Analyzing Warde Manuel's Comments About Jim Harbaugh

Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel spoke with the media today and obviously Jim Harbaugh was at the center of the discussion.

Warde Manuel presides over Michigan's entire athletic department but everyone knows that football butters his bread. That's why whenever he speaks with the media, football, and more specifically Jim Harbaugh, are the centers of attention.

Earlier today Manuel said several things that stood out when asked about Harbaugh's contract and the overall performance of the program. Manuel has to say certain things in a certain way in a public setting, but some of his comments just don't seem to hold water. Some of what he said was spot on, but some definitely wasn't.

“I didn’t have a backup plan [beyond Harbaugh]. After the season, we had a great conversation and talked through things. There was no secondary plan in case the talks didn’t go well."

First of all, this is BS. I know for a fact that other coaches were vetted and wheels were put in motion in case Harbaugh had landed an NFL job. There was a short list of names and those people knew that they were on the list. Secondly, Manuel saying that there isn't a backup plan is just strange. It's literally his job to have a backup plan in place even when he doesn't need one. It would be malpractice for an athletic director to not have an ever-fluid list of replacements for coaches of every sport. It seems like he should know that we know that, so saying that Harbaugh was the only plan is just odd.

"Jim and I understand we need to win. This is Michigan. Nobody wants to win more than Jim in football and me overall."

I'm fine with this and actually glad Manuel said it this way because I believe it with my whole heart. Of course Harbaugh wants to win. I've said the same thing about him a million times. He's a proud, competitive, former Wolverine. He wants Michigan to be on top as much or more than anyone and I fully believe he's done everything he can think of to achieve that. Some things were successful and some weren't. Overall and unfortunately on the field, it just hasn't happened on the levels that it needs to and that's why I think he should be gone. It's not personal, it's not because I don't think he wants it and it's not because I dislike the program or the teams, coaches and players under Harbaugh — quite the contrary. It's a results business and I don't think the results warranted an extension. 

"Did I put a number on it? No. I want him to move forward and build this and continue to drive us toward success in football."

I had a couple of different thoughts here. 

One, why not put a number on it? This is big boy football, there are millions of dollars involved and Harbaugh is heading into year seven. There shouldn't be any surprises or unexpected bumps in the road at this point. I'd be totally fine with Warde saying, "Hey Jim, win at least nine games or you're gone." Granted, he's not going to announce that during a press conference, but I'd be totally fine with some sort of ultimatum. Maybe there was a discussion like that but I don't think so. I got the sense that Manuel never actually mentioned a hard number when talking with Harbaugh, but I'm not really sure why that wouldn't be part of the process.

Second, how long is this freakin drive and is "success" really the direction things are currently moving? It's year seven and so many of the same issues have been consistent every year. More specifically and more recently, Michigan went 2-4 last year and looked really bad doing it. You just don't hear things like, "move forward" and "toward success" in year seven under the same coach.

"Obviously, I am willing to be patient."

Actually, it's not obvious at all. Slicing a coach's salary in half and essentially wiping out his buyout says "now or never" to me, not "take your time," regardless of how many years the extension is for.

I've been told that Manuel will never fire Harbaugh, so what looks like patience may actually be something else. Still, the new deal, the wholesale changes by Harbaugh with his staff and the boom-or-bust hires do seem to indicate that Harbaugh will get some time to figure it out, but the terms of said deal, do not. 

"I’m anxious to see the outcome of this team and the work they’re doing now and it culminating during the season. I’m excited to see some of the changes on the defensive scheme and what Mike [Macdonald] and Mo Linguist are bringing to the table to coordinate the defense."

I legitimately am too. There are just so many questions surrounding the roster and the coaching staff that you can't help but be anxious about seeing how it all looks. 

I like a lot of what the new coaches are doing in terms of injecting energy into the program. By all accounts, they've already improved the culture too, which was definitely needed. Throw in how they've been recruiting and there are reasons to be excited there. The Xs and Os and scheme changes are a little concerning, but it's not like these guys have never coached anything before, a few of them are just doing some things for the first time. That doesn't always play out in a negative way. In fact, I love young, up-and-comers in the world of coaching and often like the idea of giving those kinds of guys a shot. However, I'm worried that there might be a little too much of that going on in one season. Again, we'll know when the season rolls around and that's where the anxiety comes from.