What makes people think Harbaugh would take the job?
I see a lot of RichRod's detractors saying that we should fire him and hire Harbaugh, but are there strong reasons to believe that he would come here?
Not sure how many people have been to Palo Alto, but a friend of mine taught there for a while and I can tell you. . . it is one beautiful, warm place. They probably have the money to match us, and the pressure on Harbaugh is relatively light there. (Coming from a small private school he only has to be good, not win regular championships.) I'm not saying that he wouldn't be interested, but I don't see it as a gimme.
It may well be, for that matter, that Brandon has some real knowledge about Harbaugh's interest. . . I'm not opposed to his coming, btw, should RichRod be dismissed, though I don't think a Michigan pedigree should be the deciding factor. Maybe having one of Bo's boys makes some alumni feel warm and fuzzy, but it doesn't necessarily win football games.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:36 PM ^
The point being that it is disingenous to claim that Rich Rod and Harbaugh have both had similiarly slow starts. Harbaugh's record as Stanford's coach (through year three) is a hell of a lot better than Coach Rod's at Michigan.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:47 PM ^
Harbaugh's record WASN'T great through three years; his WERE different circumstances; but RichRod faced a lot of unexpected hurdles, many beyond his ability to alter in the short run.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:49 PM ^
Pretty sure "we" could also be 8-4 and have a chance to WIN a bowl game in year 3. Last time I checked. Seems like you don't realize that year 3 isn't over yet.
November 21st, 2010 at 9:20 AM ^
The problem is that Michigan's football program isn't the same at Stanford. If you're satisified because we've matched Stanford's record, your expectations have lowered considerably. I think we should keep RR at least one more year, but suggesting that Harbaugh's record is no different than RR's - without any consideration of the circumstances - is stupid.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:22 PM ^
November 20th, 2010 at 10:34 PM ^
Holy man crush on Dan Mullen, it seems every comment you've made today has been about Dan Mullen.
November 21st, 2010 at 7:10 AM ^
Hes not leaving the South West..I mean South East Conference.
November 21st, 2010 at 8:09 AM ^
Agreed. He wouldn't know how to recruit without being able to run players off who thought they had scholarships...
November 20th, 2010 at 10:23 PM ^
With Luck going pro after this season, now is the time for him to leave Stanford. IF Brandon wants him, he has to get him after this year. Or else it may be too late. He might go to the NFL if not UM.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:26 PM ^
Excuse me but we have a coach. Jim's not coming here because there's no job to take.
Unless he wants to be the DC. In that case I'll fly out to Cali and I'll carry him back home myself.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:07 AM ^
What makes you think he can turn around a bad defense at Michigan next year? His defenses were not good at all his first 2 years at Stanford and it isn't great this year either. Teams with good offenses have lit up Stanford and this is year 4.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:32 PM ^
Jim Harbaugh is like Michigan's Rudy.
Except he has talent.
November 21st, 2010 at 3:58 PM ^
Shawn Hunwick is our rudy. Except Shawn has actually won something.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:39 PM ^
1. He can win a National Championship here. Not likely at Stanford.
2. The pay check that DB will offer him.
November 21st, 2010 at 11:40 AM ^
1. He can win a National Championship here. Not likely at Stanford.
Stanford is one bad second half against Auburn from being 11-0, and then would only be a likely win at home against Oregon State away from being 12-0 and in the NC game. Add in the fact that Michigan's advantage over Standford in recruiting has disappeared, and that the school is located in a state where you can actually win with mainly local recruits, and I'd say the likelihood that Standford wins a NC in the next ten years >>> the likelihood that Michigan wins a NC in the next ten years.
November 21st, 2010 at 2:30 PM ^
They also played a bad second half against Oregon.
November 20th, 2010 at 10:43 PM ^
November 20th, 2010 at 10:54 PM ^
reason he would not take the job. We already have a coach.
November 20th, 2010 at 11:01 PM ^
Hope that some contact will be made through whatever channels to at least see if it is possible. If it is possible, then make it happen.
