MGOpinion: If JH does stay, how will this saga affect the team, and you, the fanbase?
In yesterday's Vikings thread, I saw the first comments from posters along the line of "this is going on too long, JH doesn't want to be here, so let him just go...", which actually surprised me considering a month ago, we were prepping for a playoff game and were in the never ending era of good feelings.
Seems like this prolonged NFL dalliance is starting to cause some cracks in the armor with fans.
So, if JH does stay, has your opinion of JH changed, and what affect do you think this has on the team, if any?
January 31st, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
I hope we win, I hope Jim's happy and I hope the drama stops.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:21 AM ^
I hope we win, I hope Jim’s happy, and I hope the drama does NOT stop.
After all, there’s nothing we can do about it, other than ignore it OR make some popcorn and settle down to watch.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:30 AM ^
Found the true masochist
January 31st, 2022 at 3:26 PM ^
Dear Can’t, are ya sure you mean masochist?
First, there’s no pain. It might be annoying if the situation affected my life but not painful. Contrast the outcomes of tOSU games that DO affect my life because they drastically change how I feel, bad or good.
Second, because it doesn’t affect my life, I can enjoy watching things unfold. That includes people who are giving themselves pain by getting upset about something that none of us have any control over.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:41 AM ^
The real problem is that future recruits won't ignore it and opposing coaches will constantly be using his "return to the NFL" against us. He needs to put this BS to rest - one way or the other. Personally, I'm fed up with it
January 31st, 2022 at 12:46 PM ^
Yes his continued flirtation with the NFL will start to hurt the program. It’s time to shit or get off the pot. If he wants the NFL then I hope he gets a job in the near future and leaves so the program can hire a new coach and move on. If he stays next year f m Warde I have a long conversation with the guy and need to know if he’s committed to UM for the long run or if every January is he going to be looking at the NFL wondering if the grass is greener because it’s not good for the program and it’s tough to land a good coach in January
January 31st, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
I was a fan before JH and I’ll be a fan when he’s gone. No man is bigger than the team.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
The years after Carr have been rough. Rough!
January 31st, 2022 at 12:49 PM ^
Indeed. Looking back, could we have made a worse hire than Rich Rod and then followed it up with Hoke? Maybe, however, I think anyone else under serious consideration at that time would have taken us in a better direction.
Imagine if we would have hired Harbaugh in 07.
January 31st, 2022 at 1:09 PM ^
The word is the University didn’t even interview him for the HC job before hiring Rich Rod.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^
Yesterday, for the first time, I started to feel like he should move on, NFL or otherwise. If he decides to come back now, I'll feel like a spouse whose significant other is having affair and I say, "you have to pick one of us!" She says, "OK," but waits a month before finally choosing me. Like, why did it take so long? What is wrong with ME? Did all the years we spent together mean nothing? I am not some object to be used and discarded!!!
I am very emotional right now.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:50 AM ^
You put a bird in her hand rather than your hand in her bush. I think that's how the saying goes.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^
You're not the problem dude--it's her.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:19 AM ^
talk about a scary clown. check your pots for boiling bunnies!
January 31st, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
My wife's favorite movie. Makes living with her kinda scary for me...
January 31st, 2022 at 11:24 AM ^
It seems that lots of coaches have trouble admitting that they have screwed things up, made bad play calls, blamed the refs, made mistakes in recruiting and hiring coaches, etc. Some coaches seem to be so the glass is half empty mentality, then they can never understand the disappointment fans have when things don't go right, especially for a decade and a half. He feels slighted by the fan base and maybe the administration now he's going to maybe go to the pros or us using that as leverage to try to get things, but seems to have little understanding of what it's doing to the fanbase who all totally out of the ones paying the bills. I think you're right, it's like being a jilted spouse who's other half is trying to decide between you and her boyfriend. Even if you work things out, will always be that distrust. Especially when only the last year has been good in all reality at Michigan. Sometimes I think he should go and just get it over with, it did not work out except for one year, and i am just tired of all his Relentless so-called energy that seems to be all about himself and not the university he professes to love. He has made millions of dollars at this University and lots of recognition oh, something that 99.9% of us will never have. And now because everyone didn't kiss his ass every moment of every day oh, he's going to run away throwing a tantrum in saying screw you to all of us. Well, just leave
January 31st, 2022 at 11:28 AM ^
I feel the opposite, although I like your analogy.
