Harbaugh Hype Overblown
The rush to annoint JH as the next big thing in the NFL is symptomatic of our media driven culture. The guy is a perfect fit here at Michigan and has done wonders at Stanford, but the skill set for an NFL coach is much different than for a college coach. One of Harbaugh's most valuable qualites is his ability to find and mold raw talent, and this would be wasted at the next level. He is obviously a master at motivating young men but would this transfer to the task of massaging massive NFL egos?
The history of the NFL is littered with great college coaches who's talents did not transfer well (Spurrier, Saban, etc....) so what makes people think that JH - after one great season in Division I - can not only make the jump to light speed, but deserves more money than anyone else in the busines? It all makes no sense.
Here's hoping that this media circus is part of a complex negotiating dance in which JH is using this overblown leverage to get exactly what he wants from Brandon - in money, control and contract flexibility.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:39 PM ^
IS a massive NFL ego
January 6th, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^
He had quite an ego while a QB at Michigan too (example: "I guarantee we will beat Ohio State and go to Pasadena.")... that said, he generally could back it up.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:43 PM ^
Well I guess this means Harbaugh is either going to the 49ers or staying at Stanford.
Can't believe Luck is passing up on 40 million guaranteed.
I know the Charlotte just let out a groan.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:44 PM ^
A certain radio duo is spewing that UM never even went after JH, that they were too scared to have such a big-time coach....WTF?!?!?!
January 6th, 2011 at 3:51 PM ^
Please don't piss me off like that.
AH
January 6th, 2011 at 7:22 PM ^
...MV and TF we need to have a special calling out to braying Jackass MD, who manages to even out jackass MV.
January 6th, 2011 at 10:37 PM ^
He must have been rejected by Michigan admissions. Who comes to MSU from New York?
January 6th, 2011 at 3:45 PM ^
Hype + Overblown = Redundant
January 6th, 2011 at 4:18 PM ^
A situation can be hyped/promoted/advanced to a degree commensurate with its true nature without that hype being overblown. Hype about JH being a great coach is reasonable but only up to a point.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:48 PM ^
i paid for that info
January 6th, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^
You think he would be awesome at Michigan but suck at a more difficult task in the NFL but you still really want him bad?
If Harbaugh goes to the pros, can we just wish him the best and not break out these jilted lover posts.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
There's nothing illogical in that reasoning. Many college coaches struggle in the pros. I wouldn't be surprised if it happened to Harbaugh. Personally, rather than see him promoted to his level of incompetence, I'd like him to stay in college.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^
The NFL is a GM's game and coaches are often just along for the ride. What is also logical is (potentially, we still have no idea what he's doign) taking loads of money to work at the top of your profession, possibly in the same town you currently live in while cashing in at the height of your popularity. Yet all the jilted folks act like he's a schmuck for wanting to coach in the NFL where he will be met with heartache and disaster, when really they just (justifiably) want him to come coach at Michigan instead.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:21 PM ^
...that's the key to te NFL jump. Sure he might be better in college but a pro gig pays really well, even if you're fired and everybody expects you'll probably be fired in 3 years anyways.
From a coach's perspective, it makes a lot of career sense to attempt the jump to the NFL at first chance, enjoy the break from the recruiting trail and then take up a college post after leaving the pros behind.
January 6th, 2011 at 6:44 PM ^
I wonder if money is really a determining factor for Harbaugh, though. He must be worth at least $30-40M already, so it may not be the controlling factor that a lot of people think it is. We'll just have to see.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:07 PM ^
Not if someone truly had their heart set on the Michigan job, it only becomes available every so often, and there is only one of them.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:20 PM ^
I think it was reported that Harbaugh made some bad financial deals out in CA and a Stanford Alum helped bail him out. So he isn't quite as rich as you would expect with a long NFL career and pension. I think the money definately is a factor. Harbaugh has a huge ego also, bigger than a lot of coaches, and being the highest paid football coach, period, feeds that and his pocketbook. I don't blame him, but the way it appears he leveraged a possible Michigan offer into more money in the NFL is awful. I think this is/was his one and only shot to coach Michigan. If DB is still the athletic director if he gets fired from the NFL in a few years, I don't think he will be interested in Harbaugh. Especially if they had some type of deal in principal and Harbaugh bolted on him. Hopefully we are rolling anyway with whoever we hire and it wont matter.
