Jim Harbaugh...going, going.......?

[Master Guns]

This just in from AP.

Stanford close to finalizing new deal for Harbaugh
By JOSH DUBOW (AP) – 2 hours ago

STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford football coach Jim Harbaugh is close to completing a contract extension with the school.

Athletic director Bob Bowlsby said Sunday in an e-mail that a formal announcement of a new deal was expected to come shortly. The two sides were close to announcing an extension after last season but talks were put on hold in February because of the poor economy.

Harbaugh has done an impressive rebuilding job at Stanford since taking over a one-win team from Walt Harris after the 2006 season. The Cardinal won four games in Harbaugh's first season, including big wins over Southern California and California.

Stanford went 5-7 last year, falling one win shy of a possible bowl bid. The turnaround was completed this year as the Cardinal (7-3, 6-2 Pac-10) have moved into The Associated Press rankings for the first time in eight years, at No. 14, and have qualified for their first bowl bid since 2001.

Stanford is playing its best football of late, beating then-No. 7 Oregon 51-42 last week and knocking off No. 11 USC 55-21 on Saturday to move into the thick of the Pac-10 race.

"I didn't expect that (final score)," Harbaugh said after the game. "I expected if the team played well and executed, I felt good we could win. I'm really proud of the players. They really stepped up today. I was put-up or shut-up time for Stanford football, and our guys came out focused and loose and did what we had to do to win."

The Cardinal can earn a Rose Bowl bid by beating California at home next week and getting losses by Oregon, Oregon State and Arizona down the stretch.

Toby Gerhart rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns, Andrew Luck threw two touchdown passes and Stanford used a 27-point fourth quarter to hand the Trojans their worst loss since a 51-0 defeat at home against Notre Dame in 1966.

"I think we surprised them a little bit," Gerhart said. "They're USC, and they've been the premier Pac-10 team and an elite team in college football. We've been an underdog program, a program on the rise. To come out and make a statement today about where we are says great things about this program."

With Harbaugh calling plays for an offense that features Gerhart and Luck, Stanford is 10th in the nation in scoring offense at 36.1 points per game and 10th in rushing offense at 222.4 yards per game.

The Cardinal are looking to lock Harbaugh up with a long-term deal before NFL teams or other colleges come calling after him. Harbaugh figures to be a hot candidate for many open jobs despite his public proclamations that he wants to stay at Stanford.

Before coming to Stanford, Harbaugh coached three seasons at San Diego, which was a non-scholarship Division I-AA school. Harbaugh previously was an assistant in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders. He played 15 years in the NFL, leading the Indianapolis Colts to the 1995 AFC championship game.

Harbaugh is currently in the third year of a five-year contract.

AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Meaningless.

 

[jfjkd01]

I guess they want to extend his contract fast so teams like ND don't snatch him up. Some people on here thought he might be a good fit for ND......

 

[PADOMERNUT]

Meaningless.

How is this meaningless? It is good information. It is a possible future head coach of Notre Dame signing or at least close to signing an extension with another school. Please explain to me how that is meaningless

 

[WabashFalcon]

How is this meaningless? It is good information. It is a possible future head coach of Notre Dame signing or at least close to signing an extension with another school. Please explain to me how that is meaningless

Don't worry about his statements. Irish is a football mastermind, don't ya know?

 

[alleycat9]

interesting and not surprising.... what i have seen out of his team the past 2 weeks would make me want to extend him as well. he seems to be building a pretty good program out at stanford and they play a very disciplined tough game at least they have the past 2 weeks. they line up and say hey guess what we are going to hit you in the face, we are going to run right here..... then they do it to the tune of 200 yards.

 

[Master Guns]

Meaningless.

How is that? His name is coming up in the press and the ND fan sites. He owns USC.

