Sam Webb says that Gattis would’ve been under consideration for HC had Harbaugh jumped to the NFL
Listened to The Michigan Insider this morning on WTKA and Sam Webb stated that rumors about Gattis floating around the internet were completely false(I’m assuming that is including the one about inappropriate behavior on the recruiting trail). Even mentioned that if Jim had a choice in who would’ve been selected as his successor, he would’ve endorsed Josh for the job. Mentioned that Gattis’ beef might have more to do with compensation and the fact he was not making the amount of money that Don Brown or Mike Macdonald made when they were Coordinators at Michigan.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
Its important to always remember when listening to Sam that his access is tied to being a sunshine blower and public messenger for the program. He is never saying anything the program doesn't want out there. This is just the reality of the business, you aren't going to last as an insider for long if you are actually uncovering and reporting things the program doesn't want getting out.
But in a situation like this his opinion feels more like PR spin. I'm sure Gattis "would have been considered" but given how long the process dragged out it was probably pretty clear who the lead internal candidate was and who Harbaugh preferred doesn't mean that much in that situation.
On top of that the salary issue wouldn't be new, the salaries are public, it wasn't something he would have just learned in the last month.
February 7th, 2022 at 1:23 PM ^
This is always Sam-the "sunshine blower"...he is a deeply partisan "insider". Sam is fun to listen to-with the caveat that he is about as much of a homer as one can be. I can't imagine that his listenership includes any regulars who are not hardcore Michigan fans.
I will say that, personally, if this whole/larger saga holds any intention of blunting interest and expectation of Michigan football it has been quite successful...it is so wearisome. Wake me up for the opening kick-off.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:13 AM ^
Not a contradiction if you read appreciation to mean money. Sam said it was about money and Gattis was Jim's successor and was definitely appreciated. Sam also said he did not think Gattis put the Miami offer details on the table leveraging it for a match and took UM's offer for what it was and interpreted it as underappreciated. Seems a reasonable report on events.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:56 AM ^
Not getting the salary he wanted would be consistent with his tweet.
February 7th, 2022 at 11:23 AM ^
100%. Seems like this site approves of that approach.
February 7th, 2022 at 3:12 PM ^
No and no
February 7th, 2022 at 8:42 AM ^
If Jim would have endorsed him to be the next head coach. He would have said give him more money too. Doesn’t add up.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:43 AM ^
That specific rumor is impossible to prove or disprove. Sam has often made claims of "I personally haven't heard it." So, idk. Lots and lots of smoke and I don't think it's as implausible as one might think.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:46 AM ^
He was adamant in saying it’s not true, so it was not one of those I haven’t heard it.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:54 AM ^
How would he know? Was he there? If Gattis was pulled off the recruiting trail for a period, that is either true or not. Now, different reasons could be given (some innocuous) for why he was pulled off.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:09 AM ^
Easy, he has access to Gattis, other coaches on the staff, the administration and parents of recruits. So it’s not far fetched to think he could get to the bottom of that rumor.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
Access to Gattis for one, does not necessarily mean he is getting an unbiased view.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
Given recent events, I hope Sam is wrong. Or lying.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
He was pretty unequivocal and adamant in denying the “salacious” rumors, so I agree with you. He was also pretty adamant about that Josh would have been under consideration.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:44 AM ^
Why should someone be compensated for scrapping their speed in space bullshit with power run built off the fundamentals Harbaugh ran at Stanford? Didn't even cite his work.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:48 AM ^
Dude was on track to being a head coach next year
Pretty short sighted to potentially set that back, if not blow it up entirely, if this was all over feeling underpaid.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:56 AM ^
When things just don't add up, it's usually because we are missing a component in the equation.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:02 AM ^
If the rumors of his contract at Miami are true(close to 2m a year) he'd be making more than a third of the college head coaches. I do think he was in line for a HC job, but most likely at a smaller school and he would be making a similar salary
February 7th, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
If he is getting close to $2M, no question why he would leave! Plus with Cristobal being a defensive guy, this would possibly highlight him more. Wouldn’t have to hear about how it was Harbaugh pulling the strings for the offense this year.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:25 AM ^
All of Cristobal’s coaching experience has been on the offensive side of the ball.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:27 PM ^
Perhaps you forgot that Joe Moorehead (of whom Gattis was a protege) was Cristobal’s OC this year at Oregon and he didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard there all year….one good game for him vs. OSU and a cloud of dust.
