Report: Harbaugh very likely gone [update: now gone]

[Mr. WEO]

If you are an NFL team you have to be wary of hiring Harbaugh. It is sorta like remarrying immediately after divorce. You're doomed to repeat your habits and mistakes and never learn from why things failed in the first one and how you contributed to it and just tank that one too.

 

He will more than likely clash with a new GM just like the old and alienate players just like he did in SF. You really do have to think- despite all that success there they want him gone YESTERDAY. As an NFL coach you have to actually work with people. You aren't a king like they make coaches in college where you can run over the AD and spar evenly with the university president.

 

I really don't see a lot of teams clamoring for his services in the NFL because of the expected baggage.

 

 

You mean he might get in a screaming match on the sidelines in camp when the GM tells him to give the new veteran QB more snaps?

[aristocrat]

He's a short term fix kind of guy...although coughlin calmed down and lasted longer in ny. He's a great coach and I think we'd love to have him here getting the most out of this team. We have a window with this defense that is short so we need a highly competitive proven guy to come in here.

[Captain Hindsight]

Marrone has done an adequate job. He's made a lot of highly questionable decisions.

 

Did he really think Nate Hackett was the best OC he could get?

 

Why was Kraig Urbik sitting on the bench for half the season, and for practically all of last season?

 

Was Erik Pears, a player who has been an OT for most of his career, really the best option at RG for the Bills?

 

What in God's name did Mike Williams do to merit all of these healthy scratches? Do they expect us to believe that Chris Hogan is a better WR than him?

 

This is why, I do not see Marrone as a good coach.

Very fair. I admit I don't love everything about Marrone, but I do think he is the best coach we've had in a long time.

[reddogblitz]

Very fair. I admit I don't love everything about Marrone, but I do think he is the best coach we've had in a long time.

 

This will be true if he can get us to 9-7 or preferably better. Mularkey got us to 9-7. He at least has to equal that IMHO before we start talking best in a long time. I suppose that depends on what the definition of the word "long time" means.

 

PS Bring on Hardball.

Edited December 4, 2014 by reddogblitz

[JohnC]

You mean he might get in a screaming match on the sidelines in camp when the GM tells him to give the new veteran QB more snaps?

 

There are people who are so intense and have a hard edge to them that they exhaust everyone around them. Usually when things are going well their combustible personalities are tolerated. When the performances start to slide they have no reservoir of good-will that will buy them time to get back on course. Harbaugh is they type of hard core personality who finds it difficult to compromise on an issue (ex.personnel) when he has a strong conviction on an issue.

 

Tom Donahoe was an arrogant and condescending executive who not only was a control freak but made it known that he was the smartest person in the room. Instead of making decisions that were expected he would make maneuvers in order to demonstrate how he was creatively outthinking the conventional thinkers. (The injured Willis McGahee first round selection is an example of that.) In the end he was such an unlikable person (which he didn't care) that when his cumulative mistakes caught up to him it was an easy call to get rid of this pompous arse.

 

My point is there are people, although very talented, are so intense that they burn out the people who work with them. These type of people are usually brought in to jolt a lagging organization into being successful, and then they are dispatched because they can no longer be tolerated. Harbaugh seems to fit in this category.

[May Day 10]

We are in a similar stage IMO to the 49ers under Singletary.

 

Maybe bring Harbough in. Hopefully a QB he likes becomes available... and ride it until his act gets old. Ill take it.

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I think that we should keep Marrone for the fact that this has been the best Bills season in a long time and also I would like to see how we do next year with the same head coach.

 

 

A lot of people say continuity is so important and some say thats the reason why the Bills have not been that great for so long so lets see if that is the case by bringing Marrone back next season

 

CBF

[Captain Hindsight]

We are in a similar stage IMO to the 49ers under Singletary.

 

Maybe bring Harbough in. Hopefully a QB he likes becomes available... and ride it until his act gets old. Ill take it.

Marrone is a much better coach than Singletary and its not even close

[Billy in 4C]

He should go to Michigan. Build them back

[garbag3man]

Marrone deserves to stay. He has us in a better position than we have been in a long time.

