Jim Harbaugh Ready to Return the San Francisco 49ers Back to Their Glory Days

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For those of you who have followed the coaching career of Jim Harbaugh you will notice there is one thing that sticks out--Winning.

His first stop as the man in charge came prior to the 2004 college football season when he was hired at the University of San Diego. After a 7-4 start to his very first season with the Toreros, Harbaugh would lead USD to a 22-2 record over his final two years, winning the conference championship in each of those two years.

After the 2006 season, Harbaugh was offered the head coaching job at Stanford University. Though his first two seasons were rough, a combined 9-15 record, Stanford turned things around with an 8-5 record in 2009 and a 12-1 record in 2010. His final season finished with a lopsided 40-12 win over Virginia Tech in the 2011 Orange Bowl.

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During this past off season, with the job at Harbaugh alma mater, Michigan, being open most thought he was a shoe-in to be the next head coach of the Wolverines. Surprisingly, he did the opposite, electing instead to remain in the Bay Area as the head coach at Stanford.

His decision to remain there prompted junior quarterback, and 2012 Heisman hopeful, Andrew Luck to also remain in school instead of declaring for the 2010 NFL Draft where he was almost assured of being the No. 1 pick overall.

Not long after Luck made his decision, Harbaugh was offered a job he couldn't turn down. So he took a chance and became the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers.

A team steep in tradition and a franchise who has had names like Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Roger Craig, Ronnie Lott and so many others don the uniform, had lost their way and had lost the ability to be the team everyone respected.

Mike Singletary tried to bring it back to the bay area but failed miserably.

Harbaugh has won at each level of his coaching career. From the University of San Diego of the Pioneer League to the Stanford Cardinal of the now PAC-12. He has found a way to bring in the right players who mesh together perfectly to make an unstoppable team.

He brings out the best in his players like USD quarterback Joe Johnson or Stanford quarterback, Andrew Luck. These two players became stars at their respective schools as well as in their own conference.

So it's only fitting to bring in a coach who knows how to do all of those things. Say what you want about college coaches failing and it's a legitimate argument. Steve Spurrier, now at South Carolina, and Nick Saban, now at Alabama, have both tried their luck at becoming successful NFL coaches.

Both failed.

Harbaugh has a chance to prove that exact theory wrong. He gets a chance to prove that it has everything to do with the coach and not where he came from.

He has a young team and he will have the ability to shape them just the way he needs them to be. When or if the NFL lockout comes to an end, he will have young quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick to lead his offense into the future.

While Smith's status is uncertain as he will become an unrestricted free agent once the lockout is lifted, he told NFL.com he's very secure in the fact he will be back with the team in 2011.

"For the feeling I got from Harbaugh, the offensive coaching staff, from every time I've been in there, from before the lockout, from when the lockout ended that day and a half. But I have such a good feeling. I feel they've been up front about everything they've told me."

Smith is so secure, in fact, he's been leading the 49ers in throwing sessions during this off season.

He may not be the future for this team, especially with a young quarterback out of Nevada (Kaepernick) seemingly ready to take the reigns, I wouldn't expect Smith to let them go without a fight.

The new head coach of the 49ers has a lot of work to do before this season gets underway, if we have one at all. But give him a few years and watch this young head coach return the 49ers to their days of glory.

Jim Harbaugh has won everywhere else, why not here?

Stanford Cardinal: Breaking Down QB Andrew Luck



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The Stanford Cardinal could not have been more excited when they found out their star quarterback, Andrew Luck, would be returning to school for another college football season instead of heading to the NFL Draft. Regardless of the fact he could have been the top overall draft pick.

 

After passing for 2,575 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman, Luck had a breakout sophomore season throwing for 3,338 and an astounding 32 touchdowns to just eight interceptions not to mention completing more than 70 percent of his passes.

Jim Harbaugh, Luck's former head coach at Stanford, was the man who talked his quarterback into returning to school before taking the head coaching job with the San Francisco 49ers. One might wonder if Luck was re-thinking his decision to return to school but ended up keeping his promise to the university.

At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Luck stands tall in the pocket and delivers a strong pass to his receivers. While he can take the normal three-step drop after the snap, Luck is also a guy who can roll out and deliver a pass on the run.

He is as good with the short ball as he is with the long ball. What has helped the Stanford quarterback over the last few years was having talented running backs behind him to keep an opposing defense honest.

