Paul Finebaum calls Jim Harbaugh ‘most overrated’ coach in college football

Jim Harbaugh seems to always be in the national headlines, and someone always seems to say something about the man who has led the Michigan Wolverines football program over the past five seasons. This time it is Paul Finebaum, a long-time critic of Harbaugh’s work in Ann Arbor. He told Brandon Marcell of 247Sports’ Social Distance podcast Monday:

“There’s no getting around it, for what he makes, for that program, he wins the crown (as the most overrated coach in college football). I’ve believed in them a couple of times. Maybe they’ll win at home. And I’m not a hater. I just have been abused by Jim Harbaugh in believing too often that he could get it done. He can’t get it done.”

As many know, Finebaum is a repeat offender in his critique of Harbaugh. He has consistently called Harbaugh out on his shortcomings, especially over the last two seasons.

In Sept. 2018, Finebaum told Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman on First Take the Michigan head coach’s future depends on his record against Michigan State, Penn State and Ohio State when discussing whether or not his seat was hot. With that obvious comment out of the way, he said Harbaugh has “not adapted very well” in his transition from the NFL to the NCAA and he and Michigan were “not a good fit.”

A year later and on the same platform, Finebaum said Harbaugh “as an elite coach is a total fraud and charade” citing “no imagination,” “regression in the program,” and “stubbornness” for his lack of success after the blowout loss to Wisconsin in 2019.

A month later, former Heisman Trophy winner at Michigan, Desmond Howard, said Michigan was “behind schedule” in year five of Harbaugh. However, he did defend the head coach at his alma mater saying this could have been part of the plan with Warde Manuel with the remnants of the program left by his predecessors. Then, Finebaum chimed in declaring it’s “inexcusable what Michigan fans and alum do to prop this man up.”

Finebaum and Stephen A. Smith also got into it about Harbaugh and the Wolverines’ chances to wrap up last season. Finebaum was actually for the maize and blue in The Game last season, but warned Harbaugh “may not get his reputation back” if they lost (which they obviously did):

In short, this is nothing new. Finebaum continuously torts his disbelief of Michigan. In fact, he may be the biggest non-believer in the country. The question is, what available head coach could do a better job than Harbaugh right now at Michigan? I don’t think there are too many. So it may not be the ideal scenario, but it is the one the Wolverine faithