Matt Campbell - The Fire We Need, that Harbaugh has lost
From reading several recent board posts, including the current comments on the Iowa State DC following Michigan football, one thing seems to be clear:
Many Michigan fans feel that we need a coach with FIRE, lamenting how Harbaugh seems to have lost the edge he had when he got here.
I had watched a much better view and breakdown of Matt's passion when SEVERAL recent calls vs. Oklahoma didn't go his way, but this was the best I could find atm.
Don't get me wrong, I love Harbaugh. However, I also agree he has dialed his passion way back.
I know passion isn't the only thing that matters, and I am not sold on Campbell as the "savior" that some believe him to be.
But I also feel this fire is essential to coaches at the college level, and without it? Our team doesn't seem to have it either.
https://larrybrownsports.com/college-football/matt-campbell-loses-it/57…
January 5th, 2021 at 3:50 PM ^
People bitched about him having too much fire.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:53 PM ^
Who bitched? Don't think it was fans, majority liked that Jim initially breathed fire and brimstone.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:51 PM ^
More so than the fire Campbell strikes me as a guy who brings a chip on his shoulder mentality. That is the type of mentality UM needs to have as a program because quite frankly they have no reason to continue to operate from a borderline arrogance mentality. They have done nothing to earn the right to be arrogant in quite a long time. If anybody wants to point to a problem seperate from just the last three coaches, playing with that mentality is probably the biggest. I would argue that started in the late Carr years honestly.
But I am going to echo others and say getting more out of lesser talent at ISU is the biggest reason I like Campbell.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:56 PM ^
I was horrified a couple of years ago with the whole "Revenge Tour" thing.
To me it shows a lack of perspective and discipline. A little success immediately going to the team's head.
We have no reason to be arrogant. Hell, we are probably best known for losing to App State at home.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:04 PM ^
Honestly I think the revenge tour thing started with the right mentality. It was kinda of that underdog mentality initially that nationally people don't think we can beat the teams we lost to last year chip on shoulder attitude. As it went along it was clear it started bordering on arrogance though leading into the OSU disaster. Fine line between arrogance and confidence, but that is up to a coach to help a team straddle it.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:13 PM ^
Armchair psychology is absolutely not the reason M lost to OSU in 2018.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:18 PM ^
Really? So you don't think the arrogance of the defense and more specifically Don Brown to think they could just trot out the same defense against OSU as all year with no viable plan b had anything to do with what happened?
January 5th, 2021 at 4:27 PM ^
I think Michigan has no identity. I feel like they’re in no-mans-land. They feel like they should be the “best and respected” because they’re Michigan and they used to be a rip program. And on the other side of it they feel too arrogant to play with a chip on their shoulder.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:56 PM ^
I find it strange that all the news is if Harbaugh is coming back and not a whisper that Michigan has even started looking at other coaches. Because of this, and I hate to say it, I think Harbaugh will be coming back.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:56 PM ^
I think being capable of recruiting to fill roster holes, develop talent, and make/adjust gameplans is more important than getting fired up. Couldn't give less of a fuck how much Harbaugh or Campbell or any coach screams. It's the play on the field that's important.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:53 PM ^
You're equating fire with screaming, and the two are not always synonymous.
Campbell was showing fire in support of his players getting jobbed on multiple shitty calls.
Today's Harbaugh would stare at the scoreboard for the replay, shake his head, and walk away and say nothing.
He's a zombie.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:58 PM ^
So, 4 pm, and no extension announcement yet...
January 5th, 2021 at 3:59 PM ^
1) "Fire" comes in many forms. Sideline freakouts are of the superficial kind.
2) Campbell is actually wrong here. This is a good no call. None of his linemen reacted, no contact was made, and the ball was not snapped prior to the defense jumping back onsides. Given that he's obviously wrong here I think this is actually a childish and embarassing reaction. This from someone who thinks he'd be a good hire.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:18 PM ^
One of ISU's lineman should have responded to the DL momentarily jumping offsides. Instant defensive penalty nowadays. But can't the defense be called for an egregious neutral zone infraction without making contact or causing the OL to jump in response? Paging Dean Blandino, stat.
January 5th, 2021 at 6:22 PM ^
From a rules standpoint there is no such thing as an "egregious" neutral zone infraction. And you can't have a neutral zone infraction if the offense doesn't make a movement. The only thing egregious here is that the defense crossed the LOS about three times before jumping back. There's no limit to how many times you can do that.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:59 PM ^
Posted a few minutes ago in a previous thread:
If Warde would just make a simple budgeting decision, JH would be in the shitcan NOW. Campbell, if that's the guy, can be had for half of JH's eight millions of dollars. That other four million can be allocated to paying all-star coordinators an extra million, or so. Guys that can coach AND RECRUIT. Guys with sterling track records. There would still be plenty left to inflate other asst coaches and the recruiting operation. Warde isn't getting his money's worth right now. Back and forth about hypothetical outcomes of JH vs New Guy will not result in a good decision. For $8 million, we can do better.