This is like Michigan, the hot spouse, told Harbaugh they should explore other options last year. Harbaugh loves Michigan, so he sticks. Over the last year Harbaugh lost 75 pounds and got promoted twice at work. The hot spouse now wants a commitment and Harbaugh decides he's got other hot offers he's going to explore first.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:38 AM ^
You're being a little too emotional. It's not like that. This is a business. If a team wants to talk, you can talk. It helps JH get a better deal with UM. Mich made him take a pay cut. Now give him a better deal. It's on the school's side now. I doubt JH would like to go to Vikings anyway. MICH needs to pay JH. New deal
January 31st, 2022 at 12:03 PM ^
"this is a business." is the problem with this whole situation and with Capitalism. There are things more important than profit and loss. God, Family, Community, Country are all more important than money. Fans feel like Michigan football is their community or even their family. You should marry your spouse because of love not because of how much income they have. Leaving the marriage for a bit more money or excitement isn't right. We love Harbaugh because he loves Michigan (and that he isn't Hoke or RR.) If he leaves us there will be some bitterness. That said, to another posters point, last year we sort of had a trial separation initiated by us.
January 31st, 2022 at 1:47 PM ^
Again, this is not a marriage. It's a job. One of the nice things about freedom is that you aren't required to stay in one job forever as chosen by other people. Of course, the job isn't required to keep you, either, and performance-based jobs can and will experience transition at the intiative of the employer.
This is not a marriage. It's a career. And, as it happens, college isn't necessarily the pinnacle of this particular career.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:26 PM ^
I always knew this was just a business relationship to you - like I'm some sort of commodity - you cold-heated bastard.
January 31st, 2022 at 1:29 PM ^
Alas, loyalty is a trait that is often undervalued and goes unrewarded.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:25 AM ^
What saga? He is under contract, he hasn't said anything one way or the other. Don't let the media sway your opinion on him.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:34 AM ^
He is interviewing with NFL teams for open head coaching positions. The more this happens, the more I think it's fair to wonder if he really wants to be at Michigan or would rather be in the NFL again.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:45 AM ^
It's also possible he's...wait for it...thinking about what he wants. What anyone "really wants" is something that's constantly evolving, and it helps to re-evaluate and/or reaffirm from time to time.
Let's not forget that Jim Harbaugh is a human being, and his life has taught him a number of ongoing lessons that sometimes feel at odds with one another. Reach for the highest level, focus on community, never stop trying to grow and improve, family is everything. Weighing those options is what all of us do on a day to day basis. It just so happens that when Harbaugh does it, it's much higher profile.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^
Of course, he is thinking about it and may not know himself what he "really wants" yet. But, that is kind of my point. He just had his most successful season as the coach of Michigan and for the first time(to our knowledge) is entertaining the thought of going back to the NFL.
One thing is for sure, he doesn't know if he "really wants" to be U of M's head coach anymore, otherwise, he wouldn't be interviewing for head coaching positions in the NFL.
So, I think it is fair for us to question whether we "really want" a coach who is quite obviously flirting with the idea of leaving Michigan. Because you better believe current players and recruits are.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:09 PM ^
I think this is an odd mentality to have. Brady Hoke wanted the Michigan job perhaps more than anyone on the planet. That doesn't guarantee success either. I would rather have a coach with a legacy of success who wants to grow in his career—even if that takes him elsewhere.
We've spent too long going with coaches who "really want it," and not thinking about who will win for us. People talk about Ryan Day flirting with the Bears, and the OSU takes of "do we want him as a coach if he's looking at other jobs" got laughed out of the room.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:13 PM ^
You know why? Because a coach going to the NFL is good for the program. It shows that coaches have room to grow when they come to Michigan. That means it's a coaching destination, because quality coaches want to come here, win, and cement a part of their legacy.
We're not in the age of 25-year head coaches anymore. It's not just realistic. Time to adapt to the coaching change era.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^
Carpetbagger has a great analogy above. UM cut his pay and gave him a put-up, or shut-up contract last year. He put-up, in a big way, and now he has options. I'm clearly not a UM fan, but you have to admire someone for betting on themselves and winning. Not sure it's fair to question his want when he's exploring newly made available options, how do you know if you want or don't want something without knowing what that thing is?
January 31st, 2022 at 12:14 PM ^
Absolutely. "I'm in the prime of my life--what's going to make me and my family happiest?" College football has become pretty messy; he can be forgiven for exploring his options.
Urban Meyer's a psychopath who really doesn't respect other people. Jim--for all his quirks--loves the game and the players. If being a pro HC looks like it means less institutional BS. . .
January 31st, 2022 at 10:35 AM ^
Agree with Cargo.... 100%!
January 31st, 2022 at 11:10 AM ^
Agreed! We're living in the moment and absolutely obsessed with this story. In the grand scheme if he were to come back, he could win everyone back with an insignificant statement. Never wanted to leave, AA is heaven, I have relationships in the NFL who I talked through some coaching opinions.