He is the one hire that would immediately put the fear of this program back in our rivals. That is totally lost. Whether it matters to people or not, he wouldn't tender foot around about rivalry games. He would emphasize them as must win and he'd put together a roster, coach them up, and start winning them.
Jeez with 20 seconds to go against Cal up 41 points today he was still contesting calls and spiriting his defense from the sidelines. The guy would bring championship energy and swagger back to this program. Sorry, but the experience level of the players on the field not withstanding, that precious edge built over 40 years is all but gone.
There are down years and there is a severe loss of respect from your opponents. I think we might be drifting towards the latter. Hope I am wrong.
Not down with another coaching search, but here we are talking a coaching switch. If it isn't possible, carry forward with Rich and see where this lands.
November 20th, 2010 at 11:10 PM ^
they were all really scared of us after we let App State blow us up in our house.
November 21st, 2010 at 8:48 AM ^
I've still got a foot hanging onto the RR bandwagon but man your points are VERY hard to refute. I would have to sadly agree with you......
November 20th, 2010 at 11:26 PM ^
Stop whining. We have had some of the worst turns in luck and all of a sudden the sky is falling. Even MZone, a longtime favorite of mine, decided to lower itself by taking a "side" and now can't give RR a break.
Was he the right hire? Possibly not. I personally prefer the pro-style offense and the change was too drastic out of the Lloyd era, and certain mishaps haven't helped. Plus he needs to start managing defense better. But he's a good coach who will win if Michigan fans just cut the guy a break.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:46 AM ^
Stop whining. We have had some of the worst turns in luck and all of a sudden the sky is falling.
Phil Steele would probably argue that we've been luckier than the average team this season: we're 4-0 in games decided by single-digit margins.
November 21st, 2010 at 9:54 AM ^
This. Our win against Notre Dame wouldn't have happened if their starting QB wasn't knocked out for most of the first half. Illinois was a coin flip. Indiana was a back and forth game that needed a last-minute bomb to avoid overtime. Our losses, on the other hand, were not close. We could just as easily be 4-7 or 5-6 right now, in which case Rodriguez's firing would be a foregone conclusion.
November 20th, 2010 at 11:27 PM ^
Money, Tradition of Michigan, his former school, being able to play teams like Penn State, Sparty, OSU, having fans that care.
Face it, no matter how could stanford is, they'll always take a backseat to USC, UCLA, CAL
November 21st, 2010 at 12:02 AM ^
All of that and I think there is a universal law that Mich must win football games or else.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:03 AM ^
holder to Stanford games, he told me that Stanford will NOT fight to keep him or any coach. They don't care that much. If UM offered, they wouldn't match.
IF Brandon was to go after Harbaugh it would be quietly behind the scenes and it would be a done deal before the current coach is gone. Neither one wants to embarrass the University the way Martin did. Having said that, I think RR has one more year to prove he can fix this thing. Another year of a defense like this and Brandon will have no choice because every big $$$ donor will pull their money if a change doesn't happen.
In the end, it's all about money. Brandon has a lot of bills to pay and many seats to fill. If the season ticket renewals go way down and the club seats and luxury boxes go unsold, he might not have a choice.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:21 AM ^
"Another year of a defense like this and Brandon will have no choice because every big $$$ donor will pull their money if a change doesn't happen."
my understanding is that this is already happening, not an "if" or "when."
November 21st, 2010 at 1:25 AM ^
While not a big donor, I do donate annually to the University. My athletic department donation is done through the PSD. I can tell you that the timing of the PSD mailing this year was terrible. I received it today when I checked my mail at the half. Maybe they should've sent it out during the Illinois-Purdue stretch.
Yeah, I'll renew my PSD and keep buying tickets, but it's the first time I've ever hesitated.
November 21st, 2010 at 2:01 AM ^
I've decided solely to donate to Mott's this year, 100% of it headed that way and nothing to the Athletics. I'm also not a very big donor by any stretch, but I want to see the pimp hand do something before I cut another check in it's direction. Plus Mott's is a very worthy cause.
