SEARCHBITS XXIX: IT IS HAPPENING
80% might be low
IT IS HAPPENING. Okay. I don't have a picture of a signed contract, or word from Harbaugh himself that it's happening.
But it's happening. I have not put a number on Harbaugh to Michigan yet, preferring words since it's impossible to put a number on something like this. I'll do this now: 99%.
I have gotten so much independent stuff from so many different sources; 247 and Scout and Bacon are all on board, with Rivals only lagging seemingly because they buy the 2011 story that Harbaugh backed out "at the last minute," something that just can't be true given the timelines. I would be utterly shocked if Jim Harbaugh was not announced as Michigan's coach by December 30th.
It's all over but the pointless rush to be the first to report that water is wet.
HAPPENING BITS.I've heard word that there's a large event on Tuesday night that the catering staff has been asked to keep secret—something that they've never been asked about before.
A son of a current coach is telling co-workers that it's happening and his dad is being retained.
1201 South State Street is getting mail addressed like this from NFL compounds:
I checked the tracking number; it's legit.
If I had to guess I'd bet that's a young-go-getter overnighting his resume and interest. Blind hope? Maybe. Probably not.
More numbers: Webb increments to 80, pending today's 85. Lorenz says it's "when, not if" and puts it at 85%. Pequeno doesn't have a number but does say Michigan boots are on the ground in San Francisco.
THE DURKIN PROPHECY. Harbaugh to Michigan is now unofficially official enough that a coaching staff seems to be in the process of being assembled in earnest. Further confirmation of DJ Durkin's presence on the new staff comes from the message board:
So, I am from Youngstown, OH. This morning, I went to my gym for a little early morning workout, and another member of my gym is the father of Chris Durkin … they are close cousins with D.J. Durkin. … he said he would starting rooting for Michigan football next season (after giving me shit for wearing Michigan shirts in the past). I asked why, and he said he has a cousin who would be coaching there next season, and when I asked if it was D.J. Durkin, he said it was.
Conversation stopped there, but basically we can infer from this that Harbaugh is coming, and D.J. Durkin knows it and will be joining him.
That's a user with only 214 points but he is a guy who signed up over a year ago, FWIW. If it wasn't obvious already since Durkin didn't take the A&M job that could have been his a week ago, it should be now.
ANOTHER NFL PERSON SAYS MICHIGAN IS A TINY FAVORITE. SI's Don Banks runs down the NFL coaching carousel, touching on Harbaugh during the Oakland section:
Most league sources I talked to believe it’s down to either Oakland or Michigan for Harbaugh, and while his preference is to stay in the NFL, the lure of Ann Arbor and being able to resurrect the struggling program at his alma mater might be too tempting an opportunity to say no to. If there’s a possession arrow at the moment, indications are it has begun to slightly point in the direction of the Wolverines. …
Or as one source told me: “He can go there and be God, and never get fired. That’s a home he can live in and stay at. It’ll be like [Nick] Saban in Alabama. He’ll do whatever he wants there. I’d call that the logical place for him.’’
The Raiders will try, but they're still the Raiders—perpetually moribund and possibly on the move.
Banks later dismisses Harbaugh as an option in Chicago, saying if he's leaving the West Coast it's for Michigan. That seems like a flimsy assumption to me, but local reporters continually say that Harbaugh's too pricey for the penny-pinching Bears owners. There's been little indication that Chicago will step in.
WHY IS THIS XXIX? Searchbits XXVIII was this for anyone who just had to check to see if anything was happening on Christmas.
New MGoPost: SEARCHBITS XXVIII: DON'T READ THIS, IT'S CHRISTMAS http://t.co/bqRjIOs0ZA
— mgoblog (@mgoblog) December 25, 2014
I regret nothing, even the old meme. That's what you get for obsessively checking this webs…
…actually this may have been a bad idea.
