The latest edition of Inside The Fort features plenty of intel on Michigan Wolverines head football coach Jim Harbaugh, who has one year remaining on his deal. Harbaugh met with athletic director Warde Manuel Thursday evening, but there has been no announcement. We provide what we're hearing on what will come of the talks and a possible timeline for a resolution.
Included inside is an update on the football team and what the product on the field could've looked like should U-M had played Iowa this weekend. We also give an update on Michigan's recruiting efforts, after the Wolverines reeled in an impressive haul on early signing day — some intel on how the class came together and more.
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RELATED: NSD Road Notebook: Michigan Signs Class Full Of Program Changers
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When looking back on signing day and an impressive class — after all the chatter and the speculation and the negative energy — it’s impressive what the Michigan football staff was able to do. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and his assistants had a very good signing day, landing a couple elite prospects at the end in Donovan Edwards and Xavier Worthy.
We were out at East Lansing (Mich.) High wide receiver signee Andrel Anthony’s signing ceremony and spoke with him at length afterwards. Of course, we asked the questions you’d expect about Harbaugh’s status. Anthony said Harbaugh told the recruits he would coach them and that he’s planning on being at Michigan, but — just like in recruiting, a world these kids know well — nothing is official until the ink dries.
To be clear, Anthony believes Harbaugh. He’s confident the Michigan head man will remain on and be his coach for the next four years, but there is a tad bit of doubt that no words or “verbal commitments,” so to speak, can squash.
“I don’t think Harbaugh is going to leave, but even if he does happen to … I’m not too worried about some trash coach coming in and, I don’t know, doing some weird stuff like the Lions did. I’m not too worried about it.”
It’s to the signees’ credit that they are “running through the doors” to play for Michigan, as legendary former U-M head basketball coach John Beilein would put it. Most we’ve talked to have expressed that they want to be in Ann Arbor no matter what.
However, IF Harbaugh is going to return, a very good signing day doesn’t mean Michigan was right to wait until after the season to get the extension done. Michigan lost Jacksonville (Fla.) Sandalwood Rivals100 linebacker Branden Jennings to Maryland. And yes, much of what made Jennings look around and consider other destinations was due to the uncertainty surrounding Harbaugh, Anthony told us, and others were wavering.
“Some people have brought up the fact that Harbaugh may not be there, and then some people are uncertain in the group,” Anthony said. “But we always just affirm each other that we’ve got each other.“
"Harbaugh’s still there, and until something happens, you can’t worry about that because you can’t control it. Don’t worry about that right now; worry about doing everything you can actually do and control.
“We’ve been talking a lot, and some people were uncertain, but I don’t think we’ll have any flips besides Branden.” (He was right.)
Heck, even West Bloomfield head coach and former Michigan wide receiver Ron Bellamy, who doesn’t push his players to his alma mater, said that if Donovan Edwards didn’t pick the Wolverines and he got some flack for it, he was going to blame it on the contract situation. He was half-joking, but still...
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