty88

January 6th, 2011 at 11:01 AM ^

Don't you think if you're JH that you wouldn't want to vet the NFL, especially how your stock has risen, the money involved, the family hx of NFL jobs, etc, and regardless of desire to coach at Michigan. I think he would be crazy not to. And, JB is going to know this (maybe even discussed with him) and feels best opportunity to get him is to let him go through that process. Don't know, obviously, but agree with earlier response about comments to media never fully reflect nature of actual discussions.

FGB

January 6th, 2011 at 11:56 AM ^

that's not choreographed.  To me, choreographed doesn't mean DB is just hoping that JH looks at the NFL options and then makes his own decision that he'd actually like to be at Michigan.

Choreographed to me means that JH and DB are in on some kind of plan. 

Maybe JH and DB have a deal and this is all window dressing.  Maybe JH said "I'm going to take a couple interviews just to see, but expect that I'm coming."  Maybe the idea is Harbaugh makes it seem like he's going to take the Miami job to convince his family that they're going to have to move, and then they compromise that they'll move but stay in a college town. 

I don't know.  I mean, these scenarios could be possible.  But the most likely circumstance is probably the correct one, which is that JH simply wants $5-7M a year and be in control of an NFL team. 

RoxyMtnHiM

January 6th, 2011 at 10:00 AM ^

I've been a major Harbough fanboi since about '84. Have always looked forward to the day when he came back to coach. And I can see his side of things, if UM turned him away when he was trying to get into coaching. But if he is turning his back on us now when we could not need him more, and he's doing it for a $7M soulsuck in the NFL, I am ready to close that door forever. This is a potential point of inflection in our modern history. On top of football credentials, wanting to be here, dreaming of being here and seeing this as the ultimate job are important qualifications.

Maize and Blue…

January 6th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^

A former player/ alum doesn't bash his former program and university over academics in public.  If it's really a concern of JH's he should have done it in private.  He claimed to bleed Maize and Blue yet burned his bridge here.  Are you really surprised that he's not coming to coach?

ESNY

January 6th, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^

Its a big ruse!   Ross is throwing around the idea of lots of money, to throw the 49'ers off the scent of Harbaugh.  Miami still hasn't even fired their current coach.   With the thought that Harbaugh is going to take $7-8million from Miami, The 9'ers go in a different direction and then Miami  decides to retain Sparano and suddenly there is little ole Harbaugh with no NFL place to go, so he takes the Michigan job.  

Well played Mr. Ross.

zlionsfan

January 6th, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^

Brandon didn't fire Rodriguez until after the bowl massacre and is taking heat for (presumably) not looking beforehand ... there's nothing to say Ross isn't doing the same thing, only openly. And when you expect to be a playoff contender and watch your team lose 7 of 8 at home, including its last three (against teams with 4, 5, and 6 wins), it's probably a good idea to start packing up your office.

Honestly, it shouldn't take much to throw off the 49ers anyway. They're basically Cincinnati West: just another example of how family-run businesses don't succeed in the NFL. All it should take is one person suggesting that Harbaugh will be an excellent NFL coach and York will hire David Shula or Bruce Coslet.

But hey, if it means Harbaugh will end up in Ann Arbor ...

travelingblue

January 6th, 2011 at 9:45 AM ^

I think the worst part about waiting until after the Gator Bowl to fire RRod is missing out on Al Golden. Turning around Temple was the most impressive thing done by any coach in a while...probably even more so than reviving Stanford with Andrew Luck. Also, with his Midwest ties he probably would have been a good candidate to come to Ann Arbor rather than U of Miami. Just seems like he would have been the perfect coach for us, and much more valuable than "sticking to a plan" or having consistency through the bowl game. It also would have pissed the hell out of Penn St!

