Harbaugh rumors/updates Wednesday 1/26: Bears appear out, nothing else new
TL;DR: Nothing really new but the Bears appear to be out of play and Bacon is getting a little more confident he stays.
Quick Internet hits:
- Bears insider or know-nothing blogger Jeff Hughes, depending on your perspective, claims things never progressed with Harbaugh because he asked for too much (10 yrs/$100m or more). I have no opinion on the validity of this rumor or the reliability of the source. Dave Wannstedt claims the Bears never formally interviewed him.
https://twitter.com/dabearsblog/status/1486103988936364035 - Bacon's Daily Update is still nothing new, but his confidence Harbaugh stays is now over 75-25.
https://twitter.com/Johnubacon/status/1486344233141293059 - A couple links floating around that the Vikings may be in play, but everything I've clicked on just points back to Bacon's tweet saying, "Don't count the Vikings out." Nothing with any further information than that from what I'm seeing.
My thoughts:
- I am a fan of Jim Caldwell and rooting for him to get the Bears gig
- I wish it were tenable for Warde to put a deadline on the Harbaugh salary offer and tell Jim he can explore his options, but if he doesn't sign with UM by Feb 1, he'll be stuck on his old contract for another year. Don't shoot me for saying this; I understand Warde probably doesn't have the leverage to do this, but I still wish it could be so.
Idea: Consider leaving top reply spots to the first comment on this post open for others who come up with any additional info today.
OK Back to work everybody!
January 26th, 2022 at 12:22 PM ^
Q: What do you get when you cross a leopard and a panda?
A: Fired from the zoo.
January 26th, 2022 at 11:53 AM ^
Harbaugh demanding that kind of high salary, and that being the reason the Bears didn't pursue him, is... implausible.
Regarding a deadline:
There's absolutely no reason for Warde to rush this. Nobody is being hurt by this. Harbaugh currently has a contract and he continues to fulfill it by working during the offseason. Michigan has filled out its staff, they continue to work on recruits (including taking guys to games at times when a guy who wasn't committed to the job would have just stayed home and watched the Raiders play instead of going to a hockey game) and since Harbaugh has been honest with the guys he is recruiting about his NFL interest, this isn't something that really affects the recruits, either. Warde, once again, seems to know what he is doing
The more stuff like this plays out, the more it becomes clear that Warde is not only not a bad AD, but might be uncommonly good at it.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:03 PM ^
Agreed.
Those who are calling on Warde to be tougher on Harbaugh, to make demands, create deadlines, etc...are misguided in their views, at best.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
"Those who are calling on Warde to be tougher on Harbaugh, to make demands, create deadlines, etc"...are" probably very young or still in college and have absolutely no first-hand experience in managing people.
Fixed it for you.
January 26th, 2022 at 1:56 PM ^
It's remarkable how many fans seem to have forgotten how bad our two previous coaching hires went and have reverted back into pre-2007 "Anyone can win here" thinking.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:13 PM ^
i do agree that warde has been a stellar AD.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:19 PM ^
Harbaugh demanding that kind of high salary, and that being the reason the Bears didn't pursue him, is... implausible.
Agreed. That runs entirely counter to his whole ethos. And Warde is doing the right thing by keeping things publicly quiet and giving JH the time and space to let him proceed at his own pace. Trying to create leverage out of thin air with an artificial timeline would just poison the well.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:51 PM ^
I don't think you can say with any degree of confidence that recruiting is being hurt by this. Just common sense would dictate otherwise. Harb to the NFL was used against Michigan even before Harbaugh was actively courting those jobs - the fact that he's actively doing so now has to be affecting some decisions, regardless of how open or honest Harbaugh is being.
Put it another way, do you think Mike Hart is in living rooms talking more about (1) the year we just had or (2) Harbaugh's pending decision?
January 26th, 2022 at 4:01 PM ^
With the handful of guys we are still recruiting for a signing day next week, it is hard to see how this wouldn’t be a real issue. For next year’s class I think it has much more to do with the results of the contract negotiations. If Jim can say this was more about the team than him (e.g. more NIL help for players, more for assistant coaches), I think that would be a great message to incoming recruits.
January 26th, 2022 at 11:38 PM ^
los barcos
Do you believe everything you read?
January 26th, 2022 at 11:38 PM ^
los barcos
Do you believe everything you read?
January 26th, 2022 at 1:27 PM ^
I feel like this is one of those situations where you just let him go about his business and let him realize he wants to come back on his own instead of chasing or hounding him around. I do the same thing with my dog when he doesn't want to leave the park.
January 26th, 2022 at 1:56 PM ^
Agreed that we shouldn't have a deadline.
But I think our offseason is undoubtedly hurt by this so far. This is definitely being used in recruiting, probably to more effect than in past years now, and it will continue to have an impact as long as we don't reach a resolution of this limbo phase. Not saying the impact is tangible, but it's not good for recruiting and perception wise, hurts the momentum we built this year.
