CC: JH/Lombardi Packaged Deal to SF?

Submitted by Beavis on
Posting this from my phone, so please forgive. But I saw per Bill Simmons' twitter that NBC has an article about the niners making a pitch for nfl network's michael lombardi as their new GM instead of Baalke (?). Apparently Harbaugh and Lombardi are close and he would prefer to work with him. Don't know how much of it is true, but SF could nab him it seems.

Geaux_Blue

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:03 PM ^

this is more about the fact Harbaugh will only go to a team where he has a good relationship with the GM. thus, people speculating on Harbaugh have to speculate first who the GM will be. Lombardi is one of the few shortlist individuals JH has a good relationship with (not that they're close by any means). there's no rumors, AFAIK, that they're being packaged. rather, it's "if the 49ers want any shot, they need Lombardi."

Undefeated dre…

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:06 PM ^

I saw this, and of course it may turn out to be true. Just remember that Lombardi is a huge self-promoter, and if he was really as successful a personnel guy as he claims he is/was he would already be working for an NFL team. My guess is that Lombardi himself leaked this as a way to get a better shot at the 49er job, and to try to torpedo Baalke's candidacy. By tying himself to Harbaugh, Lombardi's trying to get a good rub. But if Harbaugh is the Hulk Hogan of coaching candidates, Lombardi is the Johnny Rodz of GM candidates. Or possiby B Brian Blair. Or Don Kernodle.

TNWolverine

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:06 PM ^

What about Bud Foster if we can't get Harbaugh?  Do you guys think he would make a good HC?  He has been coaching with Beamer forever and I think he is ready to make the HC leap.  Just an idea.  I really hope Harbaugh wants to come back to Michigan though.  I hope Michigan is his dream job!

rlew

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:09 PM ^

I feel like this was reported elsewhere last week, but I don't recall where.  I'm not sure if it's news or simply repackaging old news.

mGrowOld

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:11 PM ^

Yesterday I posted that the lure of staying in the bay area and coaching the niners would be much stronger than people here realize (I lived in SF from 83-89). The 49ers are to SF what the Wings are to Detroit and putting them back into the conversation for the Super Bowl would be just as compelling, out there, as bringing Michigan a National Championship would be here.

Yesterday I was crazy for suggesting such a thing.  Today........

What's plan B?  One more year of RR?

foreverbluemaize

January 3rd, 2011 at 10:47 PM ^

I think that if RR does return next year, there will be a very clear list of goals to achieve, ie; win the division or perhaps the B1G, something like Miami did to Coker a few years ago.  Not like it worked for them but at least there was no quarrels over it when they fired him.

mGrowOld

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^

Wow...I have been gone too long if that's true.  I'll let the folks down here in Ohio to start referring to Detroit as Baseballtown.  Or perhaps Footballtown?  Cause you sure as hell arent going to claim Basketballtown are you?

And once I again I get negged for reminding people that SF is a hell of a great place to live and that the Niners job is pretty damn alluring.  Sigh.....

Hey...I want Jim here as much as everyone else.  And I hope he comes.  It's just not as much of a slam dunk he's going to leave the bay area as the board would like to think it is.

mGrowOld

January 3rd, 2011 at 10:27 PM ^

Yesterday I said basically the same thing I stated above which is that the bay area and the niners job will be tough for jim to pass up. I got negged hard for implying that he wouldn't LEAP at the chance to come if asked.

So yeah...there is a big portion of the board who thinks that or at least did yesterday.

sum1valiant

January 3rd, 2011 at 11:26 PM ^

I just went back and read that thread and don't see where anyone "negged you hard" for implying that he wouldn't leap at the chance.  All the responses to your point say is that Harbaugh may value different things than you.  I'm not on either side of the argument there, because I see both points.  However, no one ever said that he would leap at the chance to come to Michigan.  They simply said that he might.

Don

January 4th, 2011 at 12:10 AM ^

That goes on here quite a bit... if you make a statement contrary to the fervent wishes of the average MGoBlogger, whether in recruiting or game predictions, there is a particular segment that will neg you for issuing an opinion they don't want to hear. It's juvenile, but it's part of the deal.

jmblue

January 4th, 2011 at 12:15 AM ^

Despite what the Red Wings' marketing people have claimed, football and baseball have always been bigger than hockey here.  When the Tigers made the World Series, it was a much bigger deal than any Stanley Cup Final appearance by the Wings.  And if the Lions ever make the Super Bowl (ha!)...

