Harbaugh isn't making any friends
Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:34 pm
This comes after he was quoted as saying he has sources "from the inside" that Pom Pom will be gone from USC after this year.
Harbaugh brings fresh air to stale Stanford program
March 29, 2007
By Dennis Dodd
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Dennis your opinion!
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Jim Harbaugh has driven to the Stanford campus this morning, not unlike thousands of students.
What makes it wholly different is the hybrid bicycle in the office of the Cardinal football coach. That, and the Indianapolis Colts' jacket draped over a chair.
Jim Harbaugh wore five uniforms in a long professional career. (Getty Images)
"Pulled it out of the closet to wear on my bike ride in this morning," Harbaugh said. "It's got a little reflection on it. It's a little dark out there in the morning. I don't want to die on the bike."
Then it hits you. Whatever happens to Stanford football the next few years, it's not going to be boring. You know that if you recognized a 15-year NFL veteran quarterback nicknamed "Captain Comeback" biking 5 miles to the office in the pre-dawn in a jacket he probably wore on the sidelines.
This campus of Masters winners, Nobel Prize recipients and world-class researchers is about to have its Bluto drop in on the faculty mixer.
"Want to hear something kick ass?" Harbaugh said, sliding a CD into his computer.
For the next 20 minutes you both listen to Bo Schembechler's 1988 pregame speech for the Notre Dame game. Close friend Cam Cameron, now the Dolphins coach, recorded all of Bo's pre-game talks for the two years he was on the Michigan staff. Harbaugh was tabbed to make the transfer from tape to CD.
You let the crowd yell. Let Knute Rockne come down from the heavens. You let them all come. You remember, you are Michigan. Bo says, There is no greater tradition in college football today than the uniform that you wear.
"I always get chills up and down my spine," Harbaugh says.
He should. He's a Michigan man, coached by Bo and Mike Ditka among others in his pro career with the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Chargers and Panthers.
Harbaugh seems like the first surfer/coach. A bundle of energy who doesn't care that his players might not remember his career.
"Who remembers who the last five Super Bowl winners are?" he counters.
But when Bo Schembechler died in November, Harbaugh found out via voice mail. "My knees just literally buckled. I was on a sidewalk. I went down to a knee and a hand."
What you probably didn't know is that Harbaugh has always wanted to coach, "from the time I was about five or six."
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That's why he slept on an air mattress some nights when helping guide the Raiders to a Super Bowl as an assistant in 2002. That's why he went to places like Western Kentucky to be a volunteer coach (for his father Jack) and took on I-AA University of San Diego for three years. February marked the first time he'd signed a scholarship athlete. San Diego does not offer scholarships.
The Toreros went 29-6 in his three seasons, including 11-1 last year. Last year San Diego led the nation in scoring, passing offense and total offense.
"The thing about Jim is, he tries to score on every play," says his brother-in-law.
That's good news for Stanford. The program was in the Rose Bowl as recently as 1999. Then George O'Leary lied on his resume, Tyrone Willingham went to Notre Dame and a dark, dark period settled over the program. For some reason the unaccomplished Buddy Teevens (12-32) and declining Walt Harris (6-17) were hired.
So why not a young guy who had never signed a scholarship athlete? The program needs to take chances. No Stanford coach has lasted more than nine years or won more than 71 games.
"I don't have a five-year plan," Harbaugh said. "I love football. I love to compete."
It seems to have worked so far. The recruiting class was impressive considering the staff couldn't hit the road until Jan. 14. There's a couple of quarterbacks who are going to have the fortune of learning under Harbaugh. A receiver of Jimmy Clausen's (now at Notre Dame) from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian.
"The one thing we want to be is a conduit to the NFL," Harbaugh said. "Stanford is the only place in the country where you can have it all. You have the best of the academics and you can play BCS football. We're the only ones who can carry that torch. Therefore, we must be successful. College football needs Stanford to be successful."
On a perfect California day, you want to be successful at Stanford. You talk your way in to see renovated Stanford Stadium. It's a beautiful place that was half empty and didn't see a victory last year (0-5). A ticket manager starts raving about what a regular guy Harbaugh is. The new coach, he says, eats in the sports administration building cafe just like everyone else.
Part of that everyone else is Bill Walsh, now a special assistant to the athletic director. The legend's office is down the hall from Harbaugh. That's kind of like a priest having the pope as a roommate.
Every other day the new coach wanders down to visit the old coach, "just pulling nuggets."
Recently, Harbaugh caught himself. Someone asked him what offense he will run. As soon as the words "West Coast offense" left his lips, he was embarrassed.
