GBMWolverine: Mailbag question -- Michigan Football -- Harbaugh

Posted at 6:00am — 1/9/2011

GBMWolverine: Mailbag question — Michigan Football — Harbaugh

Hey guys,

What are your thoughts on the whole Harbaugh situation and how did all of this go down?

Is there more to it than Harbaugh just picking the 49’ers and not taking the Michigan job? One report said that he was never offered the job or even contacted by Michigan. Did a certain president want him as coach? Is this just a cover or is there some truth to this report? I can’t see David Brandon waiting until after the Gator Bowl game, and the Orange bowl, and then not have a plan.

It almost seems as if a lot of Michigan fans now almost “hate” Harbaugh since he turned Michigan down. I personally think he made a good decision, not only for himself, but his entire family as well.

What do you guys think?

Greg G.

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GBMWolverine Response:

We have read on some sites responses by some who say they cannot stand Jim Harbaugh anymore and will never root for him again. Seriously? Just a few days ago many of the same fans were in love with Coach Harbaugh and wanted him to come home to save the program.

All of a sudden Harbaugh is no longer a good guy and has been jettisoned by some as a no longer former Michigan football great.

We here at GBMWolverine have always rooted for our former players, former coaches, and hope they do well, no matter where they are, because their success enhances Michigan’s image. Sometimes that hasn’t been the most popular decision here lately with coaches like Coach Hoke and Coach Miles the past several years or former players that have spoken against how the team was going under Coach Rod.

We know this is not the typical approach for all fans when they do not get their way. We also realize that decisions such as Coach Harbaugh’s can be very emotional for avid program followers.

We believe Coach Harbaugh was obviously David Brandon’s primary target and number one choice to take over the program after Coach Rod was fired. There is really little to dispute this, despite the inner circle silence.

In what may go down as some really bad luck for Michigan, Coach Harbaugh blew up over night and became the hot commodity status all coaches dream about. Not only Michigan but several, perhaps as many as five, NFL franchises displayed immediate interest in Coach Harbaugh, flying in and becoming serious suitors. We believe, but may never know, that had the 49’ers job not opened up, Coach Harbaugh would have been the new Michigan head football coach.

We have also heard rumors regarding why Harbaugh picked the 49’ers over Michigan. Some make more sense than others such as family wanting to stay on the west coast near the Stanford area.

Yes, we heard rumors of MSC not wanting Coach Harbaugh, because of the large investment of money and also because of the comments regarding Michigan he made a few years ago. We hope the rumors are not true, because honestly sometimes when people tell the truth egos burn and negativity mounts. Harbaugh’s comments were not out of left field.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeJtsq-n19I

Was there a “deal” made in principle before Coach Rod was fired? Well, it doesn’t really matter, what matters now is reality and the future of Michigan’s program sans Harbaugh.

One cannot fault Coach Harbaugh for doing what he believes is best for his family, his happiness, meeting his aspirations, and his coaching career.

Again, we do not know whether any of the above is factual or not, but we know that MSC told David Brandon it was his choice on keeping or getting rid of Coach Rod. We do not know the guidelines or any limitations placed on Brandon by others in the hiring process.

In our opinion, this was a simple choice between following his heart and coaching at his alma mater, or doing what was in the best interest of his family and staying in the Bay Area. Sometimes there are more important things than just a person’s personal dream. How many people have put their dreams on hold because of other things coming up in their lives? Plenty, including many of the readers on this or any site.

Coach Harbaugh and his second wife just had a new baby, along with having other children in the Bay Area. It appears the family, immediate and extended, is a top priority

The 49’ers organization is probably a perfect fit for Coach Harbaugh, personally and professionally. He has a lot of young players on the team and just needs to find a franchise level quarterback to help his new team out. Coach Harbaugh has a fine resume regarding quarterback play, development, and performance. The division he is in is perfect as well because all he needs to do is improve a little bit to be a playoff team and a bad division.

We can never fault someone for putting family first, especially in the coaching profession where it seems like families are impacted so much with possibilities of being uprooted and fired on a whim. Life in the NFL is rough, but Harbaugh will never shy away from a challenge. This job is a challenge with good tangibles (known entities) that make sense.

Please comment on our GBMWolverine Message Board about this article and read what others comment.

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Written by GBMWolverine Staff

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