A look back at Harbaugh's post-3rd year offseason at Stanford
Hey, height of the offseason, thought I'd take a look back at a few things.
Alright, so last season was largely painful to watch, and the offense was a far cry from what we expected when we landed Harbaugh. This was nothing like the awesome Stanford juggernaut that mashed the PAC-12 to bits in 2009 and 2010.
But what if I told you that this season basically did happen at Stanford? Harbaugh was in his third year there, coming off of an 8-5 season (a miracle to most of the world but a disappointment to him) in which he had fielded a top ten unit (the #3 S&P+ offense), but paired it with a downright awful unit (the #83 defense). Sound familiar?
I think it's fair to say that a lot of frustration earlier in the offseason was largely due to Harbaugh’s own lack of characteristic intensity and anger in response to the obvious coaching ineptitude on his staff. Especially when you read articles like this, discussing his response to that 8-5 Stanford season:
“He fired several coaches and stripped another coach of offensive responsibility after Stanford's first winning season in eight years. One of the fired staff members was a friend and former player who had attended Harbaugh's wedding.”
Harbaugh acted with SWIFT VENGANCE AND FURIOUS ANGER! As was appropriate.
Except if Harbaugh was pissed, he never made it public. The article linked above was written several years after the fact. I haven’t found a single gossipy or negative article about the coaching turnover during this time (and yes - this is Stanford football - but still).
The only coverage I could find is from a Stanford Daily article in the spring of 2010. Now the language in these articles is always meant to soften the blow of a firing or demotion. But in following what happened to each of the coaches that left, it’s clear that Harbaugh went out of his way to find impactful landing spots for all of them. The list:
Andy Buh – essentially fired as co-DC, but ends up getting an equivalent role at his alma matter
Ron Lynn – also essentially fired as co-DC, but Harbaugh retained him in a player development role
Taggert – Harbaugh probably didn’t want him to leave, but supported him getting a head coaching gig
Clayton White – also essentially fired as DB coach, but found a job with Taggert
DJ Durkin –probably considered moving to Florida (a team coming off two national championships in three years) as an upgrade. (He was wrong, Urban went 8-5 in 2010 and quit on his team for the second time in as many years).
So what happened in 2010? Harbaugh brought in longtime NFL DC Vic Fangio and current Vanderbilt HC (but then only an obscure NFL position coach) Derek Mason. His new hires upgraded the defense to very solid (#23 S&P+) while the offensive staff maintained an elite unit (#3). Although recruitniks didn’t identify it in 2007-2009, Harbaugh’s foundational classes produced what some consider to be the most talented college team not to play in a BCS title game, and the Cardinal went 12-1 and won the Orange Bowl.
Looking forward to 2018.
Nice work!
Thanks!
Nothing too earthshattering here, but it is interesting to see some of the parallels.
Haven't seen anything even glass shattering on this blog lately. I hope more people read this and fewer spend time talking about watching the ND game alone in their basements. Well done. Nice positive spin based upon real historical data.
Please. I plan to watch the ND game alone in my basement in my underwear while snuggling my cat and gorging myself on carrot chips.
Hate cats but carrot chips are not for making fun of.
Will you be sitting in your bean bag chair and will you also have cheetos?
The problem is that we want instant success...we want to knock off teams like OSU and MSU that have dominated the big ten for the last decade. What we need to do is support and not buy into the 24/7 365 media circus about everything.
I'll go one degree further... the OL has been so far below the standard that has been in place since Bo in 1969-70. For three plus decades our OL was the cream of the program, always a cut above anyone else.... then Lloyd was held on a few years too long and recruiting got hammered.... Frey did fine with RR on the outside but RR began to go with smallish but quick linemen... The turning point did seem to be when Boren left... the OL never came close to that standard since.... once they get back to the standard here then we will see Michigan football return.
I'll go one degree further... the OL has been so far below the standard that has been in place since Bo in 1969-70. For three plus decades our OL was the cream of the program, always a cut above anyone else.... then Lloyd was held on a few years too long and recruiting got hammered.... Frey did fine with RR on the outside but RR began to go with smallish but quick linemen... The turning point did seem to be when Boren left... the OL never came close to that standard since.... once they get back to the standard here then we will see Michigan football return.
So does this infer that Pep Hamilton is the next to go ? Still don't know who is running the offense. You have ex Florida coach McElwain coaching the wrs, or as pass game coord? And Hamilton ? What does he do ? THIS is the problem.
Bo had a OC and a DC, not this role sharing crap.
Blah blah blah... blah. Bo isn't walking the earth anymore and sure is not coaching Michigan football anymore.
You parrots like to parrot nonsense. PIPE down
I agree. The only references to Bo’s tenure and how it should be emulated today are his work ethic and love/care for Michigan and his 100+ sons on the team. That’s his legacy...not some method of coaching or staffing.
Bo actually refused to name an OC for many years. In Bo's Lasting Lessons he even recognized the fact that Hanlon wanted the title very badly, but that was not the way Bo worked.
Personally I couldn’t care less about which coach holds what title.
All I want is 1) an offensive line that actually knows what it’s supposed to be doing on the field, and 2) 2 scholarship QBs who can actually...you know...quarterback.
Accomplish these two things and titles are meaningless.
Do you really think Jim Harbaugh doesn't know how an O should be co-ordinated? Really....
Step back from the computer for a second and think about what you are writing because that makes zero sense.
The potential is certainly there for a bounce back year. Harbaugh has got all the talent he needs. Probably the second most talented team in the conference, and more than enough of it is there to beat OSU.
The team will go as far as the OL can take it. As far as Warriner can coach it. Hopefully the results come sooner rather than later.
I agree. This team will live and die with the O-Line. Either we’ll protect the QB to make throws, and run block for the the backs to gain yards on the ground (against good competition too not just the peewee squads) or we’ll pull a repeat of last season.
Not too worried . 8 n 5 with basically a redo team and zip for QB means all upside with improvement across the board. I love the pile on by certain teams ....just jells the team and adds focus. Can't wait to watch.
https://cbsdetroit.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/big-house0911111.jpg?w=512&h=296&crop=1
Can't wait. Great job with this!
This is fantastic. You make a decent case for the big-picture parallels between these situations, and I'm surprised others haven't picked up on this idea.
What’s interesting is they had several tough away games that year as well. Not as tough as we have this year but there are certainly some parallels. I am looking forward to a great year!
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