January 26th, 2022 at 11:56 AM ^
The Vikings hire of Kwesi is interesting because the expectation now is they go pure 'football guy' to fill out the staff - potentially an Assistant GM (not everyone has one), and a reasonably experienced HC. I say reasonably - I don't think they necessarily go retread, but unlikely a 1st year OC or something like that.
Ownership doesn't want a rebuild despite what the world may feel about Cousins which makes it more attractive to some degree, it wouldn't shock me for Harbs to be on their list.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:04 PM ^
Yeah but Kwesi is a 39-year old with a lot analytics in his background. That to me screams a younger coach from the McVay / Shanahan / LaFleur tree such as DeMeco Ryans, Kevin O'Connell, or Nathaniel Hackett.
January 26th, 2022 at 9:49 PM ^
To be sure, he's a different cat than a typical GM. Plus he overlapped with Harbaugh's last couple years in SF and more significantly has other connections to him.
I'm nervous. Not a good hire from the Michigan perspective. Not at all.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:08 PM ^
Disperse. Nothing to see here.
At the same time, keep watching this spot.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:08 PM ^
if he doensst go this year with 1/3 of the nfl jobs open, then i have a hard time seeing how the nfl will be back for him.. barring a desperation lowball type deal.
Also, this is actually one of the most informative posts on the subject to date, despite insistence that there's little to share!
January 26th, 2022 at 12:11 PM ^
If coach has 1 foot out the door why do we want him to stay?
January 26th, 2022 at 1:36 PM ^
One foot out the door? He’s hired (2) new staff members and been on the road recruiting. All while under a contract he signed last year.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:59 PM ^
Hey Silly if you are talking to NFL teams and do an interview and don't address the rumors other than its much nicer than last year. You have at least a half foot out the door. If he wanted to be fully committed to the program, he would have shut it all down immediately, instead he is embracing it. I love Harbaugh and have always backed him, but please get in tune with realty. The longer this goes on if he does leave the worse position the program is in if that occurs.
January 26th, 2022 at 6:07 PM ^
He's just looking at what might be his last gig--certainly, with his name carrying this kind of cachet--and, it seems, determined to examine each of his options. If that likely means not signing until he's examined every NFL opening, we will have to wait. He's doing his job, he's doing his due diligence.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:17 PM ^
I'm a huge Harbaugh backer and felt throughout his tenure, including 2020 Covid year, he is the best UM can do given the current landscape in CFB and UM's current approach to this paradigm.
Is he perfect, no, (we've dropped some unfortunate games to Sparty where we were the better team) but we've essentially been in contention for the B1G going into the OSU game every year but 2 since he's been at UM. OSU is currently playing by SEC rules and it's not an equal playing field.
That said, I think this has dragged on long enough and Jim should just deny any NFL rumors, or it indeed suggests that UM is not his top choice. Yes, the fanbase and media were horrible and shitting on him last year and he has earned this victory lap to feel relevant, acknowledge potential offers, and feel appreciated. At some point, however, he needs to protect the UM program and what he has built, and it's pretty clear he will get a generous offer after this year, and hopefully some of his other demands per NIL, transfers, etc will at least be addressed. Harbaugh to the NFL rumors will persist every year as he is a very good to elite coach, but by not addressing this at all to this point, Harbaugh is essentially saying he prefers the NFL or is being very petty. He's had enough time to revel in his success.
January 26th, 2022 at 4:33 PM ^
Hmmm, I’ll note that we have little to no word out of either JH’s or WM’s camp. Or to put it another way,
Don’t mean nothing, no victim, no crime, don’t mean nothing ‘till JH signs it on the dotted line.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:22 PM ^
I like the layout and especially how you titled your OP, 'jimmyjoeharbaugh'.
Let the rabble-rousers rouse rabble all they want about it.
January 26th, 2022 at 1:00 PM ^
thanks for the comment, how about some reward points?
grant them by february 1 or else I'll be stuck with my existing points.
January 26th, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^
I don't have that much power!
Points are the sacred realm of the MGoOverlords such as Seth.
But a +1 (2 points!!) for asking.
January 26th, 2022 at 1:22 PM ^
In my best South Park redneck voice
-- They took our threads --
January 26th, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
People posting percentages are pulling that shit outta their ass...
January 26th, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
Anyone else think this might end up being a lifetime contract with increased budget for assistant salaries and NIL, but also a steep buyout, making this the last chance that Harbaugh could easily jump back into the NFL?
January 26th, 2022 at 1:00 PM ^
1 great year gets you a lifetime contract? Come on
January 26th, 2022 at 1:04 PM ^
Uh...in todays market, yes it does.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:07 PM ^
I don't think it should, but I'm trying to read the tea leaves here. We've seen several people claim that he has been given everything he's asked for and more in the offer(s) and he's still looking around. He either doesn't want to be here anymore or he sees this as his last opportunity to look around and wants to make sure he gets it right. Warde is obviously leaving the door open for him, which means that Warde wants to keep him and probably knows that the offer is extremely generous, so Harbaugh turning it down would mean he really just doesn't want to be here. We've seen coaches jump ship even with buyouts, so it seems to me that there has to be something preventing Harbaugh from just accepting the offer and jumping to the NFL next year. It all just seems to fit with the idea that the contract offer is "lifetime" and something is in the contract to ensure that Harbaugh isn't looking for offers for the next few years.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^
If true, is it really that ridiculous for Harbaugh to look for 10 years and $100mil? That's more or less in line with the top NFL coaches right now and I think Harbaugh has more than proven his worth between Super Bowl and CFP berths. Seems like it's not unreasonable. Although it does seem like the NFL's preference right now is to hire young coordinators so maybe the 'elderly' Harbaugh isn't that attractive to teams looking to make a splash
January 26th, 2022 at 1:07 PM ^
I agree, it seems like a market rate ask; doesn't mean a particular team is willing to pay it.
