Harbaugh and Tom Crean
This Friday, Jim Harbaugh will in all likelihood catch the non-conference game in Bloomington between Indiana and Eastern Illinois. Harbaugh's sister Joani is married to Indiana basketball coach Tom Crean. Jim and Tom are in regular contact, whether talking or texting.
I've never been a fan of Tom Crean. I haven't liked the way he operates, and really like Beilein much more. I'm glad that Beilein is Michigan's coach. Having said that, I'm wondering if I've been too harsh on Crean. I wonder if he is competitive just like Jim Harbaugh, doing the same kinds of things Jim Harbaugh does. Do I give a pass to Harbaugh for Crean like behavior because Harbaugh is our coach? Or, does Harbaugh really not like Crean, but he befriends him because Crean is married to Jim's sister? Or is it the case that Harbaugh and I just really disagree on this matter.
Maybe some of you more familiar with Harbaugh and with Crean can comment intelligently on their relationship. Because this is one area where on the face of things, I disagree with Coach Harbaugh.
EDIT: negged myself. A stupid thread and stupid question. Of course you are always going to hate your rivals, and the coaches of your rivals. Still, I learned a little bit about Crean in the thread below. And the reality is that sometimes, coaches get along with rival coaches from other schools, even if they want their own school to always win. Think Bo and Woody.
November 10th, 2015 at 3:58 PM ^
I'm not struggling. I don't like Crean, and don't ever see liking Crean. And we all have to get along with our relatives. Makes sense for Harbaugh. No point in picking fights with whoever marries your sibs. Just curious if anyone on the board knew more about Crean.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:29 PM ^
I heard he likes lime jello best of all. Future serial killer style.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 3:48 PM ^
don't get what is going to come of this thread. I don't think many people on this blog really comment about Crean in the "real life" kind of way. Like, "I hate Mark Dantonio" doesn't mean I actually hate him. I hate him in the WWE way that fans are supposed to hate a rival coach. He could be a really good dude and I would have no clue.
Let's let Harbaugh, like, visit with a family member without deciding whether it is good, bad, or indifferent.
November 10th, 2015 at 6:40 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
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November 11th, 2015 at 7:38 AM ^
Best parts of that are the fu manchu guy who sees it coming (look for his legs) and runs until he can get between them. And #75.
November 10th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
whats going on in the program that causes so much attrition, forced or otherwise. As has been proven since Sir Bobby Knight left its probably the highest pressure cooker job in the league and Crean seems to show that emotionally more than he probably should.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^
about that as well. What I have noticed from Indiana is that they just play really fast paced, there is not much of an "offense" per se, it is just more of a track meet. I wonder if it is conditioning based and he just works the kids to death and some of them are just like screw this.
November 10th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
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November 10th, 2015 at 3:56 PM ^
I will never know Crean, and don't see a reason to ever like him. Just wondered if anyone here knew more about him than what I've seen as a Michigan fan.
November 10th, 2015 at 5:16 PM ^
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November 10th, 2015 at 5:35 PM ^
I'll beg to differ with you. Who people are when no one is looking often relates to some of the decisions they make in public.
November 10th, 2015 at 3:57 PM ^
I'm sure if he goes, it's just to say hi to his sister.
November 10th, 2015 at 3:55 PM ^
called "Little Experts" with toddlers sitting in the analysts chair. I am bewildered by this. I mean, little kids are cute and all, but this is just awkward.
November 10th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
Don't watch ESPN unless a game is on. Problem fixed.
November 10th, 2015 at 3:55 PM ^
Bo was good friends with Bobby Knight, so I guess it's fitting.
November 10th, 2015 at 3:59 PM ^
Forgot about that, but now that you mention it, you're right.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:04 PM ^
Let's not forget Crean's closeness to Izzo. I think that drives a lot of the Crean hate from Michigan fans.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:13 PM ^
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November 10th, 2015 at 4:14 PM ^
http://mgovideo.com/harbaugh-family-roundtable/
Give this a watch if you already haven't.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:15 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 4:17 PM ^
He's a poor man's Calipari...recruit talent and let it rip. He gets a lot of credit for Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo. In the five combined years those guys played for him, his teams were 121-49 (55-31 conf), .712 and .640 respectively
In the years without them, his teams were 348-186 (87-117), .532 and .426 respectively.
