Tweet from Harbaugh friend Todd Anson revealing concern with no deal done yet
https://mobile.twitter.com/TJA4Michigan
Hopefully my title is adequate. Didn’t want it to sound like Clickbait but I also wanted to reveal the context of what he said. Anyway, Todd Anson is a Harbaugh super pal. He has seemed quite confident throughout this that he would remain in Ann Arbor. Now it seems as if he has some doubts.
This has been a very strange couple of weeks. Both Webb and Balas have been saying it’s a virtual lock he stays, and hiring Elston last week seemed like it closed the door for most people around here. Yet Pro Football Talk is still reporting he is reaching out to teams as of yesterday and I know a couple people on here have said he will take any NFL offer.
I certainly hope he stays, but if his heart is in the NFL I wish him the best of luck and hope we can find out sooner rather than later.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:32 PM ^
January 17th, 2022 at 1:04 PM ^
Maybe a delay in finalizing a contract is what Harbaugh wants. A new deal would likely include a big raise but also a big buyout. His current contract gives him the most options, whether it is a return to the NFL (low buyout) or a renegotiated deal with Michigan (gtting what he wants for coaches and players).
January 17th, 2022 at 12:48 PM ^
Harbaugh already has all the leverage. What is Warde's play here? It's not like he is going to give Jim a deadline and fire him if the contract isn't done.
In a strictly hypothetical scenario where Harbaugh tells the regents that its a choice between him and Warde, we all know what happens.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:24 PM ^
Agreed. Warde's gone.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:12 PM ^
If he loses Harbaugh, his track record is having Beilein and Harbaugh leave, but lucking in to a brain dead obvious choice to hire Juwan Howard.
Again, IF it happens and he can't come up with a successful coach in a really difficult situation, all eyes will be on him.
I am not routing for that, but I think it speaks to idea that he has zero leverage.
January 17th, 2022 at 4:49 PM ^
What if Jim stays? Then he has 2 coaches at the top of their profession. In the case of our FB coach he had at least some part in the motivation to get back to the Coach we know and love. Anything can fall apart at any time but ill take Wards results so far as a b+. Im not quick to dismiss results (Hiring Howard) whether it came easy or not.
January 17th, 2022 at 5:09 PM ^
There is no doubt it is a narrative changing event. Hence the caveat. But if the contract extension was what pushed Jim to look and he isn't in AA next year because of that, you just captured the worst of both worlds. The best case on field outcome happened and he would be gone anyway.
With the admitted benefit of hindsight, I can't help but wonder why Warde didn't just extend at the prior salary level with the low buyout. Exposure is minimized for M and ego damage is minimized for Harbaugh. Since this was a potential option why not take it?
If he keeps Harbaugh the narrative is different (I never said sports fans are rational), but it feels like Warde could have mitigated some of this and getting a good result from a bad process is why I am chalking it up to luck.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:58 PM ^
Strongly disagree. If Harbaugh left now, it would be a blow... yet Warde has been one of the more successful managers in the AD role that we've had in decades. The regents would be foolish to dismiss him just to keep *one* coach in *one* sport... and for how long? This isn't a "Saban staying until he retires" scenario.
Plus the optics of firing the first minority demographic AD in school history? Unlikely.
January 17th, 2022 at 4:33 PM ^
I don't think you are putting any stock in my caveats. If Harbaugh leaves (hypothetical), he also has the Beilein departure to reinforce the narrative. I also stipulated a failed hire.
Most ADs can't survive bad football hires. Look at M grad Jeff Long. He was on a bunch of boards, chair of the CFP, well respected. Then he hired Bert...
I also don't think you can dismiss football as being one sport, because the implication is that it is on par with everything else. As much as I enjoy the basketball team, football is closer to being THE sport than ONE sport.
January 17th, 2022 at 10:01 PM ^
Warde did not hire Beilein nor Harbaugh. He found excellent replacements for Beilein & Red, managed to keep Harbaugh around until at least now, managed the non-revenue sports well, AND saw the department through its greatest crisis in perhaps living memory.
