CC: Rapoport: Both Oakland and Michigan will be in the Bay Area to Meet with Harbaugh this Weekend

ehhhhhhh

let's call that metric a draw

He must have made up his mind. Unless Michigan's plan was to put it's best offer on the table and let him make up his mind after the season. I can't see Hackett gambling like that. On the other hand.... It would offer an explanation for the complete radio silence out of The Fort. The AD might believe there is some risk he doesn't signed on the dotted line. At this point he hasn't meaning that the risk of a NFL offer might still be more than theoretical.

I gotta ask - people are always offering tips on embedding links and GIFs, but how do I grab a GIF for use elsewhere? That possible?

2 GIFs today would be so awesome if I could reuse them - this nice gesture to the hated Raiders, and the Arnie thumbs up PGAPro posted this morning.

Was this a live feed or did someone let this get out?  I can't believe that someone that likes him would allow this to go public.

For Oakland to wind up with Harbaugh they probably have to give him total control and a boat load of money.  If he wasn't interested in being perceived as the reason for Hoke losing his job, would he want to be the reason another Michigan man loses his job (Reggie M.).  It doesn't add up for me.

Same goes for SF.  Why would they want him to go to Oakland and make them look bad?  Compensation (1st or 2nd rnd  picks)?  If that is the case, why would JH want the job for a bad team that is now giving up high picks?

I was thinking the same thing. He's really going out on a limb with that prediction.

Really smart on his part.  I think he can spin this situation in his favor no matter how it plays out.  If he goes to Michigan, he can say SF wouldn't allow him to go to another NFL team even though he wanted to stay in the NFL.

If he goes to the NFL, he gets to say I told you so!

I don't agree with him making up stories, but it will not end if he winds up at Michigan.

The Raiders did give him a job when Michigan had a chance with him. He was also a coach the year they went to the Super Bowl. It's not that far out there to think he has some feelings for that organization. He's been a part of winning there, just like Michigan, he knows it's possible. If they give him complete control it's not that hard to see why it's not completely crazy to think he will entertain the idea.

I think if given the choice he chooses Michigan, but he's going to be rebuilding regardless.

based on taxes, oakland would have to offer around $10 mil to equal our $8

Because they arent going to fire Harbaugh. Theyre either going to trade him to an NFL team or accept a buyout payment from Michigan.

And choosing to go to the Raiders would be fairly foolish on Jim's part. That team from most the players to upper management is awful.

there's no way they are dumb enough to just let Harbaugh walk out their door and into Oakland's for free. That is a disaster for them locally. I highly doubt that Harbaugh would also agree to a trade to them which would rank their drafts, this isn't Chuckie to Tampa Bay.

If the only competition is Oakland then we can increment the 99% to 100%.

@The FannMan, 

Totally feel your hesitation. There is a lot that can happen in the next 3-4 days. Here's my take:

NFL Rules PROHIBIT a team talking to or requesting to talk to a head coach that is under contract during the regular season. As such, the Raiders first contact will be after the game on Sunday.  Consider that if JH quits there may be contractual language that restricts where and when he can coach next. We just don't know what the contract says.

Michigan is not covered by NFL tampering rules. Thus, Michigan has positioned itself very well to get JH on Sunday, in advance of any NFL team, by getting deep into negotaitons at the very least. 

If JH expresses an interest in coaching in the NFL, the 49ers would probably not fire him. They would instead work with the other team to get some compensation out of JH's departure.

In the legal world, there's an event called a "closing." All the parties involved in a particular transaction get together (virtually or physically) to sign all of the required docs. What Michigan and 49ers are probably working towards is a "closing." This closing would codify, in quick order, the 49er and JH termination (however they decide to draw this up), 49er and UM relationship (any exchanges of cash), and UM and JH relationship (new contracts, etc.). It's in the 49ers and UM's best interest to do this. Of course, JH has his own interests, but the 49ers are not likely to let JH walk to the Raiders without some serious compensation. Michigan will not wait around for this process if that's what Jim wants. 

With the Raiders starving for a bounce back, you have to imagine the Raiders will play by the rules on this or they'll be fined, lose draft picks and possibly, the coach they are targeting. 

Of course anything is possible.  Harbaugh could suddenly go on a crime spree making him no longer viable for anyone, but it is not likely.

NFL rules do not allow SF to give permission to talk to Harbaugh during the season.  

If Oakland was going to violate NFL rules they would have done so before the final Saturday of the season and we would have heard that Harbaugh was staying in the NFL.

Why would SF fire him and allow him to coach across the Bay?  It would set up the owner and GM to be under constant criticism by the same community, fans, and media if he has any success.  If you are the GM a decision like that would almost certainly result in you becoming unemployed in the coming years.

Letting him go to college is a no brainer for SF.  Very little risk of it biting them in the behind and they can use the narrative that he wanted to go back to college to fix his Alma Matter.

Absolutely correct.  He can't resign and then work out something with Oakland.  If he resigns he IS going to Michigan.  SF would still own his rights for 1 year if he wanted to come back to the NFL.

It's not tampering if the 49ers agree to it.