Bruce Feldman Reports Harbaugh Extension coming until 2026
Title says it all! Figuring out small details I guess. Angelique and Baumgardner have chimed in with similar “confirmed reports”. These are the people who don’t throw out junk!
THIS SUCKS!! 5 year deal? Awful. Only way this works is if he gets great OC and DC guys. Better get Moorhead and Mason/Muschamp/Strong type guy.
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:35 PM ^
We beat three undefeated OSU teams in the 90’s, 93,95 and 96 and the ‘97 OSU team had one loss and was ranked at or near the top 5. We didn’t lose a conference game in ‘91 or ‘92 and we won the national championship in ‘97. Michigan football was pretty good in the 90’s and we beat some very good OSU teams. You’re wrong to say otherwise.
January 2nd, 2021 at 10:36 PM ^
"What we've always been" is simply not good enough anymore. Evolve or die. There's a reason that companies like Kodak, JC Penney and Blockbuster don't exist anymore. Michigan football is walking this path.
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:23 PM ^
This is misleading. Bo usually lost one or two regular season games and then lost his bowl game. Almost all of his one to two loss seasons included a Rose Bowl loss. He had several teams that could’ve won titles if he had given a shit about bowl games. The Michigan of the last 15-20 years is not the same as the Michigan before that time.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:57 PM ^
You put a nice spin on it. 2000-2003, 4 games, we were 2-2. 2004-2019, 1-15, 16 games. 2012-2019, 0-8, 8 games.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:35 PM ^
Sal, you don’t represent the full truth. Michigan might be a 3 loss team, but they were capable of beating anyone any given Saturday.
I am 44 and grew up watching the Michigan starting QB, RB and #1 WR get drafted year in and year out. The records might be somewhat similar, but the talent and player development under Harbaugh has been way way way below the historical average.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:44 PM ^
I am 43 and most UM RBs and QBs went low in the draft. The exception being the the ridiculous 91-92 squad which saw Howard, Alexander, and Wheatley all go in the first round. WR was the one area along with OL that saw Michigan guys get drafted high.
Michigan has seen DL get drafted reasonably high under Harbaugh. OL too. Runyon developed nicely under Harbaugh. Ruiz,Bredeson,Onwenu...Michigan has done well there too.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^
Michigan had the most players drafted in school history by Jim. And no you didn’t see a QB drafted year in and year out growing up. Nor running backs. The 90s had some talent and got quite a few guys drafted. But definitely not the 80s or 2000s. Nor the 2010s before Harbaugh. And still the 90s teams almost always lost 3 or 4 games excluding one year where Charles carried the team.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:29 PM ^
I have to disagree. NFL Rosters were littered with Michigan QB's from Navarre, Grbac, Brian Griese, Jim Harbaugh, Tom Brady, Todd Collins, and Chad Henne. All were good solid players at the NFL with the exception of Navarre.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:43 PM ^
From the mid-80s until RRod arrived, every Michigan starting QB (and even a couple that did not start) got into the NFL.
Michigan having better QBs that OSU was central to Michigan dominating the series in the mid-80s to 2001 period.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:38 PM ^
MJ14 are you even a Michigan fan!? Dude you obviously don’t know Michigan.
RB: ATrain, Perry, Biakabatuka, Wheatley, Hart, etc. All drafted.
QB: Brady, Henson, Henne, Griese, Grbac, Collins, Navarre, etc. All drafted.
January 3rd, 2021 at 9:49 AM ^
So a QB drafted every 4.5 years is year in and year out?
January 3rd, 2021 at 1:19 PM ^
Dude, what can't you read about "Every starting QB from Grbac to Henne was drafted"?
January 3rd, 2021 at 5:38 PM ^
I am 44 and grew up watching the Michigan starting QB, RB and #1 WR get drafted year in and year out.
