Brian seems to think Harbaugh is experiencing mental decline
On the Mgopodcast today Brian directly said "Harbaugh is not the coach he used to be". He was asked if he meant that he misses the "old ranting, screaming, throwing things Harbaugh?". Brian said he misses "organized Harbaugh" and immediately followed that up by saying "he was in the NFL for 15 years... that takes a toll". He wasn't pressed on what he meant exactly but in the context of the discussion it seemed clear to me that Brian thinks JH is going through some sort of mental decline from playing football and it's manifesting itself in his reduced capacity to effectively lead a major college football team. If you think I'm full of shit I'd suggest listening for yourself. It starts at 13:20 of today's podcast.
I was surprised to hear Brian make this kind of statement given his refusal to write anything on the game or the coaching staff today (which I don't blame him for).
September 24th, 2019 at 3:12 PM ^
Talking with a buddy earlier today and we speculated the exact same thing. If it's the case that Harbaugh has lost some of his "edge" it would be the kind of thing that is very hard to self-diagnose. I'm sure in light of the fact that his team is 2-3 in its last five games the possibility has probably crept into his mind. If he is going to respond we will see it over the course of the rest of this season, or else it will probably never happen.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:38 AM ^
If all that is true, then how do you explain Dantonio’s record, James Franklin’s record, Brian Kelly or Clay Helton’s record? Harbaugh win % is higher than all.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:11 AM ^
It’s gotta he burnout. Dude does nothing but football for basically the whole year. It takes its toll. The reason he changed after 2016 OSU is bc the pressure ratcheted up. That’s a big contributor to burnout. I think it’s similar to medicine in that you have to be thinking nonstop. Even when you go home you become stressed by potential mistakes made or by worrying about patients that maybe you’re mismanaging. I can see it happen in him and that’s the one that fits best from my perspective.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:10 AM ^
I think you are correct. I can tell you that exact thing happened to me a couple of years ago when two companies I had invested in both sold for an insanely high sum of money within 90 days. At the time I was the #2 guy in the organization i work for (VP of Sales & Marketing) but it didnt take long for me to realize i no longer wanted to work 60 hours a week and definitely did not want to travel anymore.
So for a few months I went about business as usual (or so I thought) but realized pretty quickly I was cheating the company as I wasnt doing the things I needed to do any longer because I didnt want because on a personal level I didnt need to. The money I earned here was irrelevant to my standard of living. So I went to my partners and told them I wanted to still be here but didnt want to work full-time anymore (wanted to only work three days a week) and didnt want to travel and didnt want any direct reports. I told them they could cut my salary to whatever they thought was fair and now I basically work on a series of special projects that dont really fit into anyone else's work basket.
If Harbaugh is where I was he needs to do the same. It's not fair to the people that depend on you to do otherwise.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:26 AM ^
He hired Gattis. He is delegating.
September 24th, 2019 at 11:19 AM ^
Do you need an assistant?
September 24th, 2019 at 12:06 PM ^
Didn't Harbaugh once say that being a football coach was the next best thing to being a player?
While Harbaugh could be having a personal issue, there are other items that go beyond that. At this point, everything is speculation.
It is obvious that Brian is having a problem when a bad loss causes him to lose the ability to discuss X's and O's.
September 24th, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
That’s fucking awesome man. Good for you.
(not /s)
September 23rd, 2019 at 11:45 PM ^
I think it's a combination of some type of medication and the baby Jack NICU experience. I think he's totally reprioritized his life.
I don't see EUTM. I see a guy in quiet desperation looking for an exit ramp from a job he doesn't fully want to do anymore. But his pride and record against OSU keeps him from resigning.
September 24th, 2019 at 12:14 AM ^
I think you may have NAILED IT. He want's to leave but feels trapped. +10 Insightful!!
September 24th, 2019 at 12:21 AM ^
I know. The way he mailed in three 10 win seasons and brought in one of our highest ranked recruiting classes last year really shows he is looking for a way out. You must have a low tooth to head ratio if you actually believe what you wrote + 10 for brush your tooth.
September 24th, 2019 at 5:57 AM ^
No one gives a fuck about ten win seasons unless they're in between winning something of note. The whole country is wondering wtf is wrong with this program, and some are still all "nope ten wins we good lol". How are those highly rated 2016 and 2017 classes doing on the field right now?
September 24th, 2019 at 7:44 AM ^
I think you are missing the point of what he posted. That those accomplishments are far from indicative of a lazy person mailing it.in. And indicated the opposite.
A .500 record since making the playoff for your guy Dantonio IS indicative of apathy and laziness though.