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

January 6th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^

I would've definitely been onboard with hiring Golden. I don't remember where Brian colored himself unimpressed, but I do know that Golden was three-quarters of Al Groh's recruiting mojo at UVA and UVA put together some hella good classes when he was there. Golden resurrected Temple and frankly he's one of the people I'm thinking of when I say that January is too late for this because most of the better candidates have been picked over.

NBlue

January 6th, 2011 at 9:55 AM ^

Yeah, except that you never would have really known whether you could have got Harbaugh.

If we all agree (and I think we do) that Harbaugh is by far the best choice, it is/was worth taking a chance on.

Not defending waiting this long to get started, but if we agree that:

1) Harbaugh is by far the best coach available

2) He was not going to entertain any other offers until after the Orange Bowl

3) We didn't want to go through 6-7 weeks without a coach at all

Then maybe this really was Brandon's only course of action (of course it would have been swell had he been at least speaking with other candidates)

 

profitgoblue

January 6th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^

I do not like Harbaugh.  He bad-mouthed Michigan's program and student-athletes to make his own program look better and, for that, I will never respect him again.  That said, I guess I had better learn to like him if he ends up coaching at Michigan.  Damn my loyalty to Michigan getting into the way of my dislike of an individual!

MI Expat NY

January 6th, 2011 at 10:43 AM ^

Turning around a program doesn't necessarily mean success at the next place.  Hell, it doesn't even mean continued success at your current school.  To me, Schiano's turnaround at Rutgers was more impressive than either Golden's or Harbaugh's, yet Rutgers looks like they might be back to a bottom feeder already.  

The only way to guarantee success is if the guy you hire has great success at two or three places, or a prolonged (6+ years) period of success at one school, everyone else is a crapshoot.  Anyone that says differently is fooling himself.  

readyourguard

January 6th, 2011 at 10:00 AM ^

"I think they should hire Greg Robinson just so they can fire him again." - ouch.

"I still think if you're Pat Fiztgerald and you're 36 do you really want to spend the rest of your life at Northwestern?" - they probably asked the same thing of Joe Paterno or Bobby Bowden.

Craig Ross and Brian Davis both are high on Fitzgerald.  

Caller just asked about Butch Davis?   wtf?  Why don't we find out how Pete Carroll enjoys the pro game and see if he's interested?

"Do not think it's Harbaugh....I think that ship has sailed or is close to sailing"

Brian also reiterated  "I DO NOT want a coach in his 50s just because he was an assistant here before" I get the sense Brian doesn't want Brady Hoke.  I don't know though. 

Urban Meyer's name has popped up but the 3 people in studio have resoundly shot that down.

caller says he's friends with a member of the Nebraska Board of Trustees and he claims the Nebraska faithful are worried because Michigan has contacted Bo Pelini. 

abrupt end of segment

preed1

January 6th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^

Commerical 1 on wtka- for water damage...RR is being sued for water damage to one of his real estate house dealies.

Coomerical 2 on wtka- flow from progressive ("live from progressive" is always on) but still ARG!

The ad world is killing my soul...must kill someone!

Greg McMurtry

January 6th, 2011 at 10:12 AM ^

that so many people have the feeling that the sky is falling. First of all, in times of coaching search/negotiations, don't believe everything that you hear. Agents put out information to the media to spark buzz about their respective clients and to play one team vs another for more money. It's how the game is played. If you're a coach and you're interested in a job, you don't call the hiring team and say "I'm interested." You have your agent talk to the media and put out a rumor to let the team know there is interest. Also, I guarantee that DB did not begin his coaching search just yesterday. Have you heard of coach speak? It's the same thing. What is he going to say? I just decided to fire RR, but I've been searching for a new coach for months? Come on. Is this coaching search extremely important? Yes it is, but let's think rationally for one second and realize that DB had to say what he said yesterday.

nsweet

January 6th, 2011 at 11:59 AM ^

His strong ties with RR may see him leave if/when RR gets another job and has permission to bring him along.  Until then, don't see Barwis leaving without employment.