Rumor: Harbaugh, Dolphins Reach Deal in Principle
January 6th, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^
Yes, some parallels. Just poor form Sparano had a tough year but has won in the past. I guess Ross has to protect himself in case Harbaugh said no. Good luck to Jim in Miami.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
Wonderful news.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
I heard this same thing about 4 hours ago and the salary level dove about 2-3 million since then. I don't buy anything until someone is standing at the podium.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:19 PM ^
You heard $9 million? You should have known that was B.S.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:11 PM ^
Look, if Harbaugh doesn't want to come here, then I wish him success in the NFL. I wasn't happy to see Michigan being used as a chip for JH to bargain for more NFL $$. Nothing wrong with him following his dream, but I would like to see us get a coach that looks at this as a place to spend his entire career. (This is really not a subtle comment in favor of Hoke. I think that there are probably a lot of decent coaches who would love to come here.)
January 6th, 2011 at 4:12 PM ^
School of Stealing
January 6th, 2011 at 4:15 PM ^
Read the front page. He didn't steal anything. Harbaugh was never ours.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:17 PM ^
He said he wouldn't compete with us, and supposedly we weren't in the "competition" for Harbaugh. Nonsense I say.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:26 PM ^
Are you seriously that dense? If he wanted to go to the NFL then the Michigan job wasn't competition. If Ross doesn't try to get him to the Dolphins it looks like the 49er would've been next in line followed by the Broncos.
Why the hell do you care if a Michigan alum who owns an NFL team wants another Michigan alum to coach it? Are you that big of a 49ers or Broncos fan? If not, you're argument that Michigan was in the competition whatsoever holds zero weight. There have been absolutely no sources from Harbaugh or DB's camps that said Harbaugh had any interest in UM.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:04 PM ^
Ross give mega bucks to the university as well as the athletic department. I assume he does that to help them be successful. I can't imagine he would then hire away our coach. To be honest, I'm not sure who Steve Ross wants to win more, Michigan or the Dolphins. He can sell the Dolphins if he wants.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:22 PM ^
Of course he wants both to be successful. But who would he want to be "more successful"? Option 1: The institution that he graduated from and makes donations to; option 2: the franchise that he owns and operates as a business venture and personal passion?
I would say he wants the Dolphins to win more, though we would gladly part with millions to improve the facilities of his alma mater. That is why he would hire away "our" coach (you know, the one that wasn't interested in the first place).
What Ross did was in no way a slight against Michigan and it would be unrealistic for him to put Michigan above his own franchise.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:34 PM ^
Harbaugh is not "our coach," and he was not "hired away" from Michigan (or, as of this moment, hired by anyone). And Ross wanting Michigan athletics to be successful would be precisely the reason to pause and ask whether the activities of his professional team were coming in conflict with the school . . . to which he was reportedly told no. Maybe I'm dense, but I'm not following this indignation at all.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:56 PM ^
Be mad at Harbaugh not Ross. There are a lot of great coaches out there, there aren't so many $100 million donors.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:14 PM ^
dollar for dollar in added donations back to Michigan. This hurts because the planets were almost in alignment.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:17 PM ^
Maybe you guys missed this, from Chris Mortensen:
Furthermore, Ross had dialogue with University of Michigan officials to ensure that he would not be competing for Harbaugh's services with his alma mater, sources said.
Ross, who is one of Michigan's largest benefactors, was assured by a Michigan official that Harbaugh was not reciprocating interest in the college's now-vacant head coaching position.
Ross checked before pursuing Harbaugh and found out that Harbaugh showing interest in Michigan.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:27 PM ^
it's good to have friends in high places
January 6th, 2011 at 4:27 PM ^
you seem to say things before thinking or simply don't think.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
nice to edit that before you got berated more.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^
Please do tell. What did he have before?
January 6th, 2011 at 5:15 PM ^
Something to the effect of "a Michigan official who's a 'yes man.'"
January 6th, 2011 at 4:21 PM ^
Now this is the way to deal. I can only assume that these ethics came from his Michigan education. He avoided a conflict of personal interest by simply reaching out beforehand. Kudos to Mr. Ross.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
Would you tell a guy NO....who donates a kagillion dollars to the University?