November 21st, 2010 at 6:28 PM ^
There will be plenty of people that will step right in.
November 21st, 2010 at 3:08 AM ^
People threatened Bill Martin with cutting off their donations if he didn't fire Lloyd Carr. Then it was Rich Rodriguez. Now it's Dave Brandon and Rich Rodriguez. I don't know how Brandon responds to these types of threats, but Martin told 'em all to get bent. I can't imagine being the Michigan AD and having every alumnus, donor and fan telling him how to do his job. Brandon referenced it in his interview w/ Chris Balas, too.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:39 PM ^
like them, either.) They all hated Lloyd, too. In truth, however, they're increasingly marginalized. I think Brandon--with Mary Sue--is free to take a rational decision based on what he sees best for M, long- and short-haul. And I'll be very surprised, given the youth of this team, if he doesn't allow it to mature another season under RichRod.
November 21st, 2010 at 4:51 PM ^
Actually, the big-money guys mostly liked Carr, and they ponied up. Under Carr we got a new locker room and new indoor practice facility. Don't reduce these guys to two-dimensional villains. Most are pretty reasonable people who have given a lot to this program, and who are simply troubled by how bad things have gone over the past three years.
November 21st, 2010 at 5:51 PM ^
maybe saying they had grown tired of Lloyd is a better way to put it. I just think the demands of many alumni tend to be unreasonable. The B10 is going to get rougher, not easier; we are not going to win at Bo's pace in future, not regularly.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:42 PM ^
pucky. The truth is that RichRod will be gone if they don't win next year, but the BoPeepers, who hated Lloyd, too, are starting to thin their ranks--well, nature is doing it for them.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^
I wonder how the old blue hairs and RichRod haters liked to see Jimmy H's Stanford team get in a bench clearing slap fight today where one of Harbaugh's players was tossed before the game for throwing a punch? I wonder what we would all think if that happened before a Michigan game under RR's watch? The double standard for coaches here is laughable. Harbaugh is a prick. He isn't coming. Get over it
November 21st, 2010 at 12:24 AM ^
I love Ann Arbor. It's a great town. The only thing that could make it better is having it in Hawai'i so I can surf and watch hot chicks at the beach. But as a guy who was born and raised in the Bay Area and someone who went to UM, I would say that AA is the only place in the states I would ever want to live in other than Palo Alto.
If the good weather and the ease of the job at Stanford are the only reasons you can come up with of why Harbaugh would stay in Palo Alto, then it clearly isn't the right place for him. I try looking at it the opposite way. If he were already coaching at UM, what would be the reasons why he would stay and not go to Stanford? I can think of a few good ones, can you? And these reasons might be what will motivate him to come back home.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:36 PM ^
reasons I could come up with, but really I was looking for what OTHER people knew about why he would definitely make the leap or--possibly--not be all that thrilled to, especially after taking M to task a few years ago. All best.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:31 AM ^
with a new coach alone. It will take maturity, coaching and recruiting. Unfortunately, two of the three are in short supply here right now. The defensive fundamentals of this team are ridiculous and there are no 5-star, can't miss prospects on the horizon. Without a Charles Woodson or LaMarr Woodley to step in next year, this defense won't be markedly improved.
And if the HC insists on running 'his' defense regardless of the talent and the staff to coach it, yet "doesn't get involved" with the defense, then next year won't be much better. If the D is anything like this next year, RR will be looking for a new job in 2012. You cannot win championships with an offense alone. Right now, two of three phases is badly broken and the one that isn't broken isn't overly effective against the top teams.(see the 1st half of the MSU, Iowa, PSU, Wisc. games).
On the Harbaugh thing against Cal, I remember the UM OSU game in '08 was chippy before it started as well. JH's defenses are pretty good actually( 32nd in total D, 332 ypg). He's 10-1 with a loss to the No. 1 team in the country and doesn't give up 500 yards game. All this at a school with tougher academic standards than UM. I think he'd do just fine here.