Must be hard to read? Idk. Also Michigan had a running back drafted I’ll make it easier for you to understand. In 80 and 81 no running back drafted. In 84,85,86 none drafted. In 87 Witcher was drafted in the 9th round. I guarantee a few more guys from Michigan would get drafted, say maybe Karan Higdon, if they still had 9 plus rounds. But that’s ok we’ll count it because I like Witcher so let’s continue. 89,92,93,94 no running backs drafted. 97, 99, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007 none drafted. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and so one. You get the point. So before you get to 2013 at least half of his life no running back was drafted. Should I do QBs next or do you get the point? Should I also do how a lot of the running backs were 5th and later selections, other than the guys in the 90s? As I said, a nice run of talent in the 90s thanks to Moeller. And what does Michigan have to show for it? A shared national championship where Charles Woodson carried the team? You guys don’t live in reality when it comes to Michigan of old. People talk about Harbaugh wasting talent, but yet Carr wasted more talent than even Bama has seen I would venture.
January 2nd, 2021 at 9:30 PM ^
Those were Brady Hoke’s players, most of them being defensive players. Look where our defense went when those players left. You’re really going to give Harbaugh all the credit for that? Harbaugh can barely get 5 stars and high 4 stars drafted nowadays.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:45 PM ^
Keep fuckin that chicken Sal. Keep fuckin that chicken.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:49 PM ^
Keep fucking that goat Super Dupper. Keep fucking that goat.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Sal is fucking the cat while Catchafire holds the tail
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:55 PM ^
Yes, I’m not sure which glorious history most people’s parents are recalling but I can go back more than 30 years remembering Michigan basically being 9-3 or 8-4 team with a bowl loss. Occasionally they would have 2-loss seasons but with the exception of '97's split natty and the completely absurd '92 season when we actually were undefeated but had 3 ties, we have basically been a good and consistent but unspectacular program. Bo only had one season with a 1-loss team and most of his bowl trips were disasters, and these were times when winning the Rose Bowl would have led to national titles. So yeah, a lot of people are remembering times that never were. The closest Michigan has been to living up to the ideals of The Victors was pre-1948. If we want to really improve on that we need to jettison the romance with some of the Schembechler-era dofma and embrace an updated identity. If not, it is foolhardy to think we will ever consistently go beyond 9-3 type seasons and contend as an elite program.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:15 PM ^
I'm curious, what makes you think the AD has turned its back on the football team?
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
I would appreciate a more vocal AD that occasionally releases a statement about expecting excellence from Big 10 officials and excellence from our football team. Nothing undercutting anyone except sending a clear message that whatever he just saw was less than reasonably expected.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
The fact that said AD gave an extension to the 4ish best coach currently in the big 10. Hell he may not even be that high. We’ll see if Harbaugh can beat Mel Tucker, Greg Schiano, Paul Chryst, Mike Locksley or James Franklin next year.
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
My biggest problem with Warde is his silence. When Harbaugh went nuts after the OSU 2016 game, Warde stayed silent instead of having Harbaugh's back. Every time the B1G slights Michigan he silently goes along. As the leader he needs to speak up and saying we are going forward with JH or we are letting him go. His lack of leadership has led to this current turmoil in not making a tough decision and sticking with it.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
This^^. Am a student at U of M. Why should I root for an athletic department that actively resents change. Year after year, players are under developed, under utilized, and choose to transfer because of this regimes negligence. This is without a doubt an awful move by the athletic department. Why extend a coach that players don’t enjoy playing for?
January 2nd, 2021 at 5:59 PM ^
I don't care anymore about this football program. They clearly do not give a shit about trying to compete for titles.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:00 PM ^
Go Harbaugh!
Haters be damned.
Go Blue!
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:59 PM ^
You love failure, don't you!
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:46 PM ^
Go Michigan football should be the sentiment.
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:55 PM ^
You're right it should be, but unfortunately, it's "Go Michigan Men."
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:00 PM ^
They pulled the Gary Barta. Why not extend him a nominal 3 years if you have to keep him?
