The Fugitive

November 15th, 2017 at 7:03 PM ^

This is the most calm he has been in his entire life. Way to add Jim to your dumb as shit article just for clicks.

Is that nut job from Indiana on the list? That dude should be number 1.

yoyo

November 15th, 2017 at 9:56 PM ^

Not based on evidence but I do work with a former Notre Dame athlete who hung out with the football players and said the kid who unfortunately passed away was a pothead and high that day and went onto the platform to film practice as he always does despite being told not to. This is purely based on his understanding from football players who have obvious bias but he felt it was true.

Catchafire

November 15th, 2017 at 7:21 PM ^

So unjustified. Harbaugh was extremely mellow this season. No one ever barks shit at Lane Kiffin, Brian Kelly, or even Nick Saban. They do obviously, but they crap on Harbaugh the most.

Shit, Harbaugh gets scrutinized more than Joe Pa, wtf.

Wolfman

November 15th, 2017 at 7:55 PM ^

because it fits nicely into their editorial, portraying him as daft or otherwise mentally unstable. Much of this is due to simply doing things no other coach had ever thought of and the results should scare the shit out of them. They don't like the publicity it's generated for him or M but let's face it; all the high schoolers think he's the coolest coach in the country, the parents love him and other coaches admire him. He's done in 2 and 1/2 years what it would take most coaches a minimum of three to four full recruiting cycles. Although young, he's got the talent in place that with continued improvement at the current pace, he will be exactly where he wants to be in year 4 and almost pulled it off in year 2 with a less than great qb when healthy and not so much when not. 

Many people outside the program forget just what kind of shape this program was in. They look at last year's class and think this was representative of everything Hoke had done. We know otherwise and just how tough of a job Mr. Harbaugh had. If deadspin wants to label him as such, it'll probably just serve to give him yet another advantage some other coach doesn't see yet. Just like the other kids were jealous of the most popular guy in school it's not Harbaugh's fault he's just a lot fucking cooler than the rest. 

Don

November 16th, 2017 at 3:04 AM ^

but you're a little over the top with "the results should scare the shit out of them."

JH is obviously a significant improvement over Hoke, RR, and late-stage Carr, but I don't think too many in the conference or across the country are crapping their pants over what Harbaugh has done here. OSU, MSU, Iowa and PSU aren't. I doubt Indiana is, either. Or FSU.

Even if you could prove that all the high-schoolers think Harbaugh is the "coolest" coach in the country, that didn't prevent Devery Hamilton from flipping to Stanford or Emil Ekiyor flipping to Alabama. Nobody thinks Nick Saban is "cool." Meyer isn't killing it in recruiting because high school kids think he's "cool."

SFBlue

November 15th, 2017 at 7:29 PM ^

I am not sure insane is the right moniker here. He doesn' do boneheaded things like Les Miles. Or have Aspberger tendencies, like Mike Leach. Nor does he get shitfaced on the taxpayers' dime like Steve Sarkisian (who was drunk during games). Or tear up yard markers and go on spoil sport tirades like Woody. 

He's just an unfathomably enthusiastic guy, with some developmentally arrested teenage manchild tendencies. But that doesn't make him insane. 

Hotel Putingrad

November 15th, 2017 at 7:39 PM ^

in fact, he may be the most sane coach in college football, and that may be the problem. I think some people had this idea that 1985 Harbaugh was coming back to coach Michigan. But that guy was never walking through those doors again. The NFL changes a man. Fatherhood and marriage certainly change a man. It would be great if he could get just a little bit of his old swagger back, but I'm not sure he can. The B1G needs one of those Bruce Wayne "let's get nuts" personalities. Jim Harbaugh is not that guy anymore. People blame recruiting misses or hiring decisions, but the fact of the matter is it's Jack Napier's world, and we're just living in it.

H8anythingState2

November 15th, 2017 at 7:53 PM ^

I don’t even think people around here could handle it if Jim went all “Woody Hayes”.



Plus, it’s a different time now. Wish we could go back to coaches dragging us by the face mask and coming unhinged on us. Made me a better player and man.

Year of Revenge II

November 16th, 2017 at 5:23 AM ^

Traitor or freedom fighter is another good one.

They can call JH anything they want; he is clearly a man of purpose, and of integrity.

And of goals..., currently it is to win the National Championship.  I would not bet against him.  BTW, next year's team is going to be loaded.

kehnonymous

November 15th, 2017 at 9:45 PM ^

Jim Harbaugh articles are so paint-by-numbers at this point:

"Although Harbaugh's penchant for satellite camps and tree-climbing antics result in attention and attract eyeballs, his personality tends to grate on those around him, as evidenced by the fact that he's never stayed in one location longer than four years. Look for the NFL and Harbaugh to start making mutual overtures soon enough since at least one team will be willing to put up with his mercurial personality in exchange for a jolt of short-term success."

There - can I get a job at Fox Sports or Bleacher Report now?

I Love Lamp

November 15th, 2017 at 10:13 PM ^

Don’t think so. The Indiana coach and Purdue DC are great choices as well as many others.

If it was quirky, then I’d say jim and pj fleck would be the clear front runners for that

SBayBlue

November 16th, 2017 at 10:36 AM ^

I love the idea that people think he's crazy. Most geniuses are to some degree. And it puts us on the radar map with recruits and news coverage. I can't prove this, but I would suspect that personalities like this help in the number of applications from prospective students--kids work that way, and they want to be a part of something that is trending. How often did we make the news on ESPN under Lloyd Carr? Otherwise, we are just your traditional, run of the mill, traditional college football Midwestern school and that's kind of boring. People eat this stuff up.