January 7th, 2022 at 2:22 PM ^
What's the job? Chicago and Minny haven't fired their coaches yet. Probably can't interview officially until that. Rooney rule violations also.
I get there can be stuff behind the scenes, but this seems premature. Unless it's Vegas.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:25 PM ^
Would have to be Vegas, which is a team without a real QB and any real chance of being a super bowl contender for several years. Also has terrible ownership. If Jim goes there, he must have an issue with UofM or just hates recruiting.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:33 PM ^
It's not popular and I can't see Jim going to live in Vegas BUT..Derek Carr is very much a real QB..he's a top 15 QB.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
Agreed - Derek Carr is good.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:39 PM ^
Without a real QB?
Come on dude. Passing stats are inflated but he's averaged 4300 yards and 69% completions the last four years. He's not Brady/Rodgers/Mahomes, but he is a better option than a good majority of QB's out there, and about the best caliber QB you can get on a team that would be looking for a head coach
January 7th, 2022 at 5:36 PM ^
Nice
January 7th, 2022 at 3:04 PM ^
Its the Raiders, the rumors have been Harbaugh connected to and interested in the Raiders since Gruden was fired
January 7th, 2022 at 2:22 PM ^
ACTIVATE THE FLIGHT TRACKERS
January 7th, 2022 at 2:23 PM ^
Every day there is more smoke.
At what point do we accept that this is happening?
January 7th, 2022 at 2:31 PM ^
It's the same people creating the same smoke though. I'm not saying it won't happen but amorphous "he said the Bears are a good team" and "the Raiders always liked him" is the level of reporting we're hearing. Hell, I read an NFL writer saying that the Broncos might be a place because they could be moving on from their HC, which was pure speculation on two front but was written like there had been actual talks.
Yes, I'm sure teams have reached out to Harbaugh. Seemingly every year that was the case. He may well move at some point, and I'd put Chicago higher on that list than UM. But NFL rumors are littered with "smoke" that was just guys blowing smoke up each others' asses for clicks.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:38 PM ^
Except we see UM writers saying that there is indeed smoke. Even Bacon has said that the odds have increased.
That is why I think this is happening. If it was just NFL then I would agree with you. But it isn’t.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
No, I recognize the odds are up. But Bacon's general statement is he hears these same rumors all the time and nobody knows anything. I also don't quite know how connected Bacon is on some things; he recently tweeted about how UM didn't have a dedicated agency to set up NIL deals only to have said organization tweet back that they had already negotiated $500k in deals this year.
Yes, I absolutely think Harbaugh is out talking to NFL teams; he did the same last year when he was trying to renegotiate another contract with UM. He didn't find any buyers then and he came back to UM; I'm sure he's getting more receptive answers from some NFL teams now but he's also likely getting more positive results from UM as well.
Time will tell, and if I see national guys and gals talk about actual teams then that's good. But if it's not LV then these teams still have to follow the Rooney Rule (for all the dog-and-pony show that is) and I'm not sure they're dying to get caught violating that given the PR and financial consequences that might entail. So it just feels like speculation to an extent and I think Monday next week will be more telling because a bunch of teams will have finished their seasons and be able to fire guys.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:49 PM ^
You assume that the two sets of rumors are correlated, which increases their truthfulness. But they could be independent. It can simultaneously be true that Harbaugh would consider an NFL job if Michigan does not deal with his contract, NIL, portal, and staffing requests and that NFL insiders are blowing smoke and turning teams' hypothetical interest in Harbaugh into signed contracts.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:50 PM ^
"Odds increased" and "it's happening" are two very different things. If the odds have jumped from 20 percent to 40 percent that's the odds increasing but it doesn't mean its likely.
Also we've seen Saban do things like this in the past. It was reported that he was considering Texas a couple years ago and all that turned out to be was smoke that lead to a fat contract extension. Sure, he could leave, but until I hear a team is interviewing him I'm not interested in any of this.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:43 PM ^
This is like one of those recruitments for an elite guy where all the national guys say he's going to not Michigan and all the Michigan insiders are saying its still up in the air and Michigan has a chance. It pretty much always ends up being not Michigan, sounds like its a pretty good chance Harbaugh is gone
January 7th, 2022 at 2:41 PM ^
As someone else pointed out downthread, these rumors are even more amorphous. They have not attached Harbaugh to any particular team. Despite being more certain, this one follows the same pattern.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:38 PM ^
You seem weirdly infatuated with what everyone else thinks.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:24 PM ^
I just don’t buy it.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:26 PM ^
(1) Unlikely
(2) Never heard of her
January 7th, 2022 at 2:26 PM ^
Isn't Jacksonville the only open job until Monday?
January 7th, 2022 at 2:29 PM ^
Vegas has an interim coach.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:26 PM ^
This is great news! Now all the people that wanted Harbaugh gone will have their way AND all the people that disagreed and said he was a great coach and our best option for us to have a successful season also got their way. The board can rejoice in unity vs being at one another’s throats. Right? Right?
January 7th, 2022 at 2:27 PM ^
I'm not in denial that he could go to the NFL, but isn't it a little weird people are hearing all these rumors and yet there has not been a single NFL team associated with them?
A typical rumor would be "Harbaugh talking to Raiders" not simply "Harbaugh talking".
January 7th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
There have been several Harbaugh to the Raiders rumors, but none appeared as credible as this reporter. And she basically is saying the Raiders by saying it's not the Bears or the Jags.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:28 PM ^
What makes me a bit more worried about this year's JH to the NFL talks is he usually puts out a statement refuting all the claims. Granted, a statement doesn't have to be true, but there's usually something out by now. UM doesn't have a money problem, so Warde needs to give him a contract he can't say no to.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
Why would he refute claims that give him leverage in his ongoing contract re-negotiation?
