Rick Neuheisel on the Harbaugh decision

Submitted by swamyblue on

This evening on the west coast Rick Neuheisel gave his take on the Harbaugh decision. Here he is with Jim Hill from CBSLA Sports:

Rick: ...this is a tough tough question but if I were counseling Jim Harbaugh (and I’m not sure he wants my counsel) I would tell him you go take that Michigan job if the numbers are as reported, 49 million for 6yrs. You take that and you run! And know this, he played at Michigan, he personifies everything that Bo Schembechler and the Michigan Wolverines stand for in terms of physical play, toughness, aggressiveness. He would bring that back to the Wolverine program…it’s what they so sorely miss. I think that’s where he goes and look at it this way, if it doesn’t turn out well he hasn’t burned his card in the NFL. He can come back to the NFL and make it work at that time but 49 million for 6 yrs, it’s hard to say no to that.

Jim Hill (sports anchor): Yeah but sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

Rick: Well that’s obvious but if you’re having to make a choice and it can’t be the 49ers, I think you go and put that Maize & Blue helmet on and you say let’s go down the tunnel and take those Buckeyes on again.

Jim: And smile all the way to the bank?

Rick: Exactly right…and he knows the fight song!

Boom!

Tater

December 21st, 2014 at 4:03 AM ^

Maybe Neuheisel should "trade" himself to the 49ers in a three-way trade in which Harbaugh goes to Michigan and an ex-Michigan player of coach of their choic gets Neuheisel's CBS studio analyst job.

Brodie

December 21st, 2014 at 4:36 AM ^

Well, do keep in mind that Colorado was in the Big 12 at the time...but Dennis Erickson at Washington State, Oregon State and Arizona State is the answer you're looking for.

Using the same logic as Neuheisel, though, you can come up with a few more (Bear Bryant comes to mind)

BIGBLUEWORLD

December 21st, 2014 at 4:27 AM ^

While Rick Neuheisal was a disappointment for UCLA, he is still fairly well regarded in Southern California.  Not a lot of chaos or drama, he just didn't do such a good coaching job.  Somewhat like Brady Hoke.

Jim Mora came to UCLA and started winning right away.  

Anyway, if Rick thinks Jim Harbaugh should come to Ann Arbor, I'm not going to argue with him, that's for sure. 

LSAClassOf2000

December 21st, 2014 at 7:46 AM ^

I would have to think that if Dick Vitale is telling you to take a position and it isn't at Duke and it isn't due to the retirement or sad passing of someone at Duke, this is a fairly significant development and should be at least considered as an endorsement of some kind. Now, if you'll excuse him, he has to get back to body surfing with the Cameron Crazies.

Danwillhor

December 21st, 2014 at 5:04 AM ^

the contract length is irrelevant because if he turns us around, he has a great replacement & he wins a NC before his 6-8 year deal is up he's going back to the NFL anyway. Heck, if he has made the playoffs a couple times by year 4-5, he's likely gone. Point being, he's not going to retire at Michigan if he comes but we all have to be ok with that if he leaves us on solid ground. Coming back would let him use a chunk of his 50's to stop the spinning going on in Bo's grave right now. One the guy feels like he's done what he may feel was a coaching obligation in righting the Michigan ship, he's back to the NFL. I just posed this last thought in a thread made about a week ago called "The effect on our health". I posed the possibility of hiring Harbaugh but then asked: What if he failed? What if we end year 4 and we're a Wisconsin level team? Not bad by any means but not what we all expect. What then? I want him but not if it's only to get us not sucking again and then bolt as soon as we're UW level. I'm ok with him leaving if he's truly turned us back into a national power! I'm saying to expect that if it happens. I just don't want 4 & out if we're just a "good" team. Either way, I think it's worth it for him, us and flat out logical. The NFL will always be there and he's coaching into his 80s lol. We need YOUNG, CRAZY ENERGY Jim right now! I just don't think he'd come here to retire but more "a mission from Bo". Once complete, he wants a Super Bowl ring. Take the money now as length is irrelevant, IMO. He'll get a no buyout clause if he demands it. At worst it'd kick in after year 4. Take the money & dream fir a bit and then leave us on solid ground. That's all we should expect and be happy to get if he comes.

Moonlight Graham

December 21st, 2014 at 8:32 AM ^

Good post. I think we need to set our expectations on beating OSU and winning the Big Ten. That will be the initial challenge as we face a four-year wall of Morris/Speight/Malzone vs Miller/Barrett/Jones. I've been more bullish on Morris than most but that's still a high wall to climb. I know Jim could help, but we're getting way ahead of ourselves dreaming that he's not only coming here but also going to deliver a NC before he gets the NFL itch in 4-6 years, before he's too old.




