It wouldn’t be January in Michigan without Jim Harbaugh’s annual NFL flirtation. This year does feel a little different: he’s now beat OSU three years in a row, won the B1G three years in a row and he’s won the Natty.
He’s just wrapped up celebration week in Ann Arbor by riding in the back of a vintage fire truck for the championship parade, so let’s get to speculatin’ about what he decides to do now.
He hired sports agent Don Yee in December, and he’s reportedly interviewing with the Chargers this week.
Reports from those close to him say his first choice would be to stay at Michigan, he’s looking for iron-clad assurances that they will stick with him regardless of what the ncaa does this year in regard to the investigations. He lives next to his parents in AA, and the university has already offered him more money per year than any head coach in the NFL makes.
Also might go to the raiders, but less likely.
As a Wolverine myself, i hope he stays, and i suspect he will.
A couple days ago, a UM player said in an interview he is already aware of what Harbaugh is going to do, which suggests either he’s already been offered a pro job or he’s staying with Michigan.
Or maybe it just means that the players were made aware that he’s at least going to interview with San Diego.
Negotiations with UM are supposedly stuck at what potential charges he’ll be immune from. Money isn’t the issue, so I suspect he does want to stay at Michigan, but wants some sort of guarantee he isn’t chucked if some additional punishment is given by the NCAA.
Now the Chargers are my least favorite team. I want him to fail spectacularly and regret his jump to the pros for the rest of his life. He could’ve had buildings named after him at Michigan if he had stayed. Now he’ll be just another coach who, at best, wins a Super Bowl and will be forgotten in 20 years.
Eh, a few players got tired of his shtick, especially after they realized he didn’t actually do much. Most of the players regard him well.
The bigger issue was his dedication to antagonizing his bosses. He did it at San Diego State, where he had success but was happily shown the door. He did it at Stanford, where he had success but was happily shown the door. He did it with the 49ers, where he had success but was happily booted out the door. He did it at Michigan, too, who were masochistic enough to take it like Kevin Bacon in Animal House but are now left holding the bag now that he’s absconded out the door.
He probably doesn’t care much what others think about him or when they’ll forget about him. He wants that Super Bowl for himself, and there is only one path to getting there.
That’s obviously what was on his mind, but i don’t understand that. He could’ve become a Michigan football legend, bigger than Schembechler. Beloved player, beloved coach. He took this program to the top of the mountain… and then left. With a Natty in hand, back to back to back B1G championships and consistently eating Ryan Day’s lunch, plus Saban’s retirement, he could’ve been the top dog in college recruitment and built a program that is the gold standard for the next 15 years. He does that, the university could very well rename the Big House as Harbaugh Stadium complete with a 20 foot statue at the corner of Stadium and Main.
He chose poorly, imo. Michigan offered to make him the highest paid coach in college football with an elevator clause keeping him at that level, plus protections against the NCAA’s bullshit. Plus he had a student body that worshiped him, an alumni association that threw gobs of money and support his way and a college president who would bend over backwards for him. He had politicians from both sides of the aisle across the state begging him to stay. A governor who is an MSU alumna singing his praises. He won’t get a fraction of the love in LA that he could’ve had here for the rest of his life, even if he wins back to back Super Bowls there.
Legend status at Michigan vs just another nfl head coach who may or may not win a ring. I know which one I’d have chosen. But he’s gonna do him. I know I’m being a petty asshole, but I don’t wish him well in LA.
I certainly don’t blame him. Maybe he’s bored with winning at Michigan and just wants a new challenge? That’s a pretty acceptable path for oneself. The fact that he gave up all he did by leaving Michigan seems to indicate that he doesn’t care about the things that you find important and has an inner goal he seeks to chase, and if he didn’t try, he would’ve been kicking himself in the ass with regret that he didn’t try. I dunno. Different things drive different people.
That said, I did enjoy seeing tOSU getting their asses handed to them lately by Michigan.
I think the simplest explanation is probably it - it took too long for Michigan to give him his immunity guarantee. If he was going to commit to Michigan, he wanted Michigan to commit to him.
And they didn’t. They didn’t even offer immunity from the NCAA sanctions until it became clear he was going to walk. That’s not commitment, that’s having their hands forced.