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Kirk Herbstreit says criticism of Jim Harbaugh is ‘absurd’
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Jim Harbaugh has come under plenty of scrutiny lately, following Michigan’s 42-13 loss to Penn State on Saturday. Comparisons to Brady Hoke have already been drawn and questions about whether he really is the right guy for the job have surfaced.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit is tired of hearing all of that noise.
On the Herbstreit & Fitzsimmons podcast this week, Herbstreit went on about a two-minute rant regarding the criticism Harbaugh has received recently, saying all those negative comments and questions are “absurd.
“All I see is a graphic, everywhere I’ve looked this week…Brady Hoke’s record after this much time and there’s Jim Harbaugh’s record after this time,” Herbstreit said. “They’re basically saying, ‘they fired Brady Hoke, what’s going on with Jim Harbaugh?'”
Herbstreit confessed that he’s a believer in Harbaugh and thinks this is just a rough patch for the Wolverines. After all, they did lose 43 seniors and a guy named Jabrill Peppers.
“Do I think Jim Harbaugh can recruit? I do,” Herbstreit continued. “Do I think Jim Harbaugh can coach? I do. Do I think Jim Harbaugh can motivate? I do.”
In his first two seasons in Ann Arbor, Harbaugh led Michigan to a pair of 10-win seasons. But he’s caught plenty of flack recently for a woeful 1-4 record vs. Michigan State and Ohio State.
But while several continue to knock Harbaugh, Herbstreit believes that there’s a bright future ahead for the program.
“The notion that he doesn’t know what he’s doing is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard and anyone who’s a legitimate fan of their program would be smart to get behind this team.” Herbstreit said. “He’s still building this program up. He’s still putting those bricks in place when it comes to recruiting.”
For the full podcast and to hear all of Herbstreit’s thoughts, you can listen here.
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