Harbaugh to coach ND
would be my biggest nightmare. I'm not sayin' RR should be fired. Heck, I like the guy a lot and believe he will be successful at UM. BUT in the event that things do not work out Harbaugh would be a logical choice. Seeing Harbaugh end up at ND would be absolutely painful.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^
If he wants to coach there, then screw him.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:39 PM ^
Screw a guy for wanting to move onto bigger and better things? Stanford is nice and all, but it's still Stanford, they will never be a major player in the Pac-10 year in and year out. So screw a guy for wanting to "possibly" (we don't even know if Weis is gone much less Harbaugh wanting to go there, much less ND even looking at Harbaugh) move to one of the so-called 5 best jobs in college football? Is he supposed to wait for UM to call and even see if any of those bridges have been rebuilt?
November 21st, 2009 at 6:48 PM ^
Yes, screw him, in the sense that if he has nothing to do with us, then I could care less what he does. If ND gets a great coach, then it will mean that much more when we beat them.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:04 PM ^
...wanting to leave a place that built him a $50K crapper!
November 21st, 2009 at 8:52 PM ^
leaves Palo Alto for a less ideal clime he is an f'ing moron.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^
Except for the fact Harbaugh has burned every bridge back to UM...
November 21st, 2009 at 6:29 PM ^
I disagree. Ruffled feathers, yes. However, that is who he has always been. The dude guaranteed victory against OSU for crying out loud. You don't think that pissed off Bo? Harbaugh is a smart, cocky SOB that the fans and Michigan family would absolutely embrace if he came back here. To be clear, though, I am not asking for that right now. I still support RR.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:32 PM ^
I think if you were to talk to people on the inside of the Athletic Department, you would quickly discover that Harbaugh is persona non grata over there. His opportunity is gone. Sorry, it's the reality of the situation.
I don't see Harbaugh getting serious consideration for the ND job, but it would be an interesting twist.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:34 PM ^
Can beggars really be choosers though?
November 21st, 2009 at 6:34 PM ^
I disagree. Stabbed Bo in the back. However, that is who he has always been. The dude blamed himself choosing easy classes on Bo. You don't think throwing Bo's reputation under the bus would've pissed off Bo if he'd still been alive to defend himself? To be clear, though, Harbaugh burned the bridges and pissed on the ashes...
November 21st, 2009 at 6:48 PM ^
If he opened his mouth once about it, that's one thing. The fact that he kept going back and going back and going back, kept harping on Michigan about it every chance he could, that's what burned the bridges. He didn't make any effort to back off or let it go.
And, yes, that's exactly who Harbaugh is. It's quite disappointing, because I think he could have been a great coach here someday. And based on his success, if the Michigan job were to open up in the next couple years, he would have likely been #1 on the list. That door is now closed.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^
next weekend
November 21st, 2009 at 6:24 PM ^
It looks like Bill Martin is not going to admit his mistake, which will forever be known as Martin's Folly...after next year, you will see just how much this has been a mistake. Much better to cut bait now and start fresh with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. He will right the program and get it back to the top of the Big Ten instead of constantly in turmoil at the bottom with RR. I agree, that if Harbaugh goes to ND....wow... that would completely suck even more.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:26 PM ^
what is stanford, 4th in the pac-10? sounds like a slam-dunk to me!
November 21st, 2009 at 6:29 PM ^
You don't know what you're talking about. Thanks for playing.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:29 PM ^
So you're going to tell us that, honestly, you think even after today's game, that there's no way Rodriguez will work out here? And you think that Harbaugh has proven his track record enough at other schools (something RR has undoubtedly already done at several other schools) that you think the turmoil of starting over AGAIN would be better? Normally you make good points when you're dissenting, but this is just dumb.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:34 PM ^
Well...let's examine track record for a moment. Rich Rod did well at small Glenville, then had a good year at Clemson as OC and a good one at Tulane as OC...at WVU he struggled at times and really didnt put up big wins until Pat White and Slaton got there. Harbaugh dominated at San Diego and won 2 NCs there, then took over a very down 1 win Stanford team and his completely tranformed that program to a tough, hard hitting program. He has consistently had his team improving and just kicked USC and Oregon's ass. His recruiting is now exceeding Michigan's (per the rankings) and he is doing it at Stanford.
Is RR a bad coach? eh...He just is not the right fit at Michigan and has coached very badly here... Ill leave his legacy for you guys to discuss but at Michigan its been very poor.
