January 7th, 2022 at 3:54 PM ^
People constantly say Warde does nothing without actually knowing what Warde does. Is he supposed to live tweet his whole life? He obviously gets stuff done without the public knowing every little detail. Who knew about Harbaugh's reworked contract before it was announced last year?
January 7th, 2022 at 4:46 PM ^
Good lord. You have no idea what Wards is doing, and he’s landed some pretty great coaches. So maybe get off his back.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
RRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
January 7th, 2022 at 2:35 PM ^
The only job that the "soon" timeline would make sense for is Vegas, who is playing for a playoff spot this weekend. If they make it, would they not want to leave the door open to hire the guy that pulled them through this terrible season? Also, Harbaugh taking a job days before the firing spree begins on Monday doesn't seem to give him the largest number of options.
Also, could it be another Harbaugh? Jay has certainly showed his coaching chops in Ann Arbor.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:36 PM ^
I'll wait until Kirk Herbstreit says something. Then I'll know it's official.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:37 PM ^
If true, there likely will not be an announcement until next week. NFL coaches usually learn their fate one way or the other by noon on black monday.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:17 PM ^
He could sign with the Raiders today if both sides wanted to. I doubt the Raiders would introduce that sort of distraction while they are still alive for the playoffs but its possible.
January 7th, 2022 at 5:02 PM ^
I can't think of an NFL instance when next year's coach was announced during the season, but it's possible.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:40 PM ^
If he goes, I'll be really disappointed. Have his UM Jersey on my wall. I'll be more disappointed at the rumored reasons why he may be leaving. Those do not bode well for UM taking the next step. That's fine I guess, but the negative recruiting is going be insane/even worse when they can say he left because of transfer issues and crap NIL policy. True or not, that will be the talk.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:19 PM ^
Honestly this whole situation is one of the weirdest I've experienced as a sports fan. 80% of the fan base wants him fired, he's given a humbling pay cut, responds by taking the team farther than its been in 25 years, everyone is back on board and ready to see how far this leap takes us and...coach leaves of the NFL.
Also I'm a Bears fan so if he were to leave for the Bears (sounds like Raiders if this report is true though), that would be equally weird for a coach to leave my favorite college team to join my favorite pro team. As a equal fan of both, I like him way more in Ann Arbor than Chicago.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:26 PM ^
Where do you estimate 80%?
January 7th, 2022 at 3:38 PM ^
That’s certainly how it felt at the end of 2020, and how I would have felt if I were him.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:45 PM ^
They are not trying to be accurate or insinuate thats an accurate number. They are just telling the story of how strange this has been
January 7th, 2022 at 2:42 PM ^
It's just very odd to me. All of it.
I get he likes the NFL and he's super competitive. But money's not an issue. This place was apparently where he wanted to be and build back to a champion. He did feel super at peace this year compared to the past.
Instead, he's going to go (potentially) to a subpar NFL program, maybe build them up to be competitive, and wear out his welcome with professional athletes as he tends to do. That's the great thing for him and college- he's constantly having a cycle of new people to mold.
He feels like such a perfect fit for college/Michigan. But, then again, I thought the exact same thing about Beilein.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:44 PM ^
If he does leave it'll be because it's a rigged game where it's all about how much the boosters are paying people and our above it all ethical stance. Just like JB.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:48 PM ^
I think the one thing we underestimate about how competitive these coaches are is the drive to do it at the highest level. Look at how many great college coaches have made a run at the professional ranks only to fail. There is only one peak and you can't get there without being in the big leagues.
Not saying I agree with that, but I am also not a high end college coach.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:20 PM ^
F’ing nailed it Unc.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:43 PM ^
”Chiro Chiro Chirp”?
What bird makes that call ??
January 7th, 2022 at 2:49 PM ^
He's going to the pros, but I'm hearing it will be Richmond FC.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:49 PM ^
If he leaves Fickell has to be the first call and you offer him whatever the fuck he wants to come to Michigan.
If we could land him my butt would be slightly less hurt
January 7th, 2022 at 3:23 PM ^
Agree. If Bo played and coached for Woody and Moeller played for Woody, we can assuredly hire Luke Fickell without upsetting the balance of the universe.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:49 PM ^
The Raiders literally have a 53% chance of making the playoffs. If they beat the Chargers this weekend, they’re in. I doubt they’re having conversations about coaching changes at this point. This is why I’m not buying these premature talks just yet. Let’s go kick the Chargers’ ass Raiders!
January 7th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
The Raiders also gave Gruden who hadn't coached in forever a massive contract. Raiders do weird things man. If its Raiders is resovled by monday either way.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:50 PM ^
Am I the only one who would consider the Harbaugh name seriously tarnished if this happens. I can't help it.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:51 PM ^
He’d be the first Michigan football coach to leave the job voluntarily for another job.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:07 PM ^
Likely true, but Bo was very close.
January 7th, 2022 at 4:27 PM ^
He was going to go to Texas A&M for huge oil money, but he did not like all of the shady boosters running around throwing $$$ around.
Don't you ever change, A&M.
January 7th, 2022 at 5:17 PM ^
A&M has fully weaponized boosters to sign a top recruiting class.