In his freshman season, Luck had Heisman candidate running back Toby Gerhart behind him. A bruising running back who was a lot faster than he looked. After Gerhart departed for the Minnesota Vikings and the National Football League, Stepfan Taylor came in and looked every bit as talented as Gerhart, rushing for almost 1,100 yards (1,099) last season.

Luck has had his share of enormous games for Stanford over his two years as the starting quarterback, but when you watch his performance at home against USC in the season's sixth week would stand out. Sure he didn't throw for more than 300 yards, but completing 20 of his 24 pass attempts (83.3%) is impressive for any quarterback, especially against a conference rival.

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Jim Harbaugh Won't Be a Michigan Man

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Just when you think you know how things are going to turn out they end up changing and going in a direction you never thought they would.

That's exactly what happened with Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh who, from what I was told yesterday, was expected to be the next head coach at Michigan. Just over 24 hours later, it seems Michigan is completely out of the running for his services. In fact, according to Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press, if Harbaugh does stay in the college ranks it will be as the head coach at Stanford.

However, don't count out an NFL team from putting together a solid offer to try and lure him to the professional ranks. There was word yesterday that the San Francisco 49ers were the team that was ready to go hard after Harbaugh and reports had the team offering somewhere in the vicinity of $30 million but it wasn't known how many years they would be prepared to offer.

Another NFL team that could get involved, according to Jason LaCanfora the Miami Dolphins could also be a player especially since they got to see Harbaugh in the Sugar Bowl last night as his Stanford club blew out Virginia Tech.

Going back to the conversation I had yesterday with a source close to Michigan, he told me if Harbaugh did not end up going to Ann Arbor they would bring back Rich Rodriguez for another year and then use the 2011 off season to chase down former Florida Gators' head coach Urban Meyer.

It's amazing how things change in just 24 hours but, as of right now, it seems as if Jim Harbaugh is not going to be the next head coach of Michigan. The one thing that could keep him at Stanford is the fact that his quarterback, Andrew Luck who's expected to be the top pick in the 2011 NFL draft, could return to school for one more season.

The final answers to Michigan as well as what Jim Harbaugh's future will be should be known either over the next few days or weeks.

The 49ers are one NFL team that's looking for a new head coach but they're not alone. Harbaugh is going to be a hot commodity until he makes his future official.

Until then, let the rumors continue to fly.

Michigan Can't Have Jim Harbaugh, So Who Will They Get?

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Jim Harbaugh isn't going to Michigan, that much we're sure of after reports surfaced this morning that a deal between the Stanford head coach and the Wolverines fell apart over the weekend.

If the deal fell apart over the weekend there had to be a reason for that and I don't believe it has anything to do with money. He has a solid job at Stanford and no matter how much he wants the job with the Wolverines, with his wife just giving birth, you better believe she has a say in this as well.

Don't get me wrong this isn't a job that a coach like Jim Harbaugh shakes his head at. This isn't a job that he doesn't take seriously or want in the worst way. But when family gets involved and you're in a situation where you can make your family comfortable, things are always as clear as they once seemed.

According to one source I spoke to who has ties to the university, he still believes Harbaugh is going to be the guy. He also told me if Harbaugh isn't hired by the Wolverines, Rich Rodriguez will stay put. Seems far fetched to me but this guy hasn't led me astray yet so I'll buy in to what he's selling. At least for now.

So let's assume for a minute that the Stanford coach isn't the guy and let's forget for a minute that I think this deal is dead for good. Who is next in line and is there really a "short list" of candidates that Michigan is going to look at?

For those of you that have been on the blog before you know I've talked about Boise State head coach Chris Petersen in terms of deserving a bigger coaching job. But every time I bring his name up, he always seems to surprise me by staying with the Broncos but I know it's for reasons that have nothing more than family to do with it. I admire that.

It's that reason alone that I'm actually not going to talk about Coach Petersen when it comes to Michigan. In fact, I'll take him completely out of the running. Boise State fans can thank me later or they can sent me a box of girl scout cookies, I'm completely fine with both as long as the cookies don't have peanut butter in them.

Now that we have Petersen's name out of the way, it's time to talk about who the job could very well go to because his name is going to get a lot of run around San Diego as well as Michigan. It's a name that I've already talked about at length when it comes to the job in Ann Arbor which is about to come open at any time now. Especially after they got embarrassed by Mississippi State.

The name that I will talk about is a guy that San Diego State fans know all too well only because he's the Aztecs' head football coach, Brady Hoke.