"I said that in front of him a couple of times," Harbaugh said about Walsh. "I think he hears that a lot (thinking), 'Sure, you are.' "
Harbaugh's attraction to The Farm started more than 25 years ago. Jack Harbaugh was Stanford's defensive coordinator in 1980-81. During those years Jim went to Palo Alto High School, painted numbers on the seats at Stanford Stadium and shagged balls for the likes of John Elway.
These days he shows up now in a Marquette basketball pullover. Why Marquette? Warriors hoops coach Tom Crean is his brother-in-law. That would be nothing more than a nice note until Harbaugh's cell phone rings. It's Crean, and for the next 30 minutes you understand why they are so close.
Crean is talking so loud, instructing Harbaugh on how to run his program, that you can hear every word each says. You feel intrusive, but it can't be helped.
Crean is trying to shape his bro-in-law. Harbaugh listens, barely responding. Crean instructs him to put up plaques, get his players up early, weed out the malcontents, scan the papers, internet. ...
"Every day I get people in the office to pull up every article on football and basketball teams in our league they can get their hands on," Crean says later. "It's a way to stay connected and know what's going on. ... Those are things he never had to think about because he played for so long."
Crean has thought nothing of dialing Tony La Russa and Bill Parcells for coaching advice. They take his calls because, if know you Crean, he doesn't let up. The dry erase board in Harbaugh's office is jammed with phone numbers, La Russa's among them.
When he is told of the ironic connection, Harbaugh is confused. He hadn't heard that LaRussa had just been charged with a DUI in Florida. Harbaugh was arrested in November 2005 for DUI and eventually pled to reckless driving. San Diego gave him a four-year extension after the charge.
I'll have to give him a call ..." Harbaugh says of LaRussa. "In a lot of ways it made me a much better decision maker. I'm more compassionate to people, even to players. I was a little of a hyper-perfectionist."
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Poignant stuff from a guy who met his current fiancé in the takeout line at P.F. Chang's. Harbaugh was in Las Vegas for an all-star game, got tired of the hotel food and walked down the street to the Chinese chain on Jan. 9, 2006.
For some reason he blurted out to Sarah Feuerborn, "Excuse me, ma'am, could I meet you?"
Yes, it was a line, and it was cheesy, but it worked. Feuerborn didn't know who Harbaugh was until the second date.
Now he takes Sarah's call too. This one is about getting work done on the new house.
Harbaugh will be home soon. Look for the bicycle and bright blue jacket coming down the street.
At night, he is the doting husband-to-be. By day, Captain Comeback is trying to repair a program too.
Harbaugh brings fresh air to stale Stanford program
March 29, 2007
By Dennis Dodd
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Dennis your opinion!
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Jim Harbaugh has driven to the Stanford campus this morning, not unlike thousands of students.
What makes it wholly different is the hybrid bicycle in the office of the Cardinal football coach. That, and the Indianapolis Colts' jacket draped over a chair.
Jim Harbaugh wore five uniforms in a long professional career. (Getty Images)
"Pulled it out of the closet to wear on my bike ride in this morning," Harbaugh said. "It's got a little reflection on it. It's a little dark out there in the morning. I don't want to die on the bike."
Then it hits you. Whatever happens to Stanford football the next few years, it's not going to be boring. You know that if you recognized a 15-year NFL veteran quarterback nicknamed "Captain Comeback" biking 5 miles to the office in the pre-dawn in a jacket he probably wore on the sidelines.
This campus of Masters winners, Nobel Prize recipients and world-class researchers is about to have its Bluto drop in on the faculty mixer.
"Want to hear something kick ass?" Harbaugh said, sliding a CD into his computer.
For the next 20 minutes you both listen to Bo Schembechler's 1988 pregame speech for the Notre Dame game. Close friend Cam Cameron, now the Dolphins coach, recorded all of Bo's pre-game talks for the two years he was on the Michigan staff. Harbaugh was tabbed to make the transfer from tape to CD.
You let the crowd yell. Let Knute Rockne come down from the heavens. You let them all come. You remember, you are Michigan. Bo says, There is no greater tradition in college football today than the uniform that you wear.
"I always get chills up and down my spine," Harbaugh says.
He should. He's a Michigan man, coached by Bo and Mike Ditka among others in his pro career with the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Chargers and Panthers.
Harbaugh seems like the first surfer/coach. A bundle of energy who doesn't care that his players might not remember his career.
"Who remembers who the last five Super Bowl winners are?" he counters.
But when Bo Schembechler died in November, Harbaugh found out via voice mail. "My knees just literally buckled. I was on a sidewalk. I went down to a knee and a hand."
What you probably didn't know is that Harbaugh has always wanted to coach, "from the time I was about five or six."
