Michigan Football Chatter: On Harbaugh, Gattis, & U-M's Coaching Future
Last week, our own Steve Deace wrote a column on who could replace Jim Harbaugh if he doesn't win big in 2020. I followed up with a column on why Michigan fans shouldn't concern themselves with such talk, at least not until after the 2021 campaign, but make no mistake, internally, Michigan athletic department officials are very happy with the direction of the program.
In fact, we still believe Harbaugh will receive a contract extension, though that discussion has been tabled (at least publicly) for financial reasons.
"At first, there was the realization that making a deal that increased Jim's pay to today's market value, something north of $8 million per, would not have been a good look with staggering unemployment this spring," one of our sources shared. "But now, it's very much a bigger-picture financial discussion because no one really knows what our revenues will look like over the next six months or more. And Jim gets that. He's very self aware."
Understand this, it is very much Michigan's intent - and we believe that of Harbaugh's - to coach beyond the original 2021 contract, some thinking 10 years is a "magic" number, but noting that all sides are committed to Harbaugh being in Ann Arbor as long as the program remains a model on and off the field.
That might mean different things to different people, but on a scale of 1-10, multiple sources say the higher-ups in the department and the influential donors are around a '9' in satisfaction.
"Everyone wants to beat Ohio State and win the Big Ten, but they want to do it 'the Harbaugh way' and not take shortcuts, and right now, right now, there are no realistic candidates outside the program better than Jim."
When I shared Steve's list with my sources, I got a lot of shrugs.
"The fact is, no one in this athletic department is thinking about replacing Jim. No one. If I'm a betting man, he's here another three, four or five years."
Whether it's three, four, five or more, there are two intriguing candidates on the current staff that have the requisites to be future head coaches, and since coaches-in-waiting are gaining traction these days (Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma, Ryan Day at Ohio State), Mario Cristobal (Oregon) and Jimmy Lake (Washington), could Michigan position itself to do the same down the road?
Those two candidates are offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and offensive line coach Ed Warinner.
When he was hired away from Alabama, Gattis immediately made an impression on the fans and, more importantly, recruits and his team - his social media presence and #speedinspace talk energizing everyone.
The Wolverines started slowly on offense in 2019, but Gattis held firm (and Harbaugh stayed committed to his first-year OC), and soon the Maize and Blue were putting up big-time numbers against Illinois, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Indiana and even Ohio State in the first half.
It wasn't a perfect offensive showing. There were still major lapses (first half against Penn State, second half against Ohio State and second half against Alabama) and inconsistent quarterback play, but Gattis' strategy, play design and play-calling are all on par with the best offenses in college football.
Now the execution must get there.
This past year, Gattis has distinguished himself on the recruiting trail, his ingenuity on social media (calling attention to Michigan's unparalleled brand when "name, image and likeness" talk really heated up and his tweets about social activism as both a black man and as a leader of so many impressionable student-athletes) has garnered the attention of powerful people at U-M.
"He has an extremely bright mind when it comes to football but also when it comes to leading men away from football," one of our insiders shared. "He's learned a great deal from Jim about exercising his voice and his actions in a way that can have a positive impact on his team and the university.
"He's a future star, and we'd like him to be here as long as Jim is and, maybe, beyond that. No one can predict the future, but he could be our Ryan Day or Lincoln Riley."
In some ways, as the driving force behind Michigan's offense, Gattis already is.
Warinner is also a coach that could project as a head coach, though there is not a consensus on that from the folks I spoke to, one believing, like Brady Hoke, Warinner is the "perfect position coach and worth every dollar" because of his ability to get the best out of, arguably, the second-most important position on a team.
Others think he is so relatable and well-liked, and yet disciplined and well-organized, that the final act of his incredible 37-year college coaching career is taking that final step into a head-coaching role. With the right supporting cast, he could "be an outstanding choice" though Warinner might have typecast himself.
"The biggest reason why I wouldn't hire him to be the head coach is I wouldn't want to lose him as the offensive line coach - he's that good."