Also JH understands the B10 rivalries better than RR did. RR gets it now, but it may be too late once he finally wins one. Remember RR said originally that no game was more important than any other. Wrong Answer!
November 21st, 2010 at 12:39 AM ^
Also JH understands the B10 rivalries better than RR did. RR gets it now, but it may be too late once he finally wins one.
I wonder if he does get it yet. I don't recall the game (maybe after MSU), but didn't he say something about "at least we're fun to watch". Can you imagine any other Michigan coach, after losing a rivalry game, saying that? Winning is fun to watch.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:51 AM ^
Then watch the Notre Dame game. I guess he understands one rivalry but just doesn't get the others. Strange, huh?
November 21st, 2010 at 12:57 AM ^
Feel free to address the comment. Are you cool with our coach saying "at least we're fun to watch" after one of our rivals beats us badly at home? Yes, we beat ND and that makes me very happy. At the same time, we're 0-5 against our main two rivals. A coach (unidentified) in East Lansing even told a reporter that they now root for Michigan to win so that RR keeps his job. That's not a good thing.
November 21st, 2010 at 2:45 AM ^
How about you answer my question. Do you honestly think RichRod doesn't get our rivalries with MSU, OSU, and ND? If you do, you are an idiot. The reason everyone thinks he "doesn't get" some of our rivalries is because he hasn't won the games yet. We haven't heard anything about him "not getting" the ND rivalry because he has beaten them 2 out of 3 years. When you take a quote and say "see, he doesn't get the rivalry," it makes you look like a troll. We have lost the games against MSU and OSU because they have had better teams than us. Taking 1 quote in which I would assume he was trying to make a joke at a time when, no matter what he said, jackasses like you were going to take it the wrong way because you don't like him, is ridiculous. He could have said "I fuckin hate MSU and I am installing a clock to countdown to our game against them next year," and guess what...you would have thought him to be a shitty coach because he didn't put up a clock for OSU, our REAL 1st rival. With people like you, it doesn't matter what he says, it will be wrong. I don't like losing any more than anyone else on the board, but I can look at things objectively. You, on the other hand, can't. Any coach in the world will have a better team next year. I would like you to point to a coach in the history of college football who returned 22 out of 24 starters and got worse. So to fire him now would be pretty fucking stupid. I am equally as baffled at firing a guy who wouldn't see his first full class become true juniors. But go on, keep hating RichRod and using whatever "facts" you want to twist to go on with your agenda. Have fun doing this until RichRod retires as UM head coach.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:28 PM ^
It's a sad statement that anyone would + your comment. Let's see...personal insults, refusal to address the comment you're so upset about, making up things and pretending the other person said them. I like how you claim to be objective. That's funny.
Wait...you want my twisted facts? How about this fact - our defense just got WORSE after we got stomped by a team that didn't even throw the ball: http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/ncaa-m-footbl-stats-index.html
Ah, the MGoBubble, where RR is just one excuse away from history...
November 21st, 2010 at 12:48 AM ^
than others. I'm not sure he understands the significance of these rivalries. That's why JH would be a better fit, he gets all of it. He would hate MSU and OSU and make it a personal mission to beat them. I just don't see that in RR. He doesn't have that hatred and passion for our rivals. Dantonio has the type of hatred I'm talking about.
November 21st, 2010 at 12:53 AM ^
I would shoot my nuts off if RichRod acted like Dantonio about our rivalry with them. I'm just waiting for the Danner to root for bucky next week so his team has a 0% chance of going to the rose bowl.
November 21st, 2010 at 1:15 AM ^
Harbaugh's Golden Crapper.
November 21st, 2010 at 2:22 AM ^
I think all you people need to stop thinking of a coaching change! This was a bad matchup! We win in Columbus next weekend! I am so tired of hearing all you people asking for a coaching change! Get bent Helmets!
Best Wishes,
True Blue!
p.s. If you dont like it, become a spartan!