CC: Do you think next coach (non-Harbaugh) is set up for failure?

Submitted by JR's Flow on
No matter the magnitude, there is a chance that the next coach isn't named Jim Harbaugh. If this is the case, do you think that the next coach will be set up to fail to an extent because they aren't JH?

Of course Rich Rod's Defense doomed him but some of the fan base didn't accept him from the get go.

RakeFight

December 19th, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^

I think Harbaugh is set up for failure.  At this point, with the media and fan frenzy... the reported record-breaking salary.  The expectations have been set way too high for him, so if you define failure by not meeting expectations, Harbaugh's chances will be high.

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MGlobules

December 19th, 2014 at 5:35 PM ^

Harbaugh might, too. For one, he's probably not too interested in losing, or only being mildly competetive. If I'm him and I have the choice between the NFL and Michigan I am considering where I have the best chance to succeed. And some of the long-term demographic and other portents do not necessarily run strongly in Michigan's favor. I'm also not sure there's any easy road back to the NFL if he loses in college ball, whereas he can always become a college coach again after another stint in the NFL.

Personally, I don't like NFL football. But most people aren't like me. Especially him.

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East German Judge

December 19th, 2014 at 9:02 PM ^

I strongly disagree to your strongly disagree as I think his best long term success for him is the college game.  NFL pros, who make as much or more than the coach, will eventually (and have gotten in SF) tired of his "intenseness" and the NFL is a players league.  College kids will put up with that stuff (ala Nick Saban and JH @ Stanford/SD) as they see the coach as their path to NFL success. 

Furthermore, the NFL is such a zero-sum game that it is designed for parity - worst teams have the best highest draft picks and easient schedule and good team vice versa (NE Pats are the one consistent outlier thanks to BB & TB).  In college, he can sell kids (excuse the Hunter Lochmann reference) on the Block M, Big House, and the traditons of Bo, etc.

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Nickel

December 19th, 2014 at 5:24 PM ^

I don't know that he's set up for failure but I do worry that people are expecting him to turn Michigan into Alabama 2.0 and he won't be able to get the program to that level.

I think Jim is a good coach, but other than Toby Gerhart and Andrew Luck I couldn't name a single other player he developed or coached in college and Kapernick has regressed in his time with Harbaugh.  How much of those (positive or negative) are attributable to Harbaugh and how much are attributable to the indivual players we can never know.  That said, I still hope he ends up here so we can find out if he's as good as we've built him up to be in our minds.

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DowntownLJB

December 19th, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^

I was thinking about this last night.  With all the very public courting of JH, if Plan B becomes the coach, he might get an awful lot of "JH wouldn't have done it that way" garbage.  Hope that doesn't discourage a top-flight Plan B from taking the job (if it comes to that).

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jaysvw

December 19th, 2014 at 4:44 PM ^

No, plan B wont be setup to fail, especially if it's a quality hire.  Will there be weeping and gnashing of teeth?  For sure, but I don't think that will extend much beyond the announcement of the new coach.

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dcloren2121

December 19th, 2014 at 4:42 PM ^

Absolutely he is.  The fans, fair or not, will never forgive him for not being Jim Harbaugh unless he comes out and wins like 10 games right away and never looks back...which ain't happenin

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chango

December 19th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^

The next coach is setup for success.

Everyone and their pet rabbit hercules wants M to be successful now and going fwd.

The support system looks as if it is even more in place and Hackett is willing to spend to get the best coach.

btw, all these reports and "sources" equate to what we call a broadcast storm in IT oye vey.

LOL can someone fire up the Friday Night Drankin thread lool

What ever happens, we gotta stay positive, I think we will be alright and fingers crossed we are close to getting the coach must all want.

 

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MaizeAndBlueWahoo

December 19th, 2014 at 6:25 PM ^

I have a brother, and therefore uniquely qualified to talk like an expert on this topic.  And the way I'd see it is: sure, I'll take your $8 million a year, which doubles my salary, and then I'll go be successful and ridiculously rich and famous at the job my brother turned down.  Enjoy them apples at the Thanksgiving table.

In other words, highly competitive though brothers may be, I don't think that extends to that much pridefulness, I think it just means seeing another chance to beat him.

But then, I don't think we'd throw $8M at John Harbaugh, who hasn't coached in college since 1997.  Jim is an attractive candidate in large part because of what he did at Stanford.

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Erik_in_Dayton

December 19th, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^

I believe people will get over their Harbaugh lust quickly if a reasonably high profile coach like Mora is hired.  It would not be as if Harbaugh was the coach for several years and then left.  There won't be anything to miss.  And maybe a few people have learned to rally around the coach regardless of who he is.

As for success on the field, the roster is pretty talented - though any coach will face a great question mark at QB. 

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Monkey House

December 19th, 2014 at 4:52 PM ^

there are still some really good plan b guys out there. whoever the coach is, is going to need some time. this roster is decent but not great. people should not be expecting 10 wins next year no matter who the coach is.

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MaizieGoBlue

December 19th, 2014 at 4:59 PM ^

I think so. I doubt after the full court press on Harbaugh, any "good" coach is coming here to be a plan B. if it's not Jimmy, I fear that we are looking at a mid-major consolation. is easy to say this is a great job and anyone would want it, but I think once ask is said and done, major coaches need more than, "now that the guy we wanted is out,......."

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Mr Miggle

December 19th, 2014 at 7:39 PM ^

Hackett has a short list of plan B candidates. They'll all have several things in common. They know they're plan B options behind Harbaugh. They know Michigan's timeline. They've expressed real interest in the job anyway.

What's changed is that a big offer has been made public. It's hard to see how Michigan's willingness to spend more than expected is going to deter interest.

 

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jsquigg

December 19th, 2014 at 5:03 PM ^

If Michigan gets an excellent coach, they will be fine.  While Harbaugh is the closest thing to a slam dunk, I think if UM gets  Dan Mullen they will be fine.  Mullen might take longer to get Michigan to the level of excellence it wants, but I think in terms of roster talent that any coach will walk into a decent situation aside from QB, and even then they have a small recruiting window to get the type of QB(s) they want.  Bottom line, if they are offering Harbaugh around $8 million then they might as well take some other swings at top tier coaches.  There's no reason Michigan has to settle, but if they are let down by Jimmy then there is always the possiblity the next coach is subpar.

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Blarvey

December 19th, 2014 at 5:17 PM ^

Fans will probably be disappointed if this happened. On the plus side, to my knowledge at least, NOBODY has interviewed for the position yet. 6/$48mm is pretty fresh in coaches' minds so at the very least it may attract some interest from some unlikely candidates.

All I care about is winning. If it is not a big-name guy, I don't care. The record is all that matters. The biggest struggles will probably come from poor ticket sales or fans whining about not getting their way. All of that goes away when the season starts if the new guy wins.

See: Brady Hoke, 2011

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PurpleStuff

December 19th, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^

People seem to think this is a talented team that was done in by incompetent coaching, but the reality is this team has gotten worse every year and with recent small recruiting classes (and the departure of most of our difference makers like Gardner, Funchess, Ryan, Clark, etc.) there isn't a lot of help waiting in the wings.

This team could very well be really bad next year, especially if Hoke/Borges whiffed on QB recruiting.  No one will blame Jim Harbaugh if that is the case.  I think just about everybody will happily wait to see what he builds, citing Stanford as the example of where we're headed in year 4 and beyond.  Miles may also get some benefit of the doubt.  I don't think a guy like Dan Mullen does.  RichRod obviously didn't, and he had a stronger resume coming in.  A couple of mediocre seasons and he'll be on a rapidly warming seat.

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Jack Harbaugh

December 19th, 2014 at 5:39 PM ^

Get off the purple stuff. Outside of the QB position this team is loaded with 2 and 3 deep talent. Even QB play I don't think is that bad with Gardner now gone, that will be decided on the field though. The biggest issue this team has had in Hoke's 2 through 4 seasons is a lack of player leadership. No Martin's or Molks on the team to reign in the locker room. With a bit more intense coach like Harbaugh I assume that will change quite a bit. Again, that will be decided by the players, not us.

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