Michigan Football: 3 Things that must happen if Jim Harbaugh isn’t fired

Find an identity

Brown needs to go as the defensive coordinator but Harbaugh needs to clear out a number of coaches who just aren’t getting it done, which includes is son Jay as running backs coach.

The Wolverines should probably move on from offensive coordinator Josh Gattis too. The marriage with Gattis and Harbaugh just hasn’t worked.

Trying to go to the speed-in-space system after the 2018 Ohio State game was another poor decision from Harbaugh. The Wolverines had multiple NFL caliber receivers and a solid quarterback, who had to spend part of his senior year learning a new system.

Obviously, I was there drinking the Kool-Aid and maybe it can still work, but the only position coaches on the offensive side of the ball who should return are Ed Warinner and Sherrone Moore. Hire a new QB, RB and a dedicated WR coach and get someone with previous play-calling experience to help Gattis.

This team needs to find an identity on offense and right now, other than not being able to convert in short yardage situations, it doesn’t really have one.

When Harbaugh was at Stanford, they were about the power run game and even when he was at San Francisco, as much as Greg Roman did with the spread, Harbaugh’s fingerprints were still all over the offense. Remember all the traps and creative stuff they did in the run game?

Michigan did that stuff too for a while. Jake Rudock threw the football a lot that first year and rightfully so with all the pass-catching talent, but physical football was the identity.

I really believe Harbaugh lost himself trying to beat Ohio State. Maybe his old-school way of doing things won’t beat the Buckeyes often, but he needs to go back to the formula that made him successful, instead of trying to be something he’s not.