Sam Webb on CC Timeline
Sam just said on WTKA that if the search extends past Christmas that we should assume that things with JH are going in a really positive direction. He does not expect that Hackett would wait for Harbaugh past Christmas if things were not progressing. 2.5 weeks until we get a clearer picture I guess.
As for JH and the 49er's firing him, there is no way the Niners would fire him unless he really did something bad between now and the end of the season. There is too much money involved.
I predict Michigan to make its serious push on Jimmy when the Niners are officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Sam was also advocating for Jim Mora if Harbaugh falls through.
I guess this thread can serve as the Monday Jim Harbaugh Thread.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:34 AM ^
Well, if I was a betting man I would think that San Francisco will be eliminated very soon. Their schedule looks mighty hard. Definitely after the loss to Oakland.
Their remaining schedule is: @ Seattle
VS Chargers
VS Cardinals
Probably going to finish with 3 more losses. Unless, they pull it together. Either way I would bet they only win one of these 3 remaining games.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
One more loss and they're almost certainly out. Even if they win all 3 there's a good chance they won't make it as there are currently 3 9-4 NFC wild card contenders
December 8th, 2014 at 10:35 AM ^
Harbaugh...Stoops...Mora...Mullen...Miles...It has to be one of those guys. Right?
December 8th, 2014 at 11:20 AM ^
Man, I hope so.
But as impressive as this list is, I can see it falling apart quickly and we're back in Schiano-land.
- Harbaugh is a lottery ticket. Put all of your eggs in that basket at your own risk.
- If Stoops and Mora are really in play, why wouldn't Florida have scooped one of them up? Plain and simple, Florida is a better job than Michigan if you don't have emotional connections to Michigan.
- The AD seems determined to ignore Miles at all costs. He's not my first choice, but if it's between hm and Hoke 2.0, I'm willing to plant some grass on the sidelines.
- Nobody is sure if Mullen is truly avaliable, or if he's proven enough even if he is.
I hope there's some hidden back room magic going on that can make one of these guys happen.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 10:37 AM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 10:39 AM ^
Harbaugh has all the leverage since he knows they don't want him as coach next year AND he can veto a trade. That's why a trade won't work.
If Harbaugh is smart, he'll force SF to fire him. That way, if he stays in the NFL, he gets the buyout money and his team doesn't lose draft picks, and if he goes to Michigan, he also gets the buyout money.
Why would he do it any other way?
December 8th, 2014 at 12:22 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 10:40 AM ^
is because both Hackett and Jim Harbaugh are stand-up guys fufilling the committments they agreed to. Once the 49ers season is over there will be swift decernible action taken and an announcement will be made shortly thereafter.
The silence from both sides on this issue tells me they have a deal in place that will be executed once it can be legally and ethically.
If there is some stroke of incredibly bad luck on this, then and only then will Hackett contact Miles.
I say there will be an announcement between Dec. 29 and Jan. 2
December 8th, 2014 at 10:42 AM ^
1. All good news is good news. (Because it's good news. Duh.)
2. All bad news is good news. (Because it's probably just a smokescreen, because timing.)
and, thanks to this,
3. No news is good news. (Because also timing.)
December 8th, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^
Anything you hear that isn't a public declaration from Jim Harbaugh officially saying he has eliminated himself as a candidate means he remains in play as the No. 1 option with first refusal rights. Michigan is waiting for him and no one else. So, anything outside the timeframe of his contract availability would signal that he is no longer under consideration because he removed himself from consideration.
Anyway, most of the insiderish reports mushrooming about from tapped-in NFL guys is old stuff poached from comments of ex-teammates or alleged organization officials without any real knowledge. Habaugh loves chaos, he has few advisors, and makes his own final choices.
He will come to Ann Arbor if and when it fits for him to make that decision known. You know this is true because nobody claims otherwise. The only real speculative consideration on the part of most observers is the idea that Harbaugh would never want to leave the NFL. And part of him probably doesn't want to leave, but he also knows coming to Ann Arbor when asked in this case is something he can't pass up.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:42 AM ^
There have been some rumblings out of SF that maybe they would consider firing Harbaugh this week in an attempt jumpstart the team and make a last-ditch playoff push. I would guess that after they sleep on it, cooler heads would prevail, but you never know. Really, if they were going to do that, they should have done it last week, when they still had a decent chance to make the playoffs.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:46 AM ^
In firing him now versus waiting until the end of the season?
December 8th, 2014 at 10:53 AM ^
There isn't a difference except they want to hold out so another team whether it be an NFL team or UM comes in and buys him out. Holding onto JH preserves their chances of not paying his contract for next year in the event of a trade or buy out.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:55 AM ^
+1 Informative
December 8th, 2014 at 10:57 AM ^
Firing would be a stupid move, then you pay him all of next years salary and he can just walk away. But the NFL owners do make some really stupid moves, like drafting running QBs.