He's already gone on the record when it comes to the job in Ann Arbor and it didn't hurt his cause when he made it known that it was his dream job. Problem is, I'm not sure Hoke knew that he would become a top candidate when he made those remarks. I'm almost positive he figured Harbaugh was going to get the gig so there was no reason to say anything less than what he meant.

Now that he seems to be out of the picture, at least for now, Hoke has to know that his name is going to get written in a papers from San Diego to Ann Arbor and everywhere in between.

For those of you who think he's not the right guy for the job, I would think again. You might be in love with Stanford's head coach but you might be equally as impressed with what San Diego State's football program has been able to accomplish under their head coach.

He knows Michigan and he's coached there before. He knows a little bit about the pressure of being on the coaching staff.

Before I crown Brady Hoke the next head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, I'm going to let this process play out. There are those that aren't ready to write off Jim Harbaugh just yet. Just because there's a report that a deal fell apart over the weekend it doesn't mean that either side is done talking or negotiating.

He wants the job, that much is clear. Otherwise he wouldn't be talking to Michigan at all. But don't think for a second that the Wolverines are the only team that wants Harbaugh's services.

The San Francisco 49ers are apparently high on the Stanford head coach and it stands to reason that they would offer him a chance to stay in the bay area and not have to change his commute much. Not only that, but the pay day for becoming an NFL head coach, like his brother in Baltimore, would make his family quite comfortable in Northern California.

According to Mike Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press, via Twitter, he says there's no truth to the reports that we've heard this morning and apparently Peter King has the race for Harbaugh down to Michigan and the 49ers. It matches all the reports that have been floating around this morning.

However, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com seems to think that the 49ers could be the lead dog if they can put a compelling enough deal on the table. Could that be the reason the apparent "deal" with Michigan fell apart or was there any deal at all?

This is a wait and see game for right now. The two names you need to familiarize yourself with are Jim Harbaugh and Brady Hoke.

Those are the two names that are going to become very interesting in this race over the next few weeks.

Chris Petersen, Not Jim Harbaugh Should Be Michigan's Top Candidate

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Boise State is one of the most hated programs in Division 1-A college football. No matter which state you travel to or how many fans you talk to there isn’t one person who doesn’t know, or despise, Boise State.

It’s not the winning they hate and it’s not even the blue turf, though some might have that high on their list, it’s the lack of a strong schedule year in and year out.

You can talk about their Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma and you can even talk about their win over Oregon to kick off the 2009 season. But there are as many people who credit the Broncos with those wins as discredit them as overrated.

We can sit here and debate Boise State until we’re blue in the face, no pun intended, but there is one man with ties to Boise State that gets a lot of respect outside the city of Boise and the Western Athletic Conference.

Boise State’s head coach, Chris Petersen.

That name seems to come up with just about every coaching vacancy that seems to open each and every year in college football no matter where it is.

When the Florida job came open after Urban Meyer decided to step down Petersen’s name immediately hit the rumor mill. Some, myself included, were almost sure he was the number one candidate and shoe-in for the job.

That’s why we were all shocked when the Florida athletic director introduced long time Texas Longhorns defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as their new head coach.

Now, with the Florida job filled as well as the University of Miami, there’s one job that everyone is looking at and one that most believe is already filled. The University of Michigan.

Ever since head coach Rich Rodriguez made the move from West Virginia to Ann Arbor his time was already ticking away. The Wolverine fans weren’t fond of him right from the start and it didn’t take long for them to voice their opposition. The same opposition that has been heard the loudest this season.

With another disappointing season under their belt, it would almost seem like a lock that Rodriguez is about to lose his job. He even went so far as to say he would not lobby the athletic department to be able to stay.

That in itself is the biggest white flag of surrender that Rodriguez has ever sent up the flag pole. It seems like he knows his time has come to an end and he isn’t going to keep the inevitable from happening.

If the rumors are true and he is headed out the door there’s one man that most believe will be his successor, current Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh. In fact, he’s the man that seems to be the growing favorite among Wolverine fans.

But before we hand him the scepter and the keys to the Michigan kingdom, there are those of us that not only believe Harbaugh won’t be the head coach of the Wolverines but I’ll even go as far as to say he’s not the best man for the job.

Say what you want about him being an alumni of the university and a guy that has done a great job with the Stanford football program, but has he really shown the ability to handle the kind of pressure the Michigan job would come with? Stanford isn’t exactly Michigan.

Harbaugh is a coach that is capable of doing big things at the next level of college football but when we’re talking about someone that can take this team back to where it used to be, there’s only one name that needs to be mentioned.

