Ad Disclosure
Kirk Herbstreit not buying into concerns about Jim Harbaugh’s future at Michigan
Published:
For the third time in four years, Jim Harbaugh guided Michigan to a 10-win season and had the Wolverines right in the thick of the B1G East race. But after the fourth straight loss to Ohio State, the frustration with the head coach only grew.
That, of course, has led to some people wondering whether or not Michigan should look into finding a replacement at head coach. If the Wolverines couldn’t top the Buckeyes this season, when will they?
While some have called for Harbaugh’s job, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit doesn’t believe that would be the right move.
“I don’t necessarily have concerns about him going forward, personally,” Herbstreit said on Get Up! on Tuesday morning. “I think he’s built a program that’s been good enough to win most of their games in the conference. The Ohio State thing is — it almost feels like if they couldn’t win that one, when are they going to be able to beat Ohio State.
“I think it’s easy right now, after another loss to Ohio State, to look at Jim Harbaugh and say ‘hey, they gotta find a new coach.’ That is not the case at all. If anything, they’ve gotta continue to tweak, continue to improve different athletes.”
Harbaugh has been unable to produce results against Ohio State, which is a huge issue in Ann Arbor. But, he’s also provided more stability than the two coaches prior to his arrival — Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke.
Four seasons into his tenure, Harbaugh has tallied a 38-13 record and 26-9 in B1G games. The Wolverines have an opportunity to win 11 games for the first time sine 2011 and just the third time since 1997.
The anger and frustration aimed Harbaugh’s direction is certainly understandable, but Herbstreit’s point is a good one. It’s hard to find another coach who could hit the 10-win mark so consistently.
For now, Harbaugh’s job should be safe.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB