Umm...aren't the Big Ten Media Days taking place?

Submitted by canzior on July 22nd, 2021 at 12:40 PM

or does no one care?   Harbaugh currently speaking...

MGoChippewa

July 22nd, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^

Just said that McNamara is the #1 QB going into fall camp.  Has taken the leadership reins.  Said that McCarthy has been great as well, but McNamara hasn't let him take over the top spot.

Quailman

July 22nd, 2021 at 2:28 PM ^

The 5-Star freshman or the transfer coming in with 20 games played under his belt in the Big 12? I mean, there are at least theoretically options besides Cade.

Either way, the more interesting thing is JH saying he's #1 right now heading into fall when the normal soundbite is "everyone is competing for the spot"

Maize and Luke

July 22nd, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^

From Harbaugh it’s all going to be coach speak, rainbows and sunshine type stuff. I expect more of the same from the players but I’m more interested in what they say.

MGoChippewa

July 22nd, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^

Demeanor seems more upbeat than I remember him in past years.  Doesn't seem to have the agitation factor that you tend to see in his public appearances.  Not sure what that really means or maybe it's just me.  Does anybody else think the personality seems different?  Again, not saying it means anything.

ShadowStorm33

July 22nd, 2021 at 1:21 PM ^

Eh, the only useful information that ever comes out of media days are the articles with anonymous coach/player comments. Everything else is pure fluff...

dickdastardly

July 22nd, 2021 at 1:44 PM ^

I think even Keith Jackson knew there was a culture issue.

Aidan Hutchinson just now: “In 2018, 2019, clearly something wasn’t right about our culture.”

Says he hadn’t really thought about culture as a weak point before, but Mike Macdonald opened his eyes.

— Zach Shaw (@_ZachShaw) July 22, 2021

MGoStrength

July 22nd, 2021 at 3:11 PM ^

Agreed.  We hear this throughout all coaching changes - my favorite is the strength training coach changes: "we're going to be faster and stronger." 

As a former college S&C coach myself who's spent his fair share of time around college athletics as both a college baseball player and working as a strength coach at 3 different schools I've always thought the science and programming of what you're doing is not the most important.  This is the same as in all areas of exercise, weight lifting, weight loss, etc.  It's better to have an average plan done with great intensity, effort, and execution than an optimal plan done with less intensity, effort, and execution.  I think there is also some carry over to coaching.  While Xs & Os and strategy certainly matter, it's the ability to actually coach it, get your players to buy in, put the right players in the right positions, motivate them, build culture, etc. that makes a great coach so.  You need the science and you need the Xs & Os, but without a good delivery aka coach, it won't do much good.

WolvesoverGophers

July 23rd, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^

This was an eye opener as well.  I don't know if it blaming the past leadership for results or real, but I certainly hope that the leaders on this team are changing the culture for the better.  Good on Mike MacDonald for calling it out to members of the team.

 

Hard enough to beat Ohio State, don't need a dysfunctional leadership on top of that.

MGoStrength

July 22nd, 2021 at 2:05 PM ^

JH could say everything right.  He could say:

We need to get more production out of the DTs so we can get more pass rush from the other places and take pressure off the LBs and DEs. 

We need more production out of our CBs. 

We need our QB be more consistently able to make the right reads and throw the ball more accurately. 

We need to develop on the o-line. 

We need to let our safeties be the playmakers they can be. 

We need to be better at developing an offensive identity and improve week to week. 

We need to give up less big plays. 

We need to recruit OH better. 

And, we need to start beating our rivals more, specifically OSU.  We've been trash in the game that matters most the last two years. 

I've spent all offseason addressing these things, making coaching changes in line with this, and will improve in these areas this year.  I can't guarantee victory, but we will show up ready to play the third week of November in a way we are proud of.

He could say all that and we'd be like "we'll believe it when we see it on the field".  I also know he won't say any of that.  He'll say we're working on being 1% better each day.  I'm working on "coaching the team".  And, we are focused on competition and meritocracy. 

MGoStrength

July 22nd, 2021 at 3:31 PM ^

It was good to see coach without the hat.  He looked a little more normal I guess, which is good for his and UM's marketability.  He had a nice suit on and while he still had glasses they weren't the old Bo style ones.

https://youtu.be/RgYJbMjYX1c

 

cobra14

July 22nd, 2021 at 3:36 PM ^

Ah you mean he looked professional finally. 
 

And before some of you go on about “I don’t care what he wears at B1G media days” go find Lamar Woodley talking about how he didn’t understand and hated that Lloyd made them wear suits all the time then he ended his football career and got into businesses and he was so grateful and understanding why Lloyd made him wear it as a youngster.,

Toby Flenderson

July 22nd, 2021 at 4:20 PM ^

I think dressing professionally is important, and I am glad Jim Harbaugh is doing it.

When you are in a leadership position, the way you look and carry yourself is important. If I was taking my mother to the doctor, I would prefer if the doctor was not wearing flip flops and mom jeans. If my Detroit Lions are playing MNF against the Jets, I'd prefer my coach to not wear a poncho.

It matters.

Nervous Bird

July 22nd, 2021 at 10:14 PM ^

Something about Coach Harbaugh just gets me giddy about the season. He was a little more animated, a little more enthusiastic than normal. And, he let some of that Jim Harbaugh intensity shine through at the end when he talked about him and the kids climbing the mountain - "we gotta get to the APEX"! 

Another thing, both Wilton Speight and Pep Hamilton expressed frustration with the continuous quarterback competition through fall camp. Pep actually said that he preferred to identify a guy and use camp to get him fully prepped for the season. It seems like Coach Harbaugh is now embracing that particular philosophy. Since it appears that Cade is saying catch me if you can, I concur with Coach Harbaugh.