A Rational Response - Rich Eisen show
Rich Eisen recently had a reasonable response to this whole "Harbaugh to NFL" stuff.
January 4th, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
Screw rationality, now is the time to RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE.
Bring your torches and pitchforks!
January 4th, 2023 at 11:07 AM ^
Rational??
Hi, I'm the Michigan fan base. Have we met?
January 4th, 2023 at 11:12 AM ^
Nope, it's not rational. He loves JH, which is fine. I love JH for restoring UM and he is indeed an elite coach at any level. However...
Harbaugh's flirtation with the NFL last year was fair, transparent, and honest. Whether we embraced it or not, he was upfront about it.
This year he is being shady and unfair to the players, admin, commits, and assistant coaches. After building his rep on integrity and being the anit-Saban/Meyer in CFB, he looks like the rest of the mercenary coaches out there rn. He gave his word that the flirtation was a one time thing, and he later gave his word that he'd be coaching the team in 2023.
No matter the outcome, he has lost a ton of goodwill and credibility with potential future staff members, recruits, and the administration as a whole, specifically given the wishy-washy, "no man knows the future" word play. He is damaging his rep and the stability of the program rn.
We can spin it however we want. Hell of a coach, but no program can go through this every off-season, and if he does this just 1 year after last year's flirtation then recomittment, it will be very hard to ever take him at his word again. Even with a huge contract and significant buyout, this is a bad look for JH rn.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
^ this… all day and twice on Sunday, thank you for your post and please enjoy my upvote
January 4th, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
Agree 100%. I've said this in other threads, that even if he stays he's permanently undermined his own and the programs efforts. It will be harder for the staff to recruit, it introduces a constant pall of uncertainty over any personnel or long term decisions, and his credibility will be questioned continually.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:22 AM ^
Do you think a new contract with Michigan that has a HUGE buyout if he ever tried to leave for the NFL again would be enough to quell the threat of Harbaugh jumping ship in the future?
January 4th, 2023 at 11:27 AM ^
No… reports surfaced that the Broncos are willing to pay Harbaugh $20M/year, so why would a buyout stop him from leaving?
Harbaugh is a great coach and has brought M back to prominence the last two seasons, but now it’s time to say goodbye. This annual flirtation with the NFL has deteriorated our ability to recruit at a high level, regardless of the on-field success - Jim should just move on and be done with it.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
As Bill Belichick is making $20M as the currently highest paid coach, I could definitely see that as the going rate. That's way out of the park for college ball. I could see it happening.
Alternatively, it might convince UM that he's worth Saban / Swinney / Smart money at around $12M / yr to keep the train rolling with Jim.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:46 AM ^
People lose me with the $20 mil thing. Once you get up to $10 mil a year, it's just an ego thing at that point. And if that's all that drives you (I'm making more than the other guy), I don't have much respect for that. I think you get to an age where there has to be something more fulfilling than "I want to be the highest paid guy in the room." More money just means more stuff and how much stuff can one person accrue? And I don't want to hear about generational wealth. A guy like Harbaugh doesn't want his kids to not work, and to just rest on their laurels because he made a fortune. Work is the cornerstone of a meaningful life (whatever that work is) and I think Harbaugh understands that.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
Maybe he wants to start a cult settlement in the mountains of Bolivia?
January 4th, 2023 at 12:03 PM ^
Oh ffs. If someone offered you $10M a year more than you’re making now, you wouldn’t consider it? GTFO.
I’m tired of this drama too and wish he’d firmly commit one way or the other, but some of these holier than thou takes are nauseating
January 4th, 2023 at 3:03 PM ^
Well, let's see. $10 million more than I make now would be an annual salary of...
/adding machine whirs
$10 million and some change.
It's impossible for a bunch of message board people--unless many of you are multi-millionaires and billionaires, in which case, Te salute, Don Corleone--to comprehend what that means. I haven't made $1 million in gross salary in my life and I'm 45 years old (and I'm fine with that, even if that's some kind of self-own. I have all I need and am happy with what I have!). Of COURSE $10 million is an insane amount of money to me.