I'M NOT SURE YOU CAN SPEAK FOR EVERBODY. John Harbaugh denies the Schefter report that Jim's family is encouraging him to take the Michigan job:
"The report that says that his family is encouraging him to go to Michigan by Adam Schefter is absolutely incorrect," John Harbaugh said. "There's been no family that I know of that has given him any advice at all. That's a personal decision, that's his to make. And that's just absolutely false."
I think that's not entirely true; even if it is, Schefter's report seemed to be addressing the wife-won't-leave meme, not John and Jack. And as I mentioned before I'm confident that Jack has been a major part of the Harbaugh acquisition process. It's Jim's decision of course, it's just that your mom and I have always dreamed… etc etc etc.
ETC.: Matt Pargoff has an extensive list of potential assistants. Licensed twitter troll TIm Kawakami's Harbaugh-49ers postmortem is on point.
December 26th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
My house is a mess...Randy Marsh style after reading that
December 27th, 2014 at 1:01 AM ^
I know I'm late to the game with this post (Took Brian's advice and stayed away for Christmas), but is that picture of the mail legal? It's might be a non-question but with all of the privacy laws I thought I'd ask some smarter fans.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
Why wouldn't it be? It's just he exterior of an envelope.
December 27th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^
December 27th, 2014 at 11:41 AM ^
Why wouldn't it be? It's just he exterior of an envelope.
December 26th, 2014 at 4:46 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 26th, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 26th, 2014 at 5:21 PM ^
December 27th, 2014 at 1:29 PM ^
That might be my favorite thing I've ever seen on here.
December 26th, 2014 at 5:44 PM ^
It feels like Christmas...
December 26th, 2014 at 7:09 PM ^
Infinite points for adding something from Muppet's Christmas Carol or.....Best Christmas movie ever.
December 26th, 2014 at 7:51 PM ^
It's a classic - and surprisingly true to the original novel.
I watch it every year with my family.
December 26th, 2014 at 8:04 PM ^
Bring on the Harbaugh muppets! When its official, they will be the best muppets of all! If we get Harbaugh, this miserable season will be completely worth every painful frustrating second.
December 26th, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 26th, 2014 at 4:47 PM ^
YAY!!!!!! GO BLUE!!!!
December 26th, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^
I just listened to the whole thing
December 26th, 2014 at 8:17 PM ^
I just showed this to my 10 month old daughter and she is mesmorized.
December 27th, 2014 at 12:55 AM ^
December 27th, 2014 at 11:39 AM ^
when the actual hire happens.
It will hopefully replace Peanut Butter Jelly Time as the iconic coach-hiring song of MGoBlog history, and I will no longer have to think about how poorly that turned out.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
Who the hell made this? Pretty awesome.
December 27th, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^
It's based on a 2011 video called "Nyan Cat." Apparently "nyan" is Japanese for "meow."
December 27th, 2014 at 4:45 PM ^
It's based on a 2011 video called "Nyan Cat." Apparently "nyan" is Japanese for "meow."
December 26th, 2014 at 5:10 PM ^
It's fappening.
December 26th, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 26th, 2014 at 4:48 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 4:49 PM ^
Life ?
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 26th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
Only fitting that Brian is the one to really break it. As Jim Harbaugh would put it, you were "A++" in reporting this whole thing.
December 26th, 2014 at 10:12 PM ^
Rivals only laggingThey're even at 95% now.
December 26th, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 5:53 PM ^
I think this offseason's actually going to be a lot of fun. Lots of positive stories about how Jim is finally back home and how we're reaping the benefits in recruiting. It'll be the happiest offseason in years . . . maybe since 1998?
December 26th, 2014 at 6:05 PM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 6:39 PM ^
When the fuck is spring practice?? That's going to be a must attend in person event.
Holy shit. Jim Hackett is a god damned boss.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:42 AM ^
In the Spring.
December 26th, 2014 at 4:50 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 26th, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^
December 27th, 2014 at 5:36 AM ^
December 26th, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^
Happening.
Comments