Undefeated dre…

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^

Have the Giants leapt to the forefront of Bay Area sports consciousness?

No dispute that the Bay Area's a great place to live. And it's interesting -- in SF, Harbaugh would be chasing the ghost of Bill Walsh, while at U-M he'd be chasing the ghost of Bo.

I just can't believe that Michigan could be collateral damage of the batshit reign of Mike Singletary.

AnthonyThomas

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:15 PM ^

If this is true, it seems like San Fran are moving around the entire organization to accomodate Harbaugh. I don't understand why they think he's so vital to get. College to NFL coaches don't exactly succeed at a high rate. I can understand Michigan fans being enamored by him to the extent that this board is and I think he's in the best position to succeed here as anyone. I don't see why NFL teams would bend over backward for him, though.

NateVolk

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:21 PM ^

I think two factors: He is locally very popular and a fresh face to ignite the fan base. The second reason is the Yorks are cheap and they want to duck under going and getting a serious proven NFL coach who would be 5 million plus a year.

I think Jim is a super coach, but you  make a really good point. The NFL game is different, the players are different and the amount of friction from your opponents is much greater.

In that regard, Jim is not that much different than another unproven college coach.

WolvinLA2

January 3rd, 2011 at 10:06 PM ^

Yeah, if it really came down to simply dollars, I think UM could pay everything SF is willing to. Remember, with the BTN rolling and a B1G championship game coming, we'll have big dollars to toss around.

Don't discount the desire of some older wealthy alumni to get Harbaugh. You might find a handful of guys willing to pay a year of his salary to get him here.

stankoniaks

January 3rd, 2011 at 10:15 PM ^

I'd be thrilled as an M alum to have JH as our head coach, but if I was Niners fan, I wouldn't be particularly enthused to have him as my head coach.

Who was the most recent prominent college head coach to make it in the NFL? Has there been anyone since Jimmy Johnson?

I'm a Seahawks fan, and I was not happy when we hired Pete Carroll a much more successful college coach, who had been mediocre to decent in hi first NFL go round.

HAIL-YEA

January 3rd, 2011 at 11:24 PM ^

I don't count Carroll because this is not his 1st time being a head coach in the NFL. He took the Pats to the playoffs 2 out of the 3 years he coached there.

I would love to have Harbaugh become the next coach at UofM..but if he was announced as the next coach for the Lions, I might be a bit disappointed as a Lions fan.

maineandblue

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:28 PM ^

Name one coach other than Harbaugh who would a) be willing to come here, b) unite the fan base or at least make many happy, and c) give us a better chance of winning than RR with a new D staff. I dare you. After days of obsessively reading these darned CC threads I've yet to hear about a viable candidate. Please inform.

Beavis

January 3rd, 2011 at 9:31 PM ^

There isn't. RR is like the decent looking chick with a self destructive streak that you've banged a lot of times. It wont be any different but at least it's sex and you're getting some.

Next year there would still be Hoke and (perhaps) Urban Meyer, AND the next hottest coaching candidate.

Personally id sack up with RR for one more year. But then again, by using this analogy im clearly twisted.

maineandblue

January 3rd, 2011 at 10:00 PM ^

I must disagree with the analogy. I can see things being different because we'll have a dramatic increase in the team's experience/age/talent, and RR would have a new and competent D staff.

To me it's more like dating a young woman raised in a somewhat dysfunctional family with a number of huge recent stressors in her life. She's moody and may cope by drinking and eating too much. Still, she loves you and there are things you love about her. She's been in therapy and has shown mild progress in working on her issues, but family and work stressors (many of which are not her fault) continue to make things difficult. Still, she promises to continue to work on it and with your continued support she has at least a decent chance to grow and learn from past mistakes.

There's a girl you've had your eye on for a while, but she may not be as into you as you are into her. Then there are a bunch of mediocre women who are into you, but they don't have half the potential for happiness compared to your current partner.