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In some ways, former Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh had the storybook ending in Ann Arbor. The Michigan Alum finally captured the school’s first outright national title since 1948 with a perfect 15-0 season that saw another win over Ohio State.
But, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows behind the scenes. As Harbaugh faced investigations into two scandals, one dealing with alleged recruiting violations and the other dealing with an alleged sign-stealing operation, a new book claims that his relationship with Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel was one of the biggest reasons he left Michigan for the Los Angeles Chargers.
It truly was a college football season unlike any other last year. Michigan cruised along for a while with an easy early-season schedule. Harbaugh sat out the first three games of the season due to self-imposed sanctions by the university relating to the investigation over improper recruiting benefits, but they cruised.
On October 19, news broke that alleged that team staffer Connor Stalions had led a sign-stealing ring using video, something that many contended was illegal. The commissioner of the Big Ten, Tony Petitti, suspended Jim Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season the Friday prior to a crucial road game at Penn State. Michigan won that game, and beat Ohio State a few weeks later, before Harbaugh’s return.
But, I think a lot of people got the feeling that Jim Harbaugh was not necessarily enthused with the level of defense provided by Warde Manuel. An excerpt from the upcoming book, The Price: What It Takes to Win in College Football’s Era of Chaos by Armen Keteyian and John Talty, details just how frustrated Jim Harbaugh was with Warde Manuel after the Wolverines’ season.
During a two-day getaway with his wife Sarah on Coronado Island off the coast of San Diego, Harbaugh unloaded to longtime friend Todd Anson. He told Anson he wanted to remain at Michigan but believed Manuel—no matter his public pronouncements—was not the advocate he needed in his corner, particularly in front of the Board of Regents. He also raged against Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who before the three-game Big Ten suspension had promised to meet Harbaugh in Ann Arbor and brief him on what the conference was doing, only to stand him up. [Through a spokesperson, Petitti declined an interview request.]
The day after his outburst to Anson, Harbaugh had an initial interview with the Los Angeles Chargers. Afterward, his tone had softened. Leaning toward taking the NFL job, if offered, he dialed down the Manuel rhetoric, no longer interested in a potential legal battle and fighting people he later said were “gunning for me.” It suggested in attitude and tone that his days in Ann Arbor were numbered.
If you’re a Michigan fan, that’s got to make you incredibly angry. It seems as though if things were handled a little differently, Harbaugh would’ve accepted the $11 million per year contract offer that was extended to him and would’ve stayed in Ann Arbor. It’s concerning any time your head coach isn’t confident in your athletic director.
That being said, maybe Jim Harbaugh would’ve left anyway. It was his third straight offseason flirting with the NFL and the Chargers offered him $16 million a year for five years to come work with a team that has some talent and a bona fide franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert.
That being said, if new Wolverine coach Sherrone Moore can’t keep the program at the standard that was set, Michigan fans will be wondering what if Jim Harbaugh would’ve stayed.