7-8 million (if the some rumors are true) for a coach is insane, Harbaugh is a good coach and he may be successful in the NFL, but no coach is worth that, especially a rookie NFL coach. I think Ross just made a lot of other team owners unhappy as he is setting a new salary range for head coaches. Right when the owners are trying to convince the players that they are hurting for money. Not good.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:26 PM ^
If your scenario of Harbaugh getting fired in 3 years combines with a somehow successful Brady Hoke hire (if he were hired and got them into "10 wins and regular Big 10 Conference Title Contention") I'd probably kill myself laughing (note this is not endorsing the hiring of Hoke).
January 6th, 2011 at 7:39 PM ^
Stranger things have happened! ;) I don't think Hoke is a great hire, but I don't think he is as awful as a lot of people are making out. Right now I would just like to have a coach in place and try to save recruiting and the remaining team as much as possible.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:41 PM ^
...with more positives than a lot of people mention, but just as many negatives as people mention. Larry Foote spoke very highly of him and his ability to motivate players. And he did have SDSU with about 5 of TCU (which won the Rose Bowl over Wisconsin), so there is that.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^
It's a totally different game. If you are a division rival, you are not scared of Jim Harbaugh. Do you think Ken Whisenhunt or Pete Carroll is worried he may go to the 49ers. I doubt it.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:33 PM ^
But I loovveedd him! How could he do this to me?!
January 6th, 2011 at 3:52 PM ^
Sources are reporting harbaugh has agreed to coach the Miami Dolphins. They are saying 5 year, 40 million dollar contract.
Nothing but rumors at this point.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^
sources?
January 6th, 2011 at 4:09 PM ^
Until:
a) Sparano is fired
b) Miami satisfies the Rooney rule.
So it may be true, but any talk of Harbaugh going to the Dolphins won't be confirmed until enough time passes for a) and b) to occur.
That's crazy money for a coach, especially in light of all the past NCAA to NFL flameouts. If he does jump, Jim should give John an extra bottle of scotch at Christmas -- no way Jim is this hot a candidate if his brother didn't take the Ravens to the playoffs the past 2 years.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:55 PM ^
What he ultimately is, is a giant band aid for struggling programs that desperately need to give their fan base something to rally around. He is an expensive Hallmark card that says "Hey, we are trying to fix shit." The team that gets him still has to put players in place but it becomes easier to do with the positive buzz that will surround his hiring. That is why he is being shown the love.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:27 PM ^
Excellent observation. His brand equity is at an all-time high now. The hype he has been getting from ESPN and the media would warrant hiring him even if his coaching talents are only mediocre and has been carried by a once-in-a-generation quarterback. The money from a happy fanbase into either an athletic department or a professional teams coffers more than offset whatever crazy salary he will be paid.
January 7th, 2011 at 7:38 AM ^
January 6th, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^
I believe if Michigan hires a coach and Favre takes some more snapshots of himself.....well that might get us out of the news cycle.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:54 PM ^
Do you think Luck staying at Stanford means Harbaugh is staying? None of this makes any sense, I have to think he is still going Pro. Brandon screwed himself by acknowledging that he thought Jim was going Pro.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:56 PM ^
I highly doubt Brandon's comment had any impact at all.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:56 PM ^
I am stunned that Miami is supposedly offering Harbaugh money to be the highest paid coach in the NFL. That means more money than Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, his brother, more than what Dungy ever got. It's just mind blowing that they would offer up this much money to a college guy that's never coached men before after the whole Saban saga.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:57 PM ^
If DB does land him and this was all marketing I expect every 4 and 5 star athlete to call Michigan asking for visits the following week. I don't expect that to happen and its unfortunate because JH just seems to carry himself like a great college coach and should stay in college coaching.
January 6th, 2011 at 3:59 PM ^
I think he is banking some goodwill from the fanbase by seemingly shopping NFL teams, and then making a decision to come back and help Michigan resurrect it's winning ways.
Turning down 7 million a year to come back here ought to buy him some extra grace from the fanebase if he can't turn this ship around immediately in 2011 or 2012 with our current defense, and seemingly dysfunctional recruiting group for the current year. "He turned down 7 Mil from Miami to come back here and right the sinking ship - give him some time - Rich ran the program into the ground. Saint Jim to the rescue!"
Pure mumbojumbo on my part, but I'm still holding out hope until he actually signs with Miami (I think the 49er deal is toast).
FWIW it won't be Hoke or Miles either......but a big enough name to save the current team from defecting and recruiting as well. Keeping Barwis will also go a long, long way too.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^
Big time names? I am interested. Jim H seems like he may or may not come back. In Jan, curious to which big time names would be possible?
