[BostonCard]

I totally agree with your statement here except that I disagree where the floor is. If you project Harbaugh's 2020 record to a full season, he would have been 4-8. Even at a "good" program it really doesn't take much to have a 0.500 season. A few injuries in positions where you are strong coupled with a somewhat unusual weakness in other areas can do that. One could argue that Harbaugh's 8-8 season in his last year with the 49ers was an example of that. (NFL vs. college are different, and  obviously his firing was more political than performance based).
Until this year, Harbaugh had limited emotional capital in the bank with the fans and the AD. Being an alum helped, and he hadn't had any real bad season. However, his failure to beat tOSU was beginning to sting. His bad 2020 and the associated doubt about his offensive skill positions going into this year almost got him. His success this year against tOSU made a big deposit in his account with the fans and the AD. Further, his choice to divert his bonuses to the rest of the department (which I think was a genuine good deed) has the additional benefit of adding to that capital. He has probably gained immunity to at least one 6-6 season, which he didn't have before. Anything he manages to do going forward this year is gravy.

Since Bo Schemblecker was hired in 1969, Michigan has only had four seasons under .500, Rich Rod’s first two seasons. (2008 and 2009), Brady Hoke’s last season (2014), and the COVID-influenced 2020 season under Harbaugh.  Thus, I think it is safe to say that in a non-pandemic year, the floor for a “good coach”, defined as better than Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, is around .500.

BC

[BostonCard]

I totally agree with your statement here except that I disagree where the floor is. If you project Harbaugh's 2020 record to a full season, he would have been 4-8. Even at a "good" program it really doesn't take much to have a 0.500 season. A few injuries in positions where you are strong coupled with a somewhat unusual weakness in other areas can do that. One could argue that Harbaugh's 8-8 season in his last year with the 49ers was an example of that. (NFL vs. college are different, and  obviously his firing was more political than performance based).
Until this year, Harbaugh had limited emotional capital in the bank with the fans and the AD. Being an alum helped, and he hadn't had any real bad season. However, his failure to beat tOSU was beginning to sting. His bad 2020 and the associated doubt about his offensive skill positions going into this year almost got him. His success this year against tOSU made a big deposit in his account with the fans and the AD. Further, his choice to divert his bonuses to the rest of the department (which I think was a genuine good deed) has the additional benefit of adding to that capital. He has probably gained immunity to at least one 6-6 season, which he didn't have before. Anything he manages to do going forward this year is gravy.

Since Bo Schemblecker was hired in 1969, Michigan has only had four seasons under .500, Rich Rod’s first two seasons. (2008 and 2009), Brady Hoke’s last season (2014), and the COVID-influenced 2020 season under Harbaugh.  Thus, I think it is safe to say that in a non-pandemic year, the floor for a “good coach”, defined as better than Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke, is around .500.

BC