All quiet on the Harbaugh front...for now.
So a contract extension is allegedly on the table, JH is allegedly on vacay in Cali, and both JH and WM are allegedly waiting to see if the NFL comes calling for the Quarterback Whisperer. Allegedly.
If both sides really wanted this deal done, guess what? It would have been done. Absolute silence on an extension. What does that tell you? It tells me that having JH as the HC, for next year and beyond, is both sides’ back up plan. WM is offering Harbaugh what he probably thinks is an inferior deal so he says “shove it I’m outta here”. That’s because he doesn’t have the guts (or buyout money) to fire him. Let’s make him an offer he CAN refuse. Harbaugh is going to use the offer as leverage to get an NFL job. But if the extension isn’t a great one, what kind of leverage can JH have?
I say chances of Harbaugh leaving: 50/50.
December 20th, 2020 at 5:56 PM ^
Username sort of checks out.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:03 PM ^
Counter strike confirmed!
Harbaugh is coming back. 100%. You don’t sign a class like that unless the coach told them he was coming back. Harbaugh could have lied to the recruits, but that doesn’t sound like Harbaugh.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:10 PM ^
Agreed. The delay is strange and I thought it would be done by now. There must be a reason, but I have no clue why. People can say whatever they want about Harbaugh, but he has integrity. If he’s telling recruits that he will be back, then he will be back. He’s not the type who would lie to recruits. It doesn’t benefit him and if he leaves, those recruits would be released from their LOI’s anyway. I’m guessing he’s not in a rush because the class is signed and there’s no need to rush right now.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:40 PM ^
Maybe it's the other way around. Instead of using the Manuel's offer/non-offer as leverage to find an NFL job, Jim may want to use any NFL offers as leverage to negotiate a better extension from Michigan. It sounds like one of the big issues with the extension is the buyout....doesn't provide the job security JH wants.
December 20th, 2020 at 9:15 PM ^
I think your on to it Navy. He’s hoping to get more out of Warde and UM. He will be back but is trying to sweeten the deal
December 20th, 2020 at 9:20 PM ^
“sounds like one of the big issues with the extension is the buyout”
”Sounds like” from whom? What’s your source?
December 20th, 2020 at 10:00 PM ^
Sam Webb, Brian and Seth were talking about this on the WTKA MGoBlog round table on Thursday. Not sure if they had a source or were speculating but it kind of makes sense as no coach wants a very low buyout.
December 20th, 2020 at 11:01 PM ^
I agree with this analysis. Manuel doesn't want to pay the buyout. Harbaugh wants to stay but wants a better deal than what is on the table.
If he can get a better offer from an NFL team, he can use that to improve the current extension. And Manuel is being smart and keeping the offer low since Harbaugh doesn't currently have leverage.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:46 PM ^
Extension should have been done 10 months ago (if both sides really wanted one).
But it wasn't.
Now that we are past the early signing day, there is no particular rush to finalize everything (one way or another) for a few weeks.
Time pressure starts to ramp up in January though...
December 20th, 2020 at 7:07 PM ^
Harbaugh has been delayed getting back as he is sailing off the Coronado Islands and unfortunately left his cell phone back at the hotel.
December 21st, 2020 at 10:17 AM ^
Too soon.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:15 PM ^
Perhaps the delay is intentional until the assistants get sorted out so they can make the announcements across the board?
December 21st, 2020 at 12:47 AM ^
That was my thinking. I was hoping they were trying to bring Derek Mason in as DC and hammer out those details as part of Harbaugh’s plan to right the ship.
That’s probably wishful thinking, though.
December 20th, 2020 at 10:22 PM ^
That may be true, but if he does leave will you call him out for lacking integrity?
Seems both sides are hoping for the NFL to swoop in and save them from the situation at hand.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:16 PM ^
That was kind of my foregone conclusion as well. I don't see how you keep your offensive recruiting class completely intact unless they know Harbaugh is going to be here.
It gives me a slight amount of pause though, that he hasn't put pen to paper yet. If he told the recruits he's coming back just haven't finalized the contract, I'm not sure what else there is to wait for.
December 20th, 2020 at 11:17 PM ^
Not true at all. The timing of things now force a coach to say he is planning on being there at that moment. And then a month or two later if the NFL offers something too good he can take it. But it keeps the recruits to stick together and to the school they chose. They shouldn't go somewhere for the coach becuase the coach can leave at any time. If he takes the chargers job in a month, he didn't lie, nor did he harm the recruits. This is the new norm.
December 20th, 2020 at 9:33 PM ^
+1 to you sir. You haven’t exactly been a Harbaugh fan of late, but at least you haven’t gone bat shit crazy like some on this blog!
Seriously, did we need another wacko reading of the tea leaves?
OP might be the dumbest yet. Yeah, it’s real telling that this is playing out exactly as we were told it would. And when was Harbaugh supposed to take vacation time?
December 20th, 2020 at 5:57 PM ^
Thanks?
December 20th, 2020 at 6:03 PM ^
Yeah, exactly....just another OP for us to gossip in.
Waiting for your inside info, got any?
December 20th, 2020 at 6:39 PM ^
Nothing!
Since the “wheels in motion” text I got from him, I’ve gotten nothing in return, even after a couple of follow-up texts to him. I don’t know what the silence means, but I may be seeing him over the break in Detroit (through our mutual friend). So I’ll get some insight then no doubt.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:29 PM ^
Thanks WCB, appreciate the response, hopefully you'll hear something, safe travels!
