All Things SkunkBear

[arrowryan]

There will be multiple NFL teams contacting Harbaugh at the end of the season so that doesn't help Michigan's chances at all. They will also have to get into a bidding war with those NFL teams, they probably won't win that budding war considering Harbaugh is currently getting paid $5 mil a year

 

[ResLife Hero]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Confirmed from a source that Michigan LB Michael Ferns requested his release yesterday and plans to transfer to West Virginia.</p>— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomVH/status/544895625486430208">December 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[MNIrishman]

There will be multiple NFL teams contacting Harbaugh at the end of the season so that doesn't help Michigan's chances at all. They will also have to get into a bidding war with those NFL teams, they probably won't win that budding war considering Harbaugh is currently getting paid $5 mil a year

A bidding war could definitely put Michigan in a bad spot. Their new president is an ivory tower academic from Brown, likely someone who doesn't believe in big time college sports. He knows the cult of skunk does, so he won't get in the way of reasonable football expenditure, but I don't think he's the type to blank check Michigan's way to Harbaugh.

 

[TheChosen1]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Confirmed from a source that Michigan LB Michael Ferns requested his release yesterday and plans to transfer to West Virginia.</p>— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomVH/status/544895625486430208">December 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Wow

 

[phork]

Harbaugh getting a deal from scUM doesn't give him any leverage over the 49'ers. The 49'ers hold all the cards. scUM needs a coach asap for recruiting. The 49'ers can sit on Harbaugh as long as they want to force scUM to pony up an incentive to let him go. They can agree to a trade or let him out of his contract if the buyer wants to offer some incentive, but Harbaugh holding a billion dollar deal from scUM isn't going to make the 49'ers do anything until they get what they want. This is pretty much true for any team interested in Harbaugh.

Harbaugh holds all the cards. Why would he accept a trade to a team he doesn't want to go to? How do you hedge that bet? You put out tweets and rumours with "sources" that say its all but a done deal. Meanwhile Harbaugh gets competing offers from NFL teams, and lets be honest there is nothing like being a head coach in the NFL. He slow plays everyone until he gets the 49ers to either fire him, or trade him to a team he wants to be in, or if none of that happens he can head to Michigan to be the saviour of Ann Arbor until something opens up that he wants.

 

[BigIrish]

I'm not up to speed on how a trade of an NFL coach works. If San Fran wants to trade him, they hold sway over him because he has time remaining on a contract. So is the trade essentially another team getting to hire him by trading draft picks in lieu of paying for a buyout on the contract? What happens if Harbaugh doesn't want to be traded? I'm sure it's not as simple as politely declining...but does that mean he has to pay his own buyout? Does it mean that another team can pay the buyout for him? If he walks away from the notion of a trade, does that prohibit him from taking his services wherever he wants in the NFL or college game?

 

[Irish#1]

Assuming the 49ers are set on getting rid of him, but want to trade him, and Harbaugh doesn't want to get traded... then representing that he is a "done deal" to Michigan DRASTICALLY decreases his trade value for other franchises. If franchises believe he won't actually show up if traded then they aren't going to give up anything for him. If franchises believe that he set on staying in the NFL, then the 49ers have much more leverage to ship him to where they want for a trade package instead of Jim getting released and able to sign wherever.

Agree that if he is truly interested in scUM, that decreases the value of trading him within the NFL, but regardless he's under contract and can't go anywhere without the 49'ers agreeing to it. That's why they hold all the cards.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Harbaugh effectively holds veto power over a trade because no team is going to take a new HC with a one year contract. The flip side is that Harbaugh can't negotiate with other employers absent permission from the 49ers. The 49ers don't want to pay him to sit at home and Harbaugh doesn't want to enhance his image as an uncooperative asshole who prefers to be paid to sit at home so there is a lot of motivation for the two sides to reach agreement.

It is also in the 49ers interest to trade Harbaugh (which nets them talent as well as salary relief) rather than settle to allow him to take a job in the NCAA. At least at this juncture (where his NFL options are unclear and his season is going on still) I am highly skeptical he is allowed to talk with Michigan. Rather his agent has an interest in keeping his options open in case no NFL deals to his liking are available.

