CC: Is there any scenario where Jim Harbaugh is NOT the best candidate?
So over the past week we've heard practically every rumor possible about our coaching search. It's a given that 99.9% of them are BS. That being said, if any of this stuff were to be true, say there is some "white whale" coaching prospect out there that is somewhat or totally off the radar that Hackett could land, is there any scenario where Harbaugh could end up NOT being the best candidate? Is there anyone out there that could possibly come available that would be a better fit here right now than Harbaugh?
This is obviously totally idle speculation. But I figured we're pretty burned out on talking about Jim at the moment. Who, if he were to come available, would we be willing to say, "Thanks Jim, but we're going in a different direction" for? Is there anyone?
December 8th, 2014 at 5:45 PM ^
Yes: Lombardi comes back from the dead, can't get along with Green Bay's management, and decides Ann Arbor would be a better gig.
Or, alternatively: Belichick decides he's done in New England, resigns mid-season, and quickly decides Ann Arbor would be the best place to end his coaching career.
Lol.
December 8th, 2014 at 5:54 PM ^
Comes from the future after having served as the head coach of a mid-level Pac 12 team from 2018-2026 and going from 5-7 to thre 11-1 seasons in a row.
The future had time machines (duh).
December 8th, 2014 at 7:25 PM ^
In today's world, Vince Lombardi would be labelled "abusive" and would be fired before he had a chance to put up a good record. For the record, so would Bo, Bear and God knows how many Hall of Fame coaches.
December 8th, 2014 at 6:46 PM ^
Brother John might be even better, but hasn't proven in college the way Jim has.
Sean Payton would be an amazing hire. While he doesn't have any history as a college HC, he did some good things in the college ranks in the 90s. He also has a superbowl ring.
Bob Stoops would be good, but I would rather have Harbaugh. Patterson would be a great hire. Mark Richt is another guy that would be a great fit.
Mora is a notch or more below all these guys, as is Mullen. But I believe we will land an elite name this time around, and no one I've discussed in this post seems outside the realm of possibility.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^
Yes.
Saban.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
I mean, I'd be just fine with Saban, but the huge age difference (63 vs 50) and Harbaugh's ties to Michigan more than make up for any difference in coaching ability (which I'm not convinced is all that big anyway), attractiveness, etc...
December 8th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
For the record: If Saban wants to come here, we will take him.
Over anybody else. Period.
Would you want to be the AD that turned down Nick Saban, the guy that has won multiple CFB NC's at multiple schools, for somebody else who you thought might work out?
Love Harbaugh, but whatever it is you are hoping Harbaugh can do in college football, Saban has proven he can do it.
December 8th, 2014 at 5:51 PM ^
instead of St. Nick!
December 8th, 2014 at 6:58 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 9:22 PM ^
Saban is obviously a great coach, but let's not kid ourselves. His teams are loaded. In virtually every game he has a major talent advantage over the competition. Recruiting is part of being a great college coach, you say? Don't disagree, but recruiting at Alabama and Michigan are two completely different animals. There is no certainty he could recruit anywhere near the same level at Michigan that he has at Alabama. Harbaugh has proven he can win at a high level when he doesn't have all the recruiting advantages that come with being at Alabama. Everywhere Saban has won he has had those advantages.
December 8th, 2014 at 6:14 PM ^
definitely Saban- you would be crazy not to- just crazy. JH is a lights out good coach for NFL and college but he hasn't really won the big one at the college level and it remains to be seen if he can. The NFL does not equal college
December 8th, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 4:24 PM ^
with anyone (say the 49er GM) or cusses them out on live TV, then that would not be a good thing.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
Hopefully he has more sense than that, though based on what i can tell of the Niners front office, they probably deserve it.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:25 PM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
The only guy I can think of is Saban.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
I don't think so. I'm from the Bay area and i have a ton of friends and family members that are 49ers fans. The sentiment right now is, they want a new coach. Harbaugh did good at first but the NFL is a "what have you done lately" league .Only way I see him as someone who shouldn't be considered is if he sais out of his own mouth "I will not coach Michigan in 2015". Until then, anything can happen
December 8th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
Bay Area fans are not satisfied with three straight NFL championship appearances and a Super Bowl opportunity. That is one arrogant POV, a coach with the second-best record in the NFL over the last three years needs to be replaced because his quarterback sucks right now.
You know, it's not like Seattle crushes teams, or Arizona is so much better or any other team is, because the NFL is about parity and competition, nothing more. It is what it is. On any given Sunday, life is a crapshoot.
Here's the irony, the Jets interviewed Harbaugh and took Rex Ryan. Ryan did pretty much what Harbaugh did early on, getting his team to the cham;pionship game a couple years in a row and no farther. And he's been marginalized to the point where he is done in NY and Harbaugh could get whatever he wants in NY now, personality notwithstanding.
Job security comes at the college level after success, not the NFL with the Wall Street mindset of fans and owners. Pro football is only glorious if you are on top. Otherwise, it is a fucking grind.
Harbaugh is a grinder but you cannot coach intensity in your team, that has to be there based on your upbringing in the game and desire to compete and win. You either want it or you don't have to have it.
