Fingers Crossed

     With the San Francisco 49ers eliminated from playoff contention, the Jim Harbaugh to Michigan buzz is building again. Gallons of ink have been spilled and miles of column space have been used analyzing the likelihood of this potential homecoming, but as a Michigan fan writing from Columbus, I feel obligated to add my two cents. I’ll go on the record as saying that Wolverine fans need to be dropping to their knees and bargaining with the football gods in the hopes that this deal gets done.

     Why is Jim Harbaugh returning to Ann Arbor so important? First, let’s be honest with ourselves. This is a program that has turned into a train wreck. It’s more than just the sub-par handful of seasons under Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez; it’s about a program that has lost its identity. If you think I’m overstating the case, ask yourself this—What defines this football team’s identity? During the much revered time of Bo Schembechler, it had a name-- three yards and a cloud of dust. Even more recently, under the tenure of Coach Lloyd Carr, the team was defined by its pro-style offense and tough defense. The transition to Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense was a complete disaster (I’ll get into why I think this happened some other time). The hiring of Coach Hoke was supposed to be a return to first principals, but it seems clear that the job was simply too big for the man. The almost total non-development of the numerous highly touted recruits that passed through the program is the strongest evidence to that charge that I can think of.  

      Few, if any, of the potential coaching candidates, understand the importance of team identity at Michigan, and come with the track record of success at the highest levels that Harbaugh boasts. Harbaugh’s success at Stanford speaks to his ability to succeed at an institution that maintains stringent academic standards. His success at the NFL level suggests that he can manage a program as immense as the one in Ann Arbor. His time as a quarterback under Schembechler ( a time when Michigan first began its transition to the pro-style offense than would later become a trademark), and his development of unheralded spread-option quarterback Colin Kaepernick into a winning NFL talent, hints at an ability to evolve when the time calls for it.

     With years of mediocrity in its immediate past, recruits de-committing, and Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio building SEC clones in Columbus and East Lansing, this hire comes at pivotal moment for the Wolverines. A miss with this decision, and the program could find itself wandering the wilderness, hoping for berths in the Holiday Bowl, for a decade or more. A Harbaugh hire has the potential to stop the bleeding, and set course for sustained excellence. Harbaugh’s NFL pedigree and Andrew Luck’s success in Indianapolis will allow him to sell recruits on the idea that he’s the coach to develop their talents and get them to the next level. Michigan’s academic reputation and, his track record at Stanford, will let him go into any living room in America, and sell parents on the idea that they are not sending their son to just a football factory.  Finally, his hometown roots should keep the detractors at bay during what may be a painful rebuilding process.  Seriously, the administration needs to back-up the money truck, offer a seven year deal if necessary, and get this thing done.