APIt was reported earlier Tuesday that Stanford’s Jim Harbaugh had pulled his name from consideration for a job that’s not even open yet.
By the end of today, that job could officially come open. Or not.
Pete Bigelow of AnnArbor.com is reporting this morning that Michigan athletic director David Brandon is meeting with head coach (for now) Rich Rodriguez this afternoon to discuss his future with the football program. Additionally, the website reports, a team meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. ET tonight, at which point the players will be informed of the fate of their current coach.
The site gave no indication as to which direction Brandon is leaning, although it’s been believed that Rodriguez has been a dead man coaching for weeks.
Interestingly, AnnArbor.com, unlike the Detroit Free Press report, does not completely dismiss the notion of a pursuit of Harbaugh.
Two people familiar with the discussions said that substantive talks had not occurred between Brandon and Harbaugh, but they did not discount the possibility they could occur if Rodriguez is fired.
There’s at least one person with a vested interest in the coaching situation in Ann Arbor who feels that the job’s coming open, though, regardless of whether Harbaugh’s part of the search or not.
“Having grown up in Ohio and gone to school in Michigan, I can’t imagine Michigan would let this stand,” San Diego State President Stephen Weber told the San Diego Union-Tribune. “My gut says their fans aren’t going to settle for it. I think they’re going to announce they’ll be looking for a new coach.”
Weber’s current football coach, Brady Hoke, has made it known publicly that he would be very interested in the job if it were open. SDSU athletic director Jim Sterk stated that he’s yet to be contacted by any school regarding Hoke, including Michigan, and doesn’t believe the school has spoken to his coach and/or agent.
“Brady has done a great job,” Sterk said. “I wouldn’t be upset with him (if he left). Obviously I’d be disappointed if that were to occur. But there are a lot of things that have to happen. First, they have to have an opening.”
And, based on the reports coming out of Ann Arbor, that opening could occur as early as this afternoon.
HELLO? Florio ?
Can we give rest to the spew ? your starting to push the same garbage that ESPN does..
Harbaugh doesn’t need to go back to a dismal program in a state that is in severe economic decline and the weather there is HORRID. I mean do you really think his wife and family want to go to that crap hole of weather when they are living in one of the most beautifulest places in the U.S.A. ? Hes making change, is happy, has a successful program and you think he is going to take that abortion called Michigan ?
Whats he get out of this ?
If he should do ANYTHING, it should to move up to the N.F.L.
@kupski
Haha, I’m a Michigan State fan, but even I know that “dismal program” you’re talking about is one of the most storied programs in college football. Haha, and then you go on talking about weather? You do know that Harbaugh played at Michigan, right? I think he’s used to the weather. And I’d love to go into a comparison of California’s economic decline with Michigan’s. This wouldn’t be the first time an alumnus went back to coach at their alma mater. All you’re doing here is displaying your ignorance. Michigan is a great job for any prospective coach.
As a life long WVU fan and alum, I could not be more pleased than to see Michigan throw Rich Rod out on his ass. Karma’s a bitch…. maybe next time, he won’t abandon his football team right before a bowl game.
Michigan is better off without RichRod and without Harbaugh.
In the meantime, be cool and hip like me!
BANG IT HERE, HOMIES!
This is a done deal. Rich Rod will be fired. In about 2 weeks (if not less), he’ll take over at Pitt, replacing their recently released coach. Harbaugh will either remain at Stanford or go to the SF 49ers (no relocation needed). Brady Hoke from SDSU will be the new Michigan coach. Habaugh already bashed the Michigan program back in 2007. He won’t go back.
“Michigan is a good school and I got a good education there, but the athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in and, when they’re in, they steer them to courses in sports communications. They’re adulated when they’re playing, but when they get out, the people who adulated them won’t hire them.”
– Jim Harbaugh, during a 2007 interview.
kupski, you make yourself really look/sound stupid with your economy remark. there is no worse economy anywhere in America than the toilet that doubles as California. the REAL shocker would be if he actually WANTED to stay in that state. then again, if you’re making $3-5 million, it makes it a little more tolerable… provided of course the democratic morons don’t tax you out of most of it…
Michigan football will survive with or without Harbaugh.
If Harbaugh gets a sizable bump in pay at Stanford then why in the world would he want to go anywhere else? He truly has Stanford on tract to contend for a national title. Alumni love him if he wins 7 or 8 games a year.
From what I’ve heard Stanford offered Harbaugh $3M. Michigan could go higher, but not THAT much. Maybe $4M, but that would be a stretch. Not that they can’t afford it, but you just don’t shell out that kind of cash for a coach who hasn’t won anything for you yet, ya know? I believe Rich Rod’s current salary is in the $2.5M range.
So money wouldn’t really be an incentive to go to Michigan. If money were what he was really after an NFL team would pay him at least the $3-4M starting with the opportunity to grow (highest paid NFL coaches make in the $7M range). Of course that is where everyone is speculating that he will go.
If he goes to Michigan it will be to return to his tarnished alma mater and bring it back to its glory days (not that long ago!). Whether he would be able to do that is obviously an open question.
On the other hand, he has built Stanford into the second best team in the Pac-10 from literally nothing (Stanford was 1-11 when he took over in 2006). He will be given an incredibly competitive salary and, as WingT noted, the Cardinals will absolutely be in the top 5 pre-season next year (if Luck stays; if he leaves, who knows?). Basically he is in a Steve Spurrier/Bobby Bowden position of having literally created a program. That is a pretty good place to be.
As a Gator fan, I was REALLY hoping for him as HBC, but apparently we didn’t even reach out to him. Michigan would be lucky to have him and I would bet he would succeed there. As far as joining his brother in the NFL, college success doesn’t always translate but as Champ Bailey said (about Tebow): “I’ve never seen a winner lose.” And Harbaugh is a winner.
RichRod did not forget how to coach all of a sudden. The school and it’s fans expectations have been his downfall. It was not a good fit and any coach will need more time to fix. He won’t have any problem finding a job, maybe in the SEC where he will have a chance to beat the Big 10 on a regular basis.
Over rated. Harbaugh’s record was barely above 500. He has a once in a lifetime QB, that is not transfering to his next job. Good, not great coach
My take is that Harbaugh has already informed Brandon that he is not interested period.
I’m thinking Brandon hasn’t been sitting on his duff the past few weeks but has a candiate on hold and that person is aware Brandon had to wait until after Jan 3rd to save a few million.
By tomorrow we will know the new Michigan coach and it ain’t Harbaugh.
@gamecockinfl
First of all, Harbaugh is batting a 580 (29-21). That is substantially higher than 500.
His first head coaching gig was at San Diego where he went 29-6 in three seasons for a 83% winning percentage.
He moved to Stanford in 2007 where he took over a program that was literally in the GUTTER (they went 1-11 in 2006). He went 4-8 his first year there including a 24-23 win over #1 USC AT the Coliseum! USC had been favored by 41 points making that win THE LARGEST POINT-SPREAD UPSET OF ALL TIME.
In 2008 he improved to 5-7 though he lost to USC.
In 2009 he went 8-5 including a 55-21 DRUBBING of #9 USC (also at the Coliseum)
In 2010 he went 12-1 including a 40-12 throttling of Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl giving the school its first ever BCS win. His only loss was to #4 Oregon (now #2)
Oh, and that “once in a lifetime QB” only played in 2009 and 2010. Not to mention the fact that it was Harbaugh who recruited and developed Luck.
So while I agree that Harbaugh has not (yet) earned a spot in the HoF, he is WAY beyond just a “good” coach.