Report: Harbaugh Remains
After a moribund 24 hours, Schefter dropped a Schef-Bomb.
Jim Harbaugh called Michigan to inform the school that, despite interviewing with the Vikings today, he will be returning to school for the 2022 season, sources tell ESPN. Michigan was, in the words of one source, “elated” to get Harbaugh’s decision.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2022
According to multiple reports, Harbaugh left Ann Arbor with goodbyes and expected to take the Vikings head coaching job if offered. Apparently it wasn’t offered, or else the meeting convinced Harbaugh that Minnesota’s situation is a worse bet than coming back to Michigan and beating Ohio State again.
Michigan will happily have him back, and resume their search for a defensive coordinator. With Harbaugh’s interest in returning to the NFL established, preparing (or hiring) a coach-in-waiting might not be a terrible idea.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:02 PM ^
Uhhhh. Did not see that coming.
So ….what now?
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:29 PM ^
Now we win.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:03 PM ^
Also:
Jim Harbaugh told Warde Manuel that this would not be a re-occurring issue and he would stay at Michigan as long as it wants him, per sources. https://t.co/d3NVS4EdLl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2022
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:30 PM ^
But dipshit blog commenters have assured me this is going to happen every offseason…
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:05 PM ^
Actions over words. I know which I believe. But go ahead and take a PR statement at face value.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:04 PM ^
As others have pointed out, on balance it’s better to have a coach who attracts NFL eyeballs because it means you’re overall a good coach. Is it another weapon to use when negatively recruiting against us? Yes, but it’s not like people haven’t been doing that for ages, and you can spin that around by pointing out that this is a guy who knows what it takes to succeed in the NFL. Now, I will fully agree that none of this great for our hairlines, or blood pressure but if you really cared about those you wouldn’t have followed Michigan football these last two decades.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:32 PM ^
2 decades? Surely you jest — youngster! ?
some of us have been suffering for twice that long.
/s
February 3rd, 2022 at 11:49 AM ^
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:19 PM ^
Any great coach is going to attract the attention of the NFL. The difference here is that the NFL has attracted the attention of Harbaugh. Most programs fear their good coaches might be intrigued and leave for the NFL. When it comes to Harbaugh, he not only could leave, but WANTS to leave. It’s much easier to negatively recruit when you know your competition would prefer to be a coach in the NFL.
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:31 PM ^
Ryan Day also apparently wants to leave OSU as he was mentioned for NFL jobs so I look forward to the immediate downfall of the OSU program.
February 3rd, 2022 at 2:11 AM ^
I honestly know nothing about Ryan Day, OSU, Urban Meyers, Jacksonville, the NFL, or most any other topic you can come up with anywhere connected to those universes. So big grain of salt here, but I can imagine a world where had Day's mentor and head coach succeeded in his NFL gig, Day would be champing to test the waters himself. Now he might resign himself to stay on at OSU at least until he feels he would have a better chance to succeed.
Again, I'm just a random wilfer on a board and have nothing to do with that world.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:04 PM ^
Double post, mea culpa. Apparently I am as good at MGoPosting as anonymous sources are at divining Harbaugh’s intentions
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:04 PM ^
Good Lord. Awkward!
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:04 PM ^
Just happy that this goat rodeo is over with and we won’t be turning the program over to either a first time head coach or someone outside the current staff, which seems to be a good one. Now, who is the new defensive coordinator, Jim, and what are you going to do to secure another title this year?
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:05 PM ^
When all is said and done, more will be said than done.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:05 PM ^
“It’s never over til it’s over.”
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:03 PM ^
Nothing is over until we say it is!
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:05 PM ^
The way he handled this, I'm not sure we're better of with him coming back. We lost recruits in this cycle because of him and will not get some next cycle as everyone speculates about him leaving next year. I wouldn't want to go play for a head coach who wants to be somewhere else.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:09 PM ^
He’s the best coach out there…we are very pleased to have him back!
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:32 PM ^
His record proves Harbaugh is not the best coach out there.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:11 PM ^
Which recruits did we lose because of this???
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:36 PM ^
I, too, am waiting for the extensive front page post of all the players who either refused to sign or bailed because of this. I’ve heard from several posters now that the list is shockingly long and a virtual who’s who of the blue chip recruits.
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:15 PM ^
It isn’t about this year. How is he going to recruit in the future knowing that he wants to leave as soon as he gets his wish.
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:25 PM ^
Same way he recruited this year. Just about every other post this past week has bashed him saying this has been going on every year since he got here… with some snark in that. Point was so many on this board and beyond were bitching all along about how he continually does this, and now it’s all, “How’s he ever gonna recruit with this NFL flirtation hanging over head?!?!” Relax and go have a drink.
February 3rd, 2022 at 2:15 AM ^
@JP24elk -"Which recruits did we lose because of this???"
