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Brian

STOOPS IS NOT HAVING IT. Can't say I blame him for this response:

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Via Eddie M

WOULD JIM HARBAUGH GO TO THE ONE PLACE DEFINITIVELY LESS WELL-RUN THAN MICHIGAN? I hope you're all rolling your eyes super-hard at any suggestion that Jim Harbaugh's stuck on the West Coast for the rest of his life because his wife likes it there. Ian Rapoport:

…according to Rapoport, the Miami Dolphins, long rumored as a potential landing spot for Harbaugh, are no longer an option. Miami's recent success apparently has convinced ownership to keep head coach Joe Philbin around and, in any case, Harbaugh is "not on the Dolphins' radar." Moreover, Harbaugh's wife does not want to leave the Bay Area, limiting the number of locations he can consider.

Accordingly, Rapoport listed the Oakland Raiders as a "real possibility" for Harbaugh.

That's not very nice to his wife in the event that Harbaugh and the 49ers part ways.

"Honey, I lost my lucrative job."
"I CONDEMN THEE TO THE DEPTHS OF THE OAKLAND RAIDERS."
"But I thought I might return to home and restore the legacy of the place I grew up and played quarterback."
"Nope. Raiders."
"D'awwww."

Neither end of that conversation seems particularly likely, and neither is it likely that San Francisco would let Harbaugh out of his contract so he could move across town. There are a ton of pieces that would have to fall into place for that to happen.

Also there is this:

(Not that Reggie McKenzie, this one.)

McKenzie is in his fourth year as the Raiders GM and has drafted well. As of a few weeks ago he wasn't thought to be under threat. Now maybe not so much with the Raiders riding a 15-game losing streak. The Raiders are kind of in the same situation as Michigan is with an interim AD, except an AD is only your boss in the technical sense that you can fire him—in college you are otherwise king of the mountain. Oakland would probably have to offer that level of control to get Harbaugh, and those arrangements have rarely worked out in the NFL.

THE THING ABOUT THE DOLPHINS ABOVE. That is some relief as Stephen Ross had previously been thought to be interested, for obvious reasons. Hearing that is no longer the case.

NO MULLEN FOR FLORIDA? Florida got the drop on Michigan but apparently they're not interested in the guy who's kind of a big deal right now:

Okay by me. If Michigan does not get Harbaugh he would be my first choice.

SLIGHTLY INSIDER STUFF. A source inside the department relates that Hackett was explicitly brought in as a short term guy and there is no inside track to the permanent spot for him even if he decides he wants the job. FWIW, this person thinks that Hackett doesn't intend on pursuing the job long term.

Also, the search committee is on the verge of being formed. As in: it has not been formed yet, some weeks after Brandon was axed. They'll act as the primary point of contact with the search firm that does these things; still, any and all comments from Schlissel about taking a long time and getting the hire right should be taken seriously. Hackett's going to do the firing and almost certainly the hiring.

This is not likely to dissuade Harbaugh, who has a ton of reasons to want to come back to Ann Arbor and an unshakeable faith in his ability to kick ass. That makes the AD virtually irrelevant to him. Relevant to us, of course. To Harbaugh he's just the guy who clears out the underbrush so he can coach.

Comments

MI Expat NY

November 18th, 2014 at 3:38 PM ^

If the Raiders leave Oakland, a very real possibility, Harbaugh's wife's purported position would leave Harbaugh without a reasonable coaching alternative in the near future if he falls out of favor in SF.  Something tells me that is not a likely scenario...

Ron Utah

November 18th, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^

FWIW, Rapaport also posted this:

I believe this is true, but I seriously doubt that Sarah Harbaugh would torpedo any move back to the midwest, where she is from.  The Bay Area is nice, but a happy husband is nicer.  Also, she clearly has a good sense of humor:

 

Stringer Bell

November 18th, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^

The whole wife thing is ridiculous.  No one would want to leave the Bay Area.  I highly doubt she's gonna put up much of a fight if Jim leaves the Niners and decides he wants to coach his alma mater.  If she doesn't support him in that decision, then one really has to question why she married him.