January 7th, 2022 at 2:56 PM ^
Maybe because the rumors hurt the program and he shouldn’t need to anything publicly to get leverage.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:58 PM ^
Exactly. He’s not going to deny anything right now. Cutting his pay last year was a huge mistake. Either extend him or don’t. Cutting his pay was disrespectful and now you have to over-pay and apologize if you want to keep him. Harbaugh is human and after being humbled the last few years, it probably feels good to be the hottest name in the football coaching world again.
Every rumor attaching his name to an NFL team is like an increase to the offer in negotiations.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:08 PM ^
Don't think that is accurate. I do not remember JH putting out statements last year or in any other year refuting NFL rumors. To the extent that any JH statements ever addressed NFL rumors they were months after the fact and also vague.
Still...I think it is more likely than not that he leaves...based on nothing other than the circumstantial evidence that is out and about...
January 7th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
Gattis as interim? Really sucks because the coaching carousel has already spun. Lloyd was intreim for his first season if my memory is correct? One season audition type thing.
Hate it because really felt like things were going in the right direction. I understand wanting to get it done at the highest level, but man seems like bad timing for the program. I would like to see someone on the staff get the interim nod to keep this particular group of coaches in place for another season.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:56 PM ^
Yes, Lloyd was the interim after Moeller's implosion. The AD at the time stated that Lloyd was interim only, and not a candidate to be the HC (for those who are too young or were just casual fans, Bo was still VERY active around the football program at that point in time). Carr was named the full-time HC later in that season, following the 5-0 home win over Purdue that was NOT an instant classic.
January 7th, 2022 at 4:39 PM ^
Worst weather I've ever seen at any home football game.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:23 PM ^
If JH leaves, I like this idea. It keeps most of the staff and players intact while giving everyone a year to see whether the job is too big for Gattis or not.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:30 PM ^
Every NFL team has a game left and every team has a HC, full time or interim. None of them have gone through the Rooney process. She must be saying she hears he WANTS to go.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
We can do worse than Fickell. He can recruit well and led Cincy of all places to the CFP.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:39 PM ^
He would never come here but he'd be my first choice.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:32 PM ^
I'd be ok with that, but I think I may prefer Aranda after the job he did this year with Baylor. Both decent choices.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:34 PM ^
Also, Warde Manuel hasn't done a damn thing. No statement that we will have a competitive NIL program in place. No pay raise to Harbaugh. What coach is going to want to come here with no commitment to football from the AD?
January 7th, 2022 at 2:44 PM ^
What's he suppose to say if things are being negotiated? Either he's working on a deal with Harbaugh or he's working on a backup plan or both!
January 7th, 2022 at 2:48 PM ^
He's supposed to say "Michigan is working on a comprehensive NIL package designed to improve our competitiveness in our league and nationally."
January 7th, 2022 at 2:54 PM ^
That would be nice. I hope that it's true but administration is probably standing in the way. If Harbaugh can't get the university to buy in Warde certainly has less power than him.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:58 PM ^
I assume every college football program is looking at their NIL position after seeing Texas A & M's highest rated class in history pulling in 25 to 30 million. Those are really some shocking numbers and if you don't keep up you will be left behind.
If a kid can go to his dream school or a good school with a good football program and a ton of cash it seems like an easy decision. No more going to a school because it was your favorite team as a kid. They have to get out in front of this if they want to compete.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:30 PM ^
I saw someone tweeted John U. Bacon that U of M's NIL program has been able to put up a staggering amount of..................... $500k since July.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
Warde is a nothing until proven otherwise.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:57 PM ^
He hired Mel Pearson & Juwan Howard. He retained Harbaugh when a sizable portion of the fanbase (although maybe not the most reasonable) wanted him out. He got the Ath Dept safely through the pandemic without having it crater - and is doing well now financially. He's done reasonably well with the non-revenue sports.
Better than many of his predecessors.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:46 PM ^
Trouble is, football is the hinge that everything swings on in the athletic department
January 7th, 2022 at 3:47 PM ^
1. Mel Pearson & Juwan were no brainers with Michigan connections.
2. Ok. Now he may lose the coach that he wanted to save last year with people like Bacon saying that it is because of the AD not being willing to adapt with the times.
3.The pandemic isn't over yet and I thought I saw that 2020 put the AD in a lot of debt.
4. Most of the non-revenue construction/coaching hires were under Brandon. What influence does he have on women's gymnastics? I feel like the reason they are good is more Bev Plocki than anything Warde has done.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:52 PM ^
It consistently amazes me how many fans crap on Warde. We won Big Ten championships in football and basketball in 2021, and were the only school to reach the final four in football, basketball, hockey, and baseball since 2018. But yeah, clearly our athletic director sucks ?
January 7th, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
You always have the positive hot takes with lower than ZERO proof of anything that goes on behind closed doors. Plus you can never say that Harbaugh was your favorite choice and you just will be heartbroken of any choice he makes. I’ll be happy for him as a person no matter what his decision is but all these people acting like they now care is hilarious. I won’t even waste my time doing any research but I’m positive that you’ve said lots of negative things about our coach, and AD.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:51 PM ^
Harbaugh hasn't recruited well enough at Michigan as evidenced by NYE. Also Warde doesn't do anything at all. Both things can be true.