Petersen is not your prototypical rah-rah, fire you up, kind of guy. He’s not the kind of guy that’s going to jump up and down when a big play is made.

He is an under-control, methodical, thinking two and three plays ahead kind of coach. The Wolverines don’t need to be fired up, they need to win. Now.

Before you make the argument that a coach coming from a mid-major program won’t have the same success in big-time college football, need I remind you Urban Meyer spent two seasons as the head coach of the Utah Utes before he won two national championships with the Florida Gators.

Petersen not only brings a proven track record of winning but he brings a name that most top recruits, and their families, will already be familiar with.

Where most football programs would worry about a brand new coach bringing in the right players, one would almost have to wonder if he would have to do any recruiting at all. Would the players come to him?

I have no problem with Jim Harbaugh. In fact, I’m a huge fan of his and I enjoy the kind of spirit and energy he brings to the Stanford sidelines.

But, if I’m the Michigan Wolverines and I’m looking for a guy that can take me back to the top of the Big Ten and back to a shot at the BCS National Championship, there’s only one name they need to write down.

Chris Petersen.

If Michigan Comes Calling, Brady Hoke Needs To Answer

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San Diego State's football program has seen a drastic turnaround and in record time.

After a 4-8 season in 2009 the Aztecs finished the 2010 season with an 8-4 regular season record and an invitation to the Poinsettia Bowl at their home stadium in San Diego.

The man that led them there? Head coach Brady Hoke. The 35-17 win over Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl on Thursday night was their first bowl win since 1969 and they did it in impressive fashion.

Quarterback Ryan Lindley threw for 276 and two scores while running back and game MVP Ronnie Hillman rushed for 226 yards and four total touchdowns for the Aztecs.

Make no mistake about it this Navy team, led by quarterback Ricky Dobbs, the Aztecs made easy work of was not a bad football team at all. In fact, very much the opposite. But it made no difference, the Aztecs were in their own backyard and in their own stadium.
Navy never had a chance.

Heading in to college football's off season rumors surrounding San Diego State head coach Brady Hoke will undoubtedly start to surface sooner rather than later. Though his name has already been mentioned among a few job openings there's one in particular that might be too enticing to pass up.

Michigan.

If Rich Rodriguez is fired, as some believe he will be, you can expect Hoke's name to be among the leading candidates. We don't know for certain that Rodriguez is in fact on his way out but it seems more certain now than in previous years. 

But why Hoke? Isn't he just some college football coach in a mid-major conference out west? Yes he is, but so was Urban Meyer for two seasons at Utah before becoming a two-time national champion at Florida. How many coaches have actually had the kind of success Hoke has had at San Diego State? Can you count them on one hand or do you only need a few fingers?

He already has ties to the school after having been an associate head coach and defensive line coach under Jim Tressell from 1995-2002. After his stint there, Hoke became the head coach at his alma mater Ball State leading them to a 34-38 record in six seasons including a 12-1 record in his final season with the school (2008).

The other name that will come up next to Hoke's is Stanford head coach, and Michigan alum, Jim Harbaugh. He's the man a lot of college football fans believe will be the number one man on Michigan's list. However, there's no indication that he will leave Stanford to take that job no matter how much they're hoping he will.

If Harbaugh remains at Stanford, like some are already speculating, it's Hoke's name that will come up next. If he gets the call and the university's number comes up on his speed dial, he would be a fool not to answer the phone and at least find out what they're offering.

In fact, I'll go a step further. Brady Hoke would be a fool not to take the job if it's offered to him.

Sure I know it's just an assumption at this point because the job isn't open yet but there's a growing consensus that it will be after the season officially comes to a close after the first few weeks of January or maybe after the Super Bowl concludes at the end of the month.

However, if Michigan wants to get a big jump on recruiting and doesn't want to lose any ground it would behoove them to replace Rodriguez as soon as possible.

There are those that are going to mention Hoke's contract extension at San Diego State but, as we all know, not all contract extensions keep head coaches from accepting their dream job at their alma mater. It shouldn't stop the Aztecs' head coach from doing the same.

You can talk about loyalty and you can talk about wanting to be at San Diego State and wanting to achieve greatness there, but greatness at Michigan far outweighs any amount of success in the Mountain West Conference.

If you don't believe me, ask TCU why they're leaving the conference.

If it weren't for a college football coach in a sleepy Southern California town, they wouldn't have much to celebrate sports wise. The San Diego Padres missed the playoffs and the Chargers are in danger of doing the exact same thing. The Aztecs have given the sports fans in that town something to cheer about.

