Harbaugh - For Serial?
First and foremost I support Rich Rod and am definitely in the "firing RR would do more harm than good" camp (hopefully I'm not the only member after this past weekend), but I can't believe how Jim Harbaugh has shot to the top of everyone's list for "potential replacements." Doesn't anybody remember this??
http://mgoblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/destroy-harbaugh.html
Is this the guy we really want to take over at Michigan?? I'd much rather take 7-5 seasons with the 100+ worst defense in the nation before bringing on a supposed "Michigan man" who spit on our program only 3 years ago.
(Note: If you don't get the tagline, you obviously have never heard of ManBearPig either - "the single biggest threat to our planet.")
November 1st, 2010 at 10:50 PM ^
you mean....
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:42 AM ^
Harbaugh's Stanford team would be middle of the pack in the big 10.
November 2nd, 2010 at 11:00 AM ^
I don't think that's a rational response. Stanford is ranked #10 in the country in the AP.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:33 PM ^
The link is worth visiting, not for anything Harbaugh said, but as a demonstration of how much Brian's writing has improved.
He strokes a beard he does not have thoughtfully and comes to conclusions that show deep concern for the welfare of student athletes.
A sentence like this would be unlikely to appear on mgoblog these days.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:18 PM ^
lolwut?
November 1st, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^
First of all, Harbaugh loves living in California with his family and has said so on numerous occasions.
Second, if anything, Jim Harbaugh wants to coach at the next level. He doesn't really need a stint at the divided and caustic UofM program to make a name for himself anymore. He's already arrived by taking a program driven into the dirt by Willingham, Teevens and Walt Harris and revived it into a better team than those of Jack Christiansen in the early 1970s. The 49ers, the Browns, and many others will want Harbaugh more than Michigan as it is.
Third, Jim Harbaugh has unfinished business at Stanford - which won't be done this year. Next year they'll have his best recruiting class ever and he'll have junior Andrew Luck returning as a starter ready to light it up.
Fourth, Harbaugh made those comments about UM for a reason. He's pissed off. He says a lot of stupid and embarrassing things. His delusions of grandeur and other personality flaws prevent him from ever apologizing for them.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:55 PM ^
Andrew Luck is a redshirt sophomore and currently Mel Kiper's Number 1 draft pick, so I wouldn't put it in the bank that he'll be back.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:03 PM ^
is projected to go #1 overall pick and he would be crazy to pass up the money before the lockout and a possible draft slotting value. He can always come back to Stanford and get a degree.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:24 PM ^
The lockout would be in this upcoming draft, so its wise for him to stay another year, instead of delcaring for the draft and then sitting out a year.
November 3rd, 2010 at 1:50 PM ^
where there is no draft slotting value so money wise, Luck would be wise to cash in the money.
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:41 AM ^
Despite the fact that he's sucked everywhere since, Ty Willingham had no part in running that program into the ground. In fact, he's more like warning sign that Harbaugh isn't guaranteed to pan out:
| 1998 | Stanford | 3–8 | 2–6 | T–8th | |||
| 1999 | Stanford | 8–4 | 7–1 | 1st | L Rose † | ||
| 2000 | Stanford | 5–6 | 4–4 | 4th | |||
| 2001 | Stanford | 9–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd |
November 1st, 2010 at 10:48 PM ^
I feel like I am losing my mind everytime I read someone defending Rich Rod. I understand the Jim Harbaugh talk is premature, but how can anyone really be happy with the direction this program is going? I'm not talking about this season, I'm talking about the progress of the team since Rich Rod came over. The less Lloyd Carr people on this team, the worse the defense gets. The recruiting has hit the fan, the press conferences are embarassing. John L Smith had more wins in his first year in the big ten than Rich Rod has now, when will people put the pieces together and realize this just isn't the right fit. To end this on a high note and to prevent from getting neg banged, Mike Hart looks good tonight doesn he?
November 1st, 2010 at 10:59 PM ^
Have you ever even watched our offense this year? we have been racking up yards and I know yards don't equal points but you have to give this offense another year to come together as a group. Think about it this is really only the second year RR's offense has been implemented and run by people who can actually play in it. I definitely don't want to throw all that away especially not for Harbaugh who probably wouldn't leave Stanford anyway.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:09 PM ^
In my opinion, I feel that a good coach is able to coach up his players, mainly in college because most of the players are raw. Rich Rod has not coached up any one unit of this football team any year. If you truly think he deserves another year I want you to give me a good reason besides the offense, just one good reason that he has proven he deserves another year besides the offense getting alot of yards.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:31 PM ^
Read: "I want one good reason, other than the best reason."
You are noise. No intelligent fan, even one who wants RR gone yesterday, would say "Rich Rod has not coached up any one unit of this football team any year." No evidence, no point, certainly untrue. You don't have anything to add to the conversation, please GOD return to MLive from whence you came.
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:26 AM ^
What good is 500 yards of offense if your continuously down by 21 pts? Have you not witnessed the last 3 weeks that our offense hasn't produced until the second half after teams have big leads. Its human nature to let up a little bit if you are up by that many pts, and all 3 games after we have staged a "comeback", when the offense was counted on most, they couldn't get a score. I appreciate the people that feel they have to bully the other bloggers because they are frustrutated and want the best for this program and havn't seen any significant progress being made. Maybe I am thinking irrational right now, but I have a hard time thinking this is the right fit, when in year 3, we can't even beat a mediocre Penn State team, and have only won 2 conference games in the Big House. Its depressing, if he finds a way to win the next two games I may be willing to give him another year, but I won't be happy unless major staff changes are made, not just GERG but some of the position coaches at well.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:32 PM ^
getting a lot of yards. Like over 500 yards a game. Like top 5 in the country.
Oh, you don't like that reason. How about you start with the reasons you will accept and we'll go from there?
I'm pretty split on whether he should go or not but that has to do with the defense....to ignore what he's doing with the offense is willful ignorance and suggests you're just as irrational in your dislike as those who are blindly supportive.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:56 PM ^
Using your logic, the Lions (leading the NFC in scoring) are good.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:04 AM ^
if you take away the offense I'll admit RR doesn't look like a great defensive coordinator which isn't surprising I'm fully for getting in a good DC right now
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:47 AM ^
http://mgoblog.com/diaries/nebraskas-defensive-improvements-under-bo-pelini-year-1
I wrote that last night but by noon it was 3 pages back in the diaries so I doubt most people saw it. It proves that a good coach can overhaul a poor team and make them good in his first season. I was actually shocked how much Pelieni improved the team his first year.
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:51 AM ^
Bo is a defensive minded coach. His defenses at LSU were good. Combine that with Nebraska's talent on D and of course it's going to be a quick turn around.
Also, didn't Nebraska play in the crappy side of the big 12 division?
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:45 AM ^
We have a piss poor D RIGHT NOW that WILL get better with experience regardless of who the DC is. If we manage to bring in a reputable DC then we will be instantly better. Other than that, the direction of the program is not in shambles. If we recruit well on the defensive side then we will be fine.
If we finish at .500 the direction is still UP. It's just taken longer than expected.
November 1st, 2010 at 10:52 PM ^
I hate that I'm even thinking about this. Common team....win on Saturday, beat Purdue and win a bowl game. 8-5 will buy one more year and I've got to believe a new DC and defensive staff.
PULEEZE
November 1st, 2010 at 10:59 PM ^
Harbaugh at Stanford:
2007: 4-8
2008: 5-7
2009: 8-5
2010: 7-1 (thus far)
Rich Rod at Michigan:
2008: 3-9
2009: 5-7
2010: 5-3 (thus far)
Even before that Harbaugh built things up gradually at Univ San Diego:
2004: 7-4
2005: 11-1
2006: 11-1
Rich Rod’s career had a similar trajectory at WVU getting to 11 wins each of his last 3 seasons.