 

[Irish#1]

Harbaugh holds all the cards. Why would he accept a trade to a team he doesn't want to go to? How do you hedge that bet? You put out tweets and rumours with "sources" that say its all but a done deal. Meanwhile Harbaugh gets competing offers from NFL teams, and lets be honest there is nothing like being a head coach in the NFL. He slow plays everyone until he gets the 49ers to either fire him, or trade him to a team he wants to be in, or if none of that happens he can head to Michigan to be the saviour of Ann Arbor until something opens up that he wants.

I don't believe he does. The 49'ers own his contract. He can't go anywhere to coach without their blessing. My gut feeling is his contract doesn't address trades like a player contract does, otherwise the 49'ers probably wouldn't have made it pubic knowledge that they are open to trading him. If the 49'ers don't agree to let him out of his contract, his only other option is to quit and wait until his contract expires.

 

[IrishLax]

Agree that if he is truly interested in scUM, that decreases the value of trading him within the NFL, but regardless he's under contract and can't go anywhere without the 49'ers agreeing to it. That's why they hold all the cards.

But they don't because he has a juicy alternative in Michigan, that he can leave for at any time if the 49ers don't do something that works for him. The 49ers have almost know leverage AS LONG AS Michigan is a plausible option for Harbaugh. Having him under contract for another year is virtually worthless right now if they try to attempt something that Jim doesn't like.

 

[NDdomer2]

Gruden was on Mike and Mike this morning. He did not sound like a guy who wanted to coach again at all. Really happy with his extra time with family and his job letting him be around and give back to football at same time.

 

[Big23Head]

Gruden was on Mike and Mike this morning. He did not sound like a guy who wanted to coach again at all. Really happy with his extra time with family and his job letting him be around and give back to football at same time.

Yeah, plus his extension with ESPN through 2021 is nice for him. He has a great gig

 

[Big23Head]

Michigan Coaching Search: Names to know

Jim Harbaugh
Les Miles
Jim Mora
Dan Mullen
Sean Payton
Greg Schiano
Bob Stoops

Only Harbaugh and Schiano make sense to me, hope it is Schiano.

 

[BoredIrish]

Michigan Coaching Search: Names to know

Jim Harbaugh
Les Miles
Jim Mora
Dan Mullen
Sean Payton
Greg Schiano
Bob Stoops

Only Harbaugh and Schiano make sense to me, hope it is Schiano.

Rumor has it that once Chryst to Wisconsin becomes official, the leading candidate for the Pitt job is Al Golden.. which then in turn opens the door for Schiano to Miami.

All speculation... but there is a definite possibility that none of the above mentioned coaches are options for UM.

 

[dad4aa]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Confirmed from a source that Michigan LB Michael Ferns requested his release yesterday and plans to transfer to West Virginia.</p>— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomVH/status/544895625486430208">December 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Wasn't this their most vocal recruit last year that made the shirts and passed them out to all the recruits?

 

[chicago51]

If they do get Dan Mulen the Ohio State rivalry got more interesting given how long Mulen coached under Meyer.

 

[phork]

I don't believe he does. The 49'ers own his contract. He can't go anywhere to coach without their blessing. My gut feeling is his contract doesn't address trades like a player contract does, otherwise the 49'ers probably wouldn't have made it pubic knowledge that they are open to trading him. If the 49'ers don't agree to let him out of his contract, his only other option is to quit and wait until his contract expires.

As was said above, but I will reiterate. Harbaugh can bolt to CFB. He can't go to another NFL team unless the 49ers agree to do it, but CFB is another can of worms. Which is why Harbaugh holds all the cards. His safety net is to return to AnnArbor and be a saviour where he will be worshipped like no other.
I feel bad for the coach at UM if his name is not Harbaugh.

 

[MNIrishman]

As was said above, but I will reiterate. Harbaugh can bolt to CFB. He can't go to another NFL team unless the 49ers agree to do it, but CFB is another can of worms. Which is why Harbaugh holds all the cards. His safety net is to return to AnnArbor and be a saviour where he will be worshipped like no other.
I feel bad for the coach at UM if his name is not Harbaugh.

