Harbaugh to Michigan - expected announcement on Tuesday

[soflagator]

I think this was Law's point. That our cheapness is really hurting us. If reports were to be believed, Ole Miss offered $4MM and we offered $4.3MM- a difference of $180K after taxes. That offer was a joke. Also I heard that Stoops would have left OK for $6MM. But we would not pay that. So we did not get him. I think this is fair criticism by the way. I dont think this is harping. Fair or not Foley has a rep of being cheap. Before big TV contracts this might have been ok. Now it isnt. I think in the long run it is hurting us.

If those stats are true, then I'll be the first to say that he handled things very wrong. Though I'm not sure either of those are hires are without risk. But yeah, if we're trying to woo a head coach to UF with "free coffee", then yes that's weak and should be addressed.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Your not serious right? If we plopped down 8 mil a year in front of this guy or another target, we would have landed him too.

I didn't say WHY we have an inability to land a top target.

 

[soflagator]

I'll ask again...do you think JF would pay anyone $8 million if they were available?

Should I answer again?

 

[oxrageous]

There's no question what UF is willing to pay limits them considerably. They weren't willing to pay Freeze, and they sure as hell weren't willing to pay Stoops. The idea of UF offering anyone $8 million is laughable, primarily since it's currently debatable we would even offer anyone FOUR million. At some point UF is going to have to bite the bullet and pay market value if they want to continue to consider themselves an elite destination. The same thing goes with upgrading the facilities - ALL of them.

All you have to do is look at the recent pictures of the coaches offices at Oklahoma and UF to safely come to the conclusion there was no way Stoops was going to come here.

Oklahoma

Florida

Love that drop-ceiling.

 

[T REX]

Should I answer again?

Anything is possible? That sounded like your answer. While I agree, I do not think Foley would ever spend $8 mill on a coach.

 

[78]

It's as if Michigan has decided to play double or nothing. It's a big risk to throw that kind of money at anyone. As for Foley, I never saw Harbaugh as a logical fit here even if we were willing to throw around large numbers.

 

[ufgator812]

This was no coup. Harbaugh was never going anywhere else.

 

[ufgator812]

Again with Kelly? That is laughable.

 

[78]

Its not about Harbaugh. Its about us and our unwillingness to spend money. You could substitute Harbaugh's name for Kelly or any other big name and we still would not pay.

Not necessarily so. If it takes 8 million to lure him to Ann Arbor, it probably takes 9 million to bring him to Gainesville. Then the answer becomes no we wouldn't followed by why should we?

 

[soflagator]

Anything is possible? That sounded like your answer. While I agree, I do not think Foley would ever spend $8 mill on a coach.

Yes, my answer is I think it's possible. I can also respect the opinion that he wouldn't. I'm just not convinced that money was as much the issue this time as some think.

And as I said, maybe it's pride on his part and not recognizing how bad HIS hire, and HIS decision to keep him after 2013 has damaged us. UM obviously recognized their plight and was willing to go all in.

 

[78]

Its one thing to speculate whether Foley would spend that kind of money. It's another to do it at a time when he's already financing a pair of expensive buyouts. Practically speaking, no way that kind of commitment was going to happen now.

 

[ufgator812]

Here is the question to ask What is the return of having a winning team and cost of having a mediocre team? Yes Foley screwed up by hanging on a year too long, but he had a chance to make a big hire and his cheapness won over. It reminds me of how Muschamp's stubbornness in his offensive philosophy did him in. Foley's philosophy of value hires is doing Florida football in. If Foley hired Stoops or Kelly for $6MM and it did not work out, I don't think that anyone would be faulting him for the hire because everybody would agree those are top notch hires.

Who? Where? When?

 

[gatormandan]

Its not about Harbaugh. Its about us and our unwillingness to spend money. You could substitute Harbaugh's name for Kelly or any other big name and we still would not pay.

While many of us think we are nearly in the condition UM is, I dont think Foley agrees. We just arent desperate like UM. If this hire doesnt pan out, I think we will be in the position to do whatever it takes. If JM turns this thing around, he will be the next hot item out there and we may be forced to put up or shut up.

 

[soflagator]

Again with Kelly? That is laughable.

I don't get it either.

 

[ufgator812]

Please refer to my prior post about the Stoops/Freeze situation. We would not pay Stoops what he needed to leave. We would not pay Freeze what he needed to leave. Its as simple as that. You really think that Saban loves Tuscaloosa for the scenery and the things to do, over say Cali or some other nicer place? No, he likes the paycheck. Would he have gone there for half the paycheck? Probably not.

So in your world, every coach is in play? Again, laughable. Stoops was never offered and why should he be? Freeze could have been had but he isn't worth what we're paying McElwain. Harbaugh was NEVER coming here. Kelly was NEVER coming here. What does Saban have to do with any of this?