February 7th, 2022 at 8:49 AM ^
I dont think many people are mad Gattis is gone. His text tells enough about the dude...he's burned bridges at PSU and Bama, now UM. That will come back to him someday.
February 7th, 2022 at 11:01 AM ^
Is it possible that Gattis was fired / asked to resign / told to look for another job? Based on how cunty he's being, I think it is.
February 7th, 2022 at 12:42 PM ^
Oh, I think you are spot on. Either he was told to look around, or not discouraged from doing so.
Then when he brought an offer back that he thought he could use for leverage on a pay raise he wasn't being offered, they politely declined to match it.
That'd make anyone butthurt. Of course, you aren't suppose to speak it out loud that you are.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:01 AM ^
I'm actually excited to see what Matt Weiss and Sherrone Moore come up with for this offense. I still have PTSD flashbacks from hearing that overused term "Speed In Space" and seeing the complete opposite.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:23 AM ^
This is where I’m at. I don’t like all the drama about how this went down, BUT I do think this could be an addition by subtraction situation and I think that Weiss and Moore could put the offense in a better spot.
Now we just need to address the defense and bring in another good young recruiter as a position coach and hopefully soon so that the staff can get back out on the recruiting trail at the end of the dead period.
They simply can’t afford to let all this drama tank this recruiting class.
February 7th, 2022 at 11:08 AM ^
Offense will look just like previous offenses because a lot are Harbaugh plays.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:05 AM ^
On one hand we have a guy who is continually in private contact with both players and coaches, who posts continually under his own name without trying to hide his identity, who repeatedly stresses how important it is to corroborate stuff he hears with multiple independent sources before reporting it, (and who did say that the departure of McDonald was not the only staff departure before anybody thought Gattis was leaving), and on the other we have rando anonymous accounts who post stuff on the internet with zero evidence.
Gee, who to believe.
February 7th, 2022 at 12:38 PM ^
But Sam said we have a chance at [insert recruit's name] and we didn't get them!
February 7th, 2022 at 9:06 AM ^
Sam has no credibility left. He consistently exaggerates recruits’ interest in UM to push clicks (as most in the space do), and his AD connects simply aren’t what many believe them to be.
I trust Seth and Bacon much more on actual veracity of UM “insider” stories. Sam is a seemingly good dude, but he just toes the party line regarding The UM athletic department, and when not, is generally regurgitating info from other sites.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:22 AM ^
It’s interesting that you trust Bacon much more than Webb, when Bacon frequently retweets Webb while saying things like “as usual, you are spot on.”
February 7th, 2022 at 9:27 AM ^
Also Seth repeatedly said throughout the Harbaugh saga to just listen to Sam Webb because he didn’t know shit and Sam is the most plugged in guy with the best info
February 7th, 2022 at 9:39 AM ^
I love Sam. There are just things you have to take into account when you listen, which you learn to see over time: He works to keep it positive, and paints leadership in a good light; one assumes that helps preserve his access to what information he does get. And he smartly hedges most of his assertions, secure in the knowledge that things change rapidly, especially with recruits.
If a recruiter, for example, mentions in conversation that some recruit is really promising and that M looks to be in good shape with him, Sam may work to drop this to his listeners. Doesn't mean the kid ends up here.
If the rumor about Gattis making passes at recruits' moms is B.S., though, it's important to tamp that ish down. And I would appreciate Sam doing that; it's damaging.
Also, you're allowed to be attracted to people, and they to you. If it happened once, I chalk that up to life. If you're messing on the regular, no buddy. You're f'ing with our reputation. This may be one we never know the truth about, whatever narrative people settle on.
February 7th, 2022 at 1:17 PM ^
His mom is a dime piece though lol
February 7th, 2022 at 9:08 AM ^
I suspect he felt underappreciated because he was asked to seek greener pastures and told that he was not part of the long term plans at UM. Heck maybe part of JH flirting with the NFL was Gattis getting to much love from administration/donors and JH wanted him to move on. Maybe JH coming back was in part an agreement that he was given green light to encourage Gattis to exit---JH was tiring of others meddling in his staffing decisions? Im not a big fan of JH personally, but the offense this year had his fingerprints all over it---it just worked better because the pieces were better than in past years. I suspect the offense will be improved next year without Gattis---most of the pieces remain, another year of experience, and they will have to open up the playbook as the defense will be breaking in a lot of new starters/replacing draft picks.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:17 AM ^
This is pretty good except for the part about someone else having control over his staff.
