[Goose]

I think he's an incredible coach. Fundamentally, I like to judge people by results. Here are his results:

Makes sense. If you deliver wins, that is the bottom line.

<snip>
Maybe his supporting cast is a big part of the success, but doesn't he get the credit for that?

Absolutely he does. The dynamic with the staff is apparently oftentimes short term, but he then goes and gets somebody else.

Head coach is the CEO. The goal for the product is wins. He orchestrates - ALWAYS - wins unlike what the teams he leads have any right to expect based on what came before him. He's as good as it gets as a coach.

Until Michigan I would agree with you 100%. His performance at Michigan has been a bit uneven. He has also been there longer, which may expose  warts that don't show up in relatively short tenures. At Michigan, expectations are higher, perhaps unreasonably so. As I have previously posted in some detail, his W-L at Michigan does not blow away some of his predecessors. Obviously it is hard to compare records and times change rapidly these days. I think what happens at Michigan in the next few years tells the story. JH was certainly on the way down until last year (which was not expected to be that good by the pundits). I don't necessarily think JH builds his staff according to a plan. It is "feel" and who is available. I think coaches like to work for him for a short time because it improves their prospects. They fully intend to leave ASAP. Generally, he gets good people, but sometimes he doesn't. He also sometimes asks them to do the impossible. We shall see what happens going forward.

But in the college game at least 50 percent of coaching is recruiting. He has a ceiling on what he can accomplish compared to, frankly, better/more likeable people like Nick Saban and Ryan Day.

Anyway, I really don't think you should diminish supporting cast. Harbaugh has hired over a dozen coaches who went on to become head coaches at the college or NFL level. Aside from Shaw they haven't achieved great success, but the fact he has an eye for leadership others also come to trust in says a lot. And if you don't buy that, my estimation of Harbaugh's coaching really comes down to the scoreboard. His track record at USD, Stanford, San Francisco, and Michigan is beyond stellar.

Except the Michigan part, I fully agree with the scoreboard argument. Michigan has not been an overwhelming success and he almost got fired. It also hasn't been a flop either. For me, what happens going ahead is the story. As far as JH hiring good people, I think he generally has. However, he has had a lot of "at bats" to do that. He has seen quite a few people leave, some because they got a better job and some because it wasn't working. His turnover is pretty high. That can be good, or not.

[Goose]

I think he's an incredible coach. Fundamentally, I like to judge people by results. Here are his results:

Makes sense. If you deliver wins, that is the bottom line.

<snip>
Maybe his supporting cast is a big part of the success, but doesn't he get the credit for that?

Absolutely he does. The dynamic with the staff is apparently oftentimes short term, but he then goes and gets somebody else.

Head coach is the CEO. The goal for the product is wins. He orchestrates - ALWAYS - wins unlike what the teams he leads have any right to expect based on what came before him. He's as good as it gets as a coach.

Until Michigan I would agree with you 100%. His performance at Michigan has been a bit uneven. He has also been there longer, which may expose  warts that don't show up in relatively short tenures. At Michigan, expectations are higher, perhaps unreasonably so. As I have previously posted in some detail, his W-L at Michigan does not blow away some of his predecessors. Obviously it is hard to compare records and times change rapidly these days. I think what happens at Michigan in the next few years tells the story. JH was certainly on the way down until last year (which was not expected to be that good by the pundits). I don't necessarily think JH builds his staff according to a plan. It is "feel" and who is available. I think coaches like to work for him for a short time because it improves their prospects. They fully intend to leave ASAP. Generally, he gets good people, but sometimes he doesn't. He also sometimes asks them to do the impossible. We shall see what happens going forward.

But in the college game at least 50 percent of coaching is recruiting. He has a ceiling on what he can accomplish compared to, frankly, better/more likeable people like Nick Saban and Ryan Day.

Anyway, I really don't think you should diminish supporting cast. Harbaugh has hired over a dozen coaches who went on to become head coaches at the college or NFL level. Aside from Shaw they haven't achieved great success, but the fact he has an eye for leadership others also come to trust in says a lot. And if you don't buy that, my estimation of Harbaugh's coaching really comes down to the scoreboard. His track record at USD, Stanford, San Francisco, and Michigan is beyond stellar.

Except the Michigan part, I fully agree with the scoreboard argument. Michigan has not been an overwhelming success and he almost got fired. It also hasn't been a flop either. For me, what happens going ahead is the story. As far as JH hiring good people, I think he generally has. However, he has had a lot of "at bats" to do that. He has seen quite a few people leave, some because they got a better job and some because it wasn't working. His turnover is pretty high. That can be good, or not.