Ever wonder what JH's staff thinks of his salary vs. his performance? I suspect a bit of resentment.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:31 PM ^
You suspect resentment over salary? Are you the guy at my office that's concerned with my compensation and vacation time? If the assistants are petty and counting other people's money then they are doomed to fail. You get paid what the market dictates at the time of negotiations.
January 5th, 2021 at 3:59 PM ^
Let's see. Jim Harbaugh. Son of Ann Arbor. HS stud. College stud. Highly successful NFL QB career - Captain Comeback. Competed his ass off. USD and Stanford - killed it, and got the most out of his players. Goes to NFL. Super Bowl coach. Fiery competitor every step of the way.
Comes home to Michigan - and just loses his FIRE and ability to coach. I call BULLSHIT! I'm betting on Jimmy Harbaugh to make the most of this opportunity, as he has in every other phase of his life. Let's go Jimmy
January 5th, 2021 at 4:34 PM ^
Amen, KENNY!
January 5th, 2021 at 4:39 PM ^
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA
He won't even argue bullshit calls anymore, and you think he is still fiery? Look up Harbaugh videos from 2016 and compare this lethargic zombie to the coach he was then.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:00 PM ^
Yeah except it’s year 6.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:00 PM ^
I bristled at the people with the "Harbaugh's lost his fire" posts in 2017/18.
But in hindsight, it's obvious that his enthusiasm waned and maybe his age caught up to him.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:02 PM ^
I don't think Matt Campbell IS a screamer. You just isolated one example where he was pissed off. If you get a screamer, you're usually getting a young guy who's going to have to make a transition to thoughtful manager down the road anyway. Or have a heart attack. I think this is one reason that Izzo is fizzling now.
If we replace Harbaugh let's get someone with a great football mind who's a really good organizer, too. Fire. . . fneh. Intensity and good energy--someone with some cool, too--would be preferable.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:41 PM ^
I didn't isolate one example on purpose, but that is what it is...an example.
From all reports and games I have watched from his time at Iowa State, and at my alma mater Toledo - he definitely has fire and passion and WILL scream when the situation dictates.
Harbaugh USED to be this way. He now only puts his hands on his knees and shakes his head. He is not the same man.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:05 PM ^
I just do not get it. What is the love for Matt Campbell? What Harbaugh did at Stanford is 10x better than what Campbell has done at Iowa State.
He just does not have a long body of work yet. What is the boner everyone has in regards to him? It seems every year there is a new coach everyone has wood over, and 5 years later we get the "Whew glad we did not go that route" posts.
I mean, he is young .... i get that. He has done a real good job at Iowa State ... i get that. But this is honestly the best guy out there?
I personally would rather keep Harbaugh a year or 2 more and just keep a wandering eye open for a huge time coach.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:17 PM ^
I was with you a few weeks ago, but Matt Campbell has grown on me. There's a lot of details as to why from me, but I'll try to distill is down to this. I think a common conceptual issue we have with the past few coaching hires is that we are catching them at the wrong stage of their career arc. In that, we are hiring them when the best days are behind them. I think that applies to RR, Hoke and Harbaugh.
For example, when we hired RR, the zone read was nothing new and his innovative offense was figured out by opposing defensing. Don't get me wrong, RR had other issues, but its not like he went on to a bigger program and had success after. With regards to Harbaugh, I do think his best days are behind him, and we should have hired him before Stanford did.
Matt Campbell seems to have his best coaching days ahead of him. He's performing well at a school the doesn't typically do well. Give him the resources that Michigan has and I think he can really grow into something special at Michigan. I think we'd be catching him at the right time in his career arc.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:20 PM ^
I think a lot of people believe Campbell is a home run hire who will immediately turn the program around because they want to believe. And since he doesn’t have the resumé to back that assertion up, they have to make up for it with hyperbole.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:27 PM ^
I mean you said it yourself he has been very good relative to the historical success at ISU. 4 winning seasons at a place that had one in the 11 years prior to his arrival. He seems like a coach who is in the ascending phase of his career. Is young, energetic, players love to play for him, has maximized the talent he has, and seems to have that chip on his shoulder mentality you like to see. Not sure why people are overcomplicating in terms of why people like him as a candidate.
The reality is Jim is not the same guy he was in 2014, we are not debating Jim 2014 versus Campbell now as far as who has the higher ceiling. One looks to be ascending while the other does not.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:09 PM ^
A lot of Michigan fans lack foresight, that much is becoming apparent. They want the sure thing? Guess what, Harbaugh was the sure thing. Urban Meyer, the only sure thing out there, ain't coming here. But apparently a lot of Michigan fans can't see that a guy that is winning at fucking Iowa State would probably do pretty damn well here.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:42 PM ^
Did you read what I wrote in the OP? I said I was ALSO not sold on him for Michigan.