Yeah, great idea. Let's put all of the anti-RR, wrist-slitting, cliff jumpers in charge. These are the kinds of idiots who would fire Jim Harbaugh at the end of the 2008 Stanford football season. Typical short-sidedness. Let's throw out this offense, which is only a few components (namely a RB) short of 2010 Oregon and the most prolific thing ever seen in Maize and Blue since the point a minute teams at the turn of the century, and just blow up the Wolverine football program. We want our pro set offense and wide receivers to wear the No. 1 jersey. Tell Les Miles and Jim Harbaugh that the time is now "to come on home". Send the West Virginia guy to hit the Country Road.
Rodriguez has made a lot of mistakes. Maybe he deserves to be fired. I don't think so. There's 4 games to be played and this team proven that, although it is young, it does not give up. I wish I could say the same for those who want to be in charge.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
A) Stanford didnt' have half the talent Michigan had
B) Its tough to recruit players to Stanford cause of the academics
C) That looked like a pretty quick improvement in my mind at San Diego.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:03 AM ^
You do realize that Stanford is a PAC-10 right? The PAC-10 over the years has had 2 good teams in it. The big 10 is a tougher conference.
Sure there are some head to head match ups to compare to, but week in and week out, the big 10 is a tougher and more physical conference to play in.
Sure Boise State can win against any given team in the big 10, but week in and week out? No way.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:11 AM ^
I'm not convinced the Pac-10 is that much worse than the Big Ten, but even if it is, Harbaugh's Stanford teams haven't just beaten the equivalent of Indiana. He's 3-1 against USC. If RR had three wins against a Big Ten team of that caliber, his job would be safe.
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:52 AM ^
If the Pac-10 is no good, what's the Big East?
November 1st, 2010 at 11:15 PM ^
You kinda left out a pretty massive part of the equation - how those teams fared before the new coach:
Michigan prior to RR: (10-3), (10-3), (9-3), (7-5), (11-2), (9-4)
Stanford prior to Harbaugh: (2-9), (4-7), (4-7), (5-6), (1-11)
San Diego prior to Harbaugh: were they even on the map???
The point is that Harbaugh has made teams better while RR took a solid Michigan program and turned it to whatever we see now. After three years, RR still (unless he wins out) won't have a better season than the worst in the handful of years before him.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:34 PM ^
agree with the guy above. Leaving out the state of the programs before your examples is either intentionally dishonest or you're just blinded by the point you want to get across.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:43 AM ^
In addition to what has been said above, it should be noted that Harbaugh is winning in the Pac-10, a considerably stronger conference than the Big East.
November 2nd, 2010 at 11:46 AM ^
You're talking about Standford in the Pac-10. In 2007, Stanford upset USC and then went on to go 8-5 in the following year. UM hadnt missed a bowl game in 40 years and was always a contender in the Big Ten. Strikes me that they are such drastically different starting positions that this thread either 1) should be ignored entirely or 2) persuade those in the RR-camp to take a harder look at Harbaugh
November 1st, 2010 at 11:16 PM ^
Why on earth would any coach want to come here knowing he will feel heat after their first season??? Why would a coach want to come here knowing he only has 3 years to win a national title and fix the god damn economy? (That's for all you so called LOYAL and RATIONAL fans)
November 1st, 2010 at 11:25 PM ^
No one is asking for the national title in three years, but everyone should expect that we don't lose 3 straight to MSU, that we win more than one game annually in the Big Ten, that we don't get hit with NCAA violations, that our defense isn't the worst we've ever fielded...shit...my fingers are tired....you get the point.
