Harbaugh Harbaugh Harbaugh? Harbaugh!
We've been locked in a never-ending, pointless loop since March. Things are supposed to happen. They do not. Wheels are spun. The press is avoided. Reality is twisted. Absurd things are said out loud by purported adults. People get angry and scream at each other on social media. A sickness has descended on our nation.
Also there is a pandemic.
Anyway, we're on day one billion of Harbaugh Extension Theater. Yesterday there was widespread reporting that he would indeed get one, and sign one. Yes, again. Nick Baumgardner had the most detail so he wins the embed:
Source tells The Athletic Michigan and Jim Harbaugh are close to finalizing a five-year deal -- expected base salary is $4 million. With incentives, he could get it back to $8 million. Buyout is expected to be low.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 8, 2021
Harbaugh hasn't signed. Is expected to soon.
Harbaugh, of course, has not signed this extension. We will wake up tomorrow to Brandy and Dierdorf singing "I Got You, Jim," like we do every day.
[After THE JUMP: one more excuse to reference Scottish twitter?]
This has caused the usual riot and tumult on Michigan twitter, especially since it's paired with this obscure NFL name as defensive coordinator:
Sources: Michigan is targeting Ravens linebackers coach Mike Macdonald for its defensive coordinator job. .
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 8, 2021
Currently working with John Harbaugh. May soon be working with his brother.
Macdonald has been with the Ravens in some capacity for seven years and has been a position coach for four. Before that he was a grad assistant at UGA. This is not exactly the Don Brown hire; Brown had the best defense in the country at Boston College. Macdonald has no meaningful track record and hasn't recruited, ever.
Try to keep a couple things in mind:
- It was always going to be difficult to find a replacement for Brown as Mr. Low Buyout.
- It does not matter at all who the defensive coordinator is since Michigan does not recruit DTs or CBs anymore.
I mean, I guess it matters at the margins. But the situation here is that Michigan went 2-4 with a humiliating loss to a year zero MSU program. OSU is one of the three perennial playoff participants. Harbaugh has been looking for an NFL exit that does not exist and is being roped into signing a contract that makes him easy to fire. The defensive coordinator who's able to come in and wave his magic wand to make next year's OSU game competitive does not exist, and even if he did he would not come to the least stable situation in the Power 5. And if next year's OSU game is not competitive Harbaugh is gone.
You can ask why the administration is looking these facts in the face and not pulling the trigger. I am certainly baffled. But the identity of the defensive coordinator is not worth getting bothered about. Eat at Arby's.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:03 PM ^
In hindsight, the season could be looked back upon as a saving grace for a huge part of the population that are fans. Everyone for the entire year has searched for any sign of a return to normalcy. Being able to turn on the TV and watch football (while pretty much not being able to leave your house anyway) has been a welcome sight to many across the country. It's the same for you guys right now with the mens basketball team. It gives hope.
So far I haven't heard of anyone dying directly related to football activities spreading the virus. We are at the end of the season. I'd consider it a win. There were bumps and bruises, canceled and re-scheduled games. But again, it gave hope to quite a few households judging by the TV ratings.
Had your football team been successful this year, you may have a completely different view. If you feel this way about football, then you should not be watching or following basketball.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:33 PM ^
It's an asterisk season for everybody so we still had a relatively even playing field. The playoffs reflect that.
January 8th, 2021 at 1:12 PM ^
That’s such a dumb take. Adults made adult decisions to play, number one. Number two, if Michigan made it through the whole season with no Covid outbreaks, slaughtered OSU, won the BIG and was playing next Monday for all the marbles, you and every person on this blog would be pounding your chest everyday till it turned red.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:36 AM ^
This makes me sad:-(
January 8th, 2021 at 11:36 AM ^
On one hand, I get the Nihilism and frustration with keeping what seems like a lame duck head coach, on the other hand, Michigan went in 2020 with one of the youngest teams out there, hit with injuries, and failed horrifically. In most other years, they were roughly a bottom part of a top ten team going into the Ohio State game. This is not keeping Brady Hoke into 2015, it is possible for it to turn around.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:40 AM ^
They really weren't that young, especially on defense. And if it had come after a championship kind of season where they lost a bunch of guys then sure, but 2019 wasn't anything special either. Also, being somewhat young is partly about the high attrition.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^
No, not on defense but once you removed Paye and Hutch they were on experience. I don't think anyone is arguing that the disaster at DT and CB isn't something we did see coming. I am just saying, that in everyway, this is a bit of an outlier year if you look at the history.
January 8th, 2021 at 2:20 PM ^
Going to be the same thing next year too though. This season didn't count towards eligibility. So outside of the players leaving for the NFL draft, they are going to have the same amount of relative experience and youth next season as they did this season.
And those big holes at CB and DT are going to be there next year too (and the following year since they opted to not recruit those positions in the 2021 class either).