Brady Hoke has done something that a lot of other coaches at San Diego State haven't been able to do and he's done it in a shorter time period than a lot of people thought he would. He's done a job that should absolutely be commended and he's brought the right players in to get the job done.

In the back of his mind he has to know that there is a possibility his dream job will come open and he has to know that there's only one guy ahead of him on their wish list.

If that one guy turns the job down it's up to Hoke to decide whether loyalty will win the day or if his dream job will steal his heart away and lead him back to Ann Arbor.

He'd be a fool not to take it. It's the only shot he's going to get.

Will Brady Hoke Be the Next Head Coach at Michigan?

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Rich Rodriguez has been rumored to be on the hot seat for at least the last few years. It was never a matter of when he was fired, but if.

Well, apparently that time has come if you believe the word coming from Gregg Henson of 105.3 FM in Dallas, TX.

Henson, via his blog says, "[San Diego State head coach] Brady Hoke is a dark horse candidate to replace Rich Rodriguez at Michigan if there is a change and [Stanford head coach] Jim Harbaugh doesn't want the job.  Hoke has even gone as far as to tell San Diego State that he would leave for the Michigan job."

The only reason I find that a tad bit curious, not to say that I don't believe Henson's sources because he's never been led astray before, but Hoke just signed a contract extension with the Aztecs a few weeks ago. If he was that interested in the Michigan job, why sign the extension especially since his first contract ran through the 2013 season?

Well, this article from Brent Schrotenboer of the San Diego Union Tribune may lend some credence to Henson's sources especially since Hoke just about admits that Michigan is his dream job.

When asked if Michigan had a opening at the head coaching position Hoke said, "we wouldn't have signed an extension."

Michigan would love to have Harbaugh, but if he turns the job down it might be Hoke's job to lose.

Michigan Football: Rich Rod Out, Jim Harbaugh in?

Ohio State took it to Michigan again. They beat them in ever facet of the game. Defensively, offensively, it didn't matter, the Buckeyes ran away from the Wolverines, 37-7.

With that in mind, it would seem to me that Rich Rodriguez has coached his last game in Ann Arbor. There's no way that the school can or should bring him back. They need a shot in the arm, they need a new start, they need someone that is going to bring this team back to greatness. The Wolverines have lost nine of the last 10 games in this series including eight straight. That alone is grounds for change in the eyes of Michigan fans, boosters, and maybe the administration itself.

I do feel sorry for Rodriguez, however. He was the same guy that said he wasn't leaving West Virginia before he snuck away from the Mountaineers to take the Michigan job. Fans there were furious. They wanted retribution and they wanted his name stripped from the campus or the minds from every fan there.

But, on the flip side of things, West Virginia fans have kept their curse on Rich Rod and it's worked. The Wolverines haven't had the same kind of success since their head coach came to Ann Arbor. Success to them is beating Ohio State and they haven't been able to do that.

With Michigan's season coming to a close, the rumors will begin hot and heavy as to whether Rich Rod will keep his job through next season, if at all. We've heard these rumors before and we've heard the one name that continues to be brought up. This is a guy that has made an impact where he is now and turned a Stanford team into a top 10 team nationally.

This is a name that everyone knows is more than interested in the Michigan job because it's his alma mater. The name is Jim Harbaugh, the current head coach for the Stanford Cardinal.

His quarterback, Andrew Luck, is headed to the NFL, so is there really a reason to stay where he is? Is there a reason he shouldn't take the job at Michigan if it's offered to them?

I can think of one. Domination of the PAC-10.

Sure it doesn't sound like much, but when was the last time Stanford found themselves at the top of the conference that is usually dominated by USC? Does he really want to take over a Michigan team that won't be in the same conversation with Ohio State or even Wisconsin for at least the next few years? Will the Michigan brass expect him to turn this team around in a single year, expectations they know are far too high?

Whatever the expectation is, I believe Harbaugh will stay at Stanford and will send the Michigan administration scrambling to find someone that is wanting the job.

Only thing is, they'll be hard pressed to find a guy that has the same credentials and same big name than Jim Harbaugh. How shocking is it going to be when he declines their offer? What's next for Rich Rodriguez?

All those questions could be answered within just the next few weeks or sooner. We know that Rodriguez is, and should be, out as the head coach. Who the next man will be is yet to be seen. But I don't believe it will be Harbaugh no matter how much Michigan wants him.