If he doesn't get Jim to stay longer, not a terrible loss. Warde might get let go at some point for a bad hire or some other blunder, but he is quite safe regardless of what happens this coaching cycle.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^
Despite what Balas, Webb and others are saying, I have a bad feeling that Harbaugh will bolt for the Raiders. The fact that he's waiting for NFL offers means that he would leave for the NFL for the right deal... and I'm sure the Raiders will offer him everything that he wants because they really want him.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:37 PM ^
Or, it means he's looking for a number, on paper, to show to Warde.
Hell, I made an offer to a summer intern who called me back 2 hours later to thank me for helping him get a better offer from another company. He simply forwarded my offer letter and they matched it. That's how the game is played these days. I had no ill will and the person I hired in his stead was amazing.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:30 PM ^
To me if he's talking to Jim and he knows anything, it would be poor form to tweet this when Jim is clearly a private person. The more likely scenario to me is that he hasn't talked to him and is just speculating with the rest of us.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:31 PM ^
Looked through the Tweets and I saw something of interest. Does the abrupt dismissal of Mark Schissel (sorry for the play on words) have an impact on this. It was noted in one of the tweets that to set up a "first rate NIL program", it would take a sign off from the University President.....
Well with one kick out and Mary Sue Colman acting as an interim only, I can't see a major decision being made on that level. And hiring an new University President will certainly take time....
Certainly hope this does not create a snafu in the negotiations.....
January 17th, 2022 at 12:53 PM ^
IMO, the reverse is most likely to be true. Nobody at the U has the authority to tell Harbaugh 'no' right now so he will get his way if he wants to stay.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:55 PM ^
It’s possible that I am just dense, but I cannot seem to find a play on words in your post.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:12 PM ^
He meant, I'm a poet and didn't even know it. I've got the dismissal of Mark Schissel, my rhyme this time.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:22 PM ^
Best I could come up with is dismissal rhymes with Schissel. While it's word play, I wouldn't call it a play on words either
January 17th, 2022 at 12:57 PM ^
I have a feeling MSC would have no qualms whatsoever about doing whatever Jim wants NIL-wise.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:33 PM ^
He is either staying or leaving.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:38 PM ^
This guy gets it.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:56 PM ^
Lol, Joe!
January 17th, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
I disagree
January 17th, 2022 at 1:58 PM ^
Source?
January 17th, 2022 at 2:16 PM ^
Who’s advising him?
/s for old joke
January 17th, 2022 at 12:35 PM ^
The bothersome part of all this is is that if he IS staying, why has there been no announcement by U-M of a new deal? It would definitely be in Michigan's best interest to lock him in and not have uncertainty with recruiting among other things. The only plausible answer is that the two sides have not agreed to anything and that Harbaugh is testing the waters with serious interest. Nothing else makes sense to me.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:57 PM ^
I am sure Michigan has already offered Jim all or mostly all of what he wanted. The only conclusion that makes sense to me is Jim wants to at least hear some NFL offers. Whether he will take one or stay in Ann Arbor is something I think only Jim and his wife know
January 17th, 2022 at 12:37 PM ^
It would be a helluva thing for Harbaugh to convince Mike Elston to leave his long-time position with ND and join his staff and then say, "Hey Mike, I'm outta here for greener pastures, but good luck with whoever they hire to replace me."
January 17th, 2022 at 12:54 PM ^
Unless he takes Elston with him.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:59 PM ^
LOL, that would really make Jim's exit go down more smoothly with Michigan fans, wouldn't it?
I do find it somewhat interesting that there's been no official announcement of Elston's hiring.
Who the eff knows...nothing would really shock me.
If Harbaugh bails, my reaction will be: Buh bye. Who's the new coach?
January 17th, 2022 at 1:25 PM ^
This aged as well as you in your picture there, Don.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:31 PM ^
hey now, don was a very handsome guy, a real looker in pharaoh's court in 2,000 b.c. or so.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:49 PM ^
God was valedictorian of Don’s class.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:23 PM ^
This aged as well as you in your picture there,
LOL, I just now noticed the post about Elston being official. I checked MGoBlue right before my first post and Nua was still there but no Elston.
Hmmm, what else can I make happen with a poorly-timed comment?
