(UPDATE: tensions between the Niners players and Jim Harbaugh rise)
(UPDATE: Jim Harbaugh considered candidate for Oakland Raiders job)
Regarding the Michigan Wolverines program, the question now is “Will Head Coach Brady Hoke and Athletic Director Dave Brandon still have their jobs next month?” As bad as Hoke’s mishandling of his starting QB’s concussion was, how he explained it to the press afterwardmade him look even worse. Then you had the A.D. trying to minimize the P.R. damage by sending out a confusing press release at 1 in the morning that only dug themselves into a deeper hole.
When a hashtag mocking your A.D. is trending worldwide, and the media who cover the program everyday believe Hoke’s days will be ending very soon (they’re saying days, not weeks now), you have a broken program. Going 1-8 versus opponents from the power five conferences since November just drives the point home. Fox Sports lead college football analyst had some really harsh words for how the program handled this.
So now we can move on to predicting who the next man leading the Michigan Wolverines will be.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on Michigan’s potential interest in John Harbaugh, over Jim:
“There has been and will be speculation about Jim Harbaugh and Michigan…I am told by high-ranking Michigan sources they actually prefer John Harbaugh, the Ravens coach, over Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers coach, because of the longevity that he could give them. He could stay there awhile. Same Michigan ties; grew up in Ann Arbor, father of course coached there.”
Rapoport made these comments today on NFL GameDay Morning. Here’s the video.
On Monday, John Harbaugh addresses these rumors at his media availability by giving a meaningless PR boilerplate response saying that “he’s interested in Brady Hoke coaching the Michigan Wolverines for a very long time.”
Michigan students aren’t hearing that cliche though. Tonight they’re holding a rally to oust Brandon, and they’ve already started printing and selling these t-shirts:
LOLOL RT @SBNationNFL: Michigan fans made Harbaugh t-shirts. That will DEFINITELY work https://t.co/GocTItLibm pic.twitter.com/PdOBGOZbUI
— Ted Glover (@purplebuckeye) September 30, 2014
So what could be turning Michigan off from hiring Mr. discount pleated khakis? And focusing on his brother instead? Here’s Rapoport:
“The same thing I was hearing last year is the same thing I was hearing as the season was starting, same thing I’m hearing now. Some of it is from losing but I’m told especially the veterans are grumbling already about Jim Harbaugh and the voices are getting louder and louder. Some of the complaints include the fact that he kind of treats them like children. In fact, on planes I’m told they’re not allowed to play music, not allowed to play cards. Small things but these are the things that really can rankle players. Even though the players do get to sit in first class, [they] still get frustrated by that.”
Here’s another perspective on the Michigan Wolverines coaching search and the Harbaughs via FOX Sports Terry Bradshaw.
Bradshaw tries to determine the problem with the San Francisco 49ers might be: “Something is definitely wrong. You look at a football team that is built to win right now. Are they not listening to head coach Jim Harbaugh? Or are they not making the proper adjustments in the second half? I think they answer it this week. If not, I can see Harbaugh coaching in Michigan next year.
I still say that Jim would be the perfect fit in Ann Arbor, for numerous reasons.
Regarding Jim Harbaugh’s current situation, here’s what NFL Network’s Deion Sanders had to say about how he’s lost his own players in Frisco.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and very often writes The Sports Bank.net ,which is partners with Fox Sports. Read his features stories in the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. Listen to him on 1620 The Zone. Follow him on Twitter (@paulmbanks). His work has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN 2