Harbaugh: DetNews article with former teammates discussing harbaugh

Submitted by michgoblue on
For those in Harbaugh content withdrawal, linked below is a Detroit News article from Angelique this morning in which some of Harbaugh's former teammates from Michigan discuss what makes him who he is and why they want to see him at Michigan. The upshot - nothing remotely new or groundbreaking - is a description of a guy who is maniacally competitive, gives his all on every sole play and expects others to do the same. What strikes me about the descriptions from his former teammates is how much they remind me of the way that current players describe playing wth Tom Brady or Peyton Manning and how former teammates describe playing for guys like Michael Jordon. The common theme is that guys who won seem to have this trait in common, and as some of Harbaugh's former teammates have said, this is what is most needed in Ann Arbor.
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WestQuad

December 6th, 2014 at 10:43 AM ^

The fans, media, former coaches, and everyone else are so set on Harbaugh that it really makes it very hard to get someone else.   Why would you want to go somewhere that you know you are a second choice?   That seems like how we ended up with Hoke last time.  If Harbaugh isn't coming I hope he has had the decency to indicate that to Hackett.  Otherwise he is inadvertantly damning Michigan football for another 4-5 years.

Joined: 07/22/2011

MGoPoints: 31009

alum96

December 6th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^

I agree 100%.   The next coach is going to be damned if its not Harbaugh because he will always be compared to "projected Jim Harbaugh at Michigan".  If Harbaugh goes 7-5 in year 1, and 9-3 in year 2 everyone will be fine.  If "generic Michigan coach" goes 7-5, and 9-3 people will be saying Harbaugh woud have had us in the playoffs by year 2.  And I cant imagine if generic coach dares go go 8-4 in year 3. 

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82301

tolmichfan

December 6th, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^

I think they are preparing us as fans for him not to come. Everyone is on board in the AD with him coming, they had Loyd come out and say he is on board, they are waiting till the end of the NFL season so that can't be an excuse for the conspiracy theory people anymore. It's just simply the guy doesn't want to be our coach so go out and support whoever we hire. Did you read Marcus Rays last article? I find it interesting twice Hacket has made it publicly known that he wishes he had more time to work with hoke. I wonder who forced his hand.

Joined: 11/26/2010

MGoPoints: 1433

Bluemama

December 6th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

I was not around on this site when the 2011 coaching decision was made. Was it as crazy as this? After someone posted the hello post yesterday I thought i was going to lose it. If we dont get Harbaugh alot of people are going to be disapointed.

 

Joined: 04/27/2013

MGoPoints: 390

samsoccer7

December 6th, 2014 at 11:08 AM ^

It was pretty insane bc RR didn't get fired until really late so everyone was panicked wondering who the next guy would be. The timeline was so condensed and harbaugh was also going to be moving on from Stanford so we thought we had a chance. But with the factions and everything people were in a frenzy for sure.

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 11864

tolmichfan

December 6th, 2014 at 11:24 AM ^

It was just as bad. J hackney became mgoblog's personal Enola Gay just dropping atomic bombs on every CC post. It was glorious. Everyone wanted Harbaugh back then too, and instead of people defending hoke they were defending RR. Our fan base is a fucking mess coupled with a major media market in Detroit, the head coach at Michigan is not an easy job. On top of that the university has an interm AD and a president that doesn't want anything to do with major athletics. We have this blog that holds a lot of power over people's minds, and it's run by an engineer. Yea he is smart, but the guy has never coached or played even in high school and is so obsessed with spread offenses and shoveing dan Mullen down our throats that he has lost some credibility to me. If the next coach isn't successful we will be in the exact same position we r in today. Hoke is going to get hired again somewhere if he wants. He is already being linked to Oregon State and Colorado State. Can you imagine the Schadenfreuden of this blog if Hoke and RR are competing for pax 12 titles in a couple years. Also look at all the ex Michigan coaches out there, they are pretty successful. Steve Fisher, Ameker, RR, the commen theme is they are really good coaches that couldn't cut it at Michigan.

Joined: 11/26/2010

MGoPoints: 1433

umumum

December 6th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^

as we all know, Fisher is gone despite major success at Michigan.  Amaker is doing his damage at Harvard , where he is apparently playing fast and loose with the Ivy League's normal recruiting rules.  Actually our coaching tree in football and basketball is remarkably thin.  Even in our current search, Harbaugh and Miles are the only real options with meaningful Michigan connections.

Joined: 01/06/2011

MGoPoints: 7864

Brodie

December 6th, 2014 at 1:40 PM ^

what's interesting to me is that the number of successful head coaches we've produced has dwindled with each hire... Bo produced Moeller, Lloyd, Don Nehlen, Jim Young, Bill McCartney and Larry Smith, Moeller really only has Les to call "his" and Lloyd had, uh, Brady Hoke. Compare with OSU where Lou Holtz begat dozens of legendary head coaches and even his successor, Earle Bruce, canlay claim to Nick Saban, Pete Carroll, Jim Tressel, Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio.

Joined: 11/19/2008

MGoPoints: 10712

tolmichfan

December 6th, 2014 at 3:09 PM ^

i think its funny a bunch of those coaches you list have been linked to scandals that won't fit in Ann Arbor. Lou Holtz has left multiple programs with Ncaa sanctions, Pete Carrol, and Jim Tressel have also left due to scandle. Urban and Dantonio are the two cleanest guys you list. Both of them have also had issues that Michigan would want to avoid.