And I'll second his post by saying Harbaugh's work ethic (which we know nothing about in reality) just as likely almost stole us two wins against vastly superior talent in the OSU games.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:18 AM ^
Yeah, almost. But coaching mistakes did them in in the end. Texas has managed to beat OU under Herman already, Auburn manages to beat Alabama every once and a while too. It's absurd at this point.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:37 AM ^
No one gives a fuck about 10 win seasons...
until there are only 8 wins, or 7, or 5, or 3...
September 24th, 2019 at 9:13 AM ^
Remember the good old days when Lloyd's 4 loss seasons were considered losing seasons? Then RichRod came in and lowered that bar.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:49 AM ^
Last year felt nearly as hollow as Hoke's 2013 team with the way it ended. To be honest I preferred Hoke's 2012 team because they never played with a shitty effort, they just lost some games to better teams. I really just hate how they look poorly prepared so often and not ready to play most of all.
September 24th, 2019 at 1:06 PM ^
Bullshit that you preferred Hoke’s 8-5 season. I guarantee you were pitching a bitch about them after every one of those losses.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:41 PM ^
I was more pissed at Al Borges than anybody else. Not the team itself or Hoke. They should have beaten a superior OSU team and lost to a superior South Carolina team at the end of the game.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:28 AM ^
He hasn't beat OSU and to me that is all that matters. It use to only matter to Bo.
September 24th, 2019 at 12:29 PM ^
Idiots
September 24th, 2019 at 1:05 AM ^
If Harbaugh can’t give a 100% to the kids who play for him, because that’s what they deserve from any coach, then Harbaugh needs to step aside and let someone else coach.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:50 AM ^
His kid being in NICU for a few weeks didn't zap the football out of him. It was worrisome when the kid was there, and shortly after he left. But now it's forgotten about until a picture pops up, and then there's a minute of 'man, that was scary' talk followed by 'poor thing'. And then it's over.
Personal experience. Also experienced by hundreds of thousands each year.
September 24th, 2019 at 10:33 AM ^
How people can't also see this is beyond me.. he doesn't seem to care.
September 24th, 2019 at 12:17 AM ^
Might just have Larry Brown syndrome. Gets bored quickly and needs a change of scenery to reinvigorate himself. Not uncommon. And this is now the longest he's ever been anywhere as a coach (EDIT: or player!).
September 24th, 2019 at 1:37 AM ^
Someone get the man some Adderall instead of the Trileptal he’s been on bc he clearly has ADHD, not Bipolar Disorder.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:24 AM ^
You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Think before you post.
September 24th, 2019 at 11:48 AM ^
It could be that he can't turn this program around. Just like the two coaches before him. Everything he's tried hasn't worked. He's been told to dial back the antics on the recruiting trail. He's been told to change his offense. He's rotated through multiple coaches year after year and can't seem to find the right chemistry. He's had coaches leave for a despised rival. He's had players give up and sit out bowl games. He's had players transfer instead of sticking with it for Michigan. He can't seem to create, what he envisioned he'd create, for all those years he watched and criticized Michigan from afar. He's lost his confidence and is currently at a loss for what he should do to fix it. The end draws nigh.
September 23rd, 2019 at 11:20 PM ^
Google the symptoms for stage 4 CTE... It’s obvious and I’ve felt this way for over a year now.
September 23rd, 2019 at 11:24 PM ^
Well get some help. With only a year of symptoms its not too late. Thoughts and prayers.
September 23rd, 2019 at 11:25 PM ^
I thought you were done?
September 24th, 2019 at 12:16 AM ^
What do you do when you want to get to the bottom of a serious medical issue? Google it!! It will become obvious to you. ST3 is as dumb as they come and he should banned immediately for this crap.
September 24th, 2019 at 8:05 AM ^
He has made far greater contributions to this board than you ever have or will. Cut him some slack. We are all a bit down and on edge over this mess.
September 24th, 2019 at 12:57 AM ^
While you probably deserve to be negged for this, I can see your point. The thought crossed my mind too, he has had some concussions so CTE is a possibility, but I dont know if some of the goofy behavior is a symptom of CTE or just his personality, but I suppose it is possible.
September 23rd, 2019 at 11:22 PM ^
Huh. Is this what everyone's been dancing around with "anti-depressants" talk and such?
What, CTE magically hit him at the exact moment JT was gifted a first down?
September 24th, 2019 at 9:06 AM ^
Yes, exactly. His CTE was in remission during the 10-game win streak last year. After the MSU game when he got choked up in his postgame address to his players and then went nuts in celebration, he had a burning desire to win because his CTE was dormant. But last year's opener against ND? CTE. OSU? CTE. That's how brain injuries like CTE (of which not one person here has even a remote understanding) apparenlty work.
