NC Game. M 34, W 13.

[iam416]

His point point is simply that OSU is putting 10 figures into their roster this off season.

The number I’ve heard repeatedly is $13M (so far). Haven’t heard anything about $20M.

Then he should have said that the instead of 20M into the portal, which isn’t remotely true.

I doubt it’s even 13. But it’s enough. And now M will have a
coach born on 3rd base….even more than CRD….Sherrone is inheriting national champs!

[iam416]

3 for 9….the gold standard for M. Fair.

CRD has two fewer losses against M in his first 5 than HARBAUGH ***** had in his first 5.

Different standards.

[lineygoblue]

Warde Manuel's legacy at Michigan. Loses winning coaches.

1. Lost Eric Bakich (Baseball National Runner Up) to Clemson

2. Lost John Beilein to the NBA (Several NCAA runs, excellent recruiter)

3. Lost Jim Harbaugh to the NFL (3 B1G Titles, NC)

---

Anything wrong here?

[Mike]

Yes. Lots with the state of college sports.

[lineygoblue]

Harbaugh was back in town tonight and plans to speak with the team on Friday. He made some comments along the way.

Jim Harbaugh returned Thursday night from southern California no longer in his Michigan maize and blue but wearing a powder blue sweater with a sunshine gold Los Angeles Chargers lightning bolt.

Harbaugh made his way into the terminal at Detroit Metro Airport, fans occasionally stopping to ask for a photo with him, to congratulate him on Michigan’s national championship or to wish him well in his new role as the Chargers head coach.

After nine seasons as head coach of the Wolverines, Harbaugh, 60, officially became the Chargers coach on Wednesday, 16 days after he led Michigan to a national championship. On Friday, he will address the Michigan team for one last time.
“I know how it’s going to be. It’s not goodbye,” Harbaugh told The Detroit News Thursday night. “One thing I hope for is that Michigan and the Chargers will be like one team. These are lasting, trusting relationships, so goodbye is not even a word that resonates.”

Harbaugh considered a contract extension from Michigan of six years and $11.5 million annually that would have made him the nation’s highest-paid college football coach. Harbaugh interviewed with the Chargers a week after the 15-0 Wolverines won the national championship on Jan. 8. He had a second interview on Wednesday before accepting the Chargers’ offer to return to the NFL. Harbaugh had spent four seasons coaching the San Francisco 49ers before taking over at Michigan, his alma mater.

He led the Michigan program to an 89-25 record, including 40-3 the last three seasons when they won three straight Big Ten championships and three straight College Football Playoff semifinal appearances. Michigan lost in both of its first two semifinals before beating Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day and then Washington for the national title. During Harbaugh’s nine seasons, he led Michigan to six seasons with 10-plus victories and the last three with 12-plus: 12-2 in 2021, 13-1 in 2022 and 15-0 in 2023 — a program best, making Michigan one of four teams in college football to achieve that record. Get the Detroit News Sports newsletter in your inbox.

“Tough,” Harbaugh said when asked how challenging it was to make the decision to leave Michigan. “Tackled it, wrestled it to the ground. Like any good decision, it’s thought out well, thought out the best you can. I love Michigan, and I also love the NFL. Sarah (his wife) was torn, I was torn, the kids torn.”

Harbaugh said he will speak to the Michigan players Friday and then will head to Baltimore to watch his older brother, John, coach the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game.

“And Monday, head back (to Los Angeles) for good,” he said.
He said that every coaching decision he has made through the years has involved an “emotional connection.” His bond with Michigan transcends, he said, all the others.

“It was one of those deep, personal and as meaningful as it gets,” Harbaugh said. “Coaching here has been the love of my life outside of the family. Just our team, everything we did, everything they did, everything the players did, the coaches, the staff. To go from pillar to post and be successful, forever proud to be a part of that.
“And (at the Chargers), I was there in the building, people were still there who were there when I was still playing (1999-2000). They were good to me then, they’re good to me now and good to me through the years. Just felt like they left the light on for me.

Harbaugh then made a plug for his successor. Sherrone Moore, the Wolverines’ offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, was 4-0 last season as acting head coach when Harbaugh was serving two separate suspensions relating to separate NCAA investigations. Moore has been considered the shoo-in to become the next head coach.

“I’ll always be a loyal Wolverine,” Harbaugh said. “But not a better man to coach the team than Sherrone Moore. He has my vote, my support wholeheartedly. I feel like it’s in great hands.”