Harbaugh would come in, re-iterate tough nose football at Michigan...circle the wagons and not take shit from Tressel or Danny Hope and lower level teams either. If we lose him to ND, it will be a mistake. He is the right fit for a lot of reasons including personel, scheme, history, knowledge, charisma, recruiting ability, competitiveness etc. RR doesnt have all of that....He is just square peg in a round hole. Nothing has worked out since his hire at UM...not one single thing.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:44 PM ^
If Harbaugh wanted to reinstate tough nose football at Michigan it would take him another two years of recruiting at least. At which point you would have given up on him and found another green pasture on the other side of the fence.
To say that RR's brand of football won't work in the Big Ten when we haven't him play a single game with a complete set of players he's recruited for his system makes little sense. Speed + Skill + Space is a recipe for wins, regardless of conference, and we're seeing returns on that already, especially after todays game, in which we moved the ball well on a great OSU defense. Maturation and teaching will bring the players we have now up to speed, and recruiting will help to fill in the holes we have.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:56 PM ^
I totally agree. With a freshman QB with a bum shoulder and his 3rd string RB, the offense put up over 300 yards on one of the best defenses in the country. I would buy the whole "RR's system doesn't work" if it didn't make such a dramatic improvement from year 1 to year 2. And last time I checked, all offenses work when they have playmakers. People keep talking about Stanford winning now with a smash mouth style, but the reason it is working so well now as opposed to the two earlier seasons when they had losing records is because Gerhardt, Luck, etc. are better players than what the team had before. Good teams win with good players, irrespective of the systems they run.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:47 PM ^
Harbaugh went 4-8, then 5-7 at Stanford. Yes, he beat USC and Oregon, but that is largely due to, wait for it, finally being able to get his players in and playing his system.
You say that RR struggled at WVU until he got his best players in, but then completely discredit what he is doing at UM with really only one of his own recruiting classes.
Listen, I like Harbaugh, but pining after other coaches when you have a perfectly good one on your team is counter-productive. I promise you, you bring in Harbaugh and ask him to win in two years with the current team, he would have the same problems as RR. He would be trying to run a smash-mouth team with tiny mites, and would struggle until his guys came in.
I don't want UM to become ND or Nebraska, and switching coaches every couple of years is what those teams have done.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:02 PM ^
Give RR some time. This team is really young and will improve with experience.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:33 PM ^
With all due respect, screw you to those idiots looking to fire RR with 1.5 recruiting classes under him. Yeah, apparently RR struggled at WVU until he got his players in...then what happened?
How ridiculously stupid can the analysis get sometimes. Dammit TomHagen try using a modicum of common sense in analysis...I can tell you what happened when RR got his guys in at WVU(BCS games and total destruction of Oklahoma). I am sure you can gloss that.
Give the guy his opportunity to bring in his guys and if he fails then give him the boot.
Your comparison to ND or Nebraska, Bronx, is entirely accurate should quick coaching switches be made.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:48 PM ^
Your comment about White and Slaton ignores the fact that RR recruited these guys. Yes, Harbaugh has done well at Stanford in terms of recruiting, but if RR could get guys like White and Slaton at WVU what makes you think he can't do the same at Michigan? Furthermore, now that the program is trending positively in wins, what makes you think that recruiting won't improve? Yes, Harbaugh might be able to come in and succeed at Michigan, but I have yet to hear one solid argument as to why RR cannot. If I am missing something feel free to enlighten me, but it seems like you have your mind made up and refuse to hear opposing arguments.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:37 PM ^
If by "cut bait now and start fresh" you mean throw away your rod and tackle and sink the boat while you're in the middle of the lake... then yes, hiring Harbaugh now would be a good step toward sinking the program.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:15 PM ^
made me laugh, not an easy thing to do today.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:25 PM ^
would take that job.
November 21st, 2009 at 8:46 PM ^
He would take it probably to stick it to michigan
November 21st, 2009 at 6:25 PM ^
Maybe put a big "IF" before the Harbaugh so you don't cause our readership to panic? You know we have a lot of Scout guys here--this could cause mass hysteria.
And I put the over/under on threads like this at 49 within the next week.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:55 PM ^
Put me down for the over.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:30 PM ^
Harbaugh will be a great coach but we already have a great coach. I could be wrong but in a few years I think you will see why! It will make for some good UM vs ND games with Harbaugh going against RR.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:33 PM ^
I doubt Harbaugh would want the job. If he did, then more power to him. But ND's failings go far deeper than a coaching staff; it goes to a shift in football culture. The best kids in America used to line up to play for a few traditional powers - OU, OSU, UM, ND, USC, Miami, Texas, Oklahoma, 'Bama - and you had your pick. Now, you have kids going everywhere, from Boise to TCU, and that is resulting in a broader distribution in talent that makes it difficult for a team to remain dominant nationally. ND has good players, but people expecting them to dominate like they did in the 60s-80s are crazy.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:41 PM ^
If he really is at odds with the UM family and athletic dept (which I hope he is not) he just might be interested in the ND job as one more way to thumb his nose at UM.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:51 PM ^
Yeah, but disliking UM should never drive you to another program.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:44 PM ^
Kelly scares me more.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:37 PM ^
Really, it's ND and their culture that kills coaches. You think Brian Kelly can fix that?