 

As far as the AD thing goes, I think it makes sense to use an AD search as a selling point for Harbaugh.  Gotta think he'd love to have a say in who his next boss would be, especially considering the whole reason he's being forced out of the Niners is because he isn't getting along with his current bosses.  

MI Expat NY

November 18th, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^

At the same time, how many of those wives hold that position when their husban is a professional at sports?  It's not like he can just pick up and start over at one of hundreds of other companies in the Bay Area like he would be able to do if he was in almost any other profession.  

turd ferguson

November 18th, 2014 at 5:47 PM ^

These kinds of comments about Harbaugh's marital dynamics creep me out.  None of us has any idea of what's going on between Jim Harbaugh and his wife, nor do we have any basis for making statements about what she's entitled to ask for or expect.  Marriages are funny things, and the Harbaughs are fortunate enough that they can be picky about a lot of things that other families have to be flexible with (e.g., where to live).  I mean, Jim could retire tomorrow and I'd imagine they'd be fine for a long, long time.

Stringer Bell

November 18th, 2014 at 3:54 PM ^

I just don't buy that she's that hellbent on keeping her family in the Bay Area no matter what.  If the numerous reports of Jim being out with the Niners after the year are true, do you really think Jim is really gonna limit himself to just the Raiders job because his wife doesn't want to move?  And if Jim comes out and says he really wants to coach Michigan, do you think she's going to vehemently oppose that?  I gotta think she's not that big of a beyotch.

WolvinLA2

November 18th, 2014 at 4:22 PM ^

I agree with all of you that she'd likely let him do what he wants. But a lot of women "sign up" for something and years later aren't as cool with it. That said, I agree that if JH had his heart set on it, she wouldn't stand in the way of him coming to AA. But what if he's on the fence, and is thinking the Raiders is a good option? If you have two good options (in your head, at least) and one will keep your wife happy, that might be the tie-breaker.




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APBlue

November 18th, 2014 at 8:41 PM ^

Raiders are a big wild card. 

What does Harbaugh think of their rookie QB?

What if they offer him the coach and GM job?

What if their LA relocation rumors pick up?

How interested in an NFL rebuilding job is he?

Is there any truth to the rumors about his wife's intention to stay in the bay area?

 

Lots of questions, man.  Idunno.  

CRISPed in the DIAG

November 19th, 2014 at 8:41 PM ^

Absolutely. The Bo scuttle is EXACTLY what I heard from a trusted source.  To this day, I believe the story that Bo single-handedly pushed Martin into wrapping Pitino in ice until the deal died.  

I was only saying that Pitino used his wife as an excuse to not come here.  Here's to hoping Hacket doesn't play squash.

alum96

November 18th, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^

Supposedly Jim was ok with being traded to Cleveland.  I am sure his wife is aware Cleveland is not in the Bay area.

Sometimes I wonder if this has just become a massive internet meme.  Where did this wife thing even come from? 

I mean unless this is wife-zilla you married a guy who is a coach - coaches move around the country.  That's their MO unless you are married to Joe Paterno or Tom Osbourne.

Stringer Bell

November 18th, 2014 at 3:55 PM ^

Not only was he ok with it, but he reportedly initiated the trade talks himself.  I mean, saying that someone doesn't want to leave the Bay Area is like saying someone doesn't wanna leave the Hawaiian islands.  Sometimes life gets in the way and you have to make compromises.  I'd hope that Jim's wife would support his decision either way, knowing that no matter where they live they'll have a very nice lifestyle.

Brodie

November 18th, 2014 at 4:34 PM ^

here's the thing with this "Jim wanted to go to the Browns" rumor... it's not what was reported at the time, in fact it's the exact opposite. And it doesn't make any sense unless it is the other way around... it's the 49ers FO that has the issue with HIM not the other way around.