January 6th, 2011 at 4:31 PM ^
I want to believe you and hope this turns out to be the most brilliant marketing ploy ever, masterminded by DB and JH. Just because we are coming up with crazy theories, how about JH has Luck transfer to michigan, sit out his redshirt junior year, and then start in 2012! Sadly, I am a believer in Ockham's Razor so I expect to be let down in the very near future
January 6th, 2011 at 4:01 PM ^
Ross apparently wasn't going to go after Harbaugh until he got word that Harbaugh had no more interest in the Michigan job.
He is as tied into Michigan as anyone and probably will help pay the salary for the new coach to come to Michigan so as far as I'm concerned let's start focusing on whether or not Miles is a viable option.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:08 PM ^
Ross is throwing a lot of money around and he still has a head coach. I know he is an alum but kind of poor practice.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:04 PM ^
... Yahoo has him taking some billionaire's money in Miami:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-dolphinsharbaugh010610
Steve Ross just allowed Brandon and MSC to save face, hire Brady Hoke, and have money to pay for a great OC and DC.
Besides, after Hoke's first NC four years from now, he can hire Harbaugh as QB coach after he gets blown out of Miami (has to play the Jets and Patriots two times each year).
January 6th, 2011 at 4:06 PM ^
Hoke and national championship in the same sentence? Thats laughable. We will be lucky if in 4 years we have beaten OSU under Hoke.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:50 PM ^
Well, to be fair, we haven't beaten OSU in 6 years under two other coaches, so yeah, we probably would be lucky no matter what. And Hoke would be a hero if he did it in the next two.
January 6th, 2011 at 8:22 PM ^
jim harbaugh's ego vs. rex ryan's ego? who wins?
January 6th, 2011 at 4:09 PM ^
just accepted the dolphins job
January 6th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
Can Michigan afford to bring on a guy and not give him 4 years? I wouldn' t think Michigan could stoop any lower than we have been the past 3 years, but if we are in this same situation 3 years from now we almost have no choice, but to give the guy a 4th year right?
With that said, Brandon has to make a big splash. It's pertinent for him to shell out about 4 million per year and grab someone that sends a message to Columbus.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:15 PM ^
He may have just a little bit of an understanding of what an NFL locker room is like.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:42 PM ^
Dear Jim,
Saban couldn't win in the NFL and specifically in Miami and he's a better coach than you (and was previously a coordinator in the NFL).
So seriously....WHAT'S YOUR DEAL?
Signed lovingly,
Pete Carroll
January 6th, 2011 at 4:44 PM ^
Bill Belichick thinks your eight man unbalanced lines are cute....FOR HIM TO POOP ON!
He also likes the thought of beating both Harbaugh brothers multiple times every year.
Thanks for the laughs,
Love,
Michigan Fans
Also don't be surprised if we start chanting "Brady's better" at your home games - if you don't know who we are, we're the only ones there
January 6th, 2011 at 4:59 PM ^
Kirk Herbstreit is even backing off his stance that JH might still come to AA. Yesterday he seemed confident it might still happen, but today in Det News article he admitted it's becoming more unlikely.
January 6th, 2011 at 6:00 PM ^
Once upon a time, there was this great coach from Florida who was in exactly the same position about ten years ago that Harbaugh is in now. Spurrier went to the Redskins, made an obscene amount of money and then, after an abysmal couple of years as the Skins coach, went back to college football with his tail between his legs.
Just saying...
January 6th, 2011 at 6:07 PM ^
I've said this before, but I'm not so sure he'd be as successful at M as everyone seems to think. I'd still make him my first choice, because of the credibility he carries and the impact that would have on recruiting, press coverage, and fan base unity.
But watching him out here in the Pac 10, I think he's benefited from factors that might not apply in A2. First, the Pac 10 has been down this year. Also, I think the "smash mouth" style works very well in the Pac 10 because it's change of pace from most other teams; might not work as well in a conference with OSU, Iowa, Wiscy, Penn State, MSU, and Nebraska. Big 10 teams don't tend to get confused by a power I formation with tight end in motion. And finally, he has maybe the best pro-style QB I've seen in the college ranks in quite a long time, a once-in-a-decade or half-decade kind of player. A lot of those factors aren't so easily transferable, and I think part of Harbaugh's thinking is that this is his point of maximum leverage, and a few years trying to resurrect Michigan's fortunes might dull the shine a bit.