 

Also, let us not forget that Jim Kelly is involved in this organization, and a guy like JH who is a massive a**hole, and has a bad history with JK might not be the best guy with this organization.

[Phil Hansen Forever]

You realize succeeding as a coordinator is a lot different than succeeding as a head coach, right, and that Schwartz already failed miserably in the latter role once?

 

It's the Peter Principle in action: "Man rises to his own level of incompetence".

[dave mcbride]

Marrone deserves to stay. He has us in a better position than we have been in a long time.

 

Also, let us not forget that Jim Kelly is involved in this organization, and a guy like JH who is a massive a**hole, and has a bad history with JK might not be the best guy with this organization.

Ha! For entertainment purposes, I'd love to see Kelly as GM and Harbaugh as head coach.

[thewildrabbit]

There are people who are so intense and have a hard edge to them that they exhaust everyone around them. Usually when things are going well their combustible personalities are tolerated. When the performances start to slide they have no reservoir of good-will that will buy them time to get back on course. Harbaugh is they type of hard core personality who finds it difficult to compromise on an issue (ex.personnel) when he has a strong conviction on an issue.

 

Tom Donahoe was an arrogant and condescending executive who not only was a control freak but made it known that he was the smartest person in the room. Instead of making decisions that were expected he would make maneuvers in order to demonstrate how he was creatively outthinking the conventional thinkers. (The injured Willis McGahee first round selection is an example of that.) In the end he was such an unlikable person (which he didn't care) that when his cumulative mistakes caught up to him it was an easy call to get rid of this pompous arse.

 

My point is there are people, although very talented, are so intense that they burn out the people who work with them. These type of people are usually brought in to jolt a lagging organization into being successful, and then they are dispatched because they can no longer be tolerated. Harbaugh seems to fit in this category.

He wasn't like that in college from what I've read about him, and doesn't really seem to be that way in San Fran.

 

Although, there is no question he is an alpha male, and wants things done his way. The biggest problem seems to be the discord between Harbaugh, and GM Trent Baalke, and so much so that they refuse to meet face to face. They currently correspond by email.

 

Then you have the fact that Harbaugh has no control at all over the roster, and Baalke has all the control. 11 players on IR, 5 players on the unable to perform. 11 players questionable for the Oakland game. I can kinda understand the frustration of not being able to have control on who he wants to replace injured players. Still the defense is a top 10 unit and the problems with the offense are with QB Colin Kaepernick, and his inability to progress as a pocket QB. It was Harbaugh that told his father that after the Niner's drafted Kaepernick they drafted the best player in the entire draft. So I would have to think that he was Harbaugh's choice to replace Alex Smith.

 

I would imagine that in Oakland, or anywhere else Harbaugh chooses to go after this season he will have all the control he wants over the roster. Then there is still the chance that the 49ers sign him to an extension, and give him more control over the roster.

[billsfan_34]

Coaches rise and fall with the play of their QB. Kap has had a horrific season. It would be a mistake for the niners to let him go. If they do I would love to see him go across the bay to Oakland, that team has alot of young talent.

[simpleman]

I think that we should keep Marrone for the fact that this has been the best Bills season in a long time

CBF

 

The defense has played absolutely out of their minds this year. Considering that the raw talent level this year is the best we have had in a decade, we SHOULD have the best season in a long time. Just using the low bar we are used to, and saying winning 7 games is "The Best" does not work for me. Considering we have a Super Bowl quality defense and the best raw talent in over a decade, I expect more out of this team. What are the stats on the offensive side this year compared to the same point in the season over the past decade? Schwartz is the DC coach pulling the rest of the team up. Whaley brought in the talent. Personally I believe that Marrone, Hackett and the Marrone's buddies are actually dragging the team down in spite of the abundance of new raw talent and outstanding defense.

[JohnC]

He wasn't like that in college from what I've read about him, and doesn't really seem to be that way in San Fran.

 

Although, there is no question he is an alpha male, and wants things done his way. The biggest problem seems to be the discord between Harbaugh, and GM Trent Baalke, and so much so that they refuse to meet face to face. They currently correspond by email.

 

Then you have the fact that Harbaugh has no control at all over the roster, and Baalke has all the control. 11 players on IR, 5 players on the unable to perform. 11 players questionable for the Oakland game. I can kinda understand the frustration of not being able to have control on who he wants to replace injured players. Still the defense is a top 10 unit and the problems with the offense are with QB Colin Kaepernick, and his inability to progress as a pocket QB. It was Harbaugh that told his father that after the Niner's drafted Kaepernick they drafted the best player in the entire draft. So I would have to think that he was Harbaugh's choice to replace Alex Smith.

 

I would imagine that in Oakland, or anywhere else Harbaugh chooses to go after this season he will have all the control he wants over the roster. Then there is still the chance that the 49ers sign him to an extension, and give him more control over the roster.

 

The most important relationship at work is with your boss. That is the person he has the most contentious relationship with. When you get two alpha males who are reluctant to back down then it is inevitable that there is going to be irreconsilable differences. GMs and HCs are never going to always agree. That is due to the natiure of one's position. While the HCs focus is on the present the HC has a more long term perspective.

 

The situation between Harabaugh and Ballke remind me of the situation in San Diego betwee the HC, Shottenheimer, and the GM, AJ Smith. Both were inflexible and unyielding personalities. The owner tried to get them to reconcile their differences and have a workable relationship. Neither was able to accommodate the owner. One of them had to go so the higher ranked person remained and the HC was dispatched.

 

I see a split coming at the end of the season. It isn't about there being bad guys. It is about personalities being able/unable to form constructive working relationships.

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/24455137/jim-harbaughs-relationship-with-49ers-brass-is-getting-worse

[BringBackFergy]

If we have to get rid of Marrone(and have yet to hear a convincing argument...that isn't based on some subjective crap), why wouldn't we go with Schwartz? What specifically, performance-wise, right now, is Harbaugh doing better than Schwartz?

 

As I said, I think all of this is a pointless exercise, but still, how is a fired coach better than a coach who is, again, currently, looking at setting team and NFL records with his D?

 

Seems like we need a TON more info(you know, like the rest of this season playing out) before we start making wild conclusions.

Good point.

[GunnerBill]

Harbaugh's intensity cost the 49ers a Superbowl. They were a better team than the Ravens and I had the 9ers to win throughout the bye week. As soon as Superbowl week started however I changed my mind. Jim was uptight and intense all week and John was relaxed and engaging.... I was saying all week to anyone who would listen "the 9ers are going to come out tight" and that was exactly what happened. They were too wound up... too hyped and they couldn't execute. When the lights failed they had half an hour to gather themselves and say "nothing to lose now" and then they finally came out loose and they started executing.

 

I think his brother is the most underrated coach in the NFL.... I think Jim is a good coach but he reminds me very much of a soccer coach called Jose Mourinho who coaches Chelsea over here in the UK. He is a short term "show up, win, get out of there" type because his personality makes him hard for people to work with longer term.

[reddogblitz]

If they do I would love to see him go across the bay to Oakland, that team has alot of young talent.

 

If they do I would love to see him go across the bay to Oakland country to Buffalo, that team has a lot of young talent.

 

Harbaugh's intensity cost the 49ers a Superbowl. They were a better team than the Ravens and I had the 9ers to win throughout the bye week.

 

I don't think it was Hardball's intensity that lost him that SB, it was a crucial mistake on the last drive. 4 straight passes in the EZ to Crabs? If he had put in 2 TEs and FB in the backfield (like I had seem them do earlier in the season) along with Colin in the shotgun and snapped it to Colin and let the blockers lead him on a sweep he would have scored. I give it 2 tries tops to get in.

[GunnerBill]

 

 

If they do I would love to see him go across the bay to Oakland country to Buffalo, that team has a lot of young talent.

 

 

 

I don't think it was Hardball's intensity that lost him that SB, it was a crucial mistake on the last drive. 4 straight passes in the EZ to Crabs? If he had put in 2 TEs and FB in the backfield (like I had seem them do earlier in the season) along with Colin in the shotgun and snapped it to Colin and let the blockers lead him on a sweep he would have scored. I give it 2 tries tops to get in.

 

Wouldn't have come to that if they were not so far down after 2 and a bit quarters. He got his whole approach to that week wrong in my opinion. I think he only has one setting the very best coaches have layers to their intensity.