MLive: Glasgow on Harbaugh
Kyle Meinke has an interesting article about Graham Glasgow and his take on Jim Harbaugh.
"He's treated everyone in our program essentially, not like a child, but he treated them like an adult -- like, as a man," Glasgow said. "And every talk he had with you would be man-to-man. He was brutally honest about everything."
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/02/michigans_graham_glas…
February 25th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
a contrast from the previous coaching staff. The quote about trying ot take someone's job is particularly telling and fits in with the meritocracy and cage fighting comments we've heard recently. That by itself, apart from any "schematic advantage" (which Harbaugh does actually have) has made the biggest difference with the program. Add in more top 5 recruiting classes and we'll be competing with OSU, Alabama, Clemson etc for championships.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:12 PM ^
Harbaugh is definitely the better coach but the comparisons with the previous coaching staff should probably stop for now. Brady Hoke did have a better record in his first year than Jim Harbaugh including a BCS bowl win.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:18 PM ^
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February 25th, 2016 at 12:23 PM ^
The 2011 team beat OSU ending a seven year losing streak.
I definitely enjoyed the Citrus Bowl win over Florida but 2011 was definitely the better year as far as results are concerned.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:25 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 12:31 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 12:52 PM ^
Whenever you're asked to compare two things, something always gets diminished.
February 25th, 2016 at 1:07 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 1:42 PM ^
I would agree with that statement as well. My post was meant to stir up the pot and get people to think before saying "WOW this change is so great and better." Of course it is as we had a remarkedly improved season but whether it is truly better over the long term remains to be seen. Even if/when we do return to Big 10 championship glory, I don't want to come here and constantly have to read Brady Hoke bashing.
I can say I have seen people on this board call for John Beilein to be fired which is insanely laughable. I can also say that I don't believe for one second that everyone in the Michigan program is happy with our coach calling out peers on twitter (although I love every second of it). I would also like the current slappies to look up posts on this board when Jim Harbaugh was at Stanford and criticized Michigan football academics.
I love Jim Harbaugh; his coaching and success. I know he will serve Michigan well. I love Brady Hoke and although I had hoped he would have done better as head coach; he did have a great first year. He also coached our D-Line that gave us our only National Championship since 1948. He served Michigan well and the Brady Hoke bashing really should stop.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:52 PM ^
Bingo! I think any rational Michigan fan would.
As far as the refreshing change is concerned, I know exactly how our board will respond if we lose another game to OSU by 29. 2016 hasn't even been played yet and until it is played then it is probably best if we stop burying the previous staff that has already been fired.
February 25th, 2016 at 4:57 PM ^
If last years team played Hoke's first team, they would beat the pants off them. Yes, Hoke had a better first year record, but the team quality isn't even close.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:36 PM ^
RichRod's final team was destroyed by Mississippi State in a garbage bowl and had one of the worst defenses in college football and Michigan history. Rodriguez's team were not even close to beating Ohio State. In a single year the program excelled in producing a top defense; a win over OSU; and a BCS bowl win.
I have zero doubt that Jim Harbaugh will have a much better career here at Michigan but a comparison between a four year career and a single year is lame especially when Brady Hoke had the better first year.
Really, I am happy for the change I think it was needed but what I don't think is needed is to slap down a previous coach who is a great man in order to uplift our current one.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:44 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 2:20 PM ^
Plus, that OSU team was coached by their version of Hoke, that Adam Sandler look-a-like Meyer doen't even trust to run a defense on his own.
February 25th, 2016 at 9:49 PM ^
As much as I loved that 2011 season (UTL, ending the OSU streak and Sugar Bowl win), everyone knew it was a mirage. We had a lot of lucky breaks that year, ranked 25th nationally in turnover margin.
February 25th, 2016 at 1:13 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 1:21 PM ^
I agree, this years team wins by 10+.