What I AM sold on, is his fire and passion and desire.
January 5th, 2021 at 8:55 PM ^
Explain how Andrew Luck and Stanford is better, let alone 10x, than what Campbell had been doing at Iowa St. and appears to do in the coming years were he to stay.
January 5th, 2021 at 11:30 PM ^
Because Stanford is a better job than ISU for recruiting, not sure what people don't get about that. May have tighter academic requirements, but infinitely better than Ames, Iowa in many respects for attracting recruits. Campbell has pretty much hit ISU's ceiling as a program regardless of who the coach is.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:15 PM ^
If the goal is to hire an excitable spazz let's just go after Tom Allen
January 5th, 2021 at 4:19 PM ^
I mean this with all sincerity, but Campbell freaking out on the sideline down 17 points is the type of behavior that Harbaugh got flagged for. Now, maybe that reputation/response wouldn't be replicated with Campbell, but we honestly don't know. And to me, being histrionic on the sidelines doesn't strike me as behavior I want to see in my coach; be angry and be heard but I'd rather see that passion in game prep, recruiting, coaching, etc.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:31 PM ^
There is wide gulf between being a ball of rage at the officials over everything versus not sticking up for your players. I would argue Jim has veered to far into the not sticking up for his players category. Being nice to officials does not get you calls, sometimes you have got to light them up.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:39 PM ^
I mean, Campbell was freaking out about an uncalled offsides; that doesn't feel like he's "sticking up" for a player anymore than the times Harbaugh has chastised refs for missing calls.
I think people just want Harbaugh to be gone and are looking for reasons to justify getting rid of him. That's fine, but I also sort of dismiss the notion that he's not defending his players or being a good leader based on his actions on a sideline that happen to be captured on camera. I think he cares deeply about his players and wants to do them right, as evidenced by him pushing hard for the transfer rules, marching with them in support of racial and social justice, etc. At least to me, that feels a hell of a lot more relevant.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:56 PM ^
Agree to disagree, Harbaugh since 2016 has very rarely got into the officials. Perfect example was this year in the MSU game when the officials were calling UM DB's for everything and then late in the game specifically UM didn't get the same call. That is an instance where a coach should rightfully lose his shit and stick up for his players because it is not being called both ways.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
Understood, but I wish I could find the breakdown video I had seen.
It was Questionable CALL AFTER CALL for Oklahoma. That was a BIG reason they were even down 17 points. VERY questionable calls.
And Harbaugh stands there and accepts it without a word these days. Not the same coach from 2016.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:28 PM ^
Dude. Where is his mask?!
January 5th, 2021 at 4:37 PM ^
I feel the calmer demeanor he now exhibits has more to do with being called to the principal's office by the administration after past incidents. Giving him the "that's not how we expect a Michigan coach to act" routine. I've watched Jim Harbaugh as a player and coach long enough to know that a guy like that doesn't just "lose his fire". He has been whipped by this chicken shit administration into losing his fire and that is not going to change by hiring some FNG from away from some other historically mid-tier program.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:38 PM ^
I mean you never know unless you ask, I just don’t see him interested in coming here.
January 5th, 2021 at 4:44 PM ^
maybe he switched to skim milk?
January 5th, 2021 at 4:51 PM ^
I’ve shared this before, but I think it’s worth noting, as someone else who went through the experience, that having a kid in the NICU, as Harbaugh did after the 2016 season, changes your perspective on things. I know it did for me.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:00 PM ^
Yes. We like Matt Campbell. Thanks for reminding us.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:00 PM ^
Who's Matt Campbell? Never heard of him.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:10 PM ^
I enjoy the intensity. MSU had several incomplete passes that were called completions. Harbaugh didn’t even challenge. I think he was ready to go home and take a nap.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:17 PM ^
There were two plays late in the MSU game that old Harbaugh would have absolutely lost it on and rightfully so. The MSU catch on 3rd down that was an incompletion on what turned out to be their winning td and the non PI call on Sainristil that was the same thing being called on UM all day. I feel like since 2016 Harbaugh not getting into the officials on stuff like that has been the norm.
January 5th, 2021 at 5:36 PM ^
He ain't coming
January 5th, 2021 at 6:01 PM ^
Really, based on what? Do you really believe Campbell would not at least listen to Michigan for a raise and better resources in pretty much every area than he has now?
January 5th, 2021 at 7:51 PM ^
The "fire we need?" Harbaugh was the epitome of fire. What the OP doesn't seem to understand, is that the admin of libtard sob sisters above him MADE HIM tone it down.... so, if you want to criticize Harbaugh for Brown and the lack of DT, fine, or the numberous QB whiffs then you would be right to do so... but not this. Our coach has been subdued.... he is toeing the company line, and has to, to collect his big salary.....everyone wants the Harbaugh of old... take it up with the wine and cheese Regents.