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November 21, 2007

Michigan puts Harbaugh on notice

Suffice to say, Stanford Cardinal head coach Jim Harbaugh is not going to be a candidate for the Michigan job vacated this week by Lloyd Carr. While Michigan hasn't come out and said it directly, the writing is on the wall.

Despite a frosty relationship in the last six months, Harbaugh had only nice things to say about UM this week.

"As far as the opening they have, the Michigan people will do a great job in selecting someone to carry on that tradition," Harbaugh said.

...

Harbaugh praised Carr for the success he had as coach, winning five Big Ten titles, 121 games and a share of the 1997 national championship.

"In 13 years at Michigan he did a tremendous job, really perpetuated the Michigan tradition," Harbaugh said. "I'm happy for him and the decision he made because I say he's a tremendous man and a tremendous person."

With or without the warm fuzzies, Michigan hasn't forgotten Harbaugh bashing Big Blue's academic tradition earlier in the year.

"Michigan is a good school and I got a good education there," he said, "but the athletic department has ways to get borderline guys in and, when they're in, they steer them to courses in sports communications. They're adulated when they're playing, but when they get out, the people who adulated them won't hire them."

But Michigan AD Bill Martin may have gotten the last laugh, making a back-handed reference to Harbaugh's off-the-field troubles in characterizing who wouldn't be coaching at Michigan.

"I want to know how many driving-under-the-influence (citations) a potential coach has had," he said. "I want to know if he's a deadbeat in terms of paying his bills. I want to know anything that is a pattern in terms of past behavior that could be an embarrassment to Michigan."

Touche.

 

Comments:

  1. Tom Blogical Author Profile Page said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 8:27 AM — 24.95.77.153 — linkabuse?



    Harbaugh made his bed, now he has to lay in it. He can forget about the Michigan job for a long time.

  2. gatorstud said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 9:00 AM — 69.95.111.248 — linkabuse?



    i think harbough has as much chance of becoming michigans next head coach as i do.....this isn't the first time harbough has taken shots at michigan and it's athletic department....if he really wanted the job...then he should of kept his mouth shut...

    jmho.....

    go gators...and hokies

  3. Fanblogs Author Kevin Donahue Author Profile Page said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 9:29 AM — linkabuse?



    I just love that the AD would throw out the drunk driving smackdown publicly. Hate. Hate. Hate.

  4. Spartacus Author Profile Page said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 10:55 AM — 72.25.84.228 — linkabuse?



    That's okay. Harbaugh stands a much better chance of winning a National Championship at Stanford than he ever will at Michigan. At least he'll never have to play Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl.

    Tommie Trojan

  5. M GO BLUE said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 11:12 AM — 216.46.210.140 — linkabuse?



    Tommie, we hold tradition in such high regard at Michigan, we throw the Rosebowl when we play USC....just for old times sake.

    That's just how smart Michigan is.
    The brains that run the academic part of Michigan did'nt find their way into the football department.

  6. TE Author Profile Page said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 11:50 AM — 204.68.245.11 — linkabuse?



    Kevin, he didn't say he was off the list for having one...He was just curious in how many Harbaugh had...

    Hell...Didn't Moeller have one, too?

  7. Spartacus Author Profile Page said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 12:26 PM — 72.25.84.228 — linkabuse?



    M GO BLUE:

    You know I just love to pull your chain. Truth is: everybody out here loves Michigan football. Greatest helmuts on earth I might add. All kidding aside, Stanford had their chance to win it all this year, and missed their opportunity. They won't beat USC for another quarter of a century - so Harbaugh's odds don't even exist. Michigan stands a much better chance to win the game than Stanford ever will.
    Tough year for the Wolves as the injuries were insurmountable. Along with all of the defense being lost to the NFL, the preseason expectations were way too high, and Michigan football still won eight in a row to put themselves into the position of winning the Big 10 Title.
    Although Michigan should have beaten Appalachian State - other teams lost just as badly. USC lost to Stanford, Oklahoma State lost to Troy State, Alabama to UL Monroe and UCLA to Notre Dame - just to name a few. Michigan was unfortunate to run into Oregon and Ohio State teams that were very good this year. There was probably a letdown after the Ohio State loss, coupled with Wisconsin's late season surge and the injuries, which all contributed to the meltdown in Badgerland.
    All in all, it was a pretty brave year for Michigan, and that team showed alot of character. I'll be pullin' for Michigan no matter who they play in their Bowl game.

    Tommie Trojan

  8. Big Tide said:

    posted on November 21, 2007 7:42 PM — 12.208.88.211 — linkabuse?



    M GO BLUE, At the risk of starting a love fest I too love Michigan football. I love the helmet but that big M in the middle of the field is a classic. The documentary on HBO this month regarding the Michigan vs. Ohio State game was great. I wish Alabama could have a home and home with Michigan. I would be at the front of the line for a trip to "The Big House."

  9. M GO BLUE said:

    posted on November 22, 2007 4:34 PM — 216.46.211.204 — linkabuse?



    Tommie, yeah the Michigan players showed a lot of heart this season, but Hart and Henne both played the OSU game and we still managed to score a disgusting 3 points........i am sorry, but 3 points does not fly when you have fourth year starters at QB, RB, and WR.......the talent was there on offense......we simply don't use it.

  10. M GO BLUE said:

    posted on November 22, 2007 4:44 PM — 216.46.211.204 — linkabuse?



    Big Tide, yeah, a series with Bama could be fun.....that series would be overflowing with great tradition......but i would'nt feel too good about our chances if Lloyd Carr were still coaching......you see it's nothing personal against Carr.......but honestly, he underperformed in his last 5 or 6 season's.

    Look's like Saban is bringing in a great recruiting class.....won't be too long before bama is back on top.

  11. Jeff said:

    posted on November 23, 2007 11:17 PM — 12.47.224.8 — linkabuse?



    Continuing with the "love fest"... I'm a huge U of M fan...yet Lloyd Carr & just the mention of him causes my blood pressure to rise off the charts.

    Underperformed is the understatement of the year @ M Go Blue...

    At X's & O's, he flat out sucked!!! He gets a lot of slack because he helped raise a lot of money for the new children's hospital in Ann Arbor, and a title back in '97, so people don't want to bash him too much.

    Screw that... I don't hold those loyalties!!!

    He tried like hell to hold on to 1990's football. 3 yards & a cloud of dust. He changed a "little" when he had Terry Malone as an O-coordinator, but ultimately went back to being a bonehead when Malone went off to the NFL (sounds like a coach you should keep, eh??)& he re-hired Mike DeBord, of whom had great success at Central Michigan...

    Success at BURYING THE DAMN PROGRAM!!! This great offensive mind was 12-34 at CMU... Sounds like somebody I'd hire...

    In all that, I say good riddance to you Lloyd, your geriatric offense, your 1980's bend-but-don't-break defense....and take all of your coordinators with you!!!!!!!! I guess I wouldn't mind Ron English staying, but we'd have to debug him. He's been subjected to Lloyd all these years. Enough said.

    Welcome to Ann Arbor, Brian Kelly, Les Miles, or whomever they bring in.

    Just have a playbook from this damn century....

    PLEASE??????????????????????????????????????

  12. Spartacus Author Profile Page said:

    posted on November 24, 2007 12:24 PM — 72.25.84.228 — linkabuse?



    Jeff:

    Well you didn't seem to mince many words, but I can assure you that if you got the kind of coach that you seem to want, then I'd just have to hate him and Michigan football. Hope that never has to happen.

    Tommie Trojan

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