Has anyone ever seen anything like this?

Submitted by gustave ferbert on

Just a question for the board.  Can anyone recall such an obsession for a coach to come and coach somewhere?  I can't recall at any time a fan base wanting  a coach so desperately as we are witnessing right now.  

I don't recall Ohio State fans getting so obsessed over Urban Meyer.

I do recall Lions fans saying Mariucci was an obvious choice but not to this level. 

Saban to Texas? 

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RJMAC

December 8th, 2014 at 9:16 AM ^

Talented coach, but a loose cannon and surrounded by turmoil. Some of it his doing. Turned down Michigan twice now. No need to want a coach anymore that doesn't want to be at Michigan. Good riddance, and time to move on.

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maizenbluenc

December 8th, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^

1) Harbaugh does have faults - his intensity has clearly worn out in his current locker room, and has been the root of public incdents before. He's not Woody-unhinged, but definitely someone you have to make allowances for.

2) It appears the poster assumes Harbaugh is not coming this time. Honestly, if at the end of the day Harbaugh does turn us down this time, I think we need to be done with him. he'll have turned us down twice in our darkest hours.

Both points are reasonable points of view.

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mGrowOld

December 8th, 2014 at 9:58 AM ^

Lebron was the one I was going to mention as well. Here in Cleveland his departure and subsequent return definitely eclipsed the Harbaugh-hysteria by a factor of a jillion.

Remember the jersey-burning when he left and people literally celebrating in the streets when he came back. I love me some Harbaugh but I'll bet he won't move the needle like that no matter what he decides to do.

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Caesar

December 8th, 2014 at 9:17 AM ^

Jim is about as surefire a coach as you can hire, so it's not an issue with believing in him. I just never have accepted that it can really happen in the first place. Right now, it's just like my date next week with Anja Rubik.

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cjellison1325

December 8th, 2014 at 9:21 AM ^

Us fans are so desperate To see Michigan rise to glory again. The years after Llyod have been nothing but disappointment(other than one year). We as a fan base really needs this hire or a hire of some relevance. Plus, I'm very sick of losing every year to the like of Ohio and MSU!!

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SECcashnassadvantage

December 8th, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^

I was actually not very happy with the 2011 team. Great that we won a lot and I would take my uneasy feelings back in a heartbeat We won a few games we clearly shouldn't have, and I was thinking man this team looks like a mess. I was actually scared after the Va Tech game. The team just looked like a disorganized cluster and Brady wasn't holding anyone accountable when mistakes were made. He would just clap and pat the men on the butt. My feelings were correct sadly, and a bunch of people put me down when I was honest and stated the team looked poorly coached. Carr and Bo would call some poor games, but the team was organized and never quit.

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redsoxaa

December 8th, 2014 at 9:22 AM ^

I fully believe he won't come.  I will be overjoyed if he does, but I just can't buy in.  My bigger concern is why it takes so long to figure out who to hire.  I really don't see Hacket being the kind of guy to sit on a weak "maybe" from Harbaugh.  I am convinced that this is really going to be a hire out of left field.  Unfortunately I don't see this fan base being excited at that prospect.

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KRK

December 8th, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^

It's not a yes or no situation. There are negotiations beyond just pay. They may be discussing input on the future AD hire, timing of announcement and a lot of otherwise nuisances that go into this. We don't know if there was a maybe answer or a "yes, but wait two weeks".



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Carolina Wolverine

December 8th, 2014 at 9:25 AM ^

I think it is very rare that someone is such a perfect fit for a job. Harbaugh to Michigan makes so much sense. Also, the lack of any seemingly decent candidates feeds the hysteria (for lack of a better term). Hiring anyone else that is a realistic choice, makes it seem like Michigan is just another place. Nothing could be worse than that.

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Everyone Murders

December 8th, 2014 at 9:31 AM ^

Jim Harbaugh seems like a great fit (although he carries a bit of baggage - downtalking UofM academics in the past, and inability to play nice with others).  Net-net I'd take him in a heartbeat.