If you accept the Michigan job, you should know what you're getting into: a program that takes successful coaches and ruins them over stupid nonsense like whether or not they're a "Michigan Man" and "Manball."

 

[NDdomer2]

"Manball" is still how football is won. Doesn't matter if its spread, power I, air assault. You have to beat your opponent man to man. Line of scrimmage and defense are still name of the game no matter the style of play.

 

[MNIrishman]

"Manball" is still how football is won. Doesn't matter if its spread, power I, air assault. You have to beat your opponent man to man. Line of scrimmage and defense are still name of the game no matter the style of play.

That's not what's meant in Michigan fan parlance, where "Manball" refers to the "Three yards and a cloud of dust" offensive style that characterizes "boring, neanderthal football" in the words of the great Knute Rockne, describing the teams of the famous bigot Fielding Yost.

 

[phork]

"Manball" is still how football is won. Doesn't matter if its spread, power I, air assault. You have to beat your opponent man to man. Line of scrimmage and defense are still name of the game no matter the style of play.

That's not what's meant in Michigan fan parlance, where "Manball" refers to the "Three yards and a cloud of dust" offensive style that characterizes "boring, neanderthal football" in the words of the great Knute Rockne, describing the teams of the famous bigot Fielding Yost.

Exactly. Like Alabama a few years ago before they opened up the offense. They were good enough to line up and run you over and there wasn't a damn thing you could do about it because even if you loaded the box they would drop bombs on you all day afterwards.

 

[zbikowski88]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sources: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Michigan?src=hash">#Michigan</a> has made another run at Jim Harbaugh after he initially rebuffed the school. U-M has made an offer of 6 years, $48M. Wow.</p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/545353395344011264">December 17, 2014</a></blockquote>
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[IrishLax]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sources: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Michigan?src=hash">#Michigan</a> has made another run at Jim Harbaugh after he initially rebuffed the school. U-M has made an offer of 6 years, $48M. Wow.</p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/545353395344011264">December 17, 2014</a></blockquote>
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What's so weird about these tweets/stories today is that this actually isn't news, or "another run." This was the offer as reported on Monday. And Harbaugh has not accepted it.

Why UM sources are confirming these leaks today is obvious... if he doesn't sign they will say they did all they could to get him. And it's also an intimidation move against NFL teams that won't want to pay him more than every other coach in football + deal draft picks to San Fran.

The interim AD is already proving to be much more capable than Brandon on every level.

 

[Circa]

Shefter: Harbaugh considering Michigan.

 

[RallySonsOfND]

doesn't Saban have a clause in his contract that he will always be the highest paid coach in CFB?

He's gotta be hoping that Harbaugh takes the offer. haha

 

[chicago51]

My guess is if Harbough is going to accept the UM offer things happen quickly. I'm not sure what will happen. $6 million is a lot of money but the guy just might really want to coach in the NFL not college.

 

[Grahambo]

What's so weird about these tweets/stories today is that this actually isn't news, or "another run." This was the offer as reported on Monday. And Harbaugh has not accepted it.

Why UM sources are confirming these leaks today is obvious... if he doesn't sign they will say they did all they could to get him. And it's also an intimidation move against NFL teams that won't want to pay him more than every other coach in football + deal draft picks to San Fran.

The interim AD is already proving to be much more capable than Brandon on every level.

Bingo.

Harbaugh isn't coming to UM. He will be in Oakland IMO.

 

[dwshade]

Shefter: Harbaugh considering Michigan.

Not the whole story. Shefter says he's considering the offer but is highly unlikely to accept. This is getting out in the media from his agent as he attempts to drive up his price for NFL job.

 

[ulukinatme]

I do hope Harbaugh isn't changing his mind. The fact he's "considering" it may just be a leverage move on his part, and a move of good show on Michigan's part to do what they can to try and land him so they can say they tried. I ultimately hope he isn't serious though...because it'll be that much more delicious as scUM fans get their hopes up that he'll say yes.

 

[Grahambo]

Not the whole story. Shefter says he's considering the offer but is highly unlikely to accept. This is getting out in the media from his agent as he attempts to drive up his price for NFL job.

All the while Michigan can say it went hard after their top choice. Offered him top dollar.

Win/win for both sides.