Michigan football program moves on from its Jim Harbaugh dream
The longer the Jim Harbaugh saga dragged on, the better the whole thing looked for the Michigan football program.
Like a defendant awaiting the jury’s return, the lack of a quick answer meant the door had not slammed shut on the Wolverines, that something was being discussed behind closed doors.
Crumbs of hope arrived.
On Thursday, Miami Dolphins billionaire owner and Michigan benefactor Stephen Ross crossed the country to seemingly woo Harbaugh toward South Florida.
But Ross’ intentions ultimately remain unclear. He had a coach in Tony Sparano. He still has a coach in Sparano. Did he make the West Coast trip on behalf of his alma mater?
No one knows, but it was a plausible theory, one that was enough to breathe optimism into Michigan’s sagging hopes Thursday.
Then on Friday, the hopes of the Wolverines soared when spurned Harbaugh suitor John Elway said on radio station 87.7 The Ticket, “I think Michigan’s back in the picture.”
Suddenly, athletic director Dave Brandon’s comments from earlier in the week were recast as guarded optimism. Sure, he said he believed Harbaugh would land in the NFL. But he also left some wiggle room.
“I have talked to Jim and I will continue to talk to Jim Harbaugh,” he had said.
Maybe Brandon had a few aces in his hand after all. Maybe he was planning a come-from-behind victory as momentous as any the Wolverines have enjoyed on the football field.
A few hours after Elway’s comment, it was all over. Harbaugh signed a five-year, $25 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers, held a press conference Friday night and brought conclusion to one of the great whirlwind coaching courtships.
“It’s with great humility that I tell you I had some options at the college level and pro teams,” he said. “Two I’d like to highlight, Stanford and Michigan, both of which I consider my universities. They have great leaders and will hire great coaches.”
It was a gracious nod to his alma mater. It still hurt. Of course it hurt. Harbaugh’s name has been floated in connection to the Michigan job by the fan base for at least a year and maybe longer. His arrival in Ann Arbor wouldn’t have been a coaching hire so much as a coronation.
He was almost too perfect a candidate. He attended Pioneer High School when his father, Jack, served as an assistant under Bo Schembechler. He was a Heisman candidate while leading the 1985 Wolverines.
He rebuilt two flagging football programs at San Diego and Stanford, had the courage to demand higher academic standards for Michigan student-athletes and molded the Cardinal into a Top 5 powerhouse in his own fiery image. Brandon would have received a ticker-tape parade down State Street had he pulled it off. There is no shame in losing the competition for his services. Unlike the Les Miles debacle of three years ago, at least Brandon tried.
These were extraordinary circumstances, college and pro teams tripping over themselves to land a Michigan man who goes down as the most hotly pursued coaching candidate in recent memory. In not-so-recent memory.
“When you have a bunch of billionaires chasing you around, trying to convince you to come be a part of an NFL program with all the trappings that come with that,,” Brandon said, “if Jim feels he’s ready for that … I mean, who would blame him?”
Nobody. If people here wished Harbaugh would follow in the footsteps of mentor Bo Schembechler, nobody can blame him for following in the footsteps of his other mentor, Bill Walsh.
Michigan and Brandon still have viable options available. Unlike the search of three years ago, this was never Harbaugh-or-bust.
There are very good coaches out there who can succeed at Michigan, just no longer the best one.
Pete Bigelow covers the Michigan football team for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2551, via e-mail at petebigelow@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
Comments
trigg7
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 12:31 p.m.
You fools dont get it. The m job is nothing special, just look at last time you tried to get a coah, what was it 3rd or 4th option. Now the same thing all over again,how did that work out last time. Pride before the fall!!! Maybe you should hire Mike Hart, hes another classless Michigan man.
NC Wolverine 20
Mon, Jan 10, 2011 : 8:09 a.m.
Les Miles knows how to beat the Vest. That is what OSU thought when they hired Cooper 'cuz he beat UM when he was a Pac-10 coach. Hmmm...
1st Down
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 9:21 p.m.
Hey I was all about Harbaugh, but if his true dream was to coach in the NFL....then he was not "the best" coach for Michigan... He would have done a great job, but probably would have jumped in 5 years...as the NFL was one of his true dreams. Now, what we need is a coach to bring back stability to the program in tradition, recruiting, class and winning.
lawrencelaundry
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:10 p.m.
U got it azwolverine. I just want this to.be over already. Hopefully Miles agrees to it an retires here in AA with 10 straight wins against OSU.
azwolverine
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 6:37 p.m.
