It’s official: Jim Harbaugh is no longer Michigan’s head football coach. He left for the same job with the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers on Wednesday, leaving his alma mater after winning three straight Big Ten titles and this season’s national championship.
The latest episode of the Wolverine Confidential podcast starts there: Was Harbaugh’s departure a surprise? (Spoiler alert: No.)
Michigan administrators said they did everything they could to retain Harbaugh. Still, some want to blame athletic director Warde Manuel for letting Harbaugh leave. Is that criticism fair?
We also discuss what — or more accurately who — comes next for Michigan football. Sherrone Moore seems like the logical choice to replace Harbaugh. What might his staff look like and how will the transition affect recruiting and the current roster?
We tackle all of that on Wolverine Confidential. You can listen to the entire episode below, by clicking here (latest episode of Wolverine Confidential), or anywhere you find podcasts.
Paul Finebaum: Jim Harbaugh leaving Michigan is good for college football
The biggest sports story of the day comes in the form of Jim Harbaugh’s departure from Michigan to join the Los Angeles Chargers.
But while most of the coverage has focused on how Harbaugh will fare in his return to the NFL, there’s also the matter of college football losing not only its reigning national champion head coach but also one of the sport’s biggest personalities.
In order to dissect the latter, ESPN’s First Take turned to Paul Finebaum. And when asked about the college football impact of Harbaugh leaving for the NFL, the longtime radio host didn’t mince words.
“I think it’s a positive, frankly,” Finebaum said. “I hate to interrupt the coronation of a new pope, but let’s remember a couple of things about Jim Harbaugh, my friends…”
“You’re hilarious, Paul,” host Molly Qerim interrupted. “Paul, you are unbelievable.”
Undeterred, the host of The Paul Finebaum Show continued.
“The first six years (at Michigan) weren’t exactly virtuoso. He nearly got fired, and he was this close to getting fired. The last three years were brilliant. Everyone agrees with that, and that’s why we’re celebrating him today, and we should celebrate him,” Finebaum said.
“But he’s leaving behind a mess. I realize he won the national championship and that’s so easy to celebrate. But there are two separate NCAA investigations ongoing and will be adjudicated.”
