Harbaugh's Post-Game NON-interviews
Some coaches, like Dabo or Jimbo or PJ, love post-game field interviews because they can just prattle on and on and they view it as a free national recruiting pitch. Other coaches, like Kirk Ferentz, Pat Fitzgerald, etc., tolerate them because they know it's expected of them.
Then there's Harbaugh. This year he has taken to answering maybe one question before telling the reporter to "talk to this guy " and steering her to one or more players. This week he didn't answer any questions, just kept walking, and the reporter fortunately wound up with Donovan and then Blake.
So what do we make of this? Is he really trying to promote his players or is he just sick of answering what he probably considers are mostly stupid questions? Or is it something else?
October 18th, 2022 at 4:09 PM ^
What's your deal!
October 18th, 2022 at 4:16 PM ^
What's your deal?!
October 18th, 2022 at 4:09 PM ^
D) All of the above
October 18th, 2022 at 4:10 PM ^
So you wanted him to say....
"Well, we had a good focused week of practice, and then went out there and fucking annihilated them, those poor bastards didn't stand a chance."
October 18th, 2022 at 4:12 PM ^
It would make my week if he did say this.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^
Well, according to JJ McCarthy, Harbaugh said "We kicked their butts in every way a butt can be kicked."
The Jim Harbaugh that the team sees is not the Jim Harbaugh who talks to the press.
October 18th, 2022 at 5:16 PM ^
That would have been a magnificent quote to hear from him directly...Alas, propriety.
October 20th, 2022 at 10:34 AM ^
Not just propriety, but also an NFL coach's learned reticence. Everyone learns the hard way that the press is not your friend.
I wouldn't give quips or soundbites or witticisms to folks who had a history of raking me over the coals either. And the fact that they'll just as happily write puff pieces wouldn't make me trust them any more.
It's their job, but my favorite press conference of all time is "I'm only here so I don't get fined." My second favorite press conference is "We will only field questions about haircuts and hair styles."
October 18th, 2022 at 6:33 PM ^
Sounds like a t-shirt to me
October 18th, 2022 at 4:10 PM ^
Because he's a very important person with more important things to do?
October 18th, 2022 at 4:12 PM ^
Great leaders make a point of giving credit to others. I think that's what he's doing.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:19 PM ^
Exactly. How would you feel, if you were a player next to Harbaugh as the interviewer comes up, and Harbaugh says - "He played an amazing game. You should talk with him."
He's crazy like a fox.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:14 PM ^
Harbaugh is just kind of an odd duck. It's why so many in the media don't like him compared to a Dabo or a PJ Fleck. They don't give him actual info like most coaches do.
And that's just fine with me. It's frustrating when Michigan was struggling and it seemed like he didn't know what was going on or didn't care. Just fine when things are going great.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:17 PM ^
You are right that he is an odd duck. I think in this case, though, his oddness is in sincerely wanting the players to get the attention and credit they deserve. Plus, as you suggest, he doesn't seem to like the media very much.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:21 PM ^
I think your first sentence is probably all there is to it. He is a weird, weird dude and that is the easiest explanation to pretty much all of his oddities.
October 18th, 2022 at 7:19 PM ^
Or Harbaugh could go all in on near inapprocachable like Nick Saban who is described as introverted and extremely shy, which, I would tend to see as the same thing. The only reason these guys put up with media intrusions is because of contract requirements.
One of the greatest walkaway interviews was delivered by Lloyd Carr with Michigan ahead of Ohio State at home in 2003 and John Navarro enjoying a senior Braylonfest. Michigan had a potential scoring opportunity near the half and didn't aggressively pursue it, and so Lloyd was interrogated about this apparent strategy lapse before heading to the locker room. Lloyd looked at the ABC sideline reporter who asked him about it as if he had two heads and didn't understand the moment.
The reaction became a thing. But it didn't matter after Michigan won The Game.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:14 PM ^
Harbaugh is so uncomfortable talking to media that's it's almost comical. He makes Schembechler—who hated the media—look like a Bobby Bowden-style blabbermouth.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:56 PM ^
He's comfortable talking to the media, he just doesn't want to. He talks very eloquently to local media members. None of us really know, but I think Jim knows the questions that they are gonna ask after the games, because they are always the same, and he would rather they talk to the players.
October 18th, 2022 at 5:55 PM ^
Exactly. He talks to the media because he has to. Undoubtedly there is a clause in his contract. But, he’s playing three dimensional chess and they want to talk about how do you feel about such and such.
October 18th, 2022 at 6:34 PM ^
Spot on. He likes certain media personnel and he resonates with them well. The ones who don't ask him stupid or gotcha questions. I forgot which event it was but Angelique dunked him in the water. Watch that sequence online. Angelique is a fair reporter who reports facts and not go on to click bait questions or reporting.
Some reporters want to be jerks. There is no pleasing them.
October 18th, 2022 at 8:15 PM ^
Some reporters want to be jerks. There is no pleasing them.
I don't think it's that. There is pressure on them to poke and prod to provide something interesting, enlightening or entertaining to the point of being annoying, and they're tasked with interviewing people who for the most part hate to give away anything of the kind.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:59 PM ^
I don't know that he's uncomfortable. He doesn't seem to have any issue fielding questions at the press conferences. I think he genuinely wants to give his players the credit (and the TV spotlight) after a win.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:59 PM ^
deleted, jumped nittany fan’s comments below.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:18 PM ^
Totally take it as a chance to highlight the players and deflect the attention away from himself. For years, Harbaugh was the face of Michigan football, so much so that in game promos, the network would show pictures of the other team's players and for Michigan, Harbaugh. Making sure the team's biggest players have media visibility is good for them - gives them a chance to up their NIL potential and allows them to receive congratulations for actually making the plays
October 18th, 2022 at 4:20 PM ^
As Lloyd Carr asked ABC's Todd Harris back at halftime in 2003 ...... "What kind of stupid question is that?"
That's not directed to the OP. It's in reference to the attitude that MANY coaches have as regards the media. They have literally no interest in dealing with their stupid questions.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:32 PM ^
I would love a mash-up of Lloyd Carr's comments in these situations. He was 100% the surliest coach when approached for comment before halftime.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:32 PM ^
Lloyd was a little uptight that day.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:49 PM ^
the PLAYERS are PLAYING
and the COACHES
are SCREWING IT UP
October 18th, 2022 at 4:52 PM ^
To this day that interview with Todd Harris makes me laugh. Poor form, perhaps, but in a twisted way it was a good demonstration of Lloyd's humanity.
October 18th, 2022 at 6:23 PM ^
Exact quote; "now why would you ask a dumb question like that"?
October 18th, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
You can understand pre-halftime interviews are so annoying to the coaches: you are already reviewing what's happened in the first half, good and bad, and thinking of what you are going to say to your team at half-time, what changes and adjustments you are going to make to the game plan, etc. and then suddenly that whole train of thought has to get interrupted to go on national TV and say something that sounds relevant without giving anything away.
The off camera interviews they do coming out before the second half seem like less of an interruption and less of a bother.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:20 PM ^
He's just not a dude who likes talking to the media, and he'd also rather let his players get all the attention and glory.
And I just find it absolutely hysterical when he passes off an interview to one of the guys. He NOPE's out of those interviews so damn fast lmao
October 18th, 2022 at 4:22 PM ^
He’s a football guy not a celebrity guy. He probably wants to get to the locker room and celebrate with his team as such. Best way to promote his players is to put them in front of a national broadcast camera crew.
October 18th, 2022 at 7:14 PM ^
Maybe he was hungry for a stray pbj.
October 18th, 2022 at 7:53 PM ^
I rather imagine that the fun in celebrity has worn off for Jim. The joy in promoting the celebrity of those you care about never get old, though.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:23 PM ^
This makes me think of another college football coach. This is a bit "dated". But, when he was in a press conference, or speaking with media, this is the mantra he followed.
"If things didn't go well, I did it. If things turned out "ok", we did it. If things turned out great, THEY did it."
The coach that used to say that. Bear Bryant.
Harbaugh will take the heat, if there's heat to be taken. And, he'll give the credit to others - players, staff, etc. - when things go great.
October 18th, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^
And to hell with notre dame.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:29 PM ^
I think he is motivated by 2 things in these situations:
1) he is uber competitive. So he is always wary about ANYTHING that could take away some competitive advantage.....hence the desire to say nothing and just get through it or deflect
2) he is very focused on his players. So he will look for ways for his players, and to a lesser degree his assistants, get the credit and the mentions and accolades.....hence the highlighting and handoff to players so THEY get the attention and exposure and opportunity.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:30 PM ^
Maybe he just wants to move on to the next game with a humble heart.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:32 PM ^
I think it is an intentional move to lower his visibility and to increase opportunities for U of M players. It's impressive that he doesn't have a need to try to be in the spotlight. I don't think Urban Meyer would be capable of a move like this.
I think this strategy will help in recruiting and NIL opportunities because the players are getting interviewed on national TV.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:33 PM ^
I don't think the media's making a huge deal about it, either--do you? Just a somewhat shy person, disinterested in small talk or cliches, deflecting the praise toward the players/kids.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:34 PM ^
Would you prefer every post game interview ever?
October 18th, 2022 at 5:20 PM ^
Love that clip.
100% better execution than this scene from Bedazzled, which I found funny at the time.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:39 PM ^
Both.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:42 PM ^
Sparky Anderson used to take the blame for losses and credit the players for victories. Harbaugh does the same. Very smart.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:45 PM ^
He is about everyone but himself. Guy just loves people.
Say what you want about his approach to clock mgmt, short yardage philosophy, some political stances.., but you can’t argue that the man loves and advocates for those around him. Admirable quality IMHO.
October 18th, 2022 at 4:59 PM ^
He did the same thing at Stanford.
October 18th, 2022 at 5:02 PM ^
he truly loves his players. no doubt in my mind.