The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1493247
4 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2023 HARBAUGH REDUX As a U of M alumnus, I am disturbed that at the conclusion of the NFL regular season that Jim Harbaugh begins flirt- ing with the NFL re: various coaching positions. Does this have to go on every year? It seems to end when he pledges to be a Michigan man for life and gets a salary bump, a contract extension and a bigger buyout contract amount. His shenanigans are an embarrassment to the University, cause uncertainty for returning players, uncertainty for poten- tial recruits and may affect transfer portal candidates. Jim Harbaugh has the ability to hire good coaches who are good recruiters and the players seem to like him. Given that, he has the set-up to build a Michigan dy- nasty. Most Division I coaches in America would die to have the U of M job and the potential for greatness that goes with it. He strikes me as a bit cuckoo not to recognize that. I hope Jim can change his ways! Richard Chamberlin B.B.A. '61 Hickory Corners, Mich. Editor's Note: Mr. Chamberlin, we re- ceived your letter that was sent before the Jan. 16 announcement that Jim Harbaugh would indeed be staying on at Michigan. We agree that the annual speculation of will-he, won't-he go to the NFL was an unwelcome exercise for U-M fans, but we believe that is in the rear-view mir- ror now. While "No man knows the future," the new contract Harbaugh is anticipated to sign should offer some strong guaran- tees that the Wolverines' football program will enjoy his leadership for many years to come. It may not have been pretty to watch this process play out so publicly, but there's no arguing that the end result of keeping Harbaugh in Ann Arbor is a win-win for all parties with a vested in- terest in Michigan football. ON U-M'S FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS No one is going to say this was the best class in history because it's not. Should it have been higher after the past two seasons? Absolutely. But to call it a bad class is a little bit of a stretch. Yes, I would have loved a top- 10 class, but we gotta up the NIL game. Personally, I really feel that Jyaire Hill, Enow Etta, Karmello English, Cole Cabana, Evan Link, Deakon Tonielli and Amir Herring will all be multi-year starters. (I also think we'll have a sur- prise down the road with someone like Semaj Morgan, Cameron Calhoun or Brooks Bahr that turns out to be a monster.) We really need a QB though in the next class. Jadyn Davis or not. — MoreDuh U-M is in very good shape. A step up in this year's recruiting cycle is important, but another great por- tal run can move a "traditional" number 15 class into the top 10. Given this, Jim [Harbaugh] needs to sign a damn multi-year contract with a nice buyout figure. We need the deal done. This is negatively impacting U-M and did last year. — UMStan15 Combine this with high level trans- fers and you have a formula for suc- cess. Kind of like NFL draft plus free agency. It also avoids being lever- aged by five-stars that often damage team chemistry. New England did it successfully for 20 years. Having the GOAT did help. — Doggnasty HARBAUGH'S BEST COACHING STAFF YET I agree that Harbaugh has assem- bled a hell of a staff. I just question why with regard to the coaching staff Michigan is cutthroat and does what- ever it takes to win a Natty. But then on the recruiting front it's, "Ah well we can't get the top players, so we will embrace culture and go after lowly recruited three stars." That's what I call a misalignment of strategy. Nonetheless, I'm excited about this year and will hope it goes slowly be- cause nobody knows the future. — ObjectiveBlue321 From Our Website March 2023 • Vol. 34, No. 9 ISSN 1048-9940 Editor John Borton TheWolverine.com Editor Chris Balas Football Recruiting Editor EJ Holland Staff Writers Clayton Sayfie, Anthony Broome Zach Libby, Drew Hallett Managing Editor Mark Panus Contributing Editors Matt Herb Steve Downey Chris Riffer Layout And Design Jeanette Blankenship Chris Miller Contributing Photographers Lon Horwedel Per Kjeldsen Cover Photo EJ Holland Publisher Stu Coman Business Manager Linda Autry Circulation Manager Sarah Boone Advertising Sales Michelle DeLee-Hamilton 877-630-8768 Customer Service Cathy Jones, Laura Thornton, Crystal Clayton 800-421-7751 The Wolverine is published monthly. A one- year (12 issues) subscription is $66.99. The Wolverine is printed at The Papers in Milford, Ind. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Wolverine, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702. 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