jim harbaugh
coaching fiasco 2014
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SEARCHBITS XIX: GONE TO PLAID Comment Count

Brian

plaid-958x360[1]

All hell: done broke loose

THE BIG NUMBER. The 48 or 49 million dollar offer that had been kicking around the Michigan internets—pretty sure Sam Webb was the first to drop it—has now reached the NFL reporters, who are furiously reminding you that they are never wrong about anything even when they are vastly wrong about something:

Rebuffed my ass. Nothing about how this has gone looks like Michigan getting rebuffed, publicly or privately. Michigan took its time to get their offer together, waited until Harbaugh was eliminated from the playoffs, aimed, and fired. Michigan reporters from Webb to Lorenz to Balas (and me!) have been way closer to things than these guys from the start.

But keep those ranks together. I mean… why the hell are you even reporting anything in the first place when this is your explanation for the change?

Asked why he was considering it now, but hadn’t been previously, one person said now that the 49ers are out of the playoffs, it was possible for Harbaugh to at least consider it.

Bottom line: Harbaugh has some thinking to do and decisions to make.

The implication of all this reporting is that Michigan had no chance because it was not the NFL. This explanation makes it clear that Adam Schefter's earlier reporting was based on hearsay from people with no clue—at best. Harbaugh wasn't going to consider anybody before the 49ers were eliminated.

OKAY. I'M IN. Ran across a twitter feed that felt credible that claimed a connect to Harbaugh's agent, but I was hesitant to tell you guys about it until he put something out that was checkable and not public knowledge. Here's something from 4 PM today:

He got the number right as well. That official offer took a few hours to filter out to the NFL guys, who are now reporting it. The Michigan guys are sitting back with their McKayla faces on after being told repeatedly that Michigan knew they were done, had no chance, etc.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS. Michigan's offer blindsided the NFL guys. The Michigan side of things had the number, the years, and the approximate timing. That gives greater credence to the other half of the Michigan chatter: it's happening.

WHAT I'VE GOT. I don't have anything reportable. By that I mean information that I know is correct because I know who got it and why. I do have just an avalanche of IT'S HAPPENING stuff that is secondhand. Aside from the downer email I mentioned a few days ago, I have a half-dozen bits of hearsay ranging from dubious to pretty credible all pointing towards Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.

If you would like to change this situation, I'm listening.

FURTHER EYE-ROLLING. The Raiders had 16 million a year out for Jon Gruden.

Okay buddy. And I used to think Michigan was arrogant. It is not about whether the Raiders can give Harbaugh another gold toilet; Michigan's offer is highly competitive. It's about Michigan or the NFL.

THEY'VE DONE WHAT THEY HAD TO DO. Michigan assembled a kickass offer to come back to Ann Arbor and run the town. It is now highly public. If Harbaugh doesn't come, that's on him. No milquetoasty private conversations about how he flaked leaking out over the years; no debate about whether Michigan had a bonafide offer. They came strong and public in exactly the way they should have last time. (According to a player on Rodriguez's last team, he was giving everyone the impression he knew he was done even before the Gator Bowl. In that case he should have been gone after OSU.)

If it doesn't work out, okay. Jim Hackett still did this as well as he could, and if Michigan does have to move on to Plan B they can at least do so as a unit, knowing that they did their level best here.

PLAN B. A dollar it's Dan Mullen, if it comes to that.

Comments

The Immortal S…

December 17th, 2014 at 10:30 PM ^

How did this offer become known? Did Harbaugh agents leak it? If so, POINT NFL. My buddy just emailed me expressing that he doesnt like the turn of events this weekend. The longer Harbaugh wrestles with such a formidable offer the worse off our chances. At this point, if he is not our coach by 5pm tomorrow, its over...

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myhloh

December 18th, 2014 at 12:16 AM ^

Sports talk radio around the Bay Area is largely aligned in the belief that the offer leaked from Harbaugh's camp and that they may be using it as leverage to get a better deal. I hope that's not true because, if it is, Michigan is getting screwed and won't come out looking good if they don't land him.  So, I'm with you. I don't like it, but Michigan put out the best offer possible and if Harbaugh chooses to use his alma mater to get a better deal, then so be it. Can't fault Michigan for trying and going all in on this.