Advertisement
That's why he slept on an air mattress some nights when helping guide the Raiders to a Super Bowl as an assistant in 2002. That's why he went to places like Western Kentucky to be a volunteer coach (for his father Jack) and took on I-AA University of San Diego for three years. February marked the first time he'd signed a scholarship athlete. San Diego does not offer scholarships.
The Toreros went 29-6 in his three seasons, including 11-1 last year. Last year San Diego led the nation in scoring, passing offense and total offense.
"The thing about Jim is, he tries to score on every play," says his brother-in-law.
That's good news for Stanford. The program was in the Rose Bowl as recently as 1999. Then George O'Leary lied on his resume, Tyrone Willingham went to Notre Dame and a dark, dark period settled over the program. For some reason the unaccomplished Buddy Teevens (12-32) and declining Walt Harris (6-17) were hired.
So why not a young guy who had never signed a scholarship athlete? The program needs to take chances. No Stanford coach has lasted more than nine years or won more than 71 games.
"I don't have a five-year plan," Harbaugh said. "I love football. I love to compete."
It seems to have worked so far. The recruiting class was impressive considering the staff couldn't hit the road until Jan. 14. There's a couple of quarterbacks who are going to have the fortune of learning under Harbaugh. A receiver of Jimmy Clausen's (now at Notre Dame) from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian.
"The one thing we want to be is a conduit to the NFL," Harbaugh said. "Stanford is the only place in the country where you can have it all. You have the best of the academics and you can play BCS football. We're the only ones who can carry that torch. Therefore, we must be successful. College football needs Stanford to be successful."
On a perfect California day, you want to be successful at Stanford. You talk your way in to see renovated Stanford Stadium. It's a beautiful place that was half empty and didn't see a victory last year (0-5). A ticket manager starts raving about what a regular guy Harbaugh is. The new coach, he says, eats in the sports administration building cafe just like everyone else.
Part of that everyone else is Bill Walsh, now a special assistant to the athletic director. The legend's office is down the hall from Harbaugh. That's kind of like a priest having the pope as a roommate.
Every other day the new coach wanders down to visit the old coach, "just pulling nuggets."
Recently, Harbaugh caught himself. Someone asked him what offense he will run. As soon as the words "West Coast offense" left his lips, he was embarrassed.
"I said that in front of him a couple of times," Harbaugh said about Walsh. "I think he hears that a lot (thinking), 'Sure, you are.' "
Harbaugh's attraction to The Farm started more than 25 years ago. Jack Harbaugh was Stanford's defensive coordinator in 1980-81. During those years Jim went to Palo Alto High School, painted numbers on the seats at Stanford Stadium and shagged balls for the likes of John Elway.
These days he shows up now in a Marquette basketball pullover. Why Marquette? Warriors hoops coach Tom Crean is his brother-in-law. That would be nothing more than a nice note until Harbaugh's cell phone rings. It's Crean, and for the next 30 minutes you understand why they are so close.
Crean is talking so loud, instructing Harbaugh on how to run his program, that you can hear every word each says. You feel intrusive, but it can't be helped.
Crean is trying to shape his bro-in-law. Harbaugh listens, barely responding. Crean instructs him to put up plaques, get his players up early, weed out the malcontents, scan the papers, internet. ...
"Every day I get people in the office to pull up every article on football and basketball teams in our league they can get their hands on," Crean says later. "It's a way to stay connected and know what's going on. ... Those are things he never had to think about because he played for so long."
Crean has thought nothing of dialing Tony La Russa and Bill Parcells for coaching advice. They take his calls because, if know you Crean, he doesn't let up. The dry erase board in Harbaugh's office is jammed with phone numbers, La Russa's among them.
When he is told of the ironic connection, Harbaugh is confused. He hadn't heard that LaRussa had just been charged with a DUI in Florida. Harbaugh was arrested in November 2005 for DUI and eventually pled to reckless driving. San Diego gave him a four-year extension after the charge.
I'll have to give him a call ..." Harbaugh says of LaRussa. "In a lot of ways it made me a much better decision maker. I'm more compassionate to people, even to players. I was a little of a hyper-perfectionist."
Advertisement
Poignant stuff from a guy who met his current fiancé in the takeout line at P.F. Chang's. Harbaugh was in Las Vegas for an all-star game, got tired of the hotel food and walked down the street to the Chinese chain on Jan. 9, 2006.
For some reason he blurted out to Sarah Feuerborn, "Excuse me, ma'am, could I meet you?"
Yes, it was a line, and it was cheesy, but it worked. Feuerborn didn't know who Harbaugh was until the second date.
Now he takes Sarah's call too. This one is about getting work done on the new house.
Harbaugh will be home soon. Look for the bicycle and bright blue jacket coming down the street.
At night, he is the doting husband-to-be. By day, Captain Comeback is trying to repair a program too.