Harbaugh does leave Michigan with two unresolved NCAA investigations, the first stemming in part from impermissible recruiting visits led to Harbaugh missing the first three games as part of a school-imposed suspension, and he missed the final three regular-season games because of a Big Ten suspension relating to an NCAA investigation into an illegal scouting/sign-stealing scheme.
Harbaugh faces a Level I violation, the NCAA’s harshest, for the first investigation and a hearing before the Committee on Infractions is expected in the spring. He could faced additional suspension and other penalties. Regarding the second investigation, Harbaugh has denied knowledge an illegal sign-stealing scheme.

Harbaugh said the NCAA allegations and the outside noise did not wear on him.

“Nah, never did,” he said. “I can account for myself, and I can account for the players that they were always innocent, and I was innocent. You walk strong and tall and innocent. Didn’t mind the priceless motivation. Didn’t hurt.”

He also made a pointed reference to rumors and the proliferation of misinformation.

“I know I was wanted (at Michigan),” he said. “In the sixth grade, my English teacher introduced the concept of critical reading. This concept of believing everything you hear or everything you read … it’s all good. And you know what? The proof was in the pudding.
“There is no villain. I’ve long thought this: When a coach leaves, the only way everybody’s happy is if that coach dies. They're either mad at him for leaving, or he’s mad at them for firing him. Glad I’ve got a future. Glad I’m alive. What I’m sad that I’m not going to be a part of is this passing of the torch from, for example, J.J. (McCarthy) to Jayden Denegal or Alex Orji. The day J.J. declared, out on the field were Jayden Denegal and Alex Orji, and they’re throwing to Kendrick Bell, and I walked by, and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s beautiful.’”

Harbaugh believes the players returning have big things ahead at Michigan.

“Imagine how you feel as a player: You just declared, and now others, now it’s my time,” Harbaugh said. “All the other players who are in that position are great, and they’re gonna be great. You know it when you see it. You’ve been to that movie hundreds of times. When I was talking about that last week, that’s what I was referring to, the passing of the baton from player to player.”
As for whether Harbaugh will be taking any members of his last coaching staff at Michigan with him to the Chargers, he was not definitive. His son, Jay Harbaugh, has been with him at Michigan since his first season in 2015 and is a likely candidate, as are strength coach Ben Herbert and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.

“We’ve got decisions to be made, what’s personally and professionally best as they see it,” Harbaugh said. “But the cool thing is everybody’s gonna be where they’re at or better. Two teams. There’s no question I’m gonna want to make an all-star team there, and there’s an all-star team right here.”

As Harbaugh headed toward the terminal exit, with a few fans gathering nearby, he let out a cheer for the local professional football team. The Lions are preparing to face the 49ers for the NFC championship.

“Let’s go Lions! Let’s go Lions!” Harbaugh said out loud, offering a few fist pumps before making a qualification. “Up until they play my brother.”

[Whitley]

Warde Manuel's legacy at Michigan. Loses winning coaches.

1. Lost Eric Bakich (Baseball National Runner Up) to Clemson

2. Lost John Beilein to the NBA (Several NCAA runs, excellent recruiter)

3. Lost Jim Harbaugh to the NFL (3 B1G Titles, NC)

---

Anything wrong here?

JB and Harbaugh wanted to go to the highest level to compete. Bakich went a situtation where it would be a lot easier to compete than at Michigan.

[Whitley]

Harbaugh was back in town tonight and plans to speak with the team on Friday. He made some comments along the way.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sp...e/72359991007/

Paywalled.

[lineygoblue]

Ok.. let me see if I can fix that.

EDIT: Fixed.

I keep forgetting that I'm a subscriber and can't link 'subscriber only' articles.

[klondike]

Nobody wants the ohio coach. He can give it that ol' college try every year..

[Mike]

Thank for posting that, Liney. Great line about "the only way people are happy when a coach leaves is if he dies". Pretty much sums it up! Glad he acknowledged that he knew he was wanted by UM, too. Hopefully people will put down the pitchforks and torches.

The only thing I wish we would have gotten more of is the relaxed free-wheeling Jim Harbaugh that he was in this impromptu interview. For 9 years we mostly got the awkward/weird public persona that he presents at press conferences because he hates doing that shit. The videos of him with the team on this championship run reveal the Harbaugh we expected back on December 30, 2014. We thought he'd checked out but he didn't. He was still in there the whole time.

Bring on Sherrone and LFG!

[lineygoblue]

I never grabbed my pitchfork or torch, but mostly I feel like I lost a friend that I had faith in. And I feel that friend was unnecessarily deceptive in the way he chose to leave. I'd have thought better of him had he been completely up front about his goals from the beginning. Yeah, I understand all about leverage and making sure you make the best deal. Still, I can't help but feel just a tad betrayed. I'm obviously in the minority, so I'll just have to deal with it.

