Harbaugh, Mario Manningham, and 25(!) Michigan coaches invade Ohio for Satellite Camp
One town, one high school, three hours, 360 high school players and 26 Michigan coaches.
Today's satellite camp was at Warren Harding HS in Ohio. Key details:
-Jersey of the day was Mario Manningham, and Mario was a guest speaker.
-First order of business was all 25 Michigan coaches stood up on a stage and introduced themselves. This was clearly a less-than-subtle showing that Ohio recruiting is important and Michigan isn't afraid to invade their state.
-The Warren Harding football coach had nothing but praise for Harbaugh. Said the same invitation was sent out for Ohio State and Michigan. Ohio State only brought 2 people:the running backs coach and a recruiting staffer. Never a bad thing to get in good with the coach of a powerful football school.
Noteable alumni of Harding: Manningham, Prescott Burgess, Maurice Clarett (lol)
-Here's a suprisingly unbiased and good read from cleveland.com
http://www.cleveland.com/big-ten-football/index.ssf/2016/06/when_jim_ha…
It has a few good videos in the article.
Harbaugh is now on his way back to Paramus to give the commencement speech.
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He didn't really have contact with high school kids at that position, though. Getting back into college coaching made him aware of these camps, and coupled with what he views as attacks on footbal that have proliferated in recent years, and you can make an argument he's doing it for football/kids. Or just a counter to your argument: not having done it in the NFL doesn't mean he would altruistically be doing it at Michigan.
For the record I believe this is about all of it: recruiting was the impetus (first the top kids, then coaching contacts), spreading the brand was something they identified as an added benefit, and those both marry with Harbaugh's existing love of football.
I'm curious who the 25 Michigan coaches/personnel were. There are 10 actual coaches, so the other 15 seem like they must be pretty much all the QC guys and grad assistants we have...
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Damn, I'm going to miss Jedd. Most under-hyped coach in Michigan history.
because he loves to teach football. Why is this so hard to grasp? He's done this for years. People act like this is the first year he's done this. And they would be wrong. Check out the You Tube record. He's been doing this since before he started head coaching. The fact that this isn't apparent to others, and Nick Saban, is because they don't do it and can't fathom anyone doing so. But this is what Harbaugh has always done. He works and he doesn't take time off because not to work for him is not being productive in whatever job he has. Why is this so difficult to get.
In the NFL, this isn't even an issue. It's not considered because the calendar is what it is. In college, things are different because of recruiting. That's the difference between pro and college football, salesmanship on a year-round basis.
But again, this is about teaching. I mean last winter after the season was over, what did Harbaugh do, he didn't sit around, he had two of the top two qb picks in the draft come see him and help them make them better draft choices. Who else would do that? Nick Saban.
That's the "wild, wild West." It's bad for college football. Translation: it's bad for coaches whose prinary option of impressing football recruits is hopping a helicopter and flying to their field of dreams and presenting himself as some kind of anointed leader of the football universe to bless the opportunity this kid might have in gracing Alabama's football program.
You are what you are perceived to be. Saban is the fucking prince of darkness in college football.
Ummm...yeah, but the camps are still about recruiting. Look at where they are held. It's not a coincidence they are being held at schools that produce big time talent. It won't pay big dividends this year, but you will see that Michigan will start making the top 5 for players all over the country without even taking a visit, which willed to getting kids on campus a and that's when it will all start to pay off.
Harbaugh is a good guy who loves to coach but he's spending 100's of thousands of University money to do this and in the end there is a benefit for the program beyond just Harbaugh's goodwill.
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Super Mario Manningham! That's a hell of a guest speaker.
I was there, south end zone. I don't know why they didn't incliude it in the highlight reel, but Michigan was backed up really far, on like tthe 10 or so, in the south end. Mallet threw a screen to Manningham TERRIBLY - hit him in the feet. There was no pressure at all, so it was ugly. Mario came over, slapped him on the helmet, and basically told him, "Just get the ball into my hands."
Next play, they did the identical play, a screen to Manningham, in the same spot. He took it about 90 yards for the TD.
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Yeah, it was Wisconsin, not Minnesota.
For some reason I was thinking it was Minn - But I guess it can't be because I don't remember the jug. Welp.
Yep. Here's the box score from that game:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=273140275
You can see that Manningham had a 97-yard TD. Mallett was 11/36 passing.
It's weird I remember the team wrong, because I remember the play so clearly - It was right in front of me. I still can't figure out how Mallet turfed that first ball. It was one of the worst throws I've ever seen - and there was NOBODY in front of Manningham. He would've gone right there.
Dude had the skills to back it up, that's for sure.
It was pretty awesome.
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No children. I have a 9 year old niece who decided a year ago that she loves MSU....sigh.
I suspect it's because the entire family roots for Michigan and she's one of those kids who is obsessed with being unique. My attempts so far to get her out of the dark side have been unsuccessful.
An older half-brother, who is a major Michigan fan. But he lives in Florida and doesn't get many chances to get her on the straight and narrow.
She's got a younger brother, my little nephew turns 5 next week and I've already got him happily chanting, "Go Blue!"
But her Spartan love remains.
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Just realizing that those Mario Manningham catches were from 10 years ago...
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Urban Meyer was also in attendance. Unless I'm reading about a different Ohio camp.
I think Meyer was at the camp at Fairfield (OH) Fairfield, home of 2018 OT Jackson Carman.
Thanks for the clarification.
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According to Twitter, 2017 safety Lynn Bowden was upset that Harbaugh didn't know his name when he met for the first time at camp. Bowden has an offer from Michigan and was committed to Indiana for a while.
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Indeed. I could never remember my wife's name until we got engaged. Then I started paying attention.
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When you're offering about 300 high schoolers in one class, you're bound to forget a name or face or both.
That's frustrating. In Bowden's tweet, he said it was the first time he had met Harbaugh.
I'm sure coach was more interested in his game film, ya know when he has a helmet on, than what his face looks like.
The perception many of these kids have at this point is rather amazing...a coach whom he has never met face to face does not immediately recognize you after said coach has been to an average of two camps a day in multiple states each day over the last week with campers numbering in the hundereds at each site.
Completely surprising that he might not connect a name/face.
A. If he pulls a quarter kid out of each camp it was a HUGE success from a purely recruiting angle.
B. Planting the recruiting seeds for future "profit" is another major aspect.
C. Pissing off 100+ coaches and ACC/SEC commissioners is a cherry on top.
D. Running around in cleats and cool ass retro jerseys evey day for a month is a cherry on top of the cherry.
E. Letting fans/alums drive to a nearby camp is a great way to engage our fanbase, resulting in uptick in ticket prices and alum giving in general, not to mention more undergrad/grad applications.
So really it's a win/win/win/win/win for all of us.
Go Blue.
And discuss how to drink and drive with enthusiasm unknown to mankind.
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