This is Michigan. Any coach will feel pressure. It's the same for the skipper of the NY Yankees or coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Programs with a history of success expect better than "bowl eligibility". Good coaches aren't afraid of pressure.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:27 PM ^
A good coach can handle the pressure and deliver a press conference with confidence. Unlike someone who we might aswell call Rich Marinelli.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:32 PM ^
I've said this before, but that is an easy one.
Because guys that get to the level of big time D1 coaching have enormous egos and most of them would jump at the chance to be the savior of the winningest program in college football history. It's really not that complicated.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:51 AM ^
Who is being irrational? I don't expect a National Championship, but a .500 record in the Big Ten would be nice......and that is REALLY lowering expectations for Michigan.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:34 PM ^
Put me in the camp that wants Harbaugh.
November 1st, 2010 at 11:43 PM ^
UNCWolverine wants Harbaugh, very telling.
I always seem to make the mistake of confusing MGoBlog's forums with a spot where Michigan football fans can have actual intellectual discussions on relevant topics. I forgot that there are "posters" like you on here that don't have the intellectual fortitude to actually add anything to these discussions. From now on I'll just lurk and read Brian's posts while you keep racking up those valuable MGoBlog points.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:15 AM ^
Stalk much?
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:30 AM ^
That thread was one of the greats. The "very telling" meme kicked around for a month or so, Norfolk Wolverine got about 140 points for one of my favorite posts, "Thank you for adding nothing." and UNCWolverine lost over 100 points. Of course it helps that it was one of UNCWolverine's last ten posts and easily retrievable.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:07 AM ^
And you're still the prick who made a joke about the ND kid's death 6 hours after it happened and then doubled down on your douchebaggery with your follow-up comment. http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/ot-where-irish
Yep, still pissed.
November 2nd, 2010 at 8:23 AM ^
Still not apologizing. You can stay pissed as long as you'd like.
November 2nd, 2010 at 9:48 AM ^
If you die I'll be sure to make jokes about it for weeks to come!
November 2nd, 2010 at 7:06 PM ^
I'd highly suggest wearing a clown costume to my funeral.
I'd much rather go out with people joking about my death then crying over it.
November 2nd, 2010 at 2:08 AM ^
You can be in the next flavor of the month camp though. Maybe the head coach of Baylor camp?
November 1st, 2010 at 11:40 PM ^
Ok here is my two cents, since I know you all have been waiting for it.
Purdue has become the make or break game for RR. If we lose the entire coaching staff should be canned. If we win, RR should be given another year but the entire defensive coaching staff still has to go.
In the event that we lose against Purdue we should pursue anyone who gives us the best chance of winning. I do not care if he called Michigan the Ohio State of the North, bring him in if it means we win.
If we beat Purdue, Gerg still has to be let go and the decision on a new DC should be made by David Brandon in cooperation with RR. RR should not have the sole voice in the matter. I do not know who we would hire as DC but it has to be someone who can help us immediately and is not afraid to take risks. Someone who will bring the game to the offense instead of sitting back and letting the game come to them. At this point even if they score quickly atleast our offense has more time to answer.
The fate of RR and our football program now rests squarely on the outcome of the Purdue game. If we win we get 15 extra practices plus RR keeps his job. If we lose its transition time in Ann Arbor.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:53 AM ^
Purdue is a must-win, but I'm not sure that alone would "make" RR. If we beat Purdue and lose the rest, we'll be 6-6 with wins over a weak nonconference slate, Indiana and PU. (We'd also be 0-4 in conference home games.) Winning two of the last four would give him a much stronger case for returning.
November 2nd, 2010 at 12:55 AM ^
It is just an expression. I am just saying that if we beat Purdue and gain bowl eligibility then I believe RR will be kept around, not that he would be "made." If we lose then everyone is gone.
November 2nd, 2010 at 1:10 AM ^
I know what you're saying. What I'm saying is that I'm not sure that would do it. He may need seven wins. I think it's hugely important to win on Saturday. We need to beat a halfway decent opponent.