The great thing is that, although Harbaugh has moved on and won't be coming to UM, there are other outstanding coaches out there who would love to coach the maize and blue. And, Brandon is doing his due dilligence to make sure we get just the right guy. He learned from Bill Martin's knee jerk, panic driven mistakes in the last hiring debacle, and is making sure UM does not end up grabbing the first coach who wants to sneak away from his team and hold secret talks. From the candidates I've seen, that won't be the case. UM is in good hands and Brandon knows that the proper coach is far more important than a lost recruit or two. Great job, Dave. Go Blue!
PortageLkBlu
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 6 p.m.
I think Mr Brandon is making a careful, calculated search. Unlike the influence he suffered from fan, alumni and local rags I don't think he will be as heavily strong armed in his pick for head coach. I think he will look for a coach with great proven character, a proven recruiter and a proven winner. I'm betting there is such a person although he might not come from a big time school like Bo from Miami of Ohio.
Stephen Landes
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 5:01 p.m.
I wonder if Jim Harbaugh (even Jim Harbaugh?) could have lived up to the expectations of the Michigan crowd? I doubt anyone who has come here to lead any portion of the University has carried the hopes and dreams that would have accompanied Mr. Harbaugh. A move to Ann Arbor might have been a no-win situation where no matter what he accomplished it would never match what many here hoped for and expected. I never thought he would take the Michigan job: he had a great position at Stanford in a place he can call home and where he has made a strong and lasting impression, and he could take an NFL position without having to move from Palo Alto -- exactly what he has done.
Blu-n-Tpa
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 4:11 p.m.
mashthetaters There comes a point when your message is lost because of the way it was delivered. You are way past that point. It's a good thing you don't post using your real name because you are close to the slander line. DB hasn't done anything to you personally. Your reaction is somewhat over the top, wouldn't you say? The reality is your guy, who no longer matters to the future of Michigan and it's football team, is GONE. He failed on many levels to do what he was hired, and paid well, to do. You don't have to believe me. Check the other websites and listen and read what EVERY single analyst, commenter, and/or talking head, has reported. He FAILED to promote a winning level of football at UM and he was extremely disappointing in his BT and overall record. Some say he wasn't welcomed but some of that was self-inflicted with his words and actions. So, take some time, think about how you sound with your postings and come back with more than a "jilted" mindset.
Terrin
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 3:16 p.m.
Harbaugh going to San Francisco shows we didn't want Harbaugh anyway. The guy essentially let the whole where is he going stay a mystery so he could drive up his price. I suppose it is good for contract negotiations, but it isn't the stand up thing to do. He should have said from the beginning I don't see myself going back to Michigan as I like being in California. Get somebody who really wants to be here like Hoke.
fensk
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 3:12 p.m.
LOL Theo...Very clever!
Jaxon5
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 3:01 p.m.
The Dark Ages of Michigan football are over! It's time to look forward. Welcome home, Les Miles!
The Black Stallion3
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 12:15 p.m.
Hoke will be the next Michigan coach, the announcement will come soon.
aareader
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 10:37 a.m.
While Harbaugh is currently the hottest coach there will always be another one in the wings. It is the ADs job to find him. The odds are it is not a previous "Michigan" coach. Let us hope Mr. Brandon does look over the whole field of available candidates and signs a coach that will bring MIchigan back to its honored traditions of excellence and greatness.
scott
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 8:42 a.m.
Les Miles should be a good fit. Like ohiowolverine said " he knows how to beat the vest". After the 07 championship Les said "i got osu in my back pocket and the national championship in my front pocket". osu fears this guy and i think thats great. With that said i agree with mick about people underestimating Hoke. Remember he is a defensive minded coach who runs a spread offense. I think it is important to get a coach in here who understands the identity of this team. Hoke and Miles run similar offensive systems yet they are defensive minded which makes them good fits. Whoever the coach is i hope we get him soon so we can move on and look toward 2011 where we go out and kick some butt.
braggslaw
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 8:41 a.m.
Brandon has managed this transition badly. Of course the results are the key, if Miles winds up at Michigan.. all is forgotten. If Brady Hoke ends up at Michigan then you have to ask why the circus?
missionbrazil
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 8:36 a.m.
I too believe that this will be our finest hour!!!
missionbrazil
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 8:30 a.m.