But Jim Mora Jr., Stoops, Miles or anyone else taking a step from a strong program to Ann Arbor would be hard to read as Michigan being deemed anything other than a destination.  If I were driving the bus (and there are a lot of good reasons I'm not), I'd be asking my search firm to kick Mora's tires in every way possible. 

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PeterKlima

December 8th, 2014 at 9:27 AM ^

Obviously this happens ALL THE TIME. It just feels more intense because it is your team and you are checking the news and reading rumors a lot. How closely did you follow Any other search? Fans are intense. The idea that the desire for Harbaugh to UM is unique is an extremely myopic view of the world.



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LSAClassOf2000

December 8th, 2014 at 9:41 AM ^

All I really can say is that it wouldn't be nearly what it is, this single-mindedness that some are showing, if we weren't standing in the middle of a crossroads in the direction of Michigan football right now.

We've been marching toward it for a couple years, but we're at it now.

It does seem that the choices are making a hire that could spark a Renaissance of sorts, or prolonged "meh" at best. I think the problem in becoming so invested in one name is that, other than the lack of solid information out there, there are at least a few other coaches who could do the same or similar job with the right staff in place.

The prospect of Harbaugh potentially gives Michigan a developer / motivator and someone who can maximize talent as well as someone who is an easy cultural fit in Ann Arbor, but he isn't necessarily the only person who can give Michigan what it would like out of a football program.

That being said, of course, the thought of Jim Harbaugh coming home is a nice thought all the same.

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chatster

December 8th, 2014 at 9:46 AM ^

For those of us who’ve followed the other brand of football, I seem to recall many people clamoring for Jürgen Klinsmann to become manager of the United States Men’s National Team as far back as 2006.  Negotiations with Klinsmann didn't lead to a contract at that time, so interim manager Bob Bradley got the job until he was relieved of his duties following a 4-2 loss to Mexico in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup.  Then, finally, Klinsmann took the job.

There may be many examples of this type of obsession in all sports. Just this year, New York Knicks fans were pleading for Phil Jackson to return to Madison Square Garden to resuscitate the franchise. And many of us in Red Sox Nation, currently reeling from spinning on the worst-to-first-to-worst carousel, were pretty adamant about getting former pitching coach John Farrell back from Toronto to manage the team in 2013 after Bobby Valentine's disastrous performance in 2012.

This "obsession" is what makes people "fanatics."

 

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Bluesnu

December 8th, 2014 at 9:48 AM ^

There was a time during the Weis era where ND fans were obsessed with Urban Meyer going there that was pretty similar. Flight tracking, rumors, etc. I don't know that it was THIS bad or constant, but there also wasn't as much social media or message board fodder back then either.

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bjk

December 8th, 2014 at 2:59 PM ^

the "oh good/he's crapping the bed in SF all of a sudden/he has no choice but to come here" logic I've been hearing. On the other hand, it does seem altogether unlikely that he would leave a job while on the upward trajectory of his success in it. Maybe we should hold off approaching him until after he wins his fifth superbowl ring. Anything less than that will still leave him something to prove at that level.

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bjk

December 8th, 2014 at 3:05 PM ^

The set pieces from a year ago are gone. There are no upcoming games or relevent changes to the prevailing blocking schemes or other base offensive schemes to wrap our minds around at the moment. Harbaugh is the proximate bright shiny object. So it looks like obsession for the duration. When whatever happens happens, there will be a reaction and then we will move on to the next thing. Hopefully no couches will be burned in the process.

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Amaizing Blue

December 8th, 2014 at 10:08 AM ^

There is no way we lure Stitt from the Montana College of Mining.  That is the dream job to end all dream jobs for any coach.  We'll probably end up with our second or third choice, someone like that guy Harbew or whatever.

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alum96

December 8th, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^

It is rare a former star QB turns into one of the top 10 coaches in the sport, and just so happens to be on a hot seat the exact same time his alma mater has an opening.

It's a bit of a 1 in 500 type of situation here.  Most top coaches were not stars at big football programs.

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randyfloyd

December 8th, 2014 at 1:05 PM ^

just as bad. I would mention how much they hated him, after the 06 title game, and they would simply say, "no we didn't"... I just smiled and rolled my eyes...and said "okay"

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