Thursday, January 18, 2024

Michigan Thursday: Leaning Towards NFL

The Chargers and Falcons are interviewing everyone with any head coaching potential right now.  Jimmy seems to be in the mix for both.  Bill Belichick has met with the owner of the Falcons and has a 2nd interview this weekend.  


The Michigan situation seems to be at a stalemate, why would you let your National Championship coach interview with multiple NFL teams otherwise?  Saban retires and half the SEC head coaches get new contracts in just a few hours. 

Believe it or not, I don't think the last few seasons the NFL wanted Harbaugh.  He is 60 and runs a old style offense which doesn't seem too NFL friendly.  Yes, it has worked for his brother but his brother has been mastering this concept and roster for many years.  

Many Michigan fans believe the Wolverines will be in good shape with Sherrone as head coach.  I don't disagree but I am concerned.  Filling in for a head coach for 4 game days is not really being the head coach 24x7 and 365 days.  The jump from any coordinator job to head coach is a really big jump.  We have seen it both in college and in the NFL fail and be successful.  The Saban Coordinator tree has had a few successes and some big failures.   When you consider the jump from coordinator to Michigan head coach that is a "Evel Knievel Grand Canyon" type jump.  

Michigan this point in the cycle is out of any other options.  Jedd is now at UW and Michigan will not be hiring a head coach off the street.   They won't go after other teams coordinator and even though Brian Kelly wants the Michigan job, it will be a cold day in Hell before that happens.  They had 3 chances to hire Brian in the past and didn't even consider him.  Not a fit at all. 

Jimmy's immunity demand is interesting.   1 - Jimmy could be demanding something he knows Michigan can't give, which pushes him to the NFL or 2 - he is trying to protect himself against the NCAA. He has leverage if an NFL offer comes.  Either way he would make more money and have better job security in Ann Arbor for the next 10 years.  He is a QB hand hitting a helmet away from a bad season in the NFL and being on the hot seat. 

Seems to me he has 10-12 years left coaching and would like some job security with a big salary.  

10 comments:

Chowman said...

Saw on another site that reportedly the Chargers are ready to offer him $15-18M/yr. Its a rumor, so Brady don't get all excited that its not a FACT. Facts are history, and if we knew what was going to happen, then we wouldn't be talking about it. Its opinion that drives these discussions, not fact, cause there's nothing to debate about facts.

Disclaimer: Its my humble opinion, if Jim wanted to be at Michigan next season, the deal would be long done. I don't buy this he's just kicking the tires, cause he done it for 3 straight years. And not buying the leverage bit either, How much more leverage can he need after bringing the Naty home. Do I want Jim Harbaugh to stay as Michigan's football coach? Sure, but at what price and not talking money. This yearly dalliance with the NFL is getting old and the immunity thing is insane. Someone correct me if that's ever been part of another college football coaches contract. Hell thrown in NFL too! I thought Jim didn't know anything about the sign stealing gate. Wasn't that what he said, that Connor Stallions was this rogue assistant that went all ham on his own. Look, this yearly dance with the NFL hasn't done much damage......YET. But nobody can argue that its eventually going to hurt recruiting. NIL is big, won't argue, but continuity in the coaching staff is big too! Just sucks that we got a couple of days to savor a Naty, and then the Jim/NFL stuff starts up AGAIN! Just like to have an offseason that revolves around recruiting and who's going to take the open spots on the 2 deep!

Thom said...

As long as jimmy is at Michigan the dog & pony show will happen every year.Recruits will shy away. Who can blame them when your head coach says
in one breath how much he needs them in another breathe he tell the NFL ...here I am. It use to be "The Team, The Team, The Team" Now it's "Me, Me, Me". To hell with a new contract. Coach under the one you have or hit the road. It's time to quite the Hero worshiping and get real.

Chowman said...

Thom: thank you! I had the same thought about Bo and the Team speech. Look I'm not going to ever hate on anyone's hustle. If he wants to go back to the league, more power to him. I just don't like the way he goes about it. Maybe I'm in the minority, don't care, not the first, not the last. I will give Jim his props, he didn't let the NFL thing get in the way of the CFP prep this year. Not like 2022, where as soon as we beat the Buckeyes, the NFL stuff started up.

ScottyDoggs said...

If Harbaugh gets NFL offer he should take it. These charges against him are like circling Buzzards over his head in college football ....those charges could hang around for 2 to 3 years before resolved. Harbaugh was already punished for both purported charges, does he get a second round (what ever happened to that phrase double jeopardy). NCAA is made up of individuals, and some of them will not let go of Harbaugh (are these individuals' ass-wipes?)

Michigan's championship will be the last one won with negligible affect from NIL. Michigan's NIL program so far is inadequate. Harbaugh is old-school and thanks for the national championship, and see you in the super bowl!

szanreno said...

Same crap different day...

MichiganMan said...

Guys, Jimmy will be gone by end of the of the week.... I'm still shocked and speechless. I'm winning the natty

Blue for life

Blue said...

Bob .. Agree on Sherrone, plus if Jim does leave (Chargers) he'll more than likely also take with him 1 or 2 of his staff. If one of those staff members was Minter that would be a heavy hit, not only because of his value as a great DC, but also with the portal having to reopen there's a chance we could lose some of his players on the defensive side.

All here know how I stand .. Whatever it takes keep Jim here coaching at Michigan. If he ended his coaching career at Michigan he'd have a stature next to Bo. And bring in a new AD that Jim can trust & work with in strengthen the coaching tree & NIL.

95% of what you read on social media concerning what's going on here can be thrown out the window. I don't know the creditability of the following statement other than I am convince Warde is a problem for Jim.

"Per those close to the situation and whom work under Warde Manuel. Warde has dragged his feet on purpose to push Jim to the NFL. Warde has also given plentiful excuses to make it seem as his hands are tied or he can't do much on various issues. "Warde would not mind hiring his guy and can't stand that Hackett still gets credit for bringing Harbaugh here." Per sources, Warde Manuel and Michigan had the opportunity to lock Jim Harbaugh up MULTIPLE times the previous years, which would have prevented the yearly dalliances with the NFL and the situation we are in right now. Warde Manuel has a 1.1 million annual base salary with an additional 350k compensation towards a retirement fund. He has been receiving this compensation since 2021. The contract ends in 2026. It is estimated that by June of 2024, Manuel will have received close to 1.6 million in retirement fund contributions from Michigan. He has talked about wanting a payout of his current contract and then retiring to some".

Chowman said...

Blue, even if Jim stays, keep an eye on Mike MacDonald. He's getting interviews for HC in the NFL. If he were to get a HC job, I'm sure Minter would get tagged to be the next Ravens DC.

Ron said...

Is Sherrone, ready to be the coach from Sunday through Friday? Remember he coached the team on Saturdays.. Sunday through Friday it was Harbaugh

Rudy said...

Agree with much said. It’s sad when someone is on life support and still tragic when the die but there’s also a relief that they aren’t suffering. Losing Jimmy will be a sad day but a day of relief because now we know what we know and don’t have to play these “will he won’t he” games. Have some hesitancy about Sherrone as well but he is the best option right now. He can stop the bleeding better than anyone and knows many of the recruits. And are we sure a better coach would want to come to UM since we ain’t paying dudes like the SEC and $uckeye U does.