That said, in November of 2021, I turned down another job offer at a different place of employment that was more money because I didn't think it was the best fit for me and my skills. I basically had two offers: one to stay where I was, but for more money; the other to move to another job that was more money than my current employer was offering. It wasn't worth it to give up what I knew was a good fit for something that I had legitimate questions about.
I think that's far more applicable here than just saying, "Come on, dude, there's no way you'd turn down $10 million!" Context matters.
January 4th, 2023 at 5:12 PM ^
These people are being whiny babies. Evidently they don't remember what it was like around here without Jim harbaugh. Jim harbaugh can flirt with the NFL every year. As far as I'm concerned, I don't care. Vito issue win the big 10 put us in position for national championships which he's done on a continued basis the last 2 years. Another coach, I don't think we get these wins against Ohio State in the last 2 years and your pride is not more important than our program. So take a f****** ride
January 4th, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^
I agree that the amount of money is stupid and an extra million here and there really doesn’t make a difference. However don’t kid yourself if you don’t think these big time coaches don’t have huge egos. They know who makes more then them and it bothers them
January 4th, 2023 at 3:32 PM ^
I think you're absolutely right about the huge egos of coaches. They're extremely competitive people - and money is one of the ways they keep score.
In Jim's case, however, I wonder if the bigger thrust behind his ego is the fact that a Harbaugh has won the Super Bowl - but it wasn't him.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:34 PM ^
NFL is big money, so if that $10M doesn't go to a coach, the owner likely keeps it to add to their money pile. It ends up somewhere.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:46 PM ^
Harbaugh (and most profession athletes) are hyper competitive. About EVERYTHING.
It's not about the money. It's about beating the other guy at EVERYTHING. Doesn't matter whether it's salary, size of office, parking spaces, etc., etc.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:45 AM ^
The Walton group just bought the Broncos for $4.65 billion. How high would the buyout have to be to dissuade them? Last month, the NFL noted that owners are burning $800 million on fired coaches and execs. Is there a reason to expect them to be more frugal on the way in?
January 4th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^
This year he is being shady and unfair to the players, admin, commits, and assistant coaches. After building his rep on integrity and being the anit-Saban/Meyer in CFB, he looks like the rest of the mercenary coaches out there rn. He gave his word that the flirtation was a one time thing, and he later gave his word that he'd be coaching the team in 2023.
No matter the outcome, he has lost a ton of goodwill and credibility with potential future staff members, recruits, and the administration as a whole, specifically given the wishy-washy, "no man knows the future" word play. He is damaging his rep and the stability of the program rn.
You don't know any of this with any certainty at all. How do you know he's being "shady?" This fanbase and administration treated him like a lost cause fairly recently, and he backed himself up in a way that's very difficult to do.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
Shady is a term he used that fits quite well. Last year, he was open and honest about it, then said 'it was a one time thing, and its out of my system and now I'm done'. Less than two months ago ago he said "I will be the Michigan coach in 2023". If you took that to mean January, you're the only one...
He's being neither open nor honest about it this year, after giving his word that he was done with it last year. I agree with OP - his word and integrity are shot. I no longer believe anything he says. And that's his fault through his own actions...
And I'm not even a 17-yr old recruit!
January 4th, 2023 at 11:37 AM ^
Except our game against TCU was in 2022. Unless Harbaugh's definition of "coaching the team in 2023" meant simply being employed by the University of Michigan after the ball dropped on 2023.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:39 AM ^
I am not upset about really any of this because frankly I expected it, but I do have to say that the "it was a one time thing" stuff when he came back after the Minnesota flirtation is pretty bad. He did not have to say that, but to say it and then be doing the exact same thing after the exact same scenario does undermine his integrity to me. Honestly, if I said something to that effect it may end up that I regret saying it but I wouldn't just ignore that I had. And I'm kind of a scumbag so this is concerning from Harbaugh.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:01 PM ^
I don't think his word and integrity are compromised until he actually he compromises them by prematurely leaving. That is something he didn't even consider doing when he signed with Michigan even though he was the subject of constant conjecture about his coaching future in Ann Arbor for weeks on end as coach of the 49ers.