December 29 - That's the day after the 49ers last game of the season. That's when Jim Harbaugh could be introduced as the next Michigan coach. HooooooRahh.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:30 AM ^
They won't fire him. It's conceivable that they could mutually part ways upon not making playoffs, under the condition that JH to Michigan (or another NFL team) and an agreement among three parties that SF is not responsible for '15. When there was discussion of a "buyout", this is it; ie. that Michigan/JH will not hold SF responsible for any portion of the '15 contract.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:47 AM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 11:34 AM ^
Unless we buy out JH's contract, the 49ers are more likely to keep him, then trade him for draft picks in the offseason. There's no way they are going to fire him when they know another franchise will offer compensation for him.
And if talks are actually serious about the Raiders/Rams moving back to LA, then JH could have an extra option to be a HC and stay in Cali.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:54 AM ^
I am about to take a position that is contrary to the view held by just about everyone on this board, but hear me out. I would actually prefer Mora or Stoops over Harbaugh. My reasons:
1. Stability: I am a huge believes that the college football programs that do well are those that have stability (assuming a threshold level of good coaching and recruiting). Look at our own program over the 40 years preceding RichRod.
I Jim H is a great coach, if he has 3-4 good seasons, there is a real chance that his NFL itch may return and we could be back to looking for a replacement. Now many will say "I would be happy if he comes for 3-4 years, stabalizes the program and then leaves as that will mean that he did a great job. And he will leave a successor in place." I don't disagree. This would be a good problem to have. I am not removely saying that we don't want or take Harbaugh for this reason, just that it is one area that Stoops or Mora might be better.
2. Drama: Kind of the opposite of stability, as we have seen in the decent 7-8 years, drama is never a good thing for a college (or NFL) football program. While Harbaugh is undeniably a great coach, even those close to him describe him as "weird" and "controlling." Certainly those are not disqualifying factors, but I do have concerns that he could have a tenure much like his SF tenure - great start, but over time he might rub people the wrong way, leading to some drama.
3. Timeframe: Perhaps Jim H and Jim H have a deal in place that will become official on 12/29. But if not, Hackett needs to ask himself whether it pays to wait all the way until January to find out if we are going to get Harbaugh? If the back-up plan is Schiano, I would wait. But, if you can have a Stoops or a More right now, there might be a benefit to having those coaches in place before the 12/15 recruiting dead period so that they can at least make first contact and give recruits something to think about before the one month hiatus. Also, while we are all fixated on the head coach (and rightly so), keep in mind that whomever is hired will have to build a staff (which will also be on the recruitng trail). If we don't hire Harbaugh until January 5, for example, will have have ample time to build his staff with first options and have those options in place to make a recruitng push? Wouldn't it be better to nab a Mora or Stoops now, if possible, so that they can use the dead period to build their staff, get up to speed and his the ground running in January?
I expect that most will disagree with me. And that's fine. I flip flop on this issue myself, but if I had to choose between possibly getting Harbaugh in January or taking Stoops or Mora now, I am 55/45 leaning towards the latter.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^
This is a very good, well thought-out post, the kind I hope people don't neg just because they don't agree. I hate that.
I don't think you are entirely off-base. Harbaugh is not without risk. If he is successful for a few years and then leaves, it's no guarantee that he's easily followed by Harbaugh 2.0. There's lots of examples were that does not work, such as when Meyer left Florida.
There is also the drama issue. Hoke's pressers were evasive but benign after a bad loss. But expect Harbaugh to tear the place apart and make Peleni look like a chior boy. Fans, the media, the AD better get used to the big F.U. from Harbaugh on a regular basis. He's Bobby Knight It's gets old if you are not winning big.
All that being said, you would have to prefer Harbaugh if you have a chance for the simple fact that he's proven it. He's won big everywhere he's gone - small-time college, big-time college, NFL - despite the baggage. He flat out knows how to coach at the highest level.
You could possibly make the case for Stoops over Harbaugh, who has certainly proven it at Oklahoma, and has done it with stability and without drama. Mora is still a work in process as far as elite coaching.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:53 AM ^
I'm so glad Florida and Nebraska hired people right away because no we're the only top-tier CFB program looking for a coach and I doubt that will change. Recruiting is something to consider, but aside from that there's really no timing pressure on Hackett to get the job done. We can take a stab at Harbaugh, miss, and still have plenty of time to try to poach another big name coach
December 8th, 2014 at 2:06 PM ^
Impressive post of playing the Devil's advocate to basically everyone here on this board. I agree that hiring a coach sooner rather than later would be what is best for recruiting and this team, but I still believe that it is in our best interest to land Harbaugh over Mora or Stoops. I think that Mora may have an itch to turn pro just as bad as JH would, and I am somewhat skeptical on Stoops in what his ceiling is for succes. Don't get me wrong, Stoops and Mora would be great hires who would bring stability to the program and put us back in place near the top of the football hierarchy, but they aren't Harbaugh.
December 8th, 2014 at 10:56 AM ^
"I predict Michigan to make its serious push on Jimmy when the Niners are officially eliminated from playoff contention."
So, like next weekend? They basically have to win out, hope that Detroit and Dallas both lose 2 of their last 3 and that Seattle loses another game just to have it come down to tiebreakers between those 4 teams, which I think they still lose on. I think they might officially be eliminated if they lose to Seattle on Sunday and either Detroit or Dallas win.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:09 AM ^
Yup! It's fun to be optimistic!