Joined: 11/26/2010

MGoPoints: 1433

StephenRKass

December 6th, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^

I think the climate on the board was worse 4 years ago. But this is pretty bad. I really try to limit my reading at mgoblog anymore, and I almost never go down the rabbit hole of many threads. It can eat you alive, both in terms of time and of poison.

There are several things that make it different this time around.

  • We have really now had 7 years of being bad, not just 4.
  • Ohio State has largely righted the ship with Urban Meyer.
  • We (seem) to have a legitimate chance to get Jim Harbaugh.

As much as I want Michigan to win, I have come to believe that the desire to win at all costs at ANY institution is toxic.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 22989

michigandune

December 6th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^

I know I am kind of old.  Lot's of ups and downs through the years. But the last 7 years have bee pure hell for most of us.  Young or old everyone agrees we need a Grand Slam out of the ball park on this next HC pick.  I want Harbaugh real bad despite some of his quirks.  

The national press seems very out of touch always saying "he's staying in the NFL"

If Harbaugh comes to Michigan, I will make it a mission to go to everyone of those websites and get joy of hearing all the bullshit that will come out of there mouths then.  Bastards.

Joined: 03/10/2011

MGoPoints: 1543

Indiana Blue

December 6th, 2014 at 1:02 PM ^

trust me I know its been bad, but 2011 was 11-2 and the losses to MSU and Iowa - were both anyone's game into the 4th quarter.  I was lucky enough to attend all 12 games during the regular season that year (away games - MSU, Illinois, Iowa and NW).  So yes - 6 of the last 7, but not 7 in a row.

Go Blue!

Joined: 09/19/2010

MGoPoints: 5677

DCGrad

December 6th, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^

Doesn't understand what Michigan means to people. It's not a place you leave and forget about. I was skeptical about Harbaugh at first giving us about a 10-20% chance. Now I'm closer to Bacon's estimate about 50/50.

Joined: 09/20/2014

MGoPoints: 9255

Wmonette

December 6th, 2014 at 12:33 PM ^

I have been thinking this for a while now. It seems that only graduates of Michigan seem to understand what this place does to people. I go to graduate school at Columbia, one of the finest institutions on the planet, but I still consider myself, first and foremost, a Michigan Graduate. For some reason, I am more proud of that and more emotionally connected to that.

 

The national people can say "The NFL is this" or whatever, but people who went to Michigan understand that this school has a special place in the hearts of its Alums. I am willing to bet Jim Harbaugh feels that same love for this school that we all clearly feel.

 

 

Joined: 11/16/2014

MGoPoints: 446

RamPride135

December 6th, 2014 at 1:34 PM ^

Completely agree. So many writers are talking about this as if the only things that matter are dollar figures and NFL prestige. Yes, the NFL is the highest level of football, but that doesn't mean it has the same emotional connection as other jobs. Nobody can know exactly what Harbaugh feels, but it sure seems like his time at Michigan was a lot more meaningful than just finding a place to play before moving on to the NFL. Does his love for Michigan outweigh all the other factors? I hope so, and it's not like he would have to take a pay cut to come here. His decision could go either way, but there is definitely more to it than "this is the NFL."

Joined: 12/31/2013

MGoPoints: 274

mb121wl

December 6th, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

was send me fleeing, at the first opportunity, to a place with 300 days of sunshine a year, no snow or (worse) slush, and daytime temperatures above 50 in winter.  In A2, no matter which direction I walked, a damp, icy wind stung my face.  I still get chills--literally--recalling the icicles hanging from the roof outside while watching the Rose Bowl attended by fans in comfort (which I did, too, when in lived in LA).  

I think you guys who've spent too much time living in the frozen flatlands and marshes of the upper middle west underestimate the obstacle that MI's climate poses for coaching candidates (and recruits) who have options.  I wouldn't move back even for $8 million (though after a few years of that I could build a geosphere bubble over A2 and install palm trees and computere-generated images of sunchine, mountains, and ocean).

Joined: 11/29/2014

MGoPoints: 215

ljmGOBLUESpringLake

December 6th, 2014 at 11:05 AM ^

This is going to be a tough month, I agree, but having the hustle and bustle of the holidays, U of M basketbal and hockey to watch, will make the time pass by quicker (I hope).

I alao agree that when you put your eggs in one basket, (Jim Harbaugh as U of M's next head coach), it becomes a huge let down if what you hoped and prayed so far from, doesn't happen.

 

QUESTION: IF it is NOT Jim Harbaugh, would you guys be disappointed if it WAS either Sean Peyton or Les Miles??

 

GO BLUE................

 

Joined: 10/26/2014

MGoPoints: 238

Wendyk5

December 6th, 2014 at 1:10 PM ^

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but sometimes that does come into play in the divorce agreement. I have two friends who cannot move out of the state with their kids according to the divorce agreement. But in his case, it sounds like the mom has physical custody so it's more of a matter of being able to see the kid(s) on a regular basis. 

Joined: 11/20/2008

MGoPoints: 67546