January 6th, 2011 at 4:18 PM ^
From the looks of this Ross was willing to sacrifice a coach he wanted for his team if Harbaugh had any interest in coming to MIchigan. Sounds like a great guy, you can't blame him for jumping in when it was obvious JH had NFL aspirations.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:21 PM ^
Absolutely. And he's a rich guy with two teams - the Dolphins and the Wolverines. I'm sure he'd have written a big check to help bring Harbaugh here if it would have worked.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:22 PM ^
... this was done with the approval and perhaps encouragement of Brandon and/or MSC.
They (rightly, I think) don't want a coach who views Michigan as a waypoint, not a destination. They won't knowingly hire a Nick Saban.
The man-love for Harbaugh among the Michigan faithful was borderline cringe-worthy.
Next.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:22 PM ^
Well, he did come up with $100MM for the business school a few years ago so it wouldn't be a stretch to say that he does actually donate about that every once in a while.
January 6th, 2011 at 7:09 PM ^
January 6th, 2011 at 4:16 PM ^
Rivals said he had a handshake deal for the 49ers gig. So all these monkeys are flinging shit at the wall and hoping something sticks. I'm judging the result, not the process.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:16 PM ^
Frankly, if I am Harbaugh, I take this opportunity in the NFL now. Based on past history of college coaches leaving for the NFL, if he is a bust, he'll still land a decent college job down the road (look at Saban, Kiffin and Spurrier as examples). The risk for him, in my mind, is minimal. However, if he remains in the college coaching ranks, he takes a greater risk of losing that NFL interest.
If it is true, good luck to him.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
Probably true, but I rather doubt he'd have a shot at Michigan after this fiasco.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
True, but he'll have several million reasons over several years to get over it.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:17 PM ^
Balas over on Rivals is saying that John Harbaughs interest is real. He cites a Baltimore beat writer who says he would make a better College coach than NFL. The same writer also said if the Ravens were to lose early he would not be shocked to see John bolt for a college team.
Again, this is a bunch of rumors. No one knows anything definitively. The only thing we can do is wait for DB's announcement. We will not have good information until then.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:20 PM ^
That would be the most ironic turn of events...
"Michigan hires Harbaugh as Head Coach"
- ANN ARBOR, Mich.
The University of Michigan announced today they have reached an agreement in principle to make John Harbaugh their head football coach.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:03 PM ^
I actually heard a rumor in November that this was exaclty what was going to happen. I think it is just plain crazy, but these are strange days.
/cringes while posting cc related rumor
January 6th, 2011 at 4:23 PM ^
I think he would be a good hire, however at this point I think his team is good enough that he won't be available for at least 2 weeks. I'm not sure we can wait quite that long.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
If that is the case, Kansas City just became a team to root for.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:37 PM ^
He hasn't been a college coach of any kind since 1997, and was never more than a position coach at the college level. I'd rather have Ron English.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:58 PM ^
Whoa
January 6th, 2011 at 5:02 PM ^
Woah, put down the lead-tainted computer there.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:12 PM ^
ntJH's current team has as much chance to go to the SB as any team not named the NE Patriots. Their window is open for another year or so. Jim's bro isn't coaching our men's tackle football team in the near future.
January 6th, 2011 at 5:17 PM ^
Any chance he'll coach the flag football team? I hear that's where the real money's at.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:29 PM ^
i hope we have a coach by sunday.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:32 PM ^
interesting... for a former Bo player and friend said the same thing about John
January 6th, 2011 at 4:34 PM ^
...no one knows anything says all that needs to be said.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:18 PM ^
I read on Rivals that Ross' first loyalty is to Michigan. To paraphrase: Ross was going to talk to Harbaugh about the Michigan job.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:28 PM ^
If you are going to fly somewhere to convice a man to go to a different team than the one you own, you dont bring your VP for football operations and your GM.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:22 PM ^
is claiming that Michigan never wanted JH as their coach. Something about Mary Sue being a PITA. I wouldn't put much stock into that theory (especially b/c those guys on right now are fricking obnoxious), but hey it's out there.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:24 PM ^
She's a type of baked grain that goes well with hummus?
January 6th, 2011 at 5:03 PM ^
You have earned a promissory note for one "+1" vote when voting privileges are restored.
January 6th, 2011 at 4:41 PM ^
Who knows if it's true, probably part of the rumor mill. If it is confirmed that JH did indeed want to come here and the staunch UM Elite Crew didn't want him, I might punch a baby...Seriously
C'mon down Brady Hoke...I don't even have words if he's our coach, it's just BLAH for me and only makes me think: Holy fuk, 3-5 years of the RR reinvention all over = FML/Premature Balding/Strokes/Xanax Abuse