Jim Harbaugh is Running a Long Con at Michigan

Jim Harbaugh is an overpaid, lackluster showboat who can’t win the big games.

I’m not the originator of the “Harbs is overpaid” opinion. Paul Finebaum said Harbaugh is the “most overpaid coach in college football history.”

He gets $7.5 million bucks per year and holds a whopping $17.1 million buyout. And he can’t beat Urban Meyer. And that’s a truckload of money for a 50% win rate over Sparty. Not only that, the aggregate losses to Ohio State is 162 to 99.

Urban Meyer ran laps around Harbaugh.

Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

What should be most disappointing to Wolverine fans is that Harbaugh has had some of the most loaded teams in Michigan history. That 2016 team was awesome. The 2017 team was awesome. He’s had the B1G’s first or second best teams, in terms of quality players at every position, since he arrived.

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

And he still can’t win the B1G. He can’t close the deal. In 2015, he lost to Sparty and then OSU. In 2016, the wheels came off at Iowa. And then he lost to OSU. IN 2017, it was Sparty again, then Penn State, then Wisconsin…and then OSU. In 2018 it was Notre Dame and then OSU.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Do you see a pattern?

Jim Harbaugh doesn’t have the temperament to win a B1G championship. Maybe this is self sabotage? Certainly, losing to Sparty two of four years may be the best long con against Michigan fans ever perpetrated.

In terms of IMPORTANT MICHIGAN GAMES, he’s an abysmal 2- 6…2-7 if you count losing to Notre Dame. That’s has to be a joke. You are paying this guy the second highest salary in college football...and he just can’t close the deal.

Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

But seriously…Jim Harbaugh is not an elite coach. Not by a mile. He’s never going to contend with Saban or Swinney or Riley or even Frost. He may get there occasionally, like a 17-year locust...but he won’t be in the hunt year in and year out.

He’s good, don’t get me wrong. But he gets all the face cards, when it comes to recruiting. If you gave Kirk Ferentz this many four stars, he’d rival Nick Saban…so why can’t Harbaugh do it?

Coach baiting is a favorite pass time here at OTE, but I don’t believe Harbaugh gets enough grief. He’s overpaid. Can’t win the important games. And he’s a flagrantly spoiled child during games.

Your Friend,

Townie