 

[jason_h537]

I would like to see ND make a push for Harbaugh. I know he is a dick and like Brian Kelly he seems to burn alot of bridges but, he is a relentless recruiter like Weis, already has a relationship with alot of the roster and current recruits. He is used to having high academic standards, runs a pro offense, and he can win with far less talent than Notre Dame has. If the Irish could play with the attitude the Cardinals do they would be yundefeated right now.

I like this hire but it all depends on if he would take it. He seems to hate ND but again he seems to hate evryone

 

[Easton Pa ND Fan]

Clarify "meaningless"

Clarify "meaningless"

Meaningless.

What meaning does your "meaningless" mean?

 

[irish4ever]

Get real ... Harbaugh is NOT coming to ND. If anything, he would wait his turn for scUM to put the axe to Dick Rod before coming to ND!

 

[dskoo65]

i think by meaningless he meant the signing of an extension does not prevent a coach from moving on to a higher profile job. there are almost always escape clauses with buyout provisions in those contracts and they often name specific schools for which there would be no breach of contract brought against the coach.

so, meaningless in the sense that it wouldnt in any way preclude harbaugh from coming to michigan (oh, please go away richrod), ND, etc...

 

[phork]

So here is another comparison for Charlie's tenure. I hope this opens the eyes of people who think that he should still be retained.

 

[dskoo65]

So here is another comparison for Charlie's tenure. I hope this opens the eyes of people who think that he should still be retained.

yep. you look at what wannstedt has done a pitt (IN YEAR 5, btw) and particularly Harbaugh at stanford and it is hard to justify the weis 10 year plan.

 

[JefMaj]

I'd rather be castrated - never liked Harbaugh... never could stand that dog.....

 

[BeatSC]

I'd rather be castrated - never liked Harbaugh... never could stand that dog.....

He is alot of what CW is not. He gets palyers motivated to play above their skill level an he was a player who played with guts. Thisis the kind of coach you need in CFB. I would much rather see him across the field from Urban Meyer and PEte Carrol than Charlie. I think he would come in here and post a better season in year one that Charlie has in 5 years.

 

[Butchie]

scUM

scUM

Like it or not JH will bring toughness and energy. He will walk into ND with a full cupboard. And to his defense CW followed the worst recruiter in the history of recruiting - TY. CW's teams do lack a toughness, and he does lack the ability to get players to play above their talent level. That's something Lou was good at and JH appears to have the special gift. If CW was smart he would approach Swarbrick with this plan : The recruiting will remain at this high level, I'm going up top to call the games, but I am hiring _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to remain on the sideline during the games and instill a toughness & swager, and game management. The blank is the important seller.

 

[PUREBREEDIRISH]

Yea he would come in here and be loaded with what Charlie has brought us and will bring us...Anyone can come in here and win 10 games next year, possibly undefeated if no one leaves....Anyone can look genius next year

 

[JefMaj]

What is he - 7-3??? He beat USC (albeit killed them), however, so did Oregon (Killed them) and Washington - USC beat us... which may say more about us than Harbaugh. What if he goes 7-5??? Is he still king? This year's recruiting class (Stanford's) is highly ranked, at the moment - - but it's almost filled (volume) and it almost all 3 stars.

Harbaugh would be a knee jerk - sort of like Ty????? Maybe not, however, we can't get a proven winner???? What if he comes here and goes 8-4 for 5 years??

There are guys that have 1 loss 2 loss histories..... JH is not one of them.

 

[Butchie]

You're making my point. Three stars as usual for Stanford, and he is getting them to play out of their minds. The program is better now than when he took over. And yeah, the needle is pointing up. Winning is an attitude my friend. Jim has it.

 

[fitz_bu47]

Notre Dame's program is better now than when Charlie took over also.

 

[PUREBREEDIRISH]

Who cares, worry about the next two games...Let the man coach in peace.....GEEZ!

And yes it is important news as to what coach stays where....

 

[IrishAddiction]

I really like the idea of going after Harbaugh, as well as Meyer. I know Meyer doesnt hate ND, but many from ND hate meyer it seems. Harbaugh seems to hate ND, but like jason said, when he is coaching it kinda seems like he hates everyone.

