Harbaugh's Contract

Submitted by Kingpin74 on November 2nd, 2020 at 1:28 PM

After Saturday, I personally think it's time for a change. But I know it can be debated and reasonable cases can still be made on both sides.

However, I think a huge factor in all of this is the fact that his contract is set to run out after next season. They would be facing a decision this offseason anyway (I'm surprised we've even made it this far). In college coaching, you just can't have a lame duck year. It would absolutely kill recruiting. And I think a short extension of one, two, or even three years could function the same way. So the question we should be asking isn't whether Harbaugh deserves to be fired, it's whether he deserves a four year extension. And that really changes things up in my opinion. If he had multiple years left after this one on his initial deal, it's way easier just to punt a year, chalk it up to the Covid craziness, and see if we show signs of a turnaround. But we're at the point now where a long-term decision has to be made one way or the other. 

And despite the issues we're having, I still think Coach Harbaugh would be a solid NFL candidate. Most of the issues that have unfortunately plagued him at Michigan (rah rah motivation, recruiting, rivalry struggles) aren't as much of a factor in the NFL. Kliff Kingsbury was fired from Texas Tech, immediately got the Cardinals job, and is doing pretty well so far. I agree with those who say that Warde really doesn't want to have to fire him. With the pros, there could be a way to do this respectively. But I think that extension factor looms large here.

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UMFanatic96

November 2nd, 2020 at 1:30 PM ^

Give me your top choice for his replacement. Can't be Urban Meyer because that isn't happening and it can't be Fickell because that ain't happening either.

 

Joe Brady? Brent Venables? Personally, if Harbaugh isn't the coach, I would want someone with previous head coaching experience.

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My Name is LEGIONS

November 2nd, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^

My gosh you're so naive.  They do not "despise" anyone. Not even d'Antonio.  Love and hate are the same emotion and d'Antonio was pissed we didn't hire him to beat Tressel, and he was waiting for it, and Martin laid an egg. 

Fickell would likely take the job in a blink...but if not offered he would act like he wouldn't and play up to your naiveness.  Have some perspective here.

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jbrandimore

November 2nd, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^

No NFL team would touch him with a ten foot pole anymore.

He came here with a reputation as a QB whisperer. That’s completely gone.

He had a reputation as a great motivator. Also gone.

He had a reputation of developing an innovative yet physical style of play. Also gone.

There’s nothing left but the name.

I suppose his brother might give him a job as an assistant.

The only NFL team that might be dumb enough to do this would be Dallas because JH would be willing to hand Ezekiel Elliott the ball 25 times a game into a stacked box.

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buddha

November 2nd, 2020 at 1:50 PM ^

Certainly an NFL team or two would come around to probe interest (probably someone like Indianapolis or Chicago, where Jim has strong connections and an obvious legacy). But, aside from those guys, I'm not sure what genuine interest he'd get from the NFL. The NFL has changed a lot since Jim was in SF; and, there's a lot of new blood in the coaching ranks that I think would be more competitive than Jim for any openings coming up (like Eric Bieniemy, Arthur Smith, Robert Saleh, Brian Daboll, and others).

Moreover, the NFL's game has changed. The league's best teams and those on the cusp of future success are running high-powered offenses that Jim isn't familiar with and has never demonstrated an interest in executing (outside of one year with Kaep, until defenses learned Kaep's many tendencies). Again, I do think a few teams may snoop around, but Jim's NFL star isn't what it was several years ago.

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buddha

November 2nd, 2020 at 2:01 PM ^

You may be right, and time will tell. If I am in the Jets front office, though, my first phone call is to either Eric Bieniemy or Robert Saleh...and - if they say no - start working down the list: Duce Staley, Brian Daboll, Joe Brady, and a few others. Unless there is a strong personal connection Harbaugh has with the Jets front office, I'm not sure he'd crack their top-5 candidates.

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Naked Bootlegger

November 2nd, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^

He had a reputation of developing an innovative yet physical style of play. Also gone.

You know what's strange?   This narrative has completely changed in one week.   After the Minnesota game, there were universally glowing reviews about this year's seemingly harmonious Harbaugh/Gattis offensive mindset.   It was deemed the perfect marriage between power and spread concepts.   Joel Klatt waxed philosophically about it.  This blog was smitten by it.   And all of those sentiments evaporated within a week.   

The Spartans depantsed us.   They rendered our offensive philosophy useless and picked on a one-dimensional defensive mindset that served us well against many opponents in the past, but was sorely exposed on Saturday.    I anxiously await to see what transpires on Saturday against what should be a stiffer test than MSU.

Slight edit:  I should really state they rendered our offensive GAME PLAN, not philosophy, useless.  Seth nicely illustrates in his most recent neck sharpies that the running game plan against MSU was very different than the one employed against Minnesota.

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NYC Fan3

November 2nd, 2020 at 1:36 PM ^

“Covid Craziness”.  I keep reading about this crazy year because of Covid.  Are Michigan’s coaches being paid different than other coaches?  Are Michigan’s players practicing different than other players?  It’s impacting everyone, not just Michigan.  Let’s stop using it as an excuse.

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RXwolverine

November 2nd, 2020 at 1:38 PM ^

If warde renews his contract then I want warde out. Harbaugh will not go into a season without a renewed contract so either he is let go or his contract is renewed there’s no other alternative. I just worry they pull the plug too late especially considering the fact that this season doesn’t end until mid December..

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jg2112

November 2nd, 2020 at 1:38 PM ^

Harbaugh coaches like a guy with tens of millions in the bank, who has balance in his life, and is most concerned with raising his young children.

He sure acts like someone who might retire in the next 16 months, and who could blame him? He deserves to enjoy a post-football life, and he'll only be 5 years younger than Lloyd when he walked away in 2008.

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jg2112

November 2nd, 2020 at 2:06 PM ^

Yeah, that's relevant too. 

Think about the disorganization we hear about in recruiting, coaching, hiring decisions, etc. Now think about the press conferences we see - the cliches and repeated comments, the weird way of talking. Also, the constant issues with game management which require quick decision-making beyond "hey the play clock is at 3 take a time-out."

The difference between 2010 and 2020 for the coach is quite striking.

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UM Indy

November 2nd, 2020 at 1:43 PM ^

There's more to this than football and dollars, though I admit I don't know how much these other factors play into this.  He has young children that are in school and he lives near his aging parents.  Is an NFL job under those conditions really realistic?  I think when he took the UM job, he came here to retire.  The results on the field don't justify that.  But it's never just about the job and I have a feeling Jim has much more of a say on how this ends up than either Warde or Schlissel do. 

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