Michigan Football - 2025 Season.

[WingsFan]

Warde rejected the non-profit NIL platform. Manuel is a complete moron who is holding back Michigan. Get this buffoon out of here and hire someone with the same vision as Harbaugh and Ono

[WingsFan]

So this report is going around this morning.

Harbaugh was set to sign a contract extension with Michigan this week that would have made him one of the highest paid coaches in the Big Ten conference. But opted not to because of a disagreement with Manuel (?)

[froot loops]

It’s new, the evidence will come and will be more than an anecdotal “We have a two-year OL starter with a new house in Ft. Lauderdale.” I think some teams are already poaching from teams. Miami, USC, Tennessee, and word is, Freeze, at Auburn is, too. There is no check and balance to keep it from happening. To think it’s not happening and won’t continue to grow is naive. And it’s always better to proactively avoid problems before they develop into something untenable.

You don’t agree? Fine. Good talk.

If it makes Tennessee, Oregon, Miami and others more powerful to where they can actually compete, college football is for the better. Right now, it's the Nick and Kirby show. Hopefully MSU and Michigan starts poaching players.

[Mike]

Now it's being reported that Harbaugh is "unlikely" to get a new contract until the NCAA probe is complete according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Well, that will take quite some time so I call bullshit on that. A Zoom meeting and a hamburger should have absolutely no bearing on a new deal. If it actually IS holding up the show, then Warde needs to be shown the door immediately. I like the idea that Ono seems to be getting personally involved. Just let Jim run the show the way he sees fit. I don't know what's so hard about this.

[THE_WIZARD_]

...well it is a tasty burger...

[hack]

Ono is the new favorite flavor so who the heck knows, but I'd sure rather see him hire an AD than his two previous predecessors, about whom I know much more. It's not just about sports. It's about public safety, minimizing serious reputational risks and overall administrative effectiveness. Warde isn't good at any of that.

[Jeff Buchanan]

There may be much we don't know but what we do know about thus situation from posts here is that failing to advance the best interests of the U is consistent with most hi profile evolutions in the past.

It is just profound stupidity to not have one of the top performing and M committed employees secured. Who ever is holding up ink to paper on a Harbaugh employment contract is acting in a completely destructive manner.

[Jeff Buchanan]

According to a tweet by JUB - a retweet of President Santa Ono's tweet late yesterday - Ono met with Harbaugh and Manuel yesterday. Here's Ono's tweet:

"I am pleased to share that I have been having very positive and constructive conversations with our Athletic Director and Football Coach. Warde Manuel and I both want to see Jim Harbaugh stay as the head football coach of the University of Michigan."

Harbaugh tweeted in response: "I am in full support of President Ono's message to our fans and appreciate his support of me and the team."

To recap:

• Manuel put a contract on the table that Harbaugh felt did not reflect the negotiations that preceded presentation of it and wouldn't sign it.
• The relationship between Harbaugh and Manuel has been described as "tense."
• Observers believe Manuel is the obstacle holding up retaining Harbaugh and Warde may be stupidly trying to leverage the NCAA allegations of Level I violations (Burger Gate).
• It is thought that there is long standing personal animus between Harbaugh and Manuel born of prio events (50% pay cut in 2021, NFL dalliances) and the current negotiations.
• Harbaugh's representatives (his agent and/or Anson) may have opened a direct line to President Ono, going over Manuel's head, prior to his tweet and Ono's tweet is the result of that

I'd assess this as a positive development but lacks sufficient detail to say a deal is done. That was the hope early in the week - that Harbaugh would be signed to a new contract by today (end of the dead period) making him the highest paid coach in the BT (rumored at $10m) with incentives included but a large buy-out (rumored to be $5m). There's been no further talk of the Anson NIL plan to bring donors into a 501 (3)(C) arrangement. Early in the week Anson tweeted that he had presented a detailed plan for that to Manuel and he rejected it.

[WingsFan]

"I am in full support of President Ono's message to our fans and appreciate his support of me and the team."

Ono & Harbaugh having a coordinated statement, multiple regents chiming in. while the old president had no idea where the AD's office was, too busy being heartsick and lonely sitting on a bench. I have to believe Harbaugh's statement is a shot at Warde also. I think Ono gets it.


Keegan coming back, could legitimately start five 5th year seniors on the offensive line in 2023. Though I was surprised Okie left, I guess he doesn't want to stay anywhere for more than a year- was really looking forward to him next year under Herbert

[lineygoblue]

I'd believe JUB's take on the situation before I'd believe anyone else.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Hey they sound poised to be able to maybe knock off a conference runner-up next year!

[hack]

It sure does look to me like Warde's a dead man walking. Juwan doesn't like him much either, although Juwan's word carries far less weight if any at all. It's clearly time for a new AD.

[lineygoblue]

Juwan needs to continue to watch his step due to his problem at Wisconsin last season, so he's not yet carrying a lot of thump on State Street right now. But I agree he and Warde do not seem to be the best of friends.

I think we're at the point where Warde needs to go.

[Tom W]

Well, there's an open position as Commissioner of the BIG, and Warde does seem to have at least one qualifier..

[lineygoblue]

If he's an opportunist, he should have sent his resume yesterday.