February 25th, 2016 at 1:38 PM ^
This is revisionist history at its best. The 2011 team would most likely gash the 2015 team. The 2011 team was built to exploit the weakness of the 2015 team with the inside zone reads of Denard and Fitz (good Fitz). I actually think the 2011 team would win that game fairly comfortably.
February 25th, 2016 at 2:13 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 1:20 PM ^
That was probably the worst OSU team in the last 20 years.
February 25th, 2016 at 1:36 PM ^
no reason to slap down Rich Rod then either. Look Rich Rod took over a mess and at least improved it every year. Hoke took over what Rich Rod built and slowly ran it into the ground. Harbaugh came in and picked up the pieces.
I too try not to compare coaches and their resume's and think we should mostly leave them lie now that they are gone. But just don't understand the hate for Rich Rod, he too is a good man and did his best here also and was slowly improving the team. I think if he had coached the 2011 team the results would've been very similar to what Hoke produced, seeing how it was basically his team and system that Hoke and Co. ran.
February 25th, 2016 at 3:54 PM ^
Yes Rich Rod took over that mess of a 9-4 team that beat Urban Meyer's Florida the year before, proceeded to run Manningham, Mallett and Boren out of town and go 3-9, 5-7, and 7-6.
February 25th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^
Way to cherry pick your data @Hal......that awesome 9-4 team was ranked #5 in the country and lost to App State (AT HOME!) in our season opener. Then they got bushwacked by Oregon the very next week.....also at home.
And after the bowl game that same team then proceeded to graduate 95% of the starting offense including our record breaking RB and QB - both 4 year starters.
Obviously THAT team should have won the national championship the following year because they happen to beat Urban Meyer's Florida the year before with a lot of players no longer on the team and with a new coach and scheme.
February 25th, 2016 at 4:54 PM ^
Was not good.
The end.
February 26th, 2016 at 10:15 AM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 12:28 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 1:45 PM ^
I don't think the 2011 team loses to anyone by 29 points (and let's be honest it wasn't that close this year, it felt like a 40 point beatdown). Plus I do think Denard puts up more than 13 points against OSU.
February 26th, 2016 at 8:18 AM ^
I don't understand how that makes 2011's win worse than 2015's loss. Next year I'd rather have an 11-2 record with a BCS win than a 10-3 record and a Citrus Bowl win, even if OSU was not as good a team in the former case. The former is simply the better year, and to argue otherwise is absurd.
February 25th, 2016 at 12:32 PM ^
You may feel better about 2011, but I think there is no real argument against 2015 being a much better team.
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February 25th, 2016 at 12:59 PM ^
I thought for some reason, they were ranked lower than #10 Florida this year.
February 25th, 2016 at 1:14 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^
Florida entered the Citrus Bowl ranked #19.
So I guess VA Tech > Florida?
February 27th, 2016 at 7:22 AM ^
I thought they were 10th on the screen. thanks for clarifying.
February 25th, 2016 at 1:00 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 1:59 PM ^
"This year we absolutely crushed some great teams."
Please insert names of great teams here _________________________________.
In 2015, we had a convincing victory over 1 team that could be called very good (Florida). Period. This is not to diminish what we DID accomplish this year in any way, But we didn't crush any great teams.
As for limping into the Sugar Bowl with close wins, you are just full of crap. Yes, there were close wins against OSU and Notre Dame. And those are HUGE rivalry wins regardless of the records. Here's a recap of the other 8 victories during the 2011 regular season:
WMU W 34–10 +24
EMU W 31–3 +28
SDSU W 28–7 +21
MINN W 58–0 +58
NWSTRN W 42–24 +18
PURDUE W 36–14 +22
ILLINI W 31–14 +17
NEBRASKA W 45–17 +28
Not exactly squeaking by the opponents by most measuring sticks!
In contrast, just look at this year where we were very fortunate to escape MINN and IND. We could have very easily had 5 losses. A much better case would be made for limping into the Citrus Bowl this year than the Sugar Bowl in 2011.