I think he's earned enough respect over 8 years and near double digit wins during that time including 25-3 record the past two years, a pair of lopsided wins over Ohio State and two Big Ten titles, that we need to acknowledge the obvious, he is going to be in high demand, particularly in the NFL where he never had a losing record.
Unlike other major college coaches who've tried and failed in the NFL, Harbaugh won and he did it with untested talent at quarterback unlike most NFL teams until they find a franchise winner.
I am certainly bothered as the next Michigan fan about this annual flirtation but it only gets settled when Harbaugh makes a permanent choice. I know we want him to do it now, but he won't until he makes that choice. In the meantime, we deal with the conjecture.
I don't want him to jeopardize Michigan's recruiting process, either. But what choice do we have?
January 4th, 2023 at 1:40 PM ^
"I am certainly bothered as the next Michigan fan about this annual flirtation but it only gets settled when Harbaugh makes a permanent choice."
According to his own words, he made that choice last year, and reaffirmed it less than two months ago.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:44 PM ^
What about Harbaugh screams "lack of integrity" to you? His faith? His commitment to student athletes? His giving up all of his incentive pay last year to those who too pay cuts?
Shady? We have no idea - only he knows - what is being said, by anyone to anyone.
This fan base would eat its own young if they thought it would be a satisfying meal.
Let it play out.
January 4th, 2023 at 1:37 PM ^
"He's being neither open nor honest about it this year, after giving his word that he was done with it last year. I agree with OP - his word and integrity are shot. I no longer believe anything he says. And that's his fault through his own actions..."
Did you not read what I wrote? It answers your question before you even asked it. We go by what is being reported - always have, always will. If he says the reports are wrong, then great. But he's not saying that. What I wrote stands for itself, you don't have to like it.
January 4th, 2023 at 3:51 PM ^
"Shady? We have no idea - only he knows - what is being said, by anyone to anyone."
Hmmm...
And I told him, 'Warde, this will not be a reoccurring theme every year. This was a one-time thing.'"
...
Harbaugh said he would stay at Michigan “as long as it would have me.”
January 4th, 2023 at 6:10 PM ^
Exactly. Poster implied otherwise, that he is behaving in a manner inconsistent with his words. I have not observed that behavior.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:59 AM ^
Give me a break with this sad story of the fanbase and Admin making it hard on JH. All fanbases get upset with coaches for not performing. I doubt JH had to order extra cases of Kleenex to deal with the hurt. It was no mystery that he was here to bring championships and competitiveness back quickly.
Going 49-21, 0-5 against your rival, zero conference titles, 1-4 in bowls, in the first 6 years, would have gotten almost any coach fired from a blueblood program. It was the intrinsic love and goodwill toward Harbaugh that gave him the benefit of the doubt, and this proved right. Now, if he's looking at all, he needs to leave, because he's apparently gotten the program to heights that are sufficient for him, and he only stands to hurt it my continuing to appear a coach with a foot out the door.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
He was treated as a lost cause because the team looked like a train wreck in 2019 and the COVID year. He was lucky to stay to be fair. Then he thoroughly turned it around in the next year and this year and has won back the fans. But the flirtations this year seem like a huge slap in the face to all of this and I agree with OP on this.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:44 AM ^
Assuming that Coach Harbaugh or his agent or other representative did not initiate contact with anyone in the NFL, then his statement last year regarding no flirtation with the NFL is intact.
However, imo, an NFL team initiating contact with him or his representative is a bit different. Semantics, perhaps...
I cannot blame him for listening, as I think most people in any profession would do the same.
Yet, I agree that the program cannot be put into this situation annually without negative repurcussions. The program is bigger than any one coach or individual.