December 8th, 2014 at 10:59 AM ^
I like Mora but am surpirsed that he would be interested in job being a West Coast guy. I hope his name isn't just wild speculation. I'm worried Harbaugh drags this out and then decides to stay in NFL, Mullen signs an extension and we end up with someone like Schiano.
There is no reason for us not to end up with a great coach. All the other jobs other than OSU have been filled and we are literally competing with no one. All viable candidates are still in play
December 8th, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 11:10 AM ^
Resign? Why wouldn't Jim just resign with SF? If he does not want to come back there and..IMPORTANTLY... he knows where he wants to be, then why wait? Once the team is eliminated from the playoffs (next week) and, presuming he has enough time to decide about the UM job, then wouldn't he just leave?
In fact, if he is still considering Michigan heavily and wants to hold out until he sees what kind of NFL offfers roll in, then that would make me concerned that he would always have one ear open to the NFL. I would understand that if he didn't have weeks to consider the Michigan job, but he has. At some point, he needs to decide what he wants to do.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:11 AM ^
If he resigns then he doesn't get his contract money for next year. The smart thing to do is to negotiate with his future employer to have them buy out his contract from the Niners.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ^
If he gets fired, then SF may still owe him money. Right? But, there is nothing to "buy out." That money would go to him from SF. There is nothing for the new employer to negotiate. However, I don't know if SF is still required to pay that IF he accepts a new position.
If he resigns, he foregoes that contract money for next year, but SF is WAY happier b/c they don't have to pay it to him. I am not sure what numbers are involved, but I hear Michigan is willing to offer him a good salary that would probably make up for any money he lost from next year (over time).
Regardless, SF is not going to fire him. They will want to get something in a trade. None of those trade involve UM. UM could only pay SF to get them to fire him (or pay for JH's last year and allow him to resign). So, JH would really just be waiting to quit to force UM to pay him millions more..... would he do that? Wouldn't UM rather pay those millions NOW and just get him recruiting, rather than pay the same millions later after risking losing out on other candidates?
So, JH would have to resign at the end of the season anyway. Why not now?
December 8th, 2014 at 11:28 AM ^
Might be something of a professional courtesy, or, more likely, a personal pride issue. He doesn't want to be seen as the guy who would walk away from a job in the middle of the season.
Regardless of whether or not he leaves the NFL, I don't think there's any way he leaves the 49ers before the season ends. My guess is he's already decided what he wants to do, anyway. That CBS report yesterday felt pretty damning, so I'm operating under the assumption that he will not be on our sidelines next year. Besides, that friendly exchange between he and Mark Davis yesterday tells me he's already agreed to something with Oakland behind the scenes.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:35 AM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 11:31 AM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 11:33 AM ^
JH is under contract for the next year. Resigning his post means that he forfeits his money for next year. If he waits for teams to fight over him, a new team that wants him can pay SF for his rights. If he were to resign, he risks not having a job next year if he doesn't like his current options. I think what I'm trying to say is that monetary wise, it is smart for JH to let other teams fight over him. Ideally Michigan would want him recruiting now but I don't see JH "quitting" on his team early.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:38 AM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 11:48 AM ^
Very true but I'm going to also assume that the Niners would try to make a team pay for JH's services that they technically own until after next year.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^
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December 8th, 2014 at 12:42 PM ^
No one knows that answer haha. Have to let this play out to find out.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:49 AM ^
is not leaving Los Angeles. That would be dumb.
December 8th, 2014 at 11:56 AM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
I stroke my F5 so much I put Vaseline on it.....
December 8th, 2014 at 12:52 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 1:21 PM ^
The Stranger
December 8th, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^
“For God's sakes, quit worrying about your next job. Just do the best you can at the job you have now, and the offers will come. And when they do, if you have confidence in yourself you don't have to feel that you can't turn it down if it isn't quite right for you because you fear you'll never get another offer. You will. Wait for the right opportunity, and turn down all the rest. It will make all the difference.”
― Bo Schembechler
“The one surefire way to get me not to hire you is to send me your resume, especially if you've already got a good job. I won't be interested, because in a couple years, you'll be doing the same thing to me that you're doing to your current boss: looking for a better deal.”
― Bo Schembechler
December 8th, 2014 at 12:41 PM ^
FWIW, Sam finally broke down and called it a "gut feeling" that Mora's agent has contacted Michigan. Could just mean that Jimmy is angling for a raise for his client or promises for more support, but there it is for those who didn't listen in.
As for recruiting, this is the year to get it right. It sounds like we have a modest nucleas of quality players who are staying and with a small potential class anyway, the loss is capped. So, I'd tell JHack don't panic.
December 8th, 2014 at 12:54 PM ^
December 8th, 2014 at 1:31 PM ^
that I'm beginning to see is the idea that if Harbaugh is here, he will be here for a Bo-like tenure.
That isn't even required, IMO
Get Harbaugh here for 7-10, let him build the program back up to standard, win a NC or 2 or 4 and then let him hand it off to a chosen successor...granted that successor might be a david Shaw but it could also be a Gary Moeller-type.