An unshackled Jim Harbaugh
Interesting quote in a Sports Illustrated interview, from Jeffrey Persi's dad:
"There’s a bunch of armchair quarterbacks out there," he said. "I believe Harbaugh has what’s needed if he can break out of the handcuffs that bind him. You know his past coaching styles. Do these last two years really look like they’re his choice? We’ll choose an unshackled Harbaugh to lead this team and get our boy ready for life."
https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-football-jim-harb…
January 6th, 2021 at 9:59 AM ^
Perhaps there is one more shackle - and that is leaning in on his online and sideline behavior after his first couple of years.
Cut the balls off of anybody and they'll start to look like a shell of themselves. Kind of like what Harbaugh has looked like on the sideline these last couple years.
January 6th, 2021 at 10:15 AM ^
Not that it really matters but Harbaugh is 3-3 against Penn State.
/waves tiny flag
January 6th, 2021 at 11:47 AM ^
You are correct. I stand corrected.
But...he could/should be 5-1 against PSU. Many small things JH does and fails to do prevent him from maximizing outcomes.
January 6th, 2021 at 8:39 AM ^
"shackling" JH by not permitting online classes to the extent available at Oklahoma, Clemson, OSU, Alabama? Yes.
The irony of this statement is that everyone at Michigan is now doing all classes online.
January 6th, 2021 at 8:47 AM ^
Just an excuse to degrade programs more successful than Michigan.
January 6th, 2021 at 10:01 AM ^
It's not degrading these programs, it's the truth. Do you really think that Bama, Clemson, etc. have the same academic standards as Michigan?
Now that's not the only reason they are more successful, but to claim that it doesn't play a role is just absurd.
January 6th, 2021 at 8:42 AM ^
These things will let a few marginal students get in, and stay in. But it also isn't what Persi's dad was saying. Also, 2016 was just fine, save for an injured QB and shitty officiating against OSU, and some shitastic injury luck against FSU.
Fact is, we haven't seen a season long organized offense since 2016. Modern football requires 35 points for a legit shot at winning, and Michigan's offense seems averse to pushing that hard. I mean, what is the offensive identity of Michigan since 2017?
It's about coaching, not some perceived institutional conspiracy against sports.
January 6th, 2021 at 8:48 AM ^
If this is the case, they need to stop selling the winningest program of all, "Leaders and Best," we're an elite program BS. People aren't going to continue to cough up Porsche money to get a 2005 Honda Accord. Decide what you want to be and stick with it.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:06 AM ^
Didn't Harbaugh rip the school in 2006-2007 for the General Studies program? Those comments made him very unpopular in these parts for awhile (https://mgoblog.com/content/destroy-harbaugh).
To now want those "shackles" taken off would be quite hypocritical.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:45 AM ^
The irony.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:51 AM ^
I like your word better because I want JH to change his stance.
COVID has given the administration an opportunity to re-evaluate their stance on remote classes for athletes. Honestly, they could make a lot of their lectures available remotely for the entire student body.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:52 AM ^
These factors have been present his entire tenure here, not just the last two years. So while they might be factors of life as a Michigan coach, they don't seem relevant to the quote in the OP.
January 6th, 2021 at 11:51 AM ^
Double post (sorry....)
January 6th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
Sorry, but what a bunch of lame excuses. Go check the Academic All-Big Ten list for Michigan. If you think the curriculum for the majority of our student athletes is overly rigorous, come back and report it.
Instead of leaving the Big Ten Conference because of perceived slights, maybe Michigan football should leave the university and become independent. Michigan football just can't figure how to coexist with those PITA educational rules and regs. They are damn inconvenient to running a football program--even though Northwestern seems to have a handle on it, not to mention how Notre Dame seems to have figured it out, too.
January 6th, 2021 at 8:58 AM ^
I wouldn't be shocked if some of the board of regents were unhappy with his sideline passion, seeing such behavior as 'un-Michigan Man like'....
The Jim who coached in SF didn't let opinions of the higher ups change him (which is why he was only there for a short time) but maybe the implication that he could be let go if he didn't tone it down would have done it.
I don't think anyone disagrees that SOMETHING changed him a couple seasons ago.
January 6th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
ND has put up with Brian Kelly's sideline antics for years.
