It's not working, obviously. In the biggest games, it hasn't worked for a while. Michigan is a broken shell, regularly humbled, and by recent appearances, not overly interested in fighting back.
This is fully on Jim Harbaugh, 1-3 in his sixth season, 10-9 since the end of 2018. There is no acceptable explanation, not injuries, not attrition, not the pandemic. Not for it to be this bad. Not for the disgraceful non-competitive effort in the 49-11 loss to Wisconsin.
By major-college football standards, Harbaugh would be fired at the end of the season, although I doubt Michigan will do it. It's not a program that judges totally on winning percentage. Scoff if you wish, but Michigan wraps itself in graduation percentages, clean branding and rule-following, and Harbaugh checks all those boxes.
But this is where it gets complicated. Harbaugh doesn't look like a coach fixing to quit, to return to the NFL or enjoy regular life. Nothing should happen until after the season, but this seems headed toward a stalemate, and if it were me, it'd come to this: Make changes or amicably depart.
If Harbaugh wants to stay, he must alter his staff, and it should start with Don Brown. He's been a stellar defensive coordinator for a long time, but his aggressive style is outdated and it's time for a change. Then you offer Harbaugh a modest extension with a lower buyout and lower salary than his current $8 million, and strongly suggest he does a better job of connecting with players and assistants. His reputation and pride would be at stake, so I think he would.
Is it far from ideal? Of course. But as we've learned, entire regime changes assure nothing, while simultaneously damaging recruiting and costing money.
Athletic director Warde Manuel, whose contract expires in March, 2021, isn't talking about the issue right now. Harbaugh's deal ends after 2021, and it's extremely rare for a major program not to extend a coach in this situation. Harbaugh recently said they were close on a contract early in the year, but then COVID hit and there were, as he said, "bigger fish to fry." No one at that time thought the frying pan would get this hot, or the pandemic would last this long.