January 8th, 2021 at 2:00 PM ^
I've linked to this a number of times but Michigan had the 110th-ranked defense in terms of production coming into last year, and that was before Thomas, Paye, Hutchinson, etc. missed a lot of time. They really weren't all that experienced, and I think a lot of people around here just pay a ton of attention to the team and sort of assume that the guys who saw the field a little bit here or there were primed to step right into the spots of the multi-year starters who left without missing a beat.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:37 AM ^
There's nothing baffling about it. We are who we are. We're an Iowa that has chosen to believe it's an Alabama without actually working to excel like an Alabama. Results don't matter. We are above such trifles. Belief is enough. It's actually brilliant, if you think about it. Because this is Michigan, fergodsakes.
Anyway... Basketball, anyone?
January 8th, 2021 at 11:42 AM ^
“We have the meats!”
January 8th, 2021 at 2:42 PM ^
No reason to actually try to win football games when so much of the fanbase is so hopelessly attached and delusional that they're willing not just to watch but to cheer as we throw more weight on the lead balloon.
Keep buying tickets and buy merch, folks! Michigan football will be back to winning again soon! Trust them! When have they steered you wrong before!?
January 8th, 2021 at 11:39 AM ^
Brian,
OK. You are negative. You have a right to be, or not to be.
Yet, I did not see anything in your post that outlines specifically what Michigan would do were you the Athletic Director.
Easy to complain endlessly. Not so easy to be constructive.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
Never thought that when Harbaugh was hired that UM would be the laughing stock of college football 6 years later.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:48 AM ^
Do you not listen to the podcasts or read the articles. It's clear the whole staff wants Harbaugh gone.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
Which podcast? I've been ignoring this whole mess and waiting for it to be over. However it does not look like it will be over any time soon. It is just so sad watching an empire fall by it's own hand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEESpwadbDs
January 8th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
No offense, but I think Brian is pretty clear. You have to fire him OR you sign him to a non "dead man walking contract" because you believe he is the future at michigan.
Maybe the facts of the offer aren't what we think, but if they are this is quite literally a contract that says: "Harbaugh...just float by for the year and then you're gone...hire 'whoever', 'whatever', we'll move on in 2022".
If Harbaugh's name was anyone else this would be ridiculous and not even an option. Granted, that's life but we can make fun of the insanity.
That said, I lean on the side of assuming the best so I guess we wait to see how this shakes out.
January 8th, 2021 at 2:48 PM ^
Brian said what he would do if he was AD on a roundtable a bit ago....fire Harbaugh and move on.
Which if not for the buyout, Warde would probably do
January 8th, 2021 at 11:41 AM ^
I am also struggling to give a shit about all of this. Having what is functionally a lame duck coach is just a huge bummer. Everybody can see how this is going down (neither side is committed to the other) and the results are highly likely to be bad for both the on-field product and recruiting.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:41 AM ^
Do we even know if Harbaugh pursued the NFL and didn't get any takers? Seems like speculation with no real evidence.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^
Feels like michigan twitter perpetuated the whole Harbaugh couldn't get to the NFL so he reluctantly signed a contract.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:35 PM ^
Hey this contract is way worse than the last one I'm gonna stretch negotiations out to see what I can get seems way more likely given the lack of actual reporting in a super leaky NFL universe.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
I find it hard to believe that nobody would report if Harbaugh interviewed for one of these open NFL jobs.
So I am under the impression that the NFL just didnt have any interest in him.
I am speculating but its hard to keep something like that a secret in this day and age.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
So what if Harbaugh never even tried to look at the NFL? Which he hasn't up until this point. Michigan is a tight ship which leads to a lot of weird rumors.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:01 PM ^
OR Harbaugh doesn't have any real interest in coaching in the NFL again (or leaving Michigan) and made no sincere attempt to do so.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:31 PM ^
There is zero chance he wouldn't have at least gotten an interview if he wanted one. Zero. I would say he almost certainly would have gotten a job if he was open to taking any of the 6 or say that were available. The NFL is full of retreads and guys with way worse histories are getting interviews and will probably be hired.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:52 AM ^
Well he's not getting hired for a lateral college job. People claim it's just speculation but besides holding out for an NFL job, what's one plausible reason Harbaugh would be waiting to sign a contract? Or to get a new DC or transfers. Either he stays, quits and takes a year off, or goes to the NFL.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:59 AM ^
What if there was never any doubt between Warde and Harbaugh that he was back. Obviously timing is an issue to everyone but I don't think warde is on everyone else's timeliness.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:42 AM ^
I'll add, since I have posted like 5 times in 10 years, Eat at Arby's analysis is the anti-Fuego Box hot take. I would, in fact, call it the weak sauce analysis
January 8th, 2021 at 11:46 AM ^
Macdonald was an Analyst at UGA for three years so he should have some experience with the recruiting process.
But as I stated in another thread, this is not the kind of hire that inspires confidence that JH can get this thing turned around. Hope to see a Co-DC type that can make this feel like a better solution.
