I mean from the standpoint that he never got to a point at USD or Stanford where he was completely coaching his own players thru a 4 year cycle of development – in other words someone else ‘finished’ what he ‘started’ so we can’t say for sure what it was he actually would have built had he stayed.
Also USD was in pretty good shape prior to Harbaugh’s arrival. The previous coach at USD was not fired because of a lack of coaching ability – rather had some personality clashes with the AD that led to a mid season dismissal. Mostly what Jimmy did at USD is the same things he’s done so far at Michigan: Make the team he inherited more tough, play with an edge and bring in QB’s: Mortenson & Johnson
At Stanford – given, the program was in bad shape and agian jimmy did what he’s done at Michigan Coach what he inherited: play tough with an edge and bring in QB’s – then he left……. So we’ve never seen him finish BUILDING – if anything -what he started – Shaw did it.
At Stanford, jimmy brought in
07 – 4 OL
08 – 3 OL
09 – 2 OL
10 – 4 OL then he left after 2010
Shaw his first year brought in 2 OL and then in 2012 Shaw brought in 7 OL . So Shaw is the one deserving of the credit for Building what exists at Stanford.
This is what I mean by it.
So Harbaugh comes to Michigan – he had no time to put together a class grab what he could and he was able to snag 3 OL out of 14 incoming……
But then in 2016 – I think he should have signed 6 OL and he only signed 3. Basically doing what he did at Stanford. Now tho he’s trying to get 6 or 7; ala Shaw and what Fisher did at FSU (Fisher in 2011 signed 9OL! and in 2014 Fisher signed 8 OL!. Thats Building a Team!)
Next year harbaugh needs at least another 5 or 6 to make up for what he failed to Build in 2015……
We’ll see what happens But I think the school is still out as to whether Harbaugh can finish a ‘Build’ job. He hasn’t done it yet. If he takes another 5 or more OL in 2018 I’ll be optimistic; but if he doesn’t – goes back to only 3 I’ll still have my skepticism………
IMHO……….INTJohn
