A lot has been said about Jimmy’s lack of fire on the sidelines the past couple of seasons and what effect if anything that may have to do with the state of the program.
In a strategic sense, I’m not sure much has changed as a lot of the hallmarks of his coaching philosophy that stretch back for nearly a decade seem intact particularly on offense (ball control, run first, heavy fb and te sets), with some pistol and RPO window dressing.
In the near past, Jimmy’s outward demeanor was a reflection of an overabundance of confidence and arrogance. Sprinkle a little adolescent immaturity in there and you had a highly combustible mix that could on one hand explode into fury at the slightest disagreement or cackle at the opponent with diabolical glee. This is the coach we know and love and the coach that the haters love to hate.
The first two seasons (2015-2016), this is the coach Harbaugh that we saw on the sidelines. We loved it when he flipped out and challenged everything because outwardly, this reflected our own deep desires to rekindle some lost urgency and passion drowned in nearly a decade of incompetence (RR and Hoke).
Coach made it known that he was going to outwork and out think his rival coaches and nowhere was this more evident than in recruiting.
Coach was one of us, and we embraced him as you should welcome the return of a beloved family member. Things were going to get better and you believed it because Coach was fighting a battle against the world on the sidelines every Saturday afternoon. The team adopted the blue collar ethic and the back to back 10 win seasons showed the program was ascending and the future looked bright.
A couple of years later, something’s changed and I don’t like it. The shine has worn off and the prospects for the future dimmed.
Maybe it’s the addition of the littlest one to the Harbaugh clan, maybe it’s settling into middle age, maybe it’s feeling the weight of the burden of having to resurrect your alma matter to former glory and finding it to be a harder task than imagined, or maybe it’s as mundane as not conceding anything to referees that are looking to knock him back with flags.
Whatever the reason for the change in demeanor, the team’s performance reflects the change. Offensive lineman who seem indifferent to their quarterbacks lying on the ground, stupid penalties, non-existent 2 minute drills, agonizingly slow starts to games, a general malaise has taken over this team. I don’t see a dog willing to fight and that is upsetting.
This coach’s fourth year at the helm with his players and last night’s performance suggests that we are perhaps inches closer, but miles away from excellence.
Something that was once there and is now missing needs to come back.
In a strategic sense, I’m not sure much has changed as a lot of the hallmarks of his coaching philosophy that stretch back for nearly a decade seem intact particularly on offense (ball control, run first, heavy fb and te sets), with some pistol and RPO window dressing.
In the near past, Jimmy’s outward demeanor was a reflection of an overabundance of confidence and arrogance. Sprinkle a little adolescent immaturity in there and you had a highly combustible mix that could on one hand explode into fury at the slightest disagreement or cackle at the opponent with diabolical glee. This is the coach we know and love and the coach that the haters love to hate.
The first two seasons (2015-2016), this is the coach Harbaugh that we saw on the sidelines. We loved it when he flipped out and challenged everything because outwardly, this reflected our own deep desires to rekindle some lost urgency and passion drowned in nearly a decade of incompetence (RR and Hoke).
Coach made it known that he was going to outwork and out think his rival coaches and nowhere was this more evident than in recruiting.
Coach was one of us, and we embraced him as you should welcome the return of a beloved family member. Things were going to get better and you believed it because Coach was fighting a battle against the world on the sidelines every Saturday afternoon. The team adopted the blue collar ethic and the back to back 10 win seasons showed the program was ascending and the future looked bright.
A couple of years later, something’s changed and I don’t like it. The shine has worn off and the prospects for the future dimmed.
Maybe it’s the addition of the littlest one to the Harbaugh clan, maybe it’s settling into middle age, maybe it’s feeling the weight of the burden of having to resurrect your alma matter to former glory and finding it to be a harder task than imagined, or maybe it’s as mundane as not conceding anything to referees that are looking to knock him back with flags.
Whatever the reason for the change in demeanor, the team’s performance reflects the change. Offensive lineman who seem indifferent to their quarterbacks lying on the ground, stupid penalties, non-existent 2 minute drills, agonizingly slow starts to games, a general malaise has taken over this team. I don’t see a dog willing to fight and that is upsetting.
This coach’s fourth year at the helm with his players and last night’s performance suggests that we are perhaps inches closer, but miles away from excellence.
Something that was once there and is now missing needs to come back.
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