Harbaugh-49ers Meeting Today

Submitted by Geaux_Blue on
Let's hope they offend Harbaugh with a $2 million dollar offer and he wakes up.

Beavis

January 5th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^

You guys have lost your mind.  CEOs of billion dollar companies don't even make $7M per year. 

News flash - Michigan isn't a billion dollar company.  I think $5M / season is even ridiculously high.  The ONLY reason it makes sense to pay that much is if we are convinced the program will suffer irreconcilable hardships under anyone other than Harbaugh.  And that can't be true. 

Lutha

January 5th, 2011 at 5:20 PM ^

The CEO/company comparison is flawed.  The majority of the labor force in a football program is unpaid and the whole enterprise makes an INSANE amount of money, which is why a disproportionate amount goes to the headcoach.

Also, these comparisons ignore the laws of supply/demand and market economics.  There are five hundred Fortune 500 CEOs out there and I wouldn't trust a single one of them to coach the football team.

jmblue

January 5th, 2011 at 5:44 PM ^

It makes money, but keep in mind a couple things:

1) Football has to support 22 other varsity sports (men's basketball and ice hockey make a modest profit).

2) The expenses of the athletic department have been steadily increasing, with one of the biggest expenses being tuition.  Bizarrely enough, our AD pays out-of-state tuition for all scholarship athletes, even those from in-state.  Essentially, the AD subsidizes the U, not the other way around as is usually the case.

3) We're still $170M in debt from the stadium renovations.  It's essential that we continue to be profitable on a year-to-year basis to be able to pay that down. 

There are limits to how much we can pay.  Maybe boosters will step up to the plate now - but will they always do so?

Mi Sooner

January 5th, 2011 at 6:48 PM ^

The expense for the stadium renovations is in the yearly budget. A profit doesn't pay for the stadium. The lights on the stadium were paid by the profits, since they were an unexpected expense. The stadium renovations have been essentially paid for through donations and pledges to future giving.

One of the few nice things that I will blog about Sailor Bill is that the finances of thenew stadium upgrades were paid for and financially the athletic dept is financially sound.

Don

January 5th, 2011 at 4:20 PM ^

and guaranteed in a post here that if he did, I'd take Brian and his GF out to dinner at the Chop House. At the time I was firmly anti-Harbaugh, but since then I've softened in my attitude towards him. Of course, now he ain't coming.

Who would have predicted three years ago that RR would be replaced by Brady Hoke? The world's turned upside-down.

Wolverine0056

January 5th, 2011 at 4:29 PM ^

I prefer JH over anybody at this point. But I doubt he comes here. I know the rumors are just rumors but they make me feel scared about the possibility that he won't come here. I just hope that DB hurries and hires a new HC but makes sure he picks the right guy.

shorts

January 5th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^

Logged in for the first time in two days!

Anyway, yes, I agree. It's a tough situation right now because:

1) We've left ourselves almost no time for a real search.

2) Even if we did have time to do a thorough search, there are very few attractive candidates beyond Harbaugh.

I don't think Hoke is necessarily a disaster, but he'd be about #10 on my list behind all the guys Brian mentioned, and none of THOSE guys would make me jump for joy. Patterson would probably be at the top of my list because of offensive continuity and bringing along Dick Bumpas and a consistently excellent defense.

Wolverine0056

January 5th, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^

Yeah I completely agree with you. Patterson would bring some much needed defensive help and allow us to run a similar offense. But like Brian said, he seems to be coaching at TCU until the end of time.

double blue

January 5th, 2011 at 4:33 PM ^

i have heard, through very reliable sources, things i would not believe if it was not for who has said it- and i am still not sure i believe it.

harbaugh to carolina because "write your own contract" and #1 draft choice andrew luck.

msc supposedly is not okay with matching money- therefore brandon's comment about how much mich pays (what msc wants) and what brandon believes (and why he pushed it's m football that leads our brand- he's pushing hard for the money because he is a business man and he knows how this works).-  that seems plausible

 

but to make a choice based on an unproven draft choice (even one you know so well) that will take as long to develop as the entire m footbal program  seems crazy.

 

i thought all rumors had carolina out.

 

oh well, a few restless nights and we all be okay-  pass the xanax

maizedNblued

January 5th, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^

....knows what he's doing....his press conference was done with extreme professionalism and business savy. He's doing a good job....let him continue to do it.

AgonyTrain

January 5th, 2011 at 5:12 PM ^

I don't see why DB being a "businessman" or CEO automatically means he is a competent athletic director or one who should be given the benefit of the doubt.  The headlines of the past decade are filled with the actions of terribles CEOs and out-right conmen (hello Skilling, Madoff, Ebbers, etc etc).

My take on this is that JH played DB for a fool in case he needed a fall-back from the NFL.  With the 49er job landing in his lap JH left DB at the altar, pantless.  Savvy businessman got taken for a serious ride.

I can forgive him that if he has done some planning and has B and C alternatives that he just needs a couple of days to get on board (anyone can be taken in by a good conartist).  If we end up with Hoke he should go back to Dominos, not as the CEO but as a delivery boy

chitown.victor

January 5th, 2011 at 4:46 PM ^

I'd rather JH interview with or go to the NFL now rather than waiting until he was here for three or four seasons, then bolting for The League.  I am not a huge fan of any other HC alternatives either, but if Jimmy is going to test the NFL waters, I will be happier if he does it right now. 

ThWard

January 5th, 2011 at 4:55 PM ^

I don't like coaching changes either, but one assumes that if JH came to UM and left for the NFL in 4 years... he had done a pretty bang up job for those 4 years... I don't see NFL suitors prying him away from a 5-7, 6-6, 8-4, 5-7 UM run, you know?