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The Immortal S…

December 17th, 2014 at 10:31 PM ^

How did this offer become known? Did Harbaugh agents leak it? If so, POINT NFL. My buddy just emailed me expressing that he doesnt like the turn of events this evening. The longer Harbaugh wrestles with such a formidable offer the worse off our chances. At this point, if he is not our coach by 5pm tomorrow, its over...

Joined: 02/09/2010

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1817

December 17th, 2014 at 10:40 PM ^

I would think it would be damn near impossible to turn down that money and the adulation not to return home now. JH say bye to the NFL and hello to your once and future home!

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Sione's Flow

December 17th, 2014 at 11:09 PM ^

The Twitter account that was referenced in the article says Jim and his agent, will proably discuss the offer tomorrow. The ball is in Harbaugh's court and hopefully picking up steam towards AA.

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The FannMan

December 17th, 2014 at 11:21 PM ^

I think Brian is letting Hackett off too easy. This is an all-or-nothing situation. Firing a good shot and missing still gets him zero points.

In fact, Hackett has played his cards and left himself open to a counter- move by the NFL. I hope he has something left and doesn't get out-maneuvered. (Like the last two ADs.)

Let's sing Hackett's praises after he closes the deal. Heaven knows I will be in that choir if he pulls it off.

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growler4

December 17th, 2014 at 11:41 PM ^

I think it's grossly unfair to judge the performance of an Athletic Director on one hire - or non-hire if that's how it turns out. It's a multi-faceted job.

I think Hackett has handled this quite well, from the info made public. The offer is extremely generous. If someone else offers more, so be it. At those dollar amounts, I think the choice comes down to where he wants to be and where he wants to coach.

If he comes, great. If not, we'll get a great another coach.

It's not all or nothing or life and death!

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EGD

December 18th, 2014 at 6:02 AM ^

If you are going to criticize Hackett for the approach he has taken, then you need to be able to point to some alternative course of action that would have been better. In this situation, I don't think there is one. To have any chance at signing Harbaugh, M needed to wait until the 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention and then come with a big offer. Hackett did that. What else would you have him do? If he doesn't wait, maybe we get a better "plan B" option but at the cost of losing any chance at Harbaugh. Dude doesn't have a crystal ball.

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JFW

December 18th, 2014 at 8:51 AM ^

At the very least all other coaches are now on notice that Michigan is really freakin' serious about righting the ship.

I was skeptic of Hackett, but so far the guy is outperforming my expectations. He fired home honorably and relatively quicky, and in the coaching sea he seems smart enough to recognize what he does not know.



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Perkis-Size Me

December 18th, 2014 at 12:29 AM ^

I highly doubt Hackett was the one who leaked Michigan's offer. Hackett is doing everything he can right now to reel in Harbaugh, which I'm not sure we would've been able to say had DB or Bill Martin still been here.

That is a generous offer, probably too generous, and it shuts anyone up about whether or not Michigan is willing to pay top dollar to get its guy. It'd make Harbaugh the highest paid football coach anywhere by a considerable margin. If Harbaugh turns us down, that's on him. Hackett is going down swinging, so unless he goes out and hires Greg Schiano, it'll be hard for me to get upset with him one way or another.



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Muttley

December 17th, 2014 at 11:22 PM ^

At my birthday dinner, there was a young girl sitting across from me in another party at a Japanese steak house.  (Where the chefs cook in front of you.)  I was sure that she reminded me of someone, but for a while, I couldn't place it.  All of a sudden, it hit me: McKayla Maroney.

Then I had to make a wish, and I wished for an adult McKayla Maroney Jim Harbaugh.

See, more proof it's happening!

Joined: 07/07/2009

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WolverineHistorian

December 17th, 2014 at 11:28 PM ^

Nothing left to do but pray. I refused to let myself think of the possibility that this could happen...but now I want to. Not just having a top coach but to actually get excited for football season again. And to see sooooo many haters eat crow. And picturing this board...when it's not 503, I'm seeing Trey Burk's 3 pointer against Kansas and Roundtree's catch in UTL kind of jubilation multiplied by ten. I want so badly to see this.

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growler4

December 17th, 2014 at 11:32 PM ^

Brian, thank you for the informative and well written update. Given that I've criticized some of your recent posts, I think it's only fair, now, to do the opposite.

While I have no inside information, I'd like to think that an agreement in principle had already been reached prior to the offer having been made public. Otherwise, if Harbaugh does not return to Ann Arbor, the next coach will know he was not Plan A. While not the worst thing in the world, especially making $ Millions annually...

I'd be really surprised if Miles is not Plan B should it come to that. Mullen just doesn't have the long term track record of success that Miles has, nor the personal connection with Hackett.

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Don

December 18th, 2014 at 6:51 AM ^

"I used to stare down at that field as I was stenciling those numbers," Harbaugh told reporters, athletes and others who crowded into the Arrillaga Family Sports Center's Kissick Auditorium. "I so very badly wanted to go to Stanford and play for the Cardinal. … This was my number-one choice all along."

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2007/january10/harbaughsr-011007.html

 

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Huntington Wolverine

December 18th, 2014 at 9:28 AM ^

Bo's offer to Harbaugh was a bit out of the blue (#rimshot) so those comments make sense to me and fit with my expectation that JH is a Michigan diehard that will love the chance to come back and right the ship (especially for the sake of his ego - recovering Michigan's lost glory puts him in the upper echelon of college legends alongside Bo and I think that's an opportunity he won't turn down).

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MGoMom

December 18th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^

Don, You didn't answer this on Tuesday, so I'm posting it again.  Curious to hear your take.


You've always been a skeptic about Jim Harbaugh's love for the University of Michigan and you site that quote about him reminiscing about Stanford's stadium. I'm not sure you've you seen this more recent (October 30th, 2013) video of him talking on ESPN. Does this change your mind? You can fast forward to 2:39 for the relevant question and answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sg6ISYbL58

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NoNon

December 18th, 2014 at 1:20 AM ^

...it's probably best for our collective mental health to be cautious, especially after what we've all experienced over the past decade of Michigan football but for once in this process, I think we've earned he right to switch on the optimism machine.

The stars are aligning perfectly. The timing couldn't have been better in every sense of the word. All sources that haved proven to be the most accurate throughout this whole process are trending up, not down. Disney couldn't write a better script about an heir apparent, coming home and reclaiming his rightful destiny, restoring a once great power back to the annuals of College Football greatness. 

That ain't Fred Jackson hyperbole. That's is the tale we are watching unfold before our eyes and even if Harbaugh politely declines, at least we'll look ahead knowing at least it wasn't the fault of some bumbling Fortune 500, CEO croons, so out of touch with what it really means to be "Leaders and Best." 

"Leaders and Best." Hmmmm, well in our hearts we all know what that term means to us, I can't remember the last time I stayed up this late, excited about anything Michigan Football related. I'm guessing I'm not alone. That feeling proves we still believe it and the one  person who may know that phrase best has got a BIG, BIG decision to make over the next few days. 

It's time to come home Jim, it's time to come home. 

 

(P.S. - we are truly spoiled. While casual sports viewers watch the Ian Rapoport's and other bearers of "The Shield" make ass-clowns of themselves on national television, we're plugged into our iPads in bed, getting everything coming from the AD halls of AA in realtime. We owe this to you too, Brian, kudos on breaking every F5 keyboard within a 500 miles radius of the 734/517/313/947/and 248 area codes and beyond.) 

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Madonna

December 18th, 2014 at 12:25 AM ^

...that  that today may have been the first actual offer from us.  It makes sense with the elimination from the playoffs on Sunday and means he hasn't been leaving us hanging.  It puts most of the negative rumors in serious doubt because they seem hinged on him having 'rebuffed' us as jerks like Kawakami and Rapaport have stated/implied.

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