Meyer, Harbaugh, Stoops,...... just gonna throw this one out there, even though it might be a bad idea, what does everyone think of Dungy? Guy was a proven HC in the NFL, great work ethic...... only question is the recruiting factor.

 

[dskoo65]

Yea he would come in here and be loaded with what Charlie has brought us and will bring us...Anyone can come in here and win 10 games next year, possibly undefeated if no one leaves....Anyone can look genius next year

Weis has these players this year, and he will likely end the season at 7-6, so i assume you are saying he is a horrendously bad coach.

i would agree he has brought talent here....but that is simply an indictment on his coaching abilities. is the idea to recruit so much talent that it wont matter how bad of a coach he is? there are coaches who can do BOTH...recruit and coach. if weis wants to be one of the recruiters for a real coach, then that would just be terrific.

 

[PUREBREEDIRISH]

No he does not have these players this year, he has an offensive arsenal, i.e. Clausen, Tate, Floyd, therefore we can score points but the defense is young....they need work, and he can build it, he is....Tony Dungy has my vote.....Plus listening to Tony on Dan Patrick every Monday would be better radio than Charlei anyday!!! LOL

 

[dskoo65]

No he does not have these players this year, he has an offensive arsenal, i.e. Clausen, Tate, Floyd, therefore we can score points but the defense is young....they need work, and he can build it, he is....Tony Dungy has my vote.....Plus listening to Tony on Dan Patrick every Monday would be better radio than Charlei anyday!!! LOL

first, check if you have a pulse. there is nothing to indicate he will build this defense into anything special.

more importantly (and it is important for everyone to wrap there heads around this):
CLAUSEN AND TATE ARE GONE! this offense will not be as talented next year and his lack of coaching and motivational skills will be on full display.

 

[WaveDomer]

first, check if you have a pulse. there is nothing to indicate he will build this defense into anything special.

more importantly (and it is important for everyone to wrap there heads around this):
CLAUSEN AND TATE ARE GONE! this offense will not be as talented next year and his lack of coaching and motivational skills will be on full display.

Or wrap your head around that offense only scoring 3 points in the first half at Pitt or zero in the first against Navy. Or wrap your head around Weis saying you have to be conservative on the road, hence 3 points against Pitt. And later him saying, well I knew Tate can score any time he touches the ball, so you have to get it into his hands. How about getting it into his hands in the first half? At this point, Weis is chucking everything at the wall to see what works. No clue.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

what does everyone think of Dungy? Guy was a proven HC in the NFL, great work ethic...... only question is the recruiting factor.

No, No, No... no Dungy.

I have a post in the "Head Coaching possibilities" thread about Dungy (page 20). We don't want him, and he'd never do it anyway.

 

[phork]

Yea he would come in here and be loaded with what Charlie has brought us and will bring us...Anyone can come in here and win 10 games next year, possibly undefeated if no one leaves....Anyone can look genius next year

This team, with everyone in tact, would be nothing more than 8 wins max, and thats being optimistic.

What is he - 7-3??? He beat USC (albeit killed them), however, so did Oregon (Killed them) and Washington - USC beat us... which may say more about us than Harbaugh. What if he goes 7-5??? Is he still king? This year's recruiting class (Stanford's) is highly ranked, at the moment - - but it's almost filled (volume) and it almost all 3 stars.

Harbaugh would be a knee jerk - sort of like Ty????? Maybe not, however, we can't get a proven winner???? What if he comes here and goes 8-4 for 5 years??


There are guys that have 1 loss 2 loss histories..... JH is not one of them.

He has beaten USC twice in the colliseum. Weis hasn't even beaten USC at home, in one of their worst years under Carrol. While I like what he is doing at Stanford, the fact that he is a Michigan man makes me vomit at the thought that he would be coaching an ND team.