NCAA tournament record with Wade and Oladipo: 6-4.
Without them: 0-4 in 11 seasons.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:17 PM ^
Crean is a douche
November 10th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
The dude flew to Florida on the bye week to see two uncommitted recruits for God sakes...
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November 10th, 2015 at 4:25 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 4:32 PM ^
Wonder if he will "waste" time working with him when he arrives on campus next month as an EE too...
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November 10th, 2015 at 4:34 PM ^
I guess you fail to see the difference between a bye week and a game week.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:39 PM ^
Likely he's at the game? Maybe not.
But to make it seem like there is NO WAY? Come on.
Certainly the head coach can sneak away for 3-4 hours after the team walk through and dinner...
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November 10th, 2015 at 4:41 PM ^
He's already a Michigan commit.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:54 PM ^
Do you still buy roses for your wife even though you're already married?
Anyone on here coach? Had a high school kid go to the next level and you go check out his game? Or do you just forget about him/her after he/she graduates.
Look, I see the validity of your points, but creating relationships is what this business is all about.
The kid is about to play the most important game of his life and perhaps Harbaugh making an appearance shows the kid that Michigan is going to support him to the very end.
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November 10th, 2015 at 5:02 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 5:03 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 5:16 PM ^
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November 10th, 2015 at 4:46 PM ^
IU is not a walkover, so I'd rather he spend that time with his coaches like he'd do any other night before a game.
November 11th, 2015 at 8:39 AM ^
Wendy Peffercorn, FFS.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:28 PM ^
You don't need to be in agreement with every Harbaugh opinion on people or life in general.
Just as long as you realize that your opinions are shit and wrong when you disagree with him.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:28 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 5:27 PM ^
Thanks so much for sharing this story. It was the kind of thing I was curious about. In retrospect, I should have just googled the Indy Star instead of posting the question about the relationship between Harbaugh and Crean. But I kind of wondered at the villiany ascribed to Crean. Much appreciated. I still am curious about the attrition on IU's teams, but it sounds like there is more than meets the eye.
November 10th, 2015 at 6:28 PM ^
November 10th, 2015 at 4:41 PM ^
HARBAUGH LIKES CREAN.
HOW CAN I GO ON LIVING?
November 10th, 2015 at 4:42 PM ^
coaching one of your rivals. You don't know him, Jim Harbaugh knows him. I don't have to *like* Tom Crean because Jim Harbaugh knows and appears to like him but I can concede that I don't really know Tom Crean and have no way of judging him as a person.
Maybe Dantonio is a decent guy, maybe I'd be friends with him if he was my co-worker, who knows. Sport is spectacle, it's a drama played out for the audience, we all have our villains and heroes but it has little to do with the actual people behind the facade.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
Plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests that Dantonio is as much of an asshole in person as he appears to be on camera. Tom Izzo and Urban Meyer, however, are supposedly nice people in real life.
November 10th, 2015 at 5:28 PM ^
I know nothing about Dantonio, one way or the other. On the other hand, I have also heard some good things about Meyer and Izzo.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:43 PM ^
A fairly important difference is that Harbaugh is a great coach and Tom Crean is...umm...not
November 10th, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^
I couldn't care less about Harbaugh's relationship with Crean. Most of us dislike Crean, but that doesn't mean we should expect Harbaugh to share our opinion of him or to not support his brother-in-law. Conversely, we don't have to like Crean just because Harbaugh likes him.
November 10th, 2015 at 4:48 PM ^
your rivals hate your coach. So no need to apoloize for not liking a rival coach, regardless of their assoications. You never want to have a coach that your rivals like (see Hoke).
November 10th, 2015 at 4:49 PM ^
You are worried about whether Harbaugh likes Crean? Is this high school?
That you spend time thinking about this is something you should actually worry about.