Have you not worked with a control freak ever? And Harbaugh is that to the max. I imagine Admin may have input, and they may veto people here and there, but I don't think Harbaugh would tolerate meddling in his staff, or he'd be gone for anywhere else.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
Let me see if I get this right. A first time OC, who was not good at his job for two years, was upset that a DC with almost 50 years of experience and a string of top 10 defenses made more money than him? Or that a highly regarded NFL coach made more money to take a step down to the college ranks? I like the guy, but c'mon man. I thought Macdonald was more deserving of the Broyles than Gattis.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:34 AM ^
Brown’s salary I’ll buy not worth being upset about.
MacDonald, less so. It’s pretty understandable to be pissed at a first time coordinator (who was regarded as a solid cog in an overall excellent Raven’s staff) hired largely at the recommendation of the coach’s brother receiving a higher salary. “Burn bridges like Gattis did” pissed? No. but pissed off at the inequity? Sure.
February 7th, 2022 at 12:40 PM ^
Turns out the money for MacDonald was worth it - proof is the result on the field. Gattis was at the helm of the Offense for 3 years. Not much going on until this year on the offensive side of the ball. MacDonald is now an NFL DC; Gattis has moved on to a lesser college program (although they may be paying him more).
February 7th, 2022 at 9:43 AM ^
The salary rumor holds zero logic.
If it was purely a salary decision, Gattis would have made a decision to go elsewhere in Dec/Jan, when all the good coordinators go to the other top jobs. Gattis knew his salary compared to Brown's back then, but didn't go anywhere.
So... what has changed since the end of the season and now that would convince him to go take a lateral job at a struggling program??? ?
February 7th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
An $2 million offer? Which also allows him to be a bit choosey about head coaching jobs (the caveat being he has to do well with Miami’s offense, which is far, far from a given).
February 7th, 2022 at 9:56 AM ^
It may not have been a salary decision back in Dec/early Jan, if he truly thought Harbaugh was going to the NFL and he’d be next in line. After Harbaugh returned, it may have turned back to weighing different OC offers and at that point it is primarily a salary issue (with a healthy dose of feelings as well, in the case he he wasn’t told he’s the heir apparent).
February 7th, 2022 at 9:17 AM ^
Sam says whatever the program wants him to say...period. its the price he pays for access to information that he can use to sell subscriptions. It really is that simple.
February 7th, 2022 at 9:31 AM ^
I would agree that Sam is a bit of a program shill. What he is saying is the proper spin from the program, so he is going with it.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:04 AM ^
After Harbaugh said he’s coming back, Sam even said Jim has to spin it whether true or not that he turned them down. He said that’s why politicians have spin people. I think Sam is the spin person.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:14 AM ^
Yep.. literally momens after Sam praised JH for being honest while he was looking at the NFL he makes the recommendation that JHs best bet is to "spin" a.k.a. lie about choosing to come back to UM.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:14 AM ^
Sam said repeatedly before the Vikings affair ended that if Harbaugh didn't get the Vikings job and came back, he'd have to work to shore up and repair relationships on the staff.
If you're asserting that is what "the program wants him to say" so he can sell subscriptions, you have an interesting fantasy life.
February 7th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
"On the staff...." doing all the work in that sentence. Staff don't buy 247 subs.
He's now out here bashing the coach that just left when a week ago he was praising him and simultaneously pumping up who remains. Exactly what the program would want.
February 7th, 2022 at 11:23 AM ^
How is he bashing the coach that just left exactly?
February 7th, 2022 at 12:15 PM ^
Wut?
He's said that people shouldn't panic but Gattis was a loss and that last year's offense was the most autonomy Gattis has had since he got here. He's also said that Harbaugh was going to endorse him for HC if he went to the vikings. And also that the text he sent to players burned bridges with Michigan...
All these things can be true.