San Diego Mick

September 14th, 2017 at 6:32 PM ^

I know you want to be the first guy with a prediction that sticks, but I have news for you.....the NFL ain't gonna pay him more than U-M can and he loves it in A2, he has a young family he doesn't want to jerk around all the time moving them.

He is the man in A2, why should he go somewhere where he has a GM/Prez over his head?

The AD at U-M won't give hime the crap a GM would, now GTFO!!!

markinmsp

September 15th, 2017 at 12:30 PM ^

 Actually, the job that I fear most is Miami. I think Stephen Ross may be the one owner that could get Jim away from UM and set up a front office geared to work with him.

 However, my security blanket on that is I feel UM's own appeal for Ross would induce him to wait until the program is back on more secure footing in a few years. (Or I hope that is true.)

Chalky White

September 25th, 2017 at 9:37 AM ^

I work with an extreme Spartan Troll who is a freelance writer. I know he has some access and knows some people. This guy needs Harbaugh out of Michigan in the worst way. He said yesterday he asked Dave Birkett if he thought Harbaugh was going back to the NFL. Birkett says he was told by a GM that Harbaugh would have left last year if the Rams would have given him total control.

He thinks Irse is ready to give total control to Harbaugh. That's where all of this is coming from. I could see Irse getting blackout drunk and offering $10M/yr and total control.

MGoBrewMom

September 14th, 2017 at 7:05 PM ^

I'm commenting, even though I haven't heard his entire take--but I think he said something about because it's Andrew Luck--and if that is a large part of Cowherd's premise, that's just nuts. Why the hell would JH change everything, for the chance to coach one single player? I think Colin is grasping for a topic.

stephenrjking

September 14th, 2017 at 7:12 PM ^

Cowherd is a radio guy and he's going to say stuff that's out there for attention.

And seeing how much Harbaugh loves coaching here, I no longer think he will leave.

But, c'mon, if there's an NFL move that makes sense, it's this one.

It's not just because Luck is "his guy," though that doesn't hurt. But Luck is a top-flight QB, someone that a franchise can build itself around for 10 years. Guys with the potential to be that good don't just come around everyday, and they tend to be so good that their coaches don't get fired because the teams keep winning (hello MIke McCarthy!). 

Add to that Harbaugh's Captain Comeback stint at Indy, and you have an almost ideal situation for Harbaugh to return to. 

Honestly, if there's a situation in the NFL to tempt Harbaugh, it's this situation. And I have, on occasion, wondered if part of the reason that the Colts haven't already fired Chuck Pagano after a miserable season last year is because they thought they'd have a better chance at Harbaugh after another year or two.

The only real problem is that the front office appears to be a mess, which has wrecked the roster. But Harbaugh (and some good management) can fix the roster, IF they fix the front office.

I'm not terribly worried, because Harbaugh has demonstrated an incredible passion for where he is now. I don't think he's ever leaving.

xtramelanin

September 14th, 2017 at 8:33 PM ^

not uprooting his family.  he has no greater love for any program than ours, and no greater love for any city beyond AA.  he wants to raise his family here and he will not be moving them.  doesn't need the money.   more to be done here.  loyalty is in his bones.  he ain't leaving for a decade unless some serious health concerns come around. 

stephenrjking

September 14th, 2017 at 9:51 PM ^

I hear you there, and I tend to agree--Harbaugh seems to view this as more than a career move. But keep in mind that he DID love coaching in the NFL, his brother is there, and he came as close as you can to winning it all without winning.

Remember, LSU fans thought Nick Saban was loyal to LSU, too. Harbaugh's a different case, because he really does have a love for Michigan (that's the only reason we could get him in the first place, and holy cow just thinking about how unlikely that was and how amazing it is that we have him now gives me the chills again as I type this), but he's also a professional coach. Not every priority for a professional coach is the same as the program's.

Mjoeblue86

September 14th, 2017 at 11:38 PM ^

I find it incredibly unlikely that Harbaugh bows out with an 0-2 record against OSU and no Big Ten title to his name. Talking heads predicted he wouldn't leave the NFL without a Superbowl win, but Harbaugh seems much more passionate about coaching at Michigan than anywhere else I've seen him, and when Harbaugh is passionate he is also extremely competitive. I think leaving Michigan without those wins would be a hard pill for him to swallow. 