January 17th, 2022 at 2:34 PM ^
Real talk: Guys hire on to staffs and then have their final role on the staff change at the end of the off-season staff shuffle. If there is real uncertainty and Elston came, my best guess is that there is a good prospect of him getting upgraded in job status if things move around. Say, if MacDonald becomes HC or follows Harbaugh out the door.
I don't consider this likely, but it wouldn't be absurd. Elston hiring on is definitely a good sign, but if Harbaugh's mind isn't made up, there's a pretty solid plan B that has been accounted for. IMO.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:45 PM ^
In no scenario whatsoever, would Macdonald become head coach. I'd wager everything I own on that. This is Michigan, fergodsakes. He's been a coordinator for one season.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
I would generally agree; I'm theorizing (and again, this is entirely my imagination) that there's room for him to move up the ladder of this staff, which suggests to me that an internal hire might be Warde's preferred fallback option. Your counterpoint is sensible.
But there's a lot of fog of war here.
MacDonald doesn't seem like a good candidate for the HC position; frankly, though I think Gattis might be the one closest to being a good HC prospect, I don't think he is, either, but he could be a stability hire. I think Harbaugh has a great staff (and I think he's done a pretty good job assembling staffs throughout, the only exceptions being maybe sticking with Drevno too much and, it turns out, DJ Durkin being a bad guy) but a side effect of a young staff is you don't necessarily have a ready-made HC.
January 17th, 2022 at 6:01 PM ^
I could possibly see Gattis as a stopgap type hire, but I think in the potential scenario where Harbaugh left (no way, imo) it would be an external hire, unfortunately. I just can't see them taking that big of a risk on a guy who has only been a coordinator a short time. But I'm not omniscient.
However; having conceded to not being an omniscient being, I will eat my damn hat if Jim Harbaugh leaves for the NFL this year.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:37 PM ^
this has such a John Beilein feel to it
January 17th, 2022 at 12:38 PM ^
I have heard zero mention of subs. Until then, I will carry on about my day.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:43 PM ^
Huh? Beilein left suddenly and unexpectedly
January 17th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^
I think too much has been made of the Elston hire as a "nail in coffin" for Harbaugh staying. It was reported he reached out to UM and that Warde has a contingency plan. Elston could just be comfortable with the contingency and it could open an opportunity to move up to DC or Co-DC if Harbaugh took Macdonald.
That being said, I think he comes back.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:44 PM ^
Agree on both points. The Elston hiring doesn't speak to JH's status, and odds are he's coming back as long as he continues to hear crickets from NFL front offices.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:32 PM ^
But that’s not exactly comforting either. That just means no one wanted him enough this time around. It’s a far cry from what most of us believed in that this was “home” and he didn’t want to pursue the NFL.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:48 PM ^
Jesus Christ man. Really? Now we're responding to made up hypothetical things as given facts. Cool. What a time to be alive.
We're doomed. Humans in general, I mean.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^
Getting Schlissel out of the way was one of the conditions for a contract extension. Michigan's athletic program needs a President that not only understands it's importance, but understands and embraces everything that needs to be done to not only maintain it as one of the top in the country, but make it better. Michigan fans don't want to be Harvard. They want athletics like Stanford, with football results like Alabama.
The deal will be signed shortly, after his agency is done doing their job of establishing demand for his services and setting terms.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:44 PM ^
Schlissel has nothing to do with this. You overrate the importance of athletics to the university.
January 17th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
You seem mighty comfortable speaking for several hundred thousand alums. I suspect many of them would prefer for Michigan to resemble Harvard more than Ohio State.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:06 PM ^
I've seen reports that Harbaugh doesn't have an agent, he does it himself. This way he doesn't have any leaks from the agent as often happens.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:31 PM ^
UMichigan Health has annual operating revenue of $4.2 billion. Not an entirely fair comparison, the Michigan President does not "direct" Michigan Health like s/he does the AD or uni departments, but still the football team revenue, even counting its effect on donations, is relatively small. A president who is unable to work well with the Health system would be far more detrimental than a poor relationship with AD... Of course, why not have both...