As far as I can tell, the only source that says Jim initiated the Browns trade was that Grantland article written by an underclassman at Ohio State.

Stringer Bell

November 18th, 2014 at 5:00 PM ^

"It's the 49ers FO that has the issue with HIM not the other way around."

 

I beg to differ.  He has an issue with the FO which is why he'll likely leave on his own at the end of the year.  Problem is he can't fire the GM or the owner, but they can fire him.  I think the dislike there is mutual.

Tony Soprano

November 19th, 2014 at 6:48 AM ^

When I was in SF for a few days while on a trip through California, I couldn't understand why some people like it so much.  It was chillier than I expected, very windy (especially in the evenings), and much too crowded.   I seriously had to have a jacket on in the evenings in mid-August because it was too cold without one.  SF was not at all what I expected and I was happy to leave it and move on to our next stop. 

pescadero

November 19th, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^

The Bay Area is beautiful... but it definitely has its issues - and they're almost all related to population.

 

Housing - A $150K house in Ann Arbor is a $650K house.

Traffic - when i lived in San Jose it took my 35 minutes to get to work using the carpool lane, and I lived 9 miles from work.

 

If you got the population of San Francisco down to about the equivalent of Portland, OR... and did the same to San Jose... THEN it would be a nice place to live.

The Wolverine …

November 18th, 2014 at 3:41 PM ^

I don't see Harbaugh going to the Raiders for a few reasons and one of them is they are a franchise that could be moved to San Antonio or LA. Plus I feel he would bump heads with the front office there as well.



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The Wolverine …

November 18th, 2014 at 3:46 PM ^

Plus my wife hates living in Michigan for 15 yrs, we moved to NC for a few years and then to where she is from in NJ, but a good job and family brought us back to Michigan, we always said we would never want to leave NC and we and came back where started, so I believe it can happen, Lebron left the warm weather for cold ass Cleveland



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thetruthisback

November 18th, 2014 at 3:50 PM ^

brian seems convinced harbaugh is a real possibility.  that would be great, but still too good to be true.  i don't think mullen is the answer.  if you look at his team, they are sloppy.  poor special teams, poor clock management, etc.  he's just catching lightning in a bottle this year; but i don't think he's a fit here culturally or schematically.  

alum96

November 18th, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^

The schematic thing is very overglossed with Mullen even if you are of the belief he is not having a "Hoke in his 6th year at Ball State but obviously in a much better conference" moment with a ton of seniors, JUCO transfers and the like.  UM is this year getting rid of the last pieces that would fit the offense Mullen runs.  I mean Wilton Speight running a run option spread?  We'd be starting from square 1 on offense and be in multi year transformation.  The second one in 4 years.

You can eat some transition costs to a pass spread or air raid from a pro style.  Run option spread is 180 degrees different for what this team is now built to do.  And I am of the mind WRs are WRs and can work in most any system, and so can most RBs.  But we don't have QBs for this period.

thetruthisback

November 18th, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

exactly.  our QB situation is bleak already, let alone trying to force these guys into a read-option based system.  i don't think people realize our only viable option in the future is speight.  shane has been a hype recruit from day 1, but has performed poorly in all the games he has played and all the recruit camps leading up to him coming on campus.  it's speight or bust for the forseeable future, and he's not going to scare anyone with his legs.  

carlos spicywiener

November 18th, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^

Junior Tyler Russell takes over at quarterback after a part-time role last season. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Russell threw for 1,034 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions in 2011, and his presence under center will mark a stark contrast from last year's starter Chris Relf, who was an accomplished runner but inconsistent passer.

Mullen said Russell's strengths should make Mississippi State more proficient in the passing game.

"We will tweak," Mullen said. "I think every year, you take your playbook, you take what you have in your playbook, and you're not going to use 100 percent of it. You have to take whatever percentage, 60, 75, 80, whatever, fits that year's team."

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/mississippi-state-fighting-rise-loaded-s…

Mullen has adjusted to pocket passers before.