Separately from the Harbaugh topic, I hate that these numbers are the market rate. That's a topic for another time and place. Many great things in the world and many things we all wish were different.
January 26th, 2022 at 2:02 PM ^
It is out of line, if true, that JH wants $10 million a year. Reid, Arians, and Carroll all get $8 and they have rings. Bellichick gets $18 but is an outlier. Urban Meyer was rumored to get $10 but not for ten years (and it’s also clear ownership had buyer’s regret).
January 26th, 2022 at 2:19 PM ^
It's ridiculous when the team you're asking is the Chicago Bears. They prefer more of the 3 year $10MM type deals for HCs.
-Sad Bears Fan
January 26th, 2022 at 10:03 PM ^
$10 million isn’t insane, but the duration would be. He’s never coached anywhere for even close to 10 years, and he would be nearly 70 by the end of the contract.
I could see my Raiders offering some stupid money like that since they offered Gruden those exact terms, but hopefully they finally fucking learned their lesson. I can’t see the Bears or Vikings agreeing to a deal like that, unless it’s full of qualifications.
January 26th, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^
Once again Jim has and will get no NFL offer.
Jim doesn’t have the leverage Michigan does.
January 26th, 2022 at 1:04 PM ^
Now THIS is how you make a post.
No vaguely worded, confusing clickbait title. Referencing tweets or breaking news and then providing a source so we actually know what the heck you're talking about and where you're getting your information. Properly embedded links. A TL;DR summary. Bullet points and section headings.
It's beautiful!
January 26th, 2022 at 7:53 PM ^
Why that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all week!
January 26th, 2022 at 1:32 PM ^
I would prefer north of complete bs on this matter...then again, I would prefer Salma Hayek...
January 26th, 2022 at 6:03 PM ^
Salma Hayek is really appealing. Going to Mexico City in July and hoping to catch a glimpse of her.
January 26th, 2022 at 3:04 PM ^
To be quite honest, I'm not sure how successful our recruiting can be when it's visibly obvious that Harbaugh wants out of this gig. Tell me how great your marriage would be if you keep trying to ask any woman hotter than your wife out on a date. "Yeah honey, I'm totally committed to you."
January 26th, 2022 at 3:36 PM ^
I've only been married twice.... but neither time involved a 5 year contract..... maybe that would have been a better plan.... rather than have to divorce a couple cheating sluts.... i could have just not renewed their contracts!
Coaching under contract couldn't be more different than being married. Most of the current year class is already signed (and quite a few enrolled) so there isn't much to worry about there.... as long as this is resolved by signing day, not sure how it hurts anything. Any recruit considering Michigan has been communicating with the staff for months and months..... this Harbaugh to the NFL shit has been going on for a couple weeks and will be resolved (one way or the other) before signing day. I doubt it has much of an impact.
January 26th, 2022 at 7:43 PM ^
It happens a lot. I've been at my current office for over 20 years and I've known of several married couples who worked together have affairs, and only one got caught.
January 26th, 2022 at 3:40 PM ^
The Bears just hired a new GM (Ryan Poles) and none of the four guys coming back for second interviews are named Harbaugh. Given that, I doubt the Bears ever really looked at Harbaugh. The Chicago Tribune sportswriters never listed him as something other than a throw away mention.
January 26th, 2022 at 4:47 PM ^
Warde can pull his offer whenever he wants, no ultimatum needed. The result would be that the current contract remains in force, just as it is now.
In light of that, there is no real advantage to issuing an ultimatum, and there are disadvantages, notably the fact that this ties Warde's hands and the possibility that Harbaugh is offended by the move.
Also, from my perspective, Michigan doesn't look bad at all here. Harbaugh is under contract (a contract highly favorable to the university) and, by all accounts, working hard on the recruiting trail and with staffing for next year. The fact that multiple NFL teams are interested (some possibly strongly interested) isn't exactly a bad thing if you're an aspiring NFL player. And we all know he loves Michigan even if some of his heart is with the NFL. I love the guy and hope he stays (and think he probably will), but he deserves a chance to think about his long-term goals, and it shouldn't be a problem for Michigan that he's doing that.
January 26th, 2022 at 7:39 PM ^
I think Harbaugh is back! The biggest threat early on was the Raiders but they now seem to be moving on from Harbaugh. He better be looking for a DC.
January 26th, 2022 at 9:27 PM ^
Bacon is right about the Vikings. That new GM hiring is starting to produce some smoke.
Well, poop.