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:29 PM ^
Handcuffs recruiting if you do that. A three year extension isn’t really an extension unless the coach has multiple years remaining on the current deal.
Length of the extension is irrelevant in the grand scheme. Buyout terms are most important. You can sign Jim to a lifetime extension if you want. A $1 million buyout still makes it easy to get out of.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
Keeping Harbaugh HANDCUFFS recruiting!!!
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
We just signed 5 top 100 recruits with Harbaugh. We sit in great position for two five star corners in the 2022 class.
So reality doesnt seem to back up your claim. Harbaugh may be a lot of negative things when it comes to the direction of this program, but recruiting is not one of them.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:24 PM ^
So if we just signed said class with Harbaugh's contract up in the air, how in your mind is a 5 year deal necessary for recruiting?
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:52 PM ^
I don't understand the negs you are getting. It is a fairly logical conclusion. I hate the fact that we are letting Harbaugh decide his next move and just go along with it, like Michigan is just an afterthought.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:56 PM ^
An why wouldn't recruits look at a 1 million buyout and think, "This guy can be gone at anytime, regardless of the length of his extension." ?
January 2nd, 2021 at 10:15 PM ^
Because that would require an unlikely scenario where some other school really wants him?
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:01 PM ^
I wonder if he had feelers out for the NFL and didn't like what he heard.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:12 PM ^
I know the NFL is pretty incestuous and has a weird obsession with hiring retreads, but what team would want Harbaugh? The NFL is going all in on offensive masterminds and high-scoring offenses using spread systems. In addition, his San Francisco shine has totally worn off at this point.
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:02 PM ^
You can bet he’s keeping his fingers (and toes) on getting an offer from the Chargers. His wife likes AA but loves SoCal. Jets? Not sure a good fit, media would eat him alive if they wanted to.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:01 PM ^
Makes me want to fucking vomit. How can Warde watch OSU dominate clemson and think its a good idea to extend Harbaugh to fucking 2026?
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:07 PM ^
Because he knows no one is going to dethrone OSU, King of the B1G.
What I don't understand is how he can watch the bum lose to shitty MSU teams, never win big road games, not win a bowl game in four years, hell, almost never win any big games at all! Aside from kicking ND's ass last year, does Harbaugh have any memorable, big Ws?
Looking forward to spending my Saturdays next fall outdoors.
January 2nd, 2021 at 7:20 PM ^
Agreed.
I can handle losing to better teams. OSU is better than us, and, infuriatingly, seems to have improved since 2015.
What I can't handle is the stupefying lack of game planning. It's getting to be an annual thing that we show up for the MSU game with no idea of how we'd go about winning that game.
And the last few years, the lack of game planning has included the final 3 games of the year.
Roster management. I can't fathom how we're about to head into year #3 of no viable DTs or NTs on our roster.
Losing in itself doesn't anger me. Losing because we didn't prepare does. And it seems like Harbaugh stopped preparing for opponents in 2017.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:10 PM ^
Clemson gave up 639 yards to OSU.
Fire Brent Venables! /s
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:24 PM ^
People can have off games it happens...but the difference is all of Jim Harbaugh's games are off unless he is taking on Mickey Mouse who took him to 3 OTs last fall.
Harbaugh doesn't know what he's doing without good assistants..past players warned of this...and basically he is a CEO instead of a head coach
January 2nd, 2021 at 8:21 PM ^
*Venerables
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:02 PM ^
WOW!! This is tough news for UM
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
Welp. Gross.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
The # of years are just optics. Have to extend to 2026 so you can recruit 2022 kids. Buyout $$ is all that matters. A cheap buyout and Michigan can fire him whenever they want.
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:06 PM ^
precisely.
cheers
January 2nd, 2021 at 6:08 PM ^
Yeah I was thinking the only important number is the buyout.
I've resigned myself to the football team being mediocre, only hope we have an easy out of someone in charge grows some balls.