December 20th, 2020 at 7:37 PM ^
hey mick, you're in california. harbaugh's there, per the OP. can't you just go ask him?
December 20th, 2020 at 8:31 PM ^
Haha, XM, good point....I don't want to be creepy and go stalking his family, lol.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:56 PM ^
You could. Harbaugh has a house on Coronado.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:50 PM ^
Give the OP a break...
He's only had his account for... 11+ years
And accumulated a grand total of... a little over 100pts
....
So... anyone care to guess who's dormant burner account this is?
December 20th, 2020 at 7:22 PM ^
I mean there are some real life unicorns on here who are just here for the content, commentary, comedy and don’t feel the need to add their two cents every time an argument gets recycled... just saying....
Then again - based on this post probably someone’s burner!
December 20th, 2020 at 7:32 PM ^
Hear, hear!
December 20th, 2020 at 7:26 PM ^
Yeah, burner huh? I’m 55, grew up in Belleville, started attending Home games at the Big House before it was the Big House (‘76), love Ufer (got an autographed album from him), I was at Ufer’s last game against Iowa in 1981, my kids went as Michigan football players for Halloween (winged helmet included), covered Michigan for radio from Bo’s last year thru 2000. I read the blog and board a lot. I just post something here when it’s really important to me.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:42 PM ^
I was a freshman in the MMB in '81. Remember we spelled UFER at halftime on the field to honor him at the 1981 Iowa game, knowing he was very ill but at the game. Heard from our band director later that he broke out into a nice smile - we were under the strictest orders to say nothing to anyone about the plans so it would be a surprise. Too bad we lost that game to a Rose-Bowl-bound Iowa team (who could have figured!) 9-7.
I also remember before the 1981 Illinois game, the first game after his passing, when a moment of silence was held for him - it was so quiet for 5-10 seconds, you could hear the cars honking outside the stadium. We came back down 21-7 to score the last 63 and made it a day to remember.
My first game was '74 home opener 31-7 win over Iowa.
December 20th, 2020 at 7:52 PM ^
Remember both of those! “Right you are a hundred percent. And that rates 3 blasts on the Bo “George Patton” Schembechler scoring horn!” Ole Ufe’ would probably still be blowing the horn when we scored 70!
December 20th, 2020 at 8:36 PM ^
OMG, I was at that Illinois game, I remember being so annoyed and then so joyful!
December 20th, 2020 at 7:53 PM ^
It was really important for you to post... no information?
December 20th, 2020 at 8:09 PM ^
Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you needed to have “information” to post thoughts on a message board. Just posting my feelings on the most important off- season since we fired Hoke.
December 21st, 2020 at 6:11 AM ^
Well you said yourself, you only post when it’s important. Not sure what was so important here. You didn’t post any information. So I’m just genuinely curious what exactly caused you to come out of posting hibernation that was so important that we needed yet another thread that tells us nothing?
Nobody said you needed information to post thoughts on a message board. YOU were the one that claimed you only posted when it was important. We’re just all left wondering what the hell was so important in your post.
Not to mention, you could have just posted your feelings on one of the other dozen posts we’ve already had on the subject. Didn’t really need another post with zero information.
December 20th, 2020 at 5:59 PM ^
I thought about this today. I thought a week ago it was all but signed and sealed that JH was coming back.
This should not be dragging on this long. I do honestly think he's waiting out the NFL.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:14 PM ^
If the Chargers offer, he goes. Not sure he wants the Lions. How awkward would it be to live in Ann Arbor post Mich. Jet? I live in NY, the media would have him for lunch. No holding back here. Philly? I think not. Jacksonville? No way. San Diego or he stays.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:27 PM ^
There's no NFL team in San Diego.
December 20th, 2020 at 8:50 PM ^
It doesn’t seem like a lot of people have noticed.
December 20th, 2020 at 9:44 PM ^
I'd make a joke about Oakland being in play, but, uh, yeah. The Raiders are doing so well in Vegas under Gruden, though, that with today's victory over the Chargers they're (looks at standings) still going to miss the playoffs, aren't they?
Never mind.
December 20th, 2020 at 9:54 PM ^
Harbaugh is holding out on Michigan until the Chargers return to San Diego.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:01 PM ^
That was a lot of words to say, "Nothing has changed in weeks, we have to wait and see."
December 20th, 2020 at 6:29 PM ^
Yes. Remarkably useless OP ...
December 20th, 2020 at 6:02 PM ^
Unless Mrs. Harbaugh wants to uproot her kids, which I am guessing she doesn't want to do, and as long as Brian and his minions don't show up on their front lawn with torches and pitchforks, I am thinking that Warde and Jim will iron out a short term deal in the next few weeks if not days.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:05 PM ^
Best for Jim to leave.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:05 PM ^
I'll be you 13 cents that Harbaugh is the corch here next year
December 20th, 2020 at 6:09 PM ^
Well if he is then we can just say torch the corch if we suck again next year.
December 20th, 2020 at 6:11 PM ^
Why don't you have another drink, sir?
December 20th, 2020 at 6:12 PM ^
Did you mean couch?
December 20th, 2020 at 8:57 PM ^
No, it's corch, but it's usually saved for Irvin Meyers over @ 11w.
December 20th, 2020 at 9:49 PM ^
Thanks for clarifying