Has recruiting been hurt? Has our DC hunt been hurt? Have players jumped in the portal? Everything's fine, we'd be back complaining about a lack of NIL strategy in no time at all.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:11 AM ^
This is naive. Nowadays, if you don't come out and definitively squelch the rumors, then you're perpetuating them
January 31st, 2022 at 11:37 AM ^
People squelch rumors all the time, only to go back on them shortly thereafter. Saban and Petrino both spring immediately to mind.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:20 AM ^
It is not a great look regardless of him being under contract. It is a distraction that none of our rivals are dealing with and a huge blinking red warning light to any recruit considering UM since it becomes "if not this year, when?"
January 31st, 2022 at 11:23 AM ^
“The media” has largely been accurate. He was waiting to see whether the NFL would pan out. So don’t blame the media.
January 31st, 2022 at 12:56 PM ^
No media sway, he's a douche bag!
January 31st, 2022 at 10:25 AM ^
We will be ok and we'll probably get a big name coach to replace him, I'm not worried
January 31st, 2022 at 10:25 AM ^
Ok. Here’s my mildly hot take: we’ll be fine if Jim leaves.
IMO, Jim under-performed here at Michigan, even when considering what he did this year. He’s had a enough time to get his guys and tweak as needed. I think his best days are behind him.
As long as we hire someone qualified (and increase our NIL usage), we’ll be fine and maybe better off. If that’s the case, we might not miss him much in a year or 2.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:46 AM ^
This is the thinking that I hate and probably a reason he leaves. How is having multiple 10 win seasons under performing??? How?
He isn't playing with the same deck of cards as OSU or even MSU. Michigan has issues getting transfers and money for NIL is up in the air.
Its hard to beat OSU when they have 10+ 5 stars on their team. Harbaugh can coach. The man can fucking coach. The problem with CFB is that it's a shit show. Transfer Portal is shit. NIL is shit. This isn't the 90s.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:04 AM ^
You can justify most of the OSU losses. You can’t justify more than 1 or two of the MSU losses. What stacked deck did Tucker have the last two years after being left with a crater of a roster? KW3 is good, we still shouldn’t have lost. You just can’t justify those losses unless you are a blind Harbaugh apologist.
Im not afraid of not having JH as our couch. I’m afraid of the poorly conceived coaching search that will ensue by Warde if he does leave.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:17 AM ^
lol if you think Harbaugh is going to leave because the Michigan fanbase has unreasonably high expectations, what's he going to do in the NFL where you get 2-3 years to win big or you're gone?
January 31st, 2022 at 11:37 AM ^
MSU stacked deck might be the dumbest thing I've seen in this thread
January 31st, 2022 at 11:02 AM ^
Our recent history should indicate how uniformed this opinion is. RR was massively qualified. Fantastic record at WV. Came within a game of playing in the National Title game. And he was a complete disaster at Michigan.
If you objectively evaluate Harbaugh's resume and what he's achieved since he arrived back in AA, there isn't a single coach that would be a better fit. You could argue that Urban has achieved a higher level of success, but that would cause an order of magnitude more strife in the fanbase than the RR hire.
Who are the coaches that might have a resume comparable to or better than Harbaugh? Lincoln Riley, Saban, Smart, Dabo... Are there others? Because those four aren't available.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:11 AM ^
JH just won his first big ten title game in 7 years. I’m not sure you can compare him to guys that have consistently made the playoffs when he more often than not wasn’t even the best coach is his division.
I also don’t think the only good coaches out there are ones who have already achieved more than him. The next great coach is out there even though he hasn’t achieved anything.
January 31st, 2022 at 1:56 PM ^
There are lots of qualified coaches, but what's important is to catch them at the right point in their career. We got RR and JH at the wrong time, when their best days were behind them. As for JH, we probably should have hired him before RR or Hoke.
Another example in this category: Urban Meyer. Putting his sleaziness aside, I would not take him because his best coaching days are behind him.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:22 AM ^
IMO, Jim under-performed here at Michigan
Let's not forget where this program was from 2008-14. Or even from 2000-07.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:26 AM ^
I will expect the same situation every year from now on going forward. This will hurt recruiting no matter if he stays or not. He just gave everyone ammo.
January 31st, 2022 at 10:55 AM ^
I think that if he decides to stay (and I hope he does) that the contract includes some kind of "you can pull the 'I'm leaving for the NFL' shit until after 3 years".
That said, every year there are well known head coaches who bolt before their contracts are up. And, some play footsies with other teams just to get a raise. Not sure this shit will ever stop.
January 31st, 2022 at 11:31 AM ^
I understand that it may not have a net positive effect on recruiting, but I think Jim's NFL connections are one of the reasons to play for him, even if he leaves in 1-2 years.
The priorities for recruiting are usually:
1. Win
2. Win
3. Relationships with assistant/position coaches
4. Head coach (mainly because a new one might bring in new position coaches)
So I'm not as concerned for recruiting as I am for winning, and don't care if Jim interviews with the NFL every year