I love Harbaugh and hope he stays and is signed to a long term contract that he and the school feel comfortable with and can each commit to. If not, then it may be time for a change.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
Last I heard Coach Harbaugh is allowed to pick up the phone if it rings.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:53 AM ^
Well-said.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:59 AM ^
Counter argument - if he is doing this to get the long term contract with the right buyout that people thought he needed to sign last year, then it all makes sense. And it shuts down all the negative recruiting. It was the missing piece last year that hurt them on the recruiting trail.
If he's serious and leaves, then he's gone and we move onward.
Right now you are assuming he's doing the same thing last year, with less transparency to his team and staff and projecting a similar outcome as last year.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:18 PM ^
The only other thing I can think of (read 'reach or hope for') is he's not talking about a job for himself, but perhaps he's shopping Weiss around. Being in Charlotte also makes sense if Jadyn Davis/Channing Goodwin plays basketball and/or there is no dead period in recruiting. He may be catching a game, talking to family or coaches or talking to the recruits themselves. I fully admit I do not know the recruiting calender or the rules regarding family and coaches.
But everything the Bo said I whole-heartedly agree with and was thinking the very same thing yesterday.
January 4th, 2023 at 12:15 PM ^
As much as I don't want to....I do agree with you
January 4th, 2023 at 1:11 PM ^
What bothers me is what he said last year that this would not happen again. Like you said that is a bad look. As far as being shady with everyone we don’t know what he’s saying or not saying behind the walls. He maybe up front with everyone closely associated with the program
January 4th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
I love JH Hope he stays forever but I for one am getting TIRED of this constant NFL flirtation..MAKE UP YOUR MIND and your hurting recruiting by doing this ..You said last year you were done with it and here you go again...Can your word not be trusted anymore???
January 4th, 2023 at 3:04 PM ^
Did he "give his word" last year or did he instead qualify it like every other coach?
January 4th, 2023 at 3:06 PM ^
So, I'm pretty happy at my job. I have no independent desire to leave it. I have pretty good pay, great benefits and flexibility, and believe in what I do.
But there is an amount of money I would leave this job for, and it is on a curve plotted with the x axis = amount of extra bullshit in my life. That curve increases exponentially with each increase in x.
I read this as Jim saying, "I think it's unlikely but not impossible that someone offers me the right pay at the right level of BS to leave Michigan."
January 4th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
Agreed. This whole "will he stay or will he go" routine every year is hurting recruiting and the fan base. My father used to always tell us to "sh*t or get off the pot". Enough already. Go to the NFL or sit down and shut up about it.
January 4th, 2023 at 6:19 PM ^
Well said Bo. If this is all about a contract then the only person who benefits from this is Jim. The whole program will suffer because of it. I never thought there’d come a day I’d say that I could give a shit if we lose Harbaugh. But I could give a shit.
January 4th, 2023 at 7:41 PM ^
Well said. To put everything in the simplest terms- he’s our coach, until he’s not. To me that’s essentially what he’s saying.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:18 AM ^
Bob Barker is still alive. I want to hear what he has to say.
January 4th, 2023 at 11:23 AM ^
The price is wrong, bitch!
January 4th, 2023 at 11:24 AM ^
He wants you to help control the pet population...
January 4th, 2023 at 11:23 AM ^
So maybe give a recap because Youtube isn't available everywhere people might work...
January 4th, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^
True - I can't capture Eisen's delivery: his derision, sarcasm and general incredulity about what people having been saying.
Basically he points out that the program is in great shape, and has bright future, and there is no reason for Harbaugh "to take any NFL offer" and then notes the many flaws of the jobs being bandied about (Denver, Carolina, Indy, etc.).
January 4th, 2023 at 11:44 AM ^
Fair enough - that's really all that needs to be / can be said. Thanks!!
January 4th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
but still this only addresses the teams that are "currently"without head coaches........what about when the other 4-6 teams come along after the season and fire their coach?