I'm glad to see that he has no intention of stealing away Sherrone Moore. I wish he felt the same about Jesse Minter. If we could keep those two, at least we'd have a coaching duo that would give us some winning continuity, as the program moves forward. Without Minter, finding his successor is going to be difficult. I hate losing Ben Herbert as well. He, as much as anyone, was responsible for toughening Michigan up physically. I hate seeing him go.

One day I hope to be able to look back at this and realize that it was the best thing for all concerned. It does disarm the NCAA a bit, since their target for punishment now coaches in the NFL. And Tony Titties phone and e-mail should start settling down a bit from the bellyaching B1G coaches and AD's. The NCAA will still hand down some stupid stuff because of hamburgers, and Stalions playing 007, but I don't see how they can make it as severe when the guy they have hated all along, is gone. I guess we'll see if Santa Ono has balls or not. My guess is not, if history is any indication.

[Mike]

I've seen nothing about Ben Herbert leaving. Mostly what I've seen is that he's the highest paid S&C coach in the country and the NFL doesn't utilize them like college programs do. I think there's a good chance he stays and it should be priority 1 or 1A for Warde to retain him. THAT is something I'll hold Warde responsible for.

[lineygoblue]

I read an article on my android phone that I can't link here, that talks about some potential DC candidates for Michigan if/when Minter leaves with Harbaugh. All four of these guys have the "Harbaugh brothers connection", either having worked with the Ravens and/or either of the Harbaugh brothers previously.

1. Ed Donatell - worked with Jim on the 49ers from 2011 - 2014. Has also been with the Packers, Falcons, Commanders, Broncos and Vikings. So, he's got some experience, and he's available.

2. Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers DC -- worked with Jim at San Francisco. Turned around the Panthers defense. Served on the 49ers with Harbaugh in quality control, and offensive and defensive assistant(s).

3. Anthony Weaver - Ravens assistant HC and DL coach. If John would let him go, he could fit the bill with Moore at Michigan. Has coaching history with John Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, Romeo Crennel and Rex Ryan. Pretty decent mentors. The Ravens led the league with 60 sacks this year.

4. Chris Hewitt, Ravens pass defense coordinator and secondary coach. Again, if John would let him go, .. he's earned a shot to move up to a DC role, and a college job may be just the ticket for him. Led one of the stingiest secondaries in the NFL. The finished the regular season 3rd in passing yards allowed and interceptions.

---

So, while losing Minter would/will definitely suck, there are certainly some good potential replacement candidates that may be willing to move into a DC role at Michigan. They'd likely bring the same defensive philosophy and schemes that Michigan has used since McDonald came on board. Continuity, and all that.

[Tom W]

The only thing I wish we would have gotten more of is the relaxed free-wheeling Jim Harbaugh that he was in this impromptu interview. For 9 years we mostly got the awkward/weird public persona that he presents at press conferences because he hates doing that shit. The videos of him with the team on this championship run reveal the Harbaugh we expected back on December 30, 2014. We thought he'd checked out but he didn't. He was still in there the whole time.

Bring on Sherrone and LFG!

We can thank the assholes that are obsessed with "dirty.. fucking.. cheaters" and wanting to add asterisks for that this season. And, they'll still keep trolling, because, well, they don't like it that we have lives.

[Hannibal]

I read an article on my android phone that I can't link here, that talks about some potential DC candidates for Michigan if/when Minter leaves with Harbaugh. All four of these guys have the "Harbaugh brothers connection", either having worked with the Ravens and/or either of the Harbaugh brothers previously.

1. Ed Donatell - worked with Jim on the 49ers from 2011 - 2014. Has also been with the Packers, Falcons, Commanders, Broncos and Vikings. So, he's got some experience, and he's available.

2. Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers DC -- worked with Jim at San Francisco. Turned around the Panthers defense. Served on the 49ers with Harbaugh in quality control, and offensive and defensive assistant(s).

3. Anthony Weaver - Ravens assistant HC and DL coach. If John would let him go, he could fit the bill with Moore at Michigan. Has coaching history with John Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, Romeo Crennel and Rex Ryan. Pretty decent mentors. The Ravens led the league with 60 sacks this year.

4. Chris Hewitt, Ravens pass defense coordinator and secondary coach. Again, if John would let him go, .. he's earned a shot to move up to a DC role, and a college job may be just the ticket for him. Led one of the stingiest secondaries in the NFL. The finished the regular season 3rd in passing yards allowed and interceptions.

---

So, while losing Minter would/will definitely suck, there are certainly some good potential replacement candidates that may be willing to move into a DC role at Michigan. They'd likely bring the same defensive philosophy and schemes that Michigan has used since McDonald came on board. Continuity, and all that.

Jim Leonhard — no brainer if he’ll come.