February 3rd, 2022 at 10:14 AM ^
Are you serious? Good luck proving this.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:18 PM ^
How should he have handled this?
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:37 PM ^
This man took a Michigan program that had gone 46-42 from 2008-14 and built it into a College Football Playoff team. And you'd be fine throwing the baby out with the bathwater and trying to find a brand new coach just because he gave you a little scare for a couple weeks?
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:44 PM ^
What recruits did UM lose this cycle because of this? Hmm?
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:20 PM ^
We don’t know. We do know that there isn’t a sane recruit that would have flipped to us due to the fact that Jim wanted to coach somewhere else.
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:59 PM ^
This is crazy talk. Harbaugh and staff closed the 2022 class like gangsters. Even with a good 2021 season, this class was destined to be pretty rough. But they not only cranked out a historic season, they also recovered miles of recruiting ground in about one month.
2-4 does not lead to the #8 overall recruiting class. Ever. Until now.
February 3rd, 2022 at 1:22 PM ^
The one story I heard was from a recruit and his family that admired Harbaugh's refreshing honesty about the situation. Most coaches would have tried to hide the ball. Everyone's different, of course, but if my son were looking for a program, I would steer him toward the one whose coach was of high interest to the NFL and who was honest about being interested in return.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:06 PM ^
The whole thing was just a massive troll job by Harbaugh. He’s constantly playing 5-D chess. He is the puppet master and we are his puppets, and he had us dancing on our strings. Lmao
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
Honestly, if you are a 2023 recruit and Jim comes calling, do you believe that he will be around for your career?
February 3rd, 2022 at 10:56 AM ^
People have been saying this since Harbaugh arrived.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:07 PM ^
“But he doesn’t love Michigan anymore” All the chicken littles on the board can now go back in hiding. As the old saying goes “if you love someone, let it go. And if it comes back, it is stronger than ever!” Folks he chose us…now let’s go kick ass in 2022
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:24 PM ^
You’re delusional rob. He chose us because we are his only option. Every single part of the last couple of weeks indicates he would’ve rather been in the NFL. He had a chance to re-sign with us for weeks. He held out for every last NFL gig and didn’t get it, so he’s still with us. Good or bad? Time will tell. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love M, it just means we weren’t his first choice. That much is very clear.
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:36 PM ^
He could’ve said I’m done with coaching college and never came back. He chose Michigan and said he’s done with pursuing the NFL. That shows some level of dedication to the school. He was always under contract, so no guarantee he wants it needs to sign an extension. He’s on the books til 2025
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:07 PM ^
A Fairlife milk toast to that.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:08 PM ^
I don't begrudge Harbaugh for looking at the NFL... sometimes you need to step out of your bubble to really evaluate the alternatives with clear eyes.
He has stated that this flirtation with the NFL would not happen again, so you have to take him at his word, which I do.
I think the program is better with him than without him, especially at this critical juncture, where the program can build on last year's successes instead of having uncertainties and questions
Glad to have him back.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:08 PM ^
Time to collect names on all the people saying "BUT MY FEELINGS ARE HURT AND I DON'T WANT HIM BACK."
This is like Stalin faking his own death to see who says what.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:22 PM ^
Do you really believe that Harbaugh faked all of this just to come back as the savior? He wanted to leave, but he didn’t get the offer. You can’t be this naive. He is gone as soon as he gets the deal that he wants. I have no idea how he will convince recruits to come here next cycle.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^
I'm confused... never said he faked anything. He was genuinely interested, clearly, in the job. And I clearly didn't say he was a 'savior'
I have no idea whether he was even offered the job and as for next year, I guess we'll see.
Not naive at all...I take the guy at his word.... And I don't take football as seriously as you do apparently.
If he leaves, he leaves. Nothing I think has anything to do with it.
edit - apologies to Zarkin; for some reason it looked like he was replying to my previous post...so I responded to him when I should not have...
February 2nd, 2022 at 9:10 PM ^
Of course we don't and probably won't ever know what happened, but two things seemed to me very real possibilities today:
(1) Harbaugh met the Wilfs and remembered what he didn't like about the NFL.
(2) The Wilfs met Harbaugh and remembered what Jed York told them.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:28 PM ^
Pressed refresh several times to upvote--hysterical
February 3rd, 2022 at 7:31 AM ^
Uhhh... YOU are the guy who has been saying Harbaugh was telling people about wanting to go back to the NFL before the season ended.
... now he was just faking it?
February 3rd, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
In the words of Andre 3000- forever? for ever ever?
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:10 PM ^
Never thought we’d get Harbaugh starring in his own Hallmark movie, rejecting the big city job/fiancé in favor of coming back to his hometown, but here we are.
February 2nd, 2022 at 8:36 PM ^
Wasn’t that the plot to Sweet Home Alabama?
February 2nd, 2022 at 10:32 PM ^
Doc Hollywood - without the "hometown"
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