December 8th, 2014 at 5:25 PM ^
Bay Area fans are not satisfied with three straight NFL championship appearances and a Super Bowl opportunity. That is one arrogant POV, a coach with the second-best record in the NFL over the last three years needs to be replaced because his quarterback sucks right now.
You know, it's not like Seattle crushes teams, or Arizona is so much better or any other team is, because the NFL is about parity and competition, nothing more. It is what it is. On any given Sunday, life is a crapshoot.
Here's the irony, the Jets interviewed Harbaugh and took Rex Ryan. Ryan did pretty much what Harbaugh did early on, getting his team to the cham;pionship game a couple years in a row and no farther. And he's been marginalized to the point where he is done in NY and Harbaugh could get whatever he wants in NY now, personality notwithstanding.
Job security comes at the college level after success, not the NFL with the Wall Street mindset of fans and owners. Pro football is only glorious if you are on top. Otherwise, it is a fucking grind.
Harbaugh is a grinder but you cannot coach intensity in your team, that has to be there based on your upbringing in the game and desire to compete and win. You either want it or you don't have to have it.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
If those rumors are real I would consider him just as good a candidate as Harbaugh.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
The only reason I can see for Stoops leaving OU is if he's afraid of Briles, Patterson, and Strong. And if that's the case, why would M want him?
December 8th, 2014 at 5:07 PM ^
He wants a new challenge/wants more money/is sick of OU fans complaining about him...I'm not saying I think it's likely to happen but his resume is better than all 3 of those guys so I don't think "he's scared" is the only reason he would leave.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:38 PM ^
Absolutely proven winner year in, year out with a variety of talents at his disposal. I feel Gary Patterson deserves the same recognition, perhaps even more relative to TCU's historic status relative to Oklahoma.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
figuring that "we're pretty burned out on talking about Jim at the moment" yet the title of your post pretty much continues the conversation about JH.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^
it would be moronic to talk about the CC without acknowledging the elephant in the room, which is Harbaugh. My point was specifically, which coach out there would cause us to be so happy that we would just walk away from Jim even if he hadn't given us an answer yet.
There might not be anyone out there. I just thought it was an interesting question because everyone including me is 150% fixated on Harbaugh right now.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
would make us as happy as Harbaugh.
Hiring Harbaugh at Michigan would be far bigger than Alabama hiring Saban in the overall picture.
1) Harbaugh played QB at UM.
2) He is a successful NFL coach (unlike Saban).
No coach in college or the NFL would make us as happy as getting Harbaugh...not even if we were to get Nick Saban.
Having said that, I would be satisfied with the other Harbaugh, Miles, Stoops, Mora, Patterson....Mullen would be meh...and it goes downhill from there pretty much.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 4:33 PM ^
to make a thread to talk about whatever other shit you want to talk about.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:33 PM ^
Dude - for the time being, there is a chance greater than zero that Michigan could hire Jim Harbaugh as its next coach.
Embrace it for all it's worth.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:31 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 5:36 PM ^
I'd put Chip Kelly in that group. I think he lost 4x at Oregon total and is showing he has a very good ability to get stuff out of NFL players. Not quite at Harbaugh's level but he is not burning a supernova into the Eagles organization either. And he did better in college.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:32 PM ^
benefits us and hurts our rival
December 8th, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^
Those lucky F'ers would probaly land Saban or Belichick if it happened.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^
There are honestly only 2 coaches that I can think of that would be as good or better. Saban and belichick, both of which are a 0% chance. I honestly think people would react about the same if we got harbaugh, belichick, or saban(other than shock at the sheer surprise of the other 2). That is saying something since we actually have a shot at harbaugh.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^
Jim Harbaugh is a towering inferno of WIN.
There is no one better for Michigan.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
The one thing that anyone here has said that gives me pause in my Baughlieving is the issue of how much of Harbaugh's success at Stanford was due to the phenomenon of Andrew Luck.
That is not to say he was not a top tier coach, but it could call into question whether he is truly better than elite, consistent winners at the college level like Bob Stoops and Gary Patterson (or non-options like Saban and Urban). That can really only be empirically answered.
The translation from NFL-to-college and vice-versa is much more complex. Saban was a poor to mediocre NFL coach. Carrol has been both good and bad in the NFL. Chip Kelley is doing OK. Wannstedt did decently at Pitt, but non BCS-good. And then there is Charlie Weiss and his "decided schematic advantage”.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:39 PM ^
Don't forget that Harbaugh also went 29-6 at USD prior to the Stanford gig.
December 8th, 2014 at 7:20 PM ^
He could have kept things together. So he is better coach now than when we highered RR? I don't think so.
December 8th, 2014 at 8:18 PM ^
By the time Carr retired, he'd already moved on to Stanford.
December 8th, 2014 at 7:30 PM ^
Coaching a D-II quarterback to the highest career passing efficiency (176.68) in NCAA Division-I football history and a 5th round pick may be more impressive than what he accomplished with Luck.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
about not having talent at Michigan from the moment that he walks in.
You say Bob Stoops, but Stoops is at Oklahoma where he has had no problem getting good players.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 4:37 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 4:41 PM ^
Kansas likes to buy its coaches in bulk.
December 8th, 2014 at 4:54 PM ^
Since he was fired, Kansas has a total of 3 conference wins in five seasons.