They haven't changed, it's the same thing but legal now. If we don't change we're fucked.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:53 PM ^
I'd be disappointed but I'd understand.
Its hard to keep playing a rigged game.
Harbaugh brought us back from the dumpster fire we were. Thats enough for me to always love and respect Coach.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
I wouldn't blame Harbaugh, I'd blame the administration. They want him to compete at an elite level with 1 hand tied behind his back already and if they won't put up the best NIL support they can they are loping off the other arm!
January 7th, 2022 at 4:05 PM ^
No. I'd blame the athletic department for not getting him the resources he needed to compete at the highest level (NIL, transfers, etc). If he leaves now, it like what Kelly did at ND. Basically he is saying I took you as far as I can take you and now I need a new mountain to climb.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:51 PM ^
This reporter is jumping the gun. 1) What team? 2) NFL coaching changes, ie firings will come by early next week.
IF Jim were to go the NFL, it won't happen until sometime next week for that kind of announcement.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:05 PM ^
Its the raiders, rumors have been around for months
January 7th, 2022 at 3:14 PM ^
Correction it’s the Raiders and that rumor has been out for years!
FIFY
January 7th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
Seriously, fuck the NFL. If this happens we deserve all the pain and bullshit that will surely follow. I would read it as Michigan won’t do what is needed to compete in today’s football landscape. And that’s shit.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:58 PM ^
13 teams have made the CFP (including us now) out of 130 total FBS teams. We do indeed compete in today's landscape, we just don't dominate it.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:03 PM ^
Making the playoffs and competing for a championship are 2 different things. The SEC OSU and Clemson are the only ones to actually compete for a championship!
January 7th, 2022 at 3:16 PM ^
Unless there's a complete culture change at Michigan, we're just not going to compete with Alabama/Clemson/Georgia or super consistently (50% of the time) with OSU. We'll be competitive generally with years like 2021 sprinkled in, but we're not going to be those schools, or what USC is going to turn into under Riley. We also don't really have a natural recruiting base full of 5-stars like Texas, California, or Florida. Michigan as a state maybe puts out 5-10 quality, power 5 starters a year, with 1 or 2 being elite? Rough back of the napkin math. IDK man, I haven't seen domination in a sport like this for so long. The SEC domination has been insane. Including 1998, an SEC time has won 13 of the national championships. Non-SEC teams to win include Florida State (twice), Oklahoma (once), Miami (once) Texas (once), USC (once), OSU (twice), and Clemson (twice). Within the SEC, it's been Tenn. (once), LSU (three), Florida (twice), and Auburn (once). I mean really, USC and OSU are the only non-"Southern" schools to have won a title since that time. I realize some will dispute my characterization of Texas, Miami, and FSU as "Southern" but I think it's fair.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:26 PM ^
If "Southern" means closest to the areas with the most elite recruits, it's certainly fair.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:12 PM ^
I've been saying that for almost 20 years. The Michigan elites think they can stay status quo and because "We Are Michigan" things will be just fine.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:15 PM ^
Oklahoma has made 3 playoffs with 2 Heisman winners and a QB who played in 3 CFP championship games and was only competitive in one, and got shellacked by Burrow in co. In a game LSU could have scored 100. OSU got shut out by Clemson (but then did play them close and beat them). Michigan, MSU, Florida St, Cincinnati and Washington were all non-competitive in their one appearances. Oregon won one game vs an FSU team that shouldn’t have even been in then got ran by FSU.
From here on out it will remain Alabama, Georgia, Ohio St, Clemson (once they get a QB again they’ll be in the mix), and maybe another SEC team if they get a generational team all come together one year (ala LSU 2019); my bet would be A&M.
I will be shocked if in the next 10 years a single team other than those 4 (maybe 5) win the CFP
January 7th, 2022 at 3:19 PM ^
I am not mad at the NFL because i think we will see more and more. Not all schools have that kind of money to throw around so a lot of good coaches will quit and move on to NFL instead of dealing with NIL bs.
As far as Michigan if he does leave we deserve it because we have been behind for years and we never seem to want to adapt.
January 7th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
Is this a “report” or pure speculation?
January 7th, 2022 at 2:59 PM ^
A tweet by a reporter... so a bit of both.
Interpret it as you will - I'm just relaying the message.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
Could be that Oakland was in play all along.
Clever girl...
January 7th, 2022 at 3:00 PM ^
I think he’s gone. Pains me to say it, but that’s my thought
January 7th, 2022 at 3:01 PM ^
Harbaugh may indeed decide to go to the NFL, but if he does finalize a deal, it'll be reported first by people like Schefter and other scoop mavens with real access. Not uh this person
January 7th, 2022 at 3:02 PM ^
In most other years when this was happening Harbaugh would come out and say "get fucked I'm not going anywhere."
We definitely have not heard that this cycle.
January 7th, 2022 at 3:12 PM ^
What I wouldn't give for an official AD letter signed by Harbaugh decrying the outside agents trying to undermine the program :'(
January 7th, 2022 at 3:08 PM ^
(ahem)
huge if true!
(resumes wanking)