Whole Milk

September 15th, 2017 at 9:51 AM ^

This is the key. He is in his home town with his parents next door! Simply listening to his podcast, you can tell how much of a family man he is, his current situation is incredibly appealing to him.

Cowherd and everyone else always seems to restate the "never stays anywhere longer than 4 years" mantra, but look at his coaching situations. Was he going to stay at San Diego and coach in the FCS forever? For someone who had never been a head coach at the highest level, of course he left Stanford to take his shot at the NFL. Then once he realized how much he had to deal with control freak front offices, and with his personal situation was so bad, he realized that he wanted out. It's not like he keeps leaving situations that other coaches of his caliber would stay at. 

It isn't like there isn't plenty of evidence of good coaches coaching their alma mater, being successful, and staying.

Frank Beamer - Coached at VT for 29 years, won 7 conference championships.

Mike Gundy - As been at Oklahoma State for 12 years, and has five 10 win seasons.

Pat Fitzgerald - In his 12th year, and has won 55% of his games at Northwestern!

David Shaw - Although originally many thought he couldn't do it for long after Harbaugh left, Shaw has now won 10 or more games in 5 of his 6 years at Stanford.

All of these men had other opportunities to coach at bigger and better places, but their alma mater has a certain effect on them. Why would Harbaugh's necessarily be any different?

xxxxNateDaGreat

September 14th, 2017 at 9:47 PM ^

Two things:



1) Luck just had surgery on his throwing shoulder and isn't recovering as fast as originally scheduled. Doctors seem to be up in the air about just when he might be okay to return (nobody knows if he's even been approved to throw yet). Luck is a very talented player, sure, but a serious injury to your throwing shoulder that isn't recovering quickly is a bit worrying to me (especially being a Luck owner in FF). Just ask Chad Pennington how awesome throwing arm injuries are for your ability to throw.

2)

"The only real problem is that the front office appears to be a mess, which has wrecked the roster. But Harbaugh (and some good management) can fix the roster, IF they fix the front office.

Harbaugh may have a rep as a builder, but he also has experience with working under a shitty F.O. which I'm sure played no small part in helping to convince him of the benefits of total autonomy that Michigan was offering him.

Like you and others have said, he ain't leaving. He's practically a god here.

TrueBlue2003

September 15th, 2017 at 1:12 AM ^

you'd realize eight out of ten points he listed were why Harbaugh would be a good fit for the Colts, which like, duh.  He'd be top of the list for any NFL team as long as Belichick isn't on the market.

The only two reasons he gave that Jim might go there: 1) Luck is there (and Luck is coming off surgery/a couple bad seasons so not sure he's that attractive as a QB) 2) he played there (eh, it's the NFL, it's a business, he played there for four years in the middle of his career. yes, he had his best year there as a player but prob doesn't have any weight on a coaching decision).

If the NFL is calling his name, then I could see how he might go there over other NFL teams.  But if he's happy in college (which it very much seems like he is) this job is not so attractive that he wouldn't be able to pass it up. 

Big Boutros

September 14th, 2017 at 6:32 PM ^

I am 50% convinced that Harbaugh and Cowherd have a secret arrangement to spew this stuff, from the awkward interview to the subsequent feud to the constant rumormongering. Cowherd gets tons of clicks and Harbaugh gets a recruiting bump as a hot commodity. Why should you come to Michigan? Look how fuckin popular I am! Everybody wants me! But I want to be here, in Ann Arbor, coaching you.

cincygoblue

September 14th, 2017 at 6:32 PM ^

I enjoyed listening to Cowherd during football season when he was @ espn, and he said outrageous shit then.



He's so desperate for listeners now he has to reach even further. Couldn't even tell you what frequency he comes through on anymore, last time I heard his voice was pre game for Utah game.

wile_e8

September 14th, 2017 at 6:33 PM ^

The only thing worse than Cowherd trolling Michigan is people linking to said trolling and giving it clicks and attention. You're giving him what he wants. 

Ahriman

September 14th, 2017 at 6:36 PM ^

plus people should be happy Michigan has a coach good enough to go to the NFL after what we experienced with the previous two coaches. Coach Harbaugh has a special connection to UM that he didn't have at his other coaching stops. Plus his dad is around and he still has young kids, probably don't want to keep moving them around.