I highly doubt San Fran's management wanted to trade on-field results for a more calm Harbaugh on the sideline.
Jim having a difficult personality to work with is probably the more likely issue given how his exit took place in San Fran and the rumors we have heard about why there has been so much staff turn over at Michigan
January 6th, 2021 at 1:44 PM ^
On this note, I don't recall seeing purple face in a long time. Based on what I've seen I think Brian Kelly has toned it down dramatically over the past couple years.
January 6th, 2021 at 2:17 PM ^
It pops out every once in a while still when one of his players makes a mistake. Maybe it seems less because he has been winning more lately?
January 6th, 2021 at 9:13 AM ^
The only thing shackling Jim is his addiction to killing clock.
January 6th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
For someone who loves the game so much it sure seems like he wants to suck the life out of the actual games.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:26 AM ^
I'd say some handcuffs are the admissions department and athletic department. Something happened to Harbaugh after 2016, he changed his style and demeanor.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:39 AM ^
Not buying it
January 6th, 2021 at 9:51 AM ^
I’d love to hear Mr. Persi’s take on who he believes is responsible for clock management, particularly when a team is behind late in the half/4Q. What handcuffs have been imposed on JH (and by whom) that have caused his team to routinely butcher end of half /end of game scenarios every year?
Would also love to hear what handcuffs have been put on JH (and by whom) that have impeded his team’s ability to develop and maintain a culture where it’s not OK to routinely come out flat/unmotivated, particularly on the road.
What restrictions are in place that prohibit JH from ensuring that his team doesn’t often appear unprepared against significantly lesser-talented opponents?
At some point, folks need to realize that as a leader, you’re responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen on your watch. There are a few imperatives for a HC: culture, trust, accountability, preparedness, clock management. There isn’t always some larger conspiracy when the HC can’t get those right (or at least trending positively) after several years.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:55 AM ^
Suggesting he has been "handcuffed" these last couple years doesn't mean without them he would be flawless. You pointing out holes in his coaching style doesn't refute what the quote in the OP is suggesting.
January 6th, 2021 at 2:35 PM ^
Sure, but I think some folks on here are just trying to point to concrete and identifiable coaching errors that no amount of Harbaugh "getting his fire back" or "getting the shackles taken off" or "getting his Brian Kelly second chance" will change.
January 6th, 2021 at 9:53 AM ^
Continued: How it started:
how it ended:
January 6th, 2021 at 10:10 AM ^
So I'm supposed to sit here and accept that the fucking head coach who makes $7 million a year wasn't allowed to control his own fucking team?
January 6th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^
JH is shackled?
He's the head coach and has made his own bed.
Worst hot take ever?
January 6th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
At least the second worst.
January 6th, 2021 at 10:50 AM ^
riiight...
He's the head coach; everything on the field is ultimately the result of 'his decision'...
the quote specifically cites "Style of play", not opaque admission/academic standards... the implication is that this offense is being forced on Harbaugh.
January 6th, 2021 at 11:37 AM ^
I'm going to take a guess that the shackles are the salaries of his assistants. This is obviously complete speculation, but it feels like it might fit the lack of fire that we've seen.
I'm guessing that he picked up a lot of high paid assistants around 2016 that haven't all worked out the way he expected. He is limited to a very heathy ~$5M for assistants, but that's low compared to the top dogs.
https://www.crainsdetroit.com/sports/michigan-near-top-million-dollar-assistant-coaches
Nonetheless, he may have been stuck with these assistants, i.e. shackled, in order to maintain the budget. Maybe he was stuck with Don Brown longer than many of us realized.
He may have also received assurances that he will be given the opportunity to spend money closer to Alabama's $7.5M or Clemson's $7.4M:
https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/sports/20191210/alabama-has-highest-paid-football-coaching-staff
Does this make sense to anyone else?
January 6th, 2021 at 12:36 PM ^
To say that he will be unshackled is to say that he has somehow previously been shackled. By whom? Makes no sense at all. Just BS.
January 6th, 2021 at 1:49 PM ^
Out of the past three coaches (RR/Hoke/JH), Harbaugh would be by far the least shackled of them. You don't pay a highly respected alum/program savior $7M+ per year then handcuff him with respect to his coaching duties. That would be the ultimate of nonsense.