Less than 24 hours after the resignation of Mark Mangino, a favorite for the job at Kansas is already emerging.
According to the Lawrence Journal-World, and citing a “general consensus of those who are close to the program”, Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh is likely to be the guy the school targets as the Jayhawks begin their search.
Harbaugh, who has a contract extension on the table from the Cardinal, has been mentioned as a potential replacement for the Notre Dame job, and would likely be a serious contender for the Michigan job if Rich Rodriguez cannot turn the Wolverines’ fortunes around in 2010 and is let go.
The ties between Harbaugh and Michigan, and the uncertainty swirling around RichRod’s future in Ann Arbor, should give the Jayhawks pause, And, if it does, the Journal-World says they would likely turn to Houston’s Kevin Sumlin as an attractive alternative to Harbaugh.
Sumlin himself has been named in connection with many openings this year, including Louisville, although it appears that Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong all but has his name on the head coach’s office. Houston is also looking to lock Sumlin down with a long-term contract extension that would include an increase in pay, but it’s highly doubtful the Conference USA school could match what a Big 12 school has to offer financially.
Other names being mentioned as a possible replacement include Buffalo’s Turner Gill, Southern Miss’ Larry Fedora, Boise State’s Chris Peterson and former Baltimore Ravens head coach Brian Billick, among many, many others listed by the Journal-World.
Why would Kansas hire a coach who would almost certainly leave if the Michigan job opened up??
That’s just asking for a RICO lawsuit in my opinion.
Harbaugh is not the shoe in at Michigan that one would think. He has made some disparenging remarks about the institution and while he may be a favorite son of some Wolverin Alums, he has plenty of detractors.
And why would he leave Satnford’s rich donors and being a celeb in Palo Alto to take his family to Kansas? KU is a mid to bottom feeder football program in the Big12. They seem to have forgotten how terrible they were before Mangino and have fooled themselves into somehow thinking it is now a destination program.
Why would Harbaugh leave Stanford and “…the best quarterback in the country.”? Especially for a program that takes a backseat to basketball?
On the up side, at least he’d know that the bathroom would be (should be?) pretty damn sturdy if it had to take what ever came outta Mangino’s rear end. That’d save Kansas a cool $70K.
And why would he leave Satnford’s rich donors and being a celeb in Palo Alto to take his family to Kansas?
One reason would be that his wife is from Overland Park.
Another would be that KU (along with most BCS teams) does not the same academic restrictions that Stanford does.
Mangino’s toilet has already been removed and is being studied by structural engineers for ideas of how to better protect out troops overseas.
You have got to be kidding me. Who the heck does Lew Perkins think he is? He *really* thinks that a guy who is a serious candidate for the ND and Michigan jobs is going to come to Kansas?
Not even if they backed up a dump truck full of money and dumped it on his back porch.
Tom S.