This article seems to be written from the "hire JH or keep RR" perspective. Just because we didn't get JH does not mean things are not going according to DB's plan. DB clearly stated he would talk to JH AND others, and that he expected JH to go pro... he was right on the money. It seems DB has a good eye for judging things the way they are, and a good eye for reading people. As for the "experts" in the media, they had JH and Denver/John Elway making a deal on the sidelines at the Orange Bowl; and I believe some of them announced that Les Miles was coming to UM 3 years ago; and in Louisiana a couple of days ago the media announced that Les had signed a deal with UM and that Bo Pelini was going to take his place at LSU. Their speculation is trying to create news instead of reporting it. DB is on top of it. He is probably thinking of the line in Apollo 13: "I believe this will be our finest hour."
Blu-n-Tpa
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 8:23 a.m.
"You are what your record says you are!" Right now Michigan is not where it used to be. Hopefully everyone can agree on that. How to get back is DB's responsibility, and media mis-steps excepted, has established a road map he wants to follow. Let him do it. You can't call out the media on how it has handled RR's release because they control the message and one of theirs making a mistake was quickly turned into DB's mismanagement. Not so but nothing can be done about that. RJ, another voice of reason in "this our winter of discontent", pointed out that talking heads, like Mark May, never pass up a chance to declare Michigan DOA. The Nebraska game, which was so poorly officated the announcers apoligized on air, should not be any yardstick of success or demise. Not making it to a bowl two years in a row would be more appropriate measuring device. I do find it amazing that for a downtrodden program, one that as slipped out of the "elite", Michigan seems to be getting an incredible amount of coverage on every media. So I guess Mark May will not be beating his gums on national TV when Michigan announces it's new HC. I sure there will be a bigger story in college football that day.
RudeJude
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 7:32 a.m.
San Francisco and Stanford made the most sense for Jim Harbaugh when you consider the familial logistics. Understanding that his children from his first marriage live in California and his wife just had a baby, one doesn't need to consider Harbaugh's NFL aspirations to know he wouldn't have left the state of California. Not that this article did it, but reading articles from many sources, local and national, the media has chosen its storyline regarding the Michigan coaching job, one that frames a desperate, bungling Michigan with an undesirable job. I've read how the college landscape has changed around Michigan and that the program has lost its footing, things said that are not 100% incorrect but are also far from being 100% truthful. The media reported how poorly the school handled the dismissal of Rodriguez, when it was media scrutiny and errant reporting that made it seem a debacle. Im reminded of the time Michigan lost to Nebraska in the 2005 Alamo Bowl. ESPN's Mark May proclaimed the Michigan program to be "no longer among the elite," only to see the following season #2 Michigan vie for a shot in the title game against #1 Ohio State. Did Lou Holtz help you with that analysis, Mark? The media is nothing more than a windsock of popular sentiment, and people are content to kick a transitioning Michigan program that's down, down because the media says its down in equal measure to the actual struggles the program has endured. The people have a taste for Schadenfreude, and the sportswriters are happy to serve them a media-certified waning Michigan program on a silver platter. The experts have spoken, but Ill wait until spring practice, after a new coach is hired, before I judge just how waned Michigan is. Go Blue
Mick
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 6:59 a.m.
Lawrence, I agree that Miles would be acceptable if he were to be our next coach. But, I'm tellin' ya man, people are really underestimating Hoke, I think he's a better coach, I really do. If he were to be hired, Hoke that is, the minute he gets behind the podium and starts speaking, everyone will then realize what I have benn saying for a while now. He's got "it". Hoke at UM would be the first time for him having the kind of resources at his disposal that UM provides. Once people, fans, recruits and boosters, et al see what he is all about, he will then have that cache that we are coveting in our next coach. DB, please hire Hoke in the beginning of the week and maybe he can sway the recruits like Frost, Lyons, Zettel and others to switch to UM for their career. BTW, why is it that everytime I see a Theo posting, I tend to think of classic films like "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" or "The Dream Team". Sorry, that was just me thinking out loud, oops on my part.
ohiowolverine
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 6:54 a.m.
Don't forget, he also knows how to beat the vest.
lawrencelaundry
Sun, Jan 9, 2011 : 6:33 a.m.
Former LSU AD said in an interview that he does not believe Les Miles will leave LSU because he has an intense relationship there. And said he's not one to say he interested just to get more money from LSU. Well then, it sounds like he's really interested on UM. Otherwise why would he meet with UM. I hope we land him as I think he can save our recruiting class this yr. He beat Alabama which waxed MSU. Sign right here les. How much did u say u wanna make a yr? No problem. A little bit of bagage with this oversigning thing, but im sure that's already fixed now. 11-2 record in the SEC is quite the accomplishment. Come back home Miles. We welcome u after the last 3 yrs of RR kindergarten football that could barely beat a Umass and IU team.