When Jim Harbaugh announced that he was ending his dalliance with the NFL and would return as head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, many people assumed that it would be business as usual for the program. However, Harbaugh’s flirtations seemed to have caused some major negative impacts, the full extent of which we don’t know yet.
When it was assumed that Harbaugh would be going to the Minnesota Vikings, some people started saying that offensive coordinator Josh Gattis would make a great replacement to lead the program. But just because Harbaugh decided to return, or perhaps because of it, that doesn’t mean Gattis was going to stand pat.
The college football world learned Sunday that Gattis was leaving the Michigan program to become the offensive coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes, a shocking move for a coach that won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.
BREAKING: Michigan OC Josh Gattis is accepting the Miami’s offensive coordinator job, per source. The 38-year-old Gattis who helped the Wolverines to the Big Ten title in 2021, won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach. Big addition for the Canes.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) February 6, 2022
Gattis also apparently texted the Michigan players letting them know that a lack of appreciation is part of the reason he was leaving.
In a text to some Michigan players, Josh Gattis said, “Unfortunately the past few weeks has told a different story to me about the very little appreciation I have here from administration. In life I would never advise anyone to be where they are not wanted…”
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) February 6, 2022
To leave the defending Big Ten champion so late in the offseason following Harbaugh’s will-he-or-won’t-he routine clearly spells trouble, and Gattis might not be the only assistant to bolt town.
Just got a text from someone I trust: Josh Gattis isnt the only high profile assistant that is pissed off with Harbaugh over the last month and looking to get out.
Harbaugh is basically Lenny from "Of Mice and Men." Had something beautiful in his hands and absolulely squashed it
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) February 6, 2022
One insider noted that Gattis might have wanted out because he learned he would not be the likely replacement for Harbaugh had the head coach left.
Rumors were that Mike Hart, not Josh Gattis, would have been the top internal candidate to replace Jim Harbaugh if Harbaugh had left Michigan for the NFL. https://t.co/j8BnTkCFai
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) February 6, 2022
Meanwhile, former Wolverines star Braylon Edwards even took to Twitter to say the situation looks pretty bad, especially given how amazing this past season was.
In comes the domino effect of selfishness and severe miscommunication. 🤷🏾♂️ first the coaches leave next the players. @UMichFootball is in trouble only 1 month in to the new year…..
— Braylon Edwards (@OfficialBraylon) February 6, 2022
The reactions to the Gattis move, coupled with the fact that Harbaugh seems to have squandered the success of the past season, are very pretty strong on Twitter.
Jim Harbaugh planned on a NFL gig, and now he has to replace both his offensive and defensive coordinators in February https://t.co/3NawDp3ayL
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) February 6, 2022
Wait, so you're telling me that giving your entire staff an unplanned week off on National Signing Day so that you could interview for another job only to grovel back to your old job after you didn't get the new job *isn't* a way to engender confidence & loyalty from your staff? https://t.co/7b5hKTF196
— Land-Grant Holy Land (@Landgrant33) February 6, 2022
Jim Harbaugh can't be mad at Gattis — not after courting the Vikings the way he did. https://t.co/P753Gtqyat
— Matt Zemek (@MattZemek) February 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/bykevinclark/status/1490367016389144583
Since Michigan beat Ohio State and won the Big Ten, instead of maximizing that momentum, it’s been total chaos:
❌ Defensive coordinator gone
❌ Offensive coordinator gone
❌ Head coach NFL interviews
❌ Recruiting class finished behind Ohio State & Penn State https://t.co/DmNuGYluUA— Pick Six Previews (@PickSixPreviews) February 6, 2022
Harbaugh now finds himself looking for a new OC and DC, not to mention needing to rebuild the trust lost with his NFL flirtations. It’s times like these where you can understand how a guy succeeded so much with the San Francisco 49ers and still burned all the bridges out of town.