So, I call bullshit.
PS - I like Brady Hoke. And I think he left the program in great shape. Harbaugh will be a much better head coach for many reasons. But there's no need to shit on Hoke. He got us on a good track and Harbaugh is the man to take us forward.
February 25th, 2016 at 2:07 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 2:26 PM ^
We hear the same thing with EVERY coaching change. "Huge culture change. Yada yada yada."
There's a lot more to the program than a W-L record. Hoke's teams were always competitive with OSU because the talent level wasn't that far off. [Unless you want to argue that he outcoached Urban to keep the games close?]
Players didn't magically develop immediately under Harbaugh. Some of them were well on their way. Especially on the defense. And at TE with Butt. (Clearly Harbaugh worked some magic at QB.)
There were definitely some gaps on the roster. Some of which were obvious several years prior (O line). I think you could have had Harbaugh coach Hoke's offense and we would have seen a much better result!
Hole was also national coach of the year - twice. He was in over his head (and handcuffed) at Michigan, but he isn't a bad coach. Just not a great coach.
Harbaugh IS a great coach. And he has the juice to put together a great staff. No point in comparing Hoke to Harbaugh.
February 25th, 2016 at 2:34 PM ^
February 26th, 2016 at 10:54 AM ^
If you think the negativity around the program was bad at the end of 2014, you should have been here at the end of 2010! The negativity there far exceeded that of 2014, and only a Michigan n00b would argue otherwise. 2014 may have seen the most negativity you have ever seen as a Michigan fan, but those of us who have been around a while know how laughable it is to call the 2014 negativity the worst in program history.
February 25th, 2016 at 3:41 PM ^
What was Hoke handcuffed by, exactly? Denard? The most electric player we've had since Woodson and a guy personally responsible for an incredible amount of our offense the year before Hoke and in 2011 especially?
The only handcuffs Hoke had he placed on himself...not knowing what to do with the players he inherited. We got WORSE every year he was here despite our team getting more experienced. How does that happen?
February 26th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^
The Carr players rotate out and the Rodriguez players 9recruited for a different system) rotate to the senior positions. That's how it gets worse. With lack of player development of the Hoke-recruited players, it is a perfect storm.
February 26th, 2016 at 2:42 PM ^
I agree.....the lack of player development was a real issue and was all on Hoke. There was enough talent on the roster (maybe except OL which was for sure a RRod problem) to do better than Hoke did.
February 25th, 2016 at 3:52 PM ^
"Players didn't magically develop immediately under Harbaugh."
Actually, that's exactly what they did.
February 25th, 2016 at 3:17 PM ^
Having a worse record every season after an 11-2 campaign gets you fired. How has Harbaugh's second season at Michigan gone? You don't know. You probably have the same assumption and hope that I do which is this season will be an improvement on the last.
Hoke is a great Michigan man and wasn't ready for the position but he is a good coach; even head coach. Although I think you have both him and Harbaugh beat on free time to post on the mgoblog.
February 25th, 2016 at 4:13 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^
Yep, its called getting paid millions! Hoke was getting paid millions not to coach and was out for the same time as Rich Rodriguez. Hoke was hired to a power 5 school that has been in the national championship running for a decade.
Most of these coaches have their pay from a previous institution cut if they get a new job but I am not sure about Hoke. You have no clue of what offers he had or his desire. The only thing you know is Hoke had one offer and immediately accepted it.
February 25th, 2016 at 5:15 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 6:56 PM ^
February 25th, 2016 at 10:11 PM ^
Before taking the Michigan job he was 47-50, now he's a mediocre 78-70. Losing 20 games in 4 years at Michigan is not good.
February 25th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
You might want to recheck the 2011 season. These are scores of UM's victories in the regular season:
34-10
35-31
31-3
28-7
58-0
42-24
36-14
31-14
45-17
40-34
8 of the 10 wins were by double digits, and 6 of the 10 wins were by 20+ pts.