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Danwillhor

December 21st, 2014 at 9:20 AM ^

if he comes I'm under zero assumption that he's retiring here. None. If he reaches the mountain top at UM, he would then feel like he's done his duty and go NFL for that ring. As noted, it may just be getting us back to a national contender again! If he comes & it's a deal longer than 6 years, I'd guarantee he doesn't coach it out. I'd be perfectly happy with him genuinely righting the ship & leaving it in the hands of a very good replacement coach with a solid foundation. If (big IF) we get him we can't expect him to be a lifer here. I'd consider anything past 4 years "bonus time" if he's kicking ass. That said, I do bring up the seemingly impossible: CFB is almost all spread and moving to the hyper spreads. Jim's philosophy is pounding you into submission. He's siren he can move a bit toward speed with Kap but that's still a power run team. Can that offense keep up with the hyper spreads? They score so fast that you can't make a mistake running heavy power & your defense has to be monstrous. I recall one year he was up on Oregon by 21-24 early. Luck & co just killing them. The final score was like 56-27 or something, Oregon. I may be crazy but I refuse to assume he's going to be what we all want/think. Your right in that I think he'll immediately get over on the B1G outside of osu/msu. By year 3 I think msu is not a big concern but I think osu remains tough. At that point I see it being a 50/50 game again. I'll take that! ha. I think he's a prototype CFB coach in the mind of an NFL coach. It's what makes him great at the CFB level but could also hold him back if he refuses to adapt & keep playing NFL ball in CFB. I hope we get a chance to see!

The Man Down T…

December 21st, 2014 at 1:58 PM ^

can develop Morris, Speight, Malone.  He's the best QB teacher around.  Andrew Luck was not a fluke.  

 

I wonder what he could have done for Devin Gardner or Denard Robinson.  I'm betting a Vince Young consistent level was possible.  4-6 years of improving players and setting up a good HC to follow him?  Yeah, I'll take that.  :)

evenyoubrutus

December 21st, 2014 at 7:28 AM ^

That's awesome. Too bad the 6 years/$49 million has already been debunked.

Jerry Rice had the best advice. Coaching your almamater is a chance of a lifetime. Even a market value number makes it worth it.

TheVictors

December 21st, 2014 at 4:24 PM ^

Ha, well when I saw your avatar a while back I knew you weren't Devlin, but the pic is hard to miss and he's been in Denver forever (with that same pic). He doesn't look that way now. I had a website years ago and we all used random frat composite pics for avatars and they were real dudes from 80's-era Frat pics.

Neil Devlin...

xtramelanin

December 21st, 2014 at 7:39 AM ^

neuheisel gets on the 'nice' list for that comment.  lets see what santa has in his bag for him....oh, here it is, a skateboard.  merry Christmas fella.

RGard

December 21st, 2014 at 8:10 AM ^

everybody knows JH is our primary target.  That said, the other (secret) swim lanes may have college coaches with bowl games to play and other NFL coaches who have regular season and possible playoff games to play.  Coaches who want to finish out their seasons (like JH) and don't want the distractions while getting their teams ready.

RGard

December 21st, 2014 at 8:02 AM ^

on the other side".  That's similar to what Bill Cowher said on TV prior to the SD @ SF game yesterday. 

The talking heads have gone from "he'll never leave the NFL for College" to "the grass isn't always greener".

Sounds like the NFL types are managing their own expectations now.

M-Dog

December 21st, 2014 at 8:24 AM ^

He's coming you guys!
 
The drumbeat of "You are young, you can always go back to the NFL" is growing among all his "advisors".
 
Look at it in terms of doors that are open or closed:
 
What is open right now is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach his alma mater.  That door could open again later.  But it may not.  But it's open now.  There is only one Michigan for Jim Harbaugh.  There are no substitutes.
 
What is not open right now is a once-in-a-lifetime NFL opportunity.  That may come later, at which point Harbaugh could return.  There are at least a dozen "ideal" NFL jobs that could open in the future.  He's not bound by any particular one.  There are substitutes. 
 
The time to go to Michigan is now.

gwkrlghl

December 21st, 2014 at 9:14 AM ^

"What is open right now is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach his alma mater"

Dude, this is his 2nd chance to do so in 4 years. If he turns it down here odds are it'll be open several more times before he retires. By definition it's not a once in a lifetime anything