he's year 3 into a re-build of a 5-7 program. He just lost 43 seniors and 11 starters to the NFL draft plus another 4-5 to UDFA contracts. Give him some more time, maybe? The guy was a miracle fluke bungled punt away from going 11-2 his first year and literally an inch away from beating Ohio State in Columbus and going to the B1G CCG last year.
Chryst walked into a much cushier situation. Wisconsin was 11-3 the year before he got there and their worst "down year" in the last 10-15 years is what- probably an 8 win season? Compare that kind of stability to Michigan, who since 2007 had been a complete disaster save for Hoke's absolute fluke of a first season. Chryst is also playing in the West- the weaker division on a week to week basis.
It's also pretty funny how you just completely dismiss everything Harbaugh has already done at San Diego, Stanford, and in the NFL. Actually it's hysterical.
MDot, buddy, friend. Here's the thing. You're a man prone to trafficking in hyperbole. Things cannot be good or bad, they must be the best or they must be trash. Things cannot be ripe for turnaround, they must be trash fires. It's not an uncommon viewpoint, but it means that when you get all chest-y about that "weakest schedule of any major P5 team in the nation" bull-jive, the 3rd-(and 4th-)place jokes will come in force.
So lets start.
Michigan's rank in starz in Year 1: 9th. Year 2: 8th. Year 3: Fell all the way to ... well, 7th.
That's better than every non-OSU team in the league. And why am I giving him more time? Urban went 12-0 a year off a scandal-fueled coach firing. Tress took over a 6-6 team and won it all two years later. Nick Saban made the Sugar Bowl. Hell, Franklin went to the dang Rose Bowl in year 3, and he took over a far more troubled program than "Brady Hoke left the cupboards stocked"
Did Chryst walk into a better spot? Outside talent, probably. I'm sorry some solid regional school has its s--- together more than a blue blood. I will weep for them.
Those other stops are good. His success at the bottom rung of FCS is nice. It's all been over-mythologized (another story for another day), but it's been good. I hope all that helps Michigan.
It's interesting, what Harbs has done in Ann Arbor is this: he's built teams better than their record. What that means is, he's been a close game loser. Strong teams tend to win big, and when the lose, they lose small. Jimmy has don't this, but it means he's a man whose teams have underperformed how good they were. In the stats world, that's not a bad thing. In the chesty, loogit how great my guy is, that's a reason to wait until the good results actually come in.