January 8th, 2021 at 2:23 PM ^
Analysts can't recruit.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
Is there a precedent for dropping a salary in an extension? I feel like that never happens. I like it. He doesn’t deserve top money. But still.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
This is an M-Live comment impersonating something intelligent.
Michigan still has more talented CBs and DTs on their roster than 90% of the B1G10.
Of course coaching matters.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
Michigan can barely field a 4 DL defense. It doesn't matter what their rankings are if you don't have the bodies. Also Gray is not more talented than most CBs in the conference.
January 8th, 2021 at 2:28 PM ^
Based off of what?? Michigan exceptionalism? They've barely recruited the position the last few years, and have done an even worse job at developing players.
I mean...Michigan is a season removed from their fullback playing DT because that was the only option. When your FB has to play DT, then no...you do not have more talent than 90% of the Big Ten.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:50 AM ^
If Harbaugh has a year left on his current deal, and thinks the new offer is considerably worse, isn't there a good chance that he just doesn't sign it? Like, ever? And just continues on the last year of his current contract and we go through all this again next year? I mean, optics aside, he doesn't have to sign this offer at all does he?
January 8th, 2021 at 12:24 PM ^
That is correct. He could absolutely not sign it and let this year play out or force Warde's hand if indeed Warde is trying to nudge him out the door.
January 8th, 2021 at 2:30 PM ^
Either way, if he signs or doesn't sign the contract, if he has an 8-4 kind of season next year and gets housed by Ohio State we're all likely to have this same convo next season.
January 8th, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
This is certainly a very Gattis like hire, and since Harbaugh is backed against the wall it may end up just as unsuccessful
January 8th, 2021 at 11:54 AM ^
I'll be the lone positive outlier in this. Maybe pissed off, doesn't give a shit Harbaugh is what we need? At the very least it would be fun to see him throwing shit and yelling at referees like he used to. It probably won't result in more wins based on the roster mess, but it may make the games more entertaining???
January 8th, 2021 at 12:00 PM ^
In 2018, Joe Brady was an offensive assistant for the saints. In 2019, he won the Broyles award and led LSU to a championship. Now he's 31 years old and probably gonna get a HC offer.
Is Mike Macdonald the next Joe Brady? Probably not, but I assume John Harbaugh at least gave him a passing grade. Guess we'll see what he's got soon enough.
Fun edit: Who did Harbaugh hire as Stanford DC in 2010? Ravens LB coach Vic Fangio
January 8th, 2021 at 12:08 PM ^
I can give you 10 million reasons he is not being fired. It's not rocket science.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:10 PM ^
boy. not inspiring. ready for another 7-5 next year and a tough game vs. rutger
January 8th, 2021 at 2:02 PM ^
My hopes for the 2021 Michigan team right now are that they reach bowl eligibility and I'm not feeling confident we'll get there.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:15 PM ^
I will repeat yet again that Michigan took 2 defensive backs last year ranked in the top 14 nationally for their position, and the year before that another top-25 corner, and the year before that another top-20 corner (who left, but still). DT is a hole they'll have to deal with, but I'm also tired of people acting like Michigan's defensive back situation is the same. And unlike basically any other part of the defense this year, the corners got demonstrably better as the season progressed.
This is a hire. It's unlikely to save Harbaugh, but who the hell knows anymore. I think the contract was part "feel free to look elsewhere" and part "we lost a TON of money this year and so you may need to take a pay cut". I think it's telling that Steve Sarkisian went to Texas and is getting paid the same as Herman; you'd think a guy with that much of a track record would be able to command more. ADs, even ones that were able to collect some gate receipts from games, are hurting and I wouldn't be surprised if salaries are cut if possible.
Anyway, looking forward to dour MGoBlog for the next year or two; should be a blast.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:25 PM ^
What track record does Sarkisian have that demands more money than Herman? He hasn't won ten games in any season as a head coach and had to literally step away mid season from his last head job because he couldn't control his personal demons
January 8th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
Sark had a winning record at every school he was HC at except his first year at Washington, and was at the helm of two top programs in the Pac-12. I honestly don't think he's going to be any better than Herman at Texas, but he was one of the hottest names in the coaching search this offseason and he's going to a cash-rich school, yet is basically being paid the same as the guy they just fired. Like, a couple years ago Mike Locksley went to Maryland and got paid a bit more than DJ Durkin and that was a guy with a 2-26 HC record and co-OC role at Alabama.
My point is that ADs are feeling the pain and new coaches don't seem to be getting those escalating salaries you sort of expect to see when you're trying to bring in a new guy. It's why I do wonder if we'll see as much coaching movement this offseason as others because ADs are in the red and wonder if taking the risk on a new guy who'll cost you more is worth it.
January 8th, 2021 at 12:29 PM ^
I very much respect your opinion bronx, but why on earth would Sarkisian command more money than Herman based on his track record? Sark is a brilliant offensive mind. But he's also fortunate that a team with as much history and tradition as Texas was willing to take a chance on him given his personal history and just as important, his track record as a HC at other high profile stops.
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