September 23rd, 2019 at 11:24 PM ^
I didn’t read Brian’s comments in quite that way, but even if he meant it that way, the speculation about Harbaugh’s mental health is both absurd and counterfactual. As has been documented and mentioned by people close to Harbaugh, including his own father, Jim changed his demeanor in response to the “Harbaugh rule,” as well as his awareness of the attention it was getting.
Stop diagnosing a coach from your couch.
September 23rd, 2019 at 11:49 PM ^
For what purpose? So the anonymous hordes on Twitter can say, "boy, look how restrained and respectful that Jim Harbaugh is now. Pure class. Too bad he loses all the tough games."
September 24th, 2019 at 5:23 AM ^
That “restrained himself” narrative is bullshit. I have no idea if the man has CTE, is on some sort of medication, or is simply not that into it anymore, but the “he toned down his antics” crowd is living in a fantasy land.
September 24th, 2019 at 5:50 AM ^
Tired of your Soviet propaganda. It was FSB (KGB)sponsored. You poisoned our beloved coach you son of a bitch.
We all know it was a nerve agent or some radioactive poisoning. Stop with the Kremlin line...I’m on to you!
September 24th, 2019 at 12:20 AM ^
What way did you read it? "He played 15 years in the NFL that takes its toll" is not exactly cryptic. I agree it is irresponsible speculation but there is not much room for interpretation about what he meant.
September 24th, 2019 at 2:01 AM ^
I don't understand the relevance of when him changing his demeanor in response to the Harbaugh rule. How does that in turn make him coach so poorly? Make so many boneheaded management decisions? You all just keep repeating a co-incidence. It is not the reason Harbaugh has been such a shitty tactician and manager.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:31 AM ^
What? The argument is not that he toned down his demeanor and therefore became a bad coach. The argument is he changed his demeanor in response to the Harbaugh Rule and is the same coach (good or bad, who did manage to win 10 straight last year before the end-of-year fiasco).
The "he is taking meds" crowd is the one who is claiming he suddenly became a bad coach either because:
a) Something is wrong that is affecting his abilities which is why he takes meds, as evidenced by the fact that he changed his demeanor coincidentally at the same time that there was a Harbaugh Rule; or
b) Something is wrong and he started taking meds which changed his demeanor (coincidentally at the same time that there was a Harbaugh Rule) which made him a bad coach.
Glad I could clear this up for you.
September 24th, 2019 at 7:56 AM ^
Please do something for me if you have the information. Direct me to where Harbaugh has ever said that he "toned down his demeanor" or some equivalent to that, if he ever has. I know of one clip on a AED podcast where Jack Harbaugh complimented him that he "kept his cool" or something to that degree, but have never seen or heard anything said by Harbaugh or anybody quoting him that his sideline/press conference demeanor went through any kind of overhaul because of perception, penalty yards, or otherwise. If it is in deed something other than baseless speculation, can you point me to that source? I will gladly stop calling bullshit on that issue if I see any evidence it is true.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:32 AM ^
Hi ijohnb. Your awareness of the AED pod is because that was my reply to the time you posted this exact same comment to the last time I made that comment. At least, I'm assuming that was you before.
If you want to call my take baseless speculation, that's fine. As I said before, I am not investing my life into convincing you otherwise.
I just hope that means you're not jumping in on the other baseless speculation going on around here.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:34 AM ^
No, I don't think Harbaugh has CTE. That seems preposterous to me. It also seems preposterous that for 3 years now people have advanced a completely unsubstantiated assumption about Harbaugh's demeanor that they now actually believe it as fact. The real fact is that his "intentional demeanor change" has no basis in actually reality.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:37 AM ^
Are you serious? He visibly changed his demeanor. Watch a game form 2016. Watch him rip of jackets and scream at refs and throw his play card and flail his arms on the sideline like a maniac. Watch how he acted in San Francisco. That was how he acted in the face of adversity until they started throwing crucial flags on him during OSU 2016.
He stopped doing that in 2017. Find an example of that type of animation in the 2+ season since.
Do you really need him to say "I, Jim Harbaugh, have altered my demeanor?" If you do, you're not paying any attention.
He did. It's obvious. So did Brian Kelly after the nation skewered him during his 4-8 season. He has made a concerted effort to stop being Purple Face guy. We don't need a public statement to confirm. It happened. We can all see it.
September 24th, 2019 at 9:40 AM ^
We can all see that it happened. The motivation or reason behind it is completely a matter of speculation.
September 24th, 2019 at 6:02 AM ^
Keep repeating the same narrative and it becomes true whether true or not. How does toning his sideline demeanor cause him to screw up basic coaching points?
"Rashan Gary was double teamed every single play!"
September 24th, 2019 at 6:36 AM ^
Well, if it was an intentional change in behavior than he has the ability to switch it back because this demeanor is obviously NOT getting the desired results. So if he chooses not to, that's on him.