Everybody’s favorite milk-drinking, red meat-devouring, chicken-avoiding, khaki-wearing football coach resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he belongs, but Jim Harbaugh’s journey to the Big House nearly took a major detour nearly a decade ago.
I love Jim Harbaugh. There, I said it. (via @247Sports) pic.twitter.com/Y1EWkBg7R6
— Elika Sadeghi (@steakNstiffarms) July 30, 2018
After allegations of verbal abuse in the locker room plagued the team’s on-field success, Mark Mangino and the University of Kansas decided to part ways. Meanwhile on the west coast, Jim Harbaugh was finishing up his third season at Stanford with an 8-4 record for the season. Then-Jayhawks athletic director Lew Perkins had his eyes set on the former pro quarterback as the next man in charge in Lawrence.
What were the odds?
Well kids, back in 2009, the Kansas football program wasn’t in complete disarray. Not as desirable of a job as a major football powerhouse like Oklahoma or even his current residence, Michigan, but back in ’09, those schools weren’t calling Harbaugh. (Except in January 2009, Harbaugh interviewed for the New York Jets head coach position, but the gig ultimately went to Rex Ryan)
There were rumors a deal was in place and everything was set for the fiery coach of the Cardinal to take flight to Lawrence and become a Jayhawk. Ultimately, Harbaugh would eventually move on from Stanford, but not until the San Francisco 49ers offered Harbaugh his first (and only) head coaching position in the NFL in 2011.
So what happened?
In 2009, Stanford’s 8-4 season resulted in an appearance in the Sun Bowl, which they ultimately lost. Rumor has it (and understandably so), Harbaugh intended on coaching his roster one final time for Stanford in the bowl game, but Perkins was insistent that he step down and join the Jayhawks to kick off the recruiting process. When Harbaugh refused, that was it; The end of all hope for Jim Harbaugh on the sideline in Memorial Stadium in Lawrence and the end of all hope for the Jayhawks, too.
Where are we now?
Harbaugh left for the NFL and the 49ers in 2011, won Coach of the Year in his first season, lost the 2013 Super Bowl to his brother and coach of the Baltimore Ravens, John, and headed back to the college game after an 8-8 2014 season in San Francisco. The former Wolverine immediately signed with his alma mater and has battled near the top of the B1G ever since his arrival in 2015.
The Jayhawks haven’t enjoyed the same amount of success. Perkins turned to Turner Gill, a former Cornhusker, to step in after Mangino’s departure. Perkins’ tenure came to an abrupt end at the hands of a ticket scam and scandal, forcing an early resignation speeding up the process for his already scheduled retirement. Gill spent two seasons in Lawrence, resulting in six victories, but only one within the conference.
New AD Sheahon Zenger’s choice to replace Gill was Charlie Weis, fresh off of his stint with Notre Dame and the Fighting Irish. Weis turned in similar results as Gill, winning five games, only one in the conference before being canned after starting the 2014 season 2-2 and 0-1 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks and Zenger then let Clint Bowen have at it with an interim tag, finishing the season 1-7, all eight games played in the conference.
After returning Bowen to his defensive coordinator duties, Zenger called upon David Beaty, a wide receivers coach at Texas A&M. Meanwhile, Jeff Long has replaced Zenger, leaving Beaty in charge for the time being. Beaty’s job security doesn’t have a positive outlook though with just three victories and one in the Big 12 since taking over the program.
(I’ve written about the past few years of Jayhawk football before)
(And I just wrote my 2018 season preview, too)
What could’ve been…
When you think of Jim Harbaugh, your mind immediately wanders to football. The ultimate “football guy”. He’s enjoyed success at the University of San Diego, Stanford, in the NFL, and now at the University of Michigan. He’s 86-38 in 10 seasons as a college head coach, he turned around and rebuilt the Stanford program, but he never had his chance in Lawrence.
Harbaugh provides a big time name, creates a buzz around campus and builds national attention from the media because of his character. Harbaugh is different. It seems you can only love him or hate him, but there’s no in-between. Had he accepted the invite to Kansas, fifteen wins in eight seasons wouldn’t be the case.
There’s no guarantee Harbaugh would still reside in the Sunflower State, but it’s reasonable to believe the program would be in better standing with hope of better days on the horizon and recent success fresh in our memory. With better coaching comes better recruits. Better recruits leads to improved results. Improved results puts butts in seats.
Kansas’s past wouldn’t be the only one with a significantly altered. Harbaugh probably doesn’t hit the NFL market until 2013 or 2014, meaning no job opening in San Francisco leading to a broken relationship with management that paved the path to Ann Arbor.
Thanks a lot, Lew. Could’ve had Jim Harbaugh, but instead ruined the program with Gill, Weis and Beaty.
Thank goodness for basketball and Bill Self.