November 21st, 2009 at 6:48 PM ^
He would never coach at ND, he went to Mich! Think about that a moment
November 21st, 2009 at 7:18 PM ^
ND's current assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator, Corwin "Cornflakes" Brown, who captained the 1992 Michigan team.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:18 PM ^
but that's not working out too well. ND's defense is clearly it's achilles' heel.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:38 PM ^
How's that Tenuta thing working out?
November 21st, 2009 at 6:50 PM ^
will be thrown around by the ND decision makers. Can't take away what He has done at Stanford.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:56 PM ^
From everything I have read on this board over the past few weeks, the following is going to happen:
1. Brian Kelly, Jon Gruden, and Jim Harbaugh are going to be named Co-Head Coaches of ND.
2. Ironically, all 3 coaches will also be co-coaching Michigan.
3. Rich Rodriguez will be fired because he clearly has no clue how to coach a football team full of 83% Frosh and Soph, and his previous stents with Tulane and WVU were just flukes.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:38 PM ^
I just about spit up my beer.
That was some nice business there.
Well done.
November 21st, 2009 at 6:59 PM ^
Bo told LLoyd that he was not allowed to go the ND, don't you think Bo would meet Jim at the Golden Dome and tell him no, you were Michigan Damnit. GET BACK ON THE PLANE
ON TOP OF THAT HIS DEFENSIVE RATING IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT THAN N.D.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:33 PM ^
So bando, your persona non grata comments r bs. If u have sources come clean, but I know harbaugh pretty well (25 yrs). I am a decent donor, my best friends Dad is a top 25 donor and we have discussed this topic ad nauseum.... He pissed some people off, but we all know it was a recruiting ploy, just like the carroll to the nfl and in 2007 the trojans r the best cfb team of all time. He is in the conversation now with the key people in the decision making process. U will notice he has not signed the 1.25M/yr extension contract at stanford yet. There is a reason for it.....martin wants to keep RR for another year but he is a lame duck AD. Others appreciate RR's efforts, but he may be gone and harbaugh is the #1 target. I talked to dierdorf, mackenzie and rich hewlet at the reunion tailgate today. If u want picts, I will send them...they all concur, RR is a great O coach, he is not the right fit for M
November 21st, 2009 at 7:51 PM ^
So apparently one guy's unconfirmed sources are BS, but claiming to know a guy who is a big donor is supposed to validate everything you have to say?
November 21st, 2009 at 9:41 PM ^
Dude there are a lot of donors on the site and many of us at different levels. People know people but I'm not buying.
November 21st, 2009 at 8:24 PM ^
Yes, an as we all know, Dierdorf et al got who they wanted as coach last time, right? I mean, Les Miles still is our coach, isn't he? Bando knows what he speaks of.
You have Martin, the same President, Lloyd, same athletic and academic support staff (boy, those conversations could be interesting...), various athletic department personnel (Jamie Morris, on line 1)...not a whole lot has changed since Jimmy shot off his mouth. Heck, the people in power in the department are the current coaching staff. And I'm guessing they're not going to suggest him for the job.
And as the past has shown, those ex-players have less than no say in the decision. Not to say that in a couple of years if Rich continues to struggle and Stanford continues to rise that they couldn't kiss and make up. It's just not as imminent as you like to think you know.
November 21st, 2009 at 9:09 PM ^
You think you might want to spell "you" and "your" out instead of using text message jargon so that people will take you seriously?
November 21st, 2009 at 9:30 PM ^
Lumpers, I'd love to see those pictures. kthxbai.
November 21st, 2009 at 7:52 PM ^
The fact that Harbaugh pissed off the Athletic Department is somewhat moot considering IF we're searching for a new coach in a year or two it will be the new AD and not Martin that would run the search.
The new AD will have a lot to say about how long RR has to prove himself and whether or not he would consider a coach who may have "ruffled some feathers"
*Disclaimer* I fully support RR and what Harbaugh said about UM academics pissed me off b/c it was an unnecessary bush league move. That said if RR doesn't work out, I MIGHT be ok with hiring Harbaugh provided he continues to excel at Stanford.