The University of Michigan’s football team continued their downward spiral under coach Brady Hoke on Saturday when Minnesota came into the Big House and walked out with the Little Brown Jug against Hoke’s typically hapless offense.
The seat under Hoke’s rear end couldn’t be any hotter, which has led some to speculate that the school could make a run at 49ers coach and former Wolverines quarterback Jim Harbaugh as he and the Niners have failed to agree on a contract extension. On Sunday, however, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the school actually preferred Ravens coach John Harbaugh as a potential Hoke replacement.
It’s easy to understand why Michigan would be interested in either Harbaugh. After watching Hoke leave injured quarterback Shane Morris in the game and then send him back in for a snap after finally pulling him in the second half of the team’s third lifeless loss in as many tries against competition from the top tier of the current NCAA alignment, it would be easy to understand why they might be interested in Rich Kotite. According to a report from Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, however, the interest isn’t reciprocated.
Wilson reports that John Harbaugh is happy in his current job, which sees him at 3-1 this season and 65-35 overall with a Super Bowl title in addition to a strong regular season record. He’s also signed through the 2017 season and doesn’t have his brother’s history with the program -- John Harbaugh went to high school in Ann Arbor while his father was on the U of M staff, but went to Miami of Ohio -- or success as a college coach to serve as temptations.
Michigan, which briefly took to giving tickets away to people who buy soda in order to fill a stadium that once crammed in 100,000-plus without difficulty, is almost certainly headed for a coaching change so there will likely be more talk about both Harbaughs. For now, though, it seems that only one of them might be interested.
