SEARCHBITS XVII: DOT GIF? Comment Count

Brian

460966625[1]

never not funny

IT'S HAPPENING? IS IT HAPPENING? TELL ME IT'S HAPPENING. You go out of pocket for a few hours and you come back and the internet's falling apart. Near as I can tell there were a couple of posts around 8:30 last night on Scout and Rivals, both of the positive variety. Allen Trieu mentioned($) something might happen tomorrow(!). Which is today(!!!). (Side note: GBW has a rumors board that they can report more freely on without guaranteeing total accuracy, so don't get down on 'em if they're off some.)

A few hours later, Jeff Moss and Gregg Henson joined in with highly positive updates. I know, I know, I'm considerably more cautious than those two guys. And in this case there are NFL parties yet to be heard from, things that could change, etc. But they've had things before, so that should affect whatever your Bayesian estimate is to some degree.

The night ended with Steve Lorenz adding his stuff to the GOOD NEWS pile($), with "important Michigan-related figures" incrementing their optimism. He's "cautiously optimistic" now. Oh, and Trieu again($).

The upshot from everyone is a rising tide of optimism.

TODAY?!?! No. Trent Baalke's de rigueur "we evaluate after the season" statement happened late afternoon yesterday. Most targets are still in two weeks. It's highly unlikely we hear anything today. I'm betting we have to endure the full 12 days in limbo here unless it all falls apart.

SOURCES OF SAID TIDE. Moss says that Brandstatter is feeding some of this information to people. Brandstatter says he isn't. I have heard that Jack Harbaugh is a major source for both Rivals and the pile of former players who are increasingly giddy. Jack would know a lot about Jim's intentions, but I am a little worried that Jack wants this to happen so badly that he may be overstating the case.

Then you've got players Harbaugh talks to, guys he might be reaching out to as staff members… there is a lot of chatter.

A RISING TIDE… EXCEPT THIS ONE GUY. Some cold water: got a lengthy note from a source who is second-hand but has had good info during coaching searches past that is basically a re-iteration of the NFL reporter position that Michigan's chances are slim at best. I believe the guy, and believe the NFL reporters to some extent—there is clearly a story out there in which Michigan is the wallflower hoping to get noticed by the prom queen. There was a credible-seeming Cassandra on Rivals offering up a similar story about how this isn't happening and was never happening.

Some of this is from people who swear Harbaugh wants to remain in the NFL. Some of this comes from within the Michigan base. It would look pretty bad for Brandon if Hackett did lock Harbaugh down, and it was mentioned to me that he is hoping it doesn't happen. He could be a negativity vector there. That would  be the best case scenario for this undercurrent of NOPE amongst the cresting wave of euphoria for the same reasons Jack Harbaugh might be overly enthusiastic.

It is hard for me to reconcile the piles of internal optimism with the idea Harbaugh is just stringing Michigan along. There would be a way to approach this without giving everyone the impression it's happening dot gif. On the other hand, this is a credible person. There are people close to Harbaugh who think it's not happening dot gif.

Many someones are about to be very wrong.

ON THE TRAIL. As a counterpoint to that, heard that a Michigan assistant has been pinging kids in his area asking them to hold off on commitments until Harbaugh is in place two weeks from now. A couple of the staffers are hoping to stick… well, most of them probably are, but a couple in particular have higher hopes than others. They're pitching the big kahuna.

101513-CFB-LSU-Les-Miles-DG-PI_20131015193042818_660_320[1]

nyet

EXIT LES. Les Miles had a weird intro to his press conference yesterday, talking to reporters off the record about his interest in the Michigan job: he has none. Cameras off, direct quotes prohibited, gist communicated: weird.

Why he wouldn't just issue the standard press-conference denial is unknown. The explanation that comes to mind is that he was wary of getting a little emotional now that he knows for-sure-for-sure he'll never coach Michigan. Or he could just be weird. That is always on the table with Les.

If you're so inclined, you could read this as evidence that IT'S HAPPENING, as word trickles out to connected Michigan people and Les's slim hopes have just gone to zero. The other option is that all the people swearing up and down that Miles would come back if given the opportunity are wrong. The agreement there within the Michigan insider community is iron-clad, though.

ON ASSISTANTS? Are we talking about assistants already? Seems way ahead of ourselves, but okay. Ty Wheatley has been rumored to be on his way back ever since it looked like Hoke wasn't going to make it. It's obvious why—Michigan Man.

He has also made his interest in returning known, as long as it's some sort of upgrade on his current role as the Bills' RB coach. While Michigan probably wouldn't want to throw him in the deep end as a coordinator right away, something like OSU's recent setup with Tom Herman and Ed Warriner as co-OCs would work.

Sam Webb recently downplayed speculation by saying their hasn't been any contact; even so that seems like it might happen once a hypothetical staff hypothetically starts being assembled.

uspw_5272442[1]o-face[1]

Durkin also had a minor role in Office Space

Trieu also dropped($) Florida DC DJ Durkin's name. Durkin was the DE/ST coach at Stanford for Harbaugh's first three years there, then moved on to Florida, where he was an LB coach for a bit before taking over as DC for the last two years. The obvious catch is that he was working under Will Muschamp, who is now making more than a lot of head coaches as Auburn's DC.

Durkin is in demand, being courted by UNC and A&M; as a Youngstown guy who went to BGSU he has a ton of those Ohio recruiting connects. There was some chatter that he'd be retained by McElwain but Thayer Evans reports that UF is going to hire Mississippi State DC Geoff Collins—yes, the you're a baller guy—instead*. Interestingly, Durkin was a GA under Urban Meyer for the two years Meyer was there, then moved on to Notre Dame in the same capacity—no doubt on Meyer's recommendation.

*[Exhibit A as to why Mullen would jump at the chance to move to a school with more resources.]

PLAN B. Heard for a second time that Tom Herman was under serious consideration as a backup plan. With Les out for whatever reason, the non-Harbaugh options get slim fast if Michigan cannot poach a Power 5 college HC in a good spot—always hard to do and harder these days when everyone has buckets of cash.

I'm just sayin', Dan Mullen hasn't signed that extension… because now it's real easy to see Michigan burning through candidates until it's looking at wild-ass swings at up-and-comers like Scott Frost (high on CSU's list) or the Schiano-Addazio-tier Life Is A Grim March To The Grave candidates. Mullen told the local media via text he hasn't heard from Michigan, period, and in this case I believe him. If Collins does jump to Florida he's got to be steamed, though.

I wonder if someone at Michigan will reach out to Herman and tell him not to sign anything just yet—Herman already announced he wouldn't be joining Houston until OSU is out of the playoff. He is looking increasingly like Michigan's best will-obviously-come option. Short term sketch? Yes. Worth it if we don't hire Steve Addazio? Yes.

SERIOUSLY. Bo Pelini. Pitt. Make it happen.

Comments

gwkrlghl

December 16th, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^

A guy sensitive enough and petty enough to respond with bitter little emails back to fans and alums all the time would totally also be a guy who is petty and bitter enough to try to throw some water on those same fans hopes.

I hope Dave Brandon does run for public office so he can lose Craig James style

LSA Superstar

December 16th, 2014 at 11:18 AM ^

I understand this position and I agree.  But on the other hand, Jim has done NOTHING to even implicate "stringing us along" - he refuses to address this topic.

I think that the answer is unsatisfying and scary - duder doesn't know what he wants to do yet.  I do think that if he decides that he'd prefer an NFL future, he'll be fair and notify Michigan promptly.  But that's all he owes the school.

ijohnb

December 16th, 2014 at 1:12 PM ^

he is just focussed on his shit right now and does not count Michigan as part of that.  If that is the case he may not be stringing us along, he may just be not caring.  Like the person that just doesn't call you back to decline an invite because calling you back actually would require them to "do something" while just not calling back has the same effect but does not require any action.

Is it possible that publicly considering Michigan as an option actually acts to de-value Harbaugh in the eyes of NFL people?  Like he is bailing from the big time. 

MainStreetMagic

December 16th, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^

I know the dude just got fired, and he wasn't overwhelming at Nebraska by any stretch of the imagination.  But, in the worst case scenario where Harbaugh waits until the 1st to turn us down, and the other viable plan B's are off the table, shouldn't Pelini be in the discussion here?  I mean, we can make any candidate look attractive by saying "He's not Addazio or Schiano", but, I mean, he's not Addazio or Schiano.

Quail2theVict0r

December 16th, 2014 at 11:13 AM ^

No, that would be entirely horrible. 

We know exactly what we get with Pelini. 9 win seasons where we beat EMU and then get beat 55-0 by our rivals. No, no and no.

I'd rather have both Schiano and Addazio over Pelini -- and I would cancel my season tickets over hiring either them. 

If we don't get Harbaugh and the other big names are off the board, I hope they go the coordinator route. I just can't imagine anyone truly believs hiring failed head coaches is a good idea at this point -- or even an option. 

Quail2theVict0r

December 16th, 2014 at 11:21 AM ^

Moot point, there's this that just came accross my twitter feed: 
 

Bo Pelini reportedly set to be named head coach at Youngstown State:

 

 

But at least with Schiano and Addazio there would be a chance. They would all be terrible options but with Pelini there's no chance he would be good.

MainStreetMagic

December 16th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^

I just disagree completely.  I don't see any upside with Addazio/Schiano, and frankly, I would rather commit to consistent 9-10 win seasons with a fun team to watch, than consistent 6-6 seasons with awful, eye-gouging dinosaur football.  I just don't understand where the "chance" comes from with either guy, unless you bomb a few beers and squint really hard at Schiano. To each his own I suppose, but yeah if Pelini is off the table this whole discussion is moot. 

In conclusion: HARBAUGH

brewandbluesaturdays

December 16th, 2014 at 11:20 AM ^

I said this before when Pelini got fired. That, would be a terrible hire...

Here's what I said in a previous post.

I have a good friend who is a Nebraska alum, and is extremely connected within the program. I asked him about this and there are a bunch of things about Pelini that never made it in the public eye according to him. The things he told me range from players sexually assaulting girls and it being covered up by Pelini, illegal use of university planes, letting his starters know in advance when they would be drug tested and a few other thigns I had a hard time wrapping my head around.

Take it FWIW but this guy called Pelini being fired 2 weeks before the Iowa game no matter what the outcome was going to be. Nine win seasons or not, people at Nebraska were fed up with this guy. He created an us vs. the world mentality with the players pitted against the fans and alumni in Lincoln. 

 

ijohnb

December 16th, 2014 at 1:19 PM ^

had to be more than a football thing.  Nebraska wasn't that bad this year.  If they would have been the team to take it 59-0 to OSU in the title game, I could see a completely football related firing even if that meant they made the Big Ten title game.  But this would not have been the season to fire Pelini for performance related issues, that had the whif of off the field stuff from the moment it went down.

Ares

December 16th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^

It's Harbaugh. The point has been reached that if he is stringing Michigan along that he'll be ostracized by ex teammates and the Michigan community in general. Continuing down this road through the weekend and he's the coach. 

double blue

December 16th, 2014 at 11:45 AM ^

i don't think he cares what anyone thinks, except his family.  His dad may be over enthusiastic, but i  doubt that it's based on no interest.  They are very close- this is not Hamlet, although i am starting to think we are part of some shakespearean tragedy.   Could we please not get some midsummer's night dream in here and have a happy ending.

TheLastHarbaugh

December 16th, 2014 at 11:15 AM ^

I still don't understand how people continue to fall for these snake oil salesmen and woo peddlers.

We will find out about Harbaugh once the NFL season is over. I've been saying it all along. 

Stop falling for "dubious source says X will happen...tomorrow!" (click click click click click)

It's embarrassing. This is our third monkey rodeo. We should all be veterans with regard to this stuff by now.

Want to know an amazing fact? Someone who hasn't been paying attention to any of this stuff would know just as much as those of you constantly pounding F5 and flipping your shit every 15 minutes. 

maizenbluenc

December 16th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^

And I think it's been Harbaugh for quite a while - maybe even before Brandon exited, at least as far back as Sam's initial Wheatley slip and everyone including Lloyd Carr saying they think Harbaugh is the guy.

Everyone is acting weird with slips around the edges because the inner circle thinks it's right that Harbaugh finish his season first and at the same time are greasing the skids for a smoother start.

Something happened in SFO before the Seattle game in SFO to cause the players to half ass it in the game and all the dysfunction to spill out onto twitter afterwards, and then it went silent and amiable again yesterday. I think the deal was penned in Seattle. (Any Kalitta charters coming back from Seattle? Even connecting somewhere else?)

All of this is e-pionion sure, but we outer circle have to let the chess match play out here.

1974

December 16th, 2014 at 11:12 AM ^

Serious question: Why have the "NFL" guys circled the wagons so aggressively? Do they look down on college football *that* much? Would they be hurt if one of their own left for college? I don't get it.

FreddieMercuryHayes

December 16th, 2014 at 11:20 AM ^

It could be some hubris, yeah.  It's also been mentioned that a lot of the NFL stuff is coming from the 49ers management.  And, to them, they need Harbaugh to stay in the NFL because it's the only way they make money off of him.  He is an asset that is worth a lot that the 49ers 'own' right now.  If he goes to college, they get nothing.  But by insisting he's an NFL guy, it drums up interest and more offers from other NFL teams who want him.  If they let it be known he was a huge flight risk back to college, then he's not worth as much to the 49ers.

'07LesMilesMafia

December 16th, 2014 at 12:19 PM ^

because they're paid by the NFL to promote the NFL, simple as that.  i will say that the NFL is a supperior product.  if you like the game of football, the NFL is hands down the best.  i consider myself a huge michigan fan, but not much of a college football fan per se.  these NFL guys can't comprehend why anybody as talented as JH would take a step below to college.  what they don't understand is how much JH has been influenced my umich in his life, which is why he hasn't directly shot us down yet.  

Dubs

December 16th, 2014 at 1:14 PM ^

There was another NFL analyst on Jim Rome yesterday who pretty much did the same thing, offering that Michigan doesn't have the money, and left it at that.  Brandon Tierney (who I have grown to loathe) has scoffed at the idea too:  "Michigan ain't gettin him."  It's painful to listen to the CBS morning show at times when they discuss college, because most seem out of their element, fumbling around at times.  They love their NFL, for sure.  This morning they spent about 45 minutes talking about the Jets.  THE JETS!

Most of the guys I've heard with an NFL perspective don't even seem to entertain the notion that and NFL coach would actually LEAVE the league and to go college!  Shock!  Horror!  PROTECT THE SHIELD!

o0MaizeNBlue0o

December 16th, 2014 at 11:17 AM ^

I hope that when all is said and done, if Harbaugh is hired, he'll give us a timeline of his decision making process. It'll probably read something like ...

December 2: Contacted about michigan head coaching job.

December 3: Thought about it. Never told anybody anything. How do people know what I'm going to do when I don't even know what I'm going to do? 

December 4: Thought about it. Never told anybody anything. How do people know what I'm going to do when I don't even know what I'm going to do? 

December 5: Thought about it. Never told anybody anything. How do people know what I'm going to do when I don't even know what I'm going to do? 

December 6: Thought about it. Never told anybody anything. How do people know what I'm going to do when I don't even know what I'm going to do? 

December 7: Thought about it. Never told anybody anything. How do people know what I'm going to do when I don't even know what I'm going to do?

Etc....

January 3: I decided to be the head coach of michigan. 



Behind all this "my source told me" stuff is most likely a man who hasn't talked to anyone yet. Then we'll all look dumb.

alum96

December 16th, 2014 at 11:14 AM ^

Will give credit to Brian here as he said motion in the ocean could increase immediately after 49ers eliminated.  I assumed there would be little action - even via backchannel really - until Dec 28th.  But it's promising to see the butter churning this quickly after Sunday.

Either a lot of smoke has been blown up a lot of people's behinds by the same "1 source", or it's getting interesting out there.

blueblueblue

December 16th, 2014 at 11:16 AM ^

Just want to say thanks for these updates. One day I will thank with $, but until then I'll thank with just letters. I'm not sure what has changed in your writing and reporting over the past couple of years- if anything; perhaps its relative - I dont feel like you are clickbaiting us like everyone else does. I dont feel like you are patronizing us like everyone else does. I feel like you are smarter than all the other guys. Perhaps its all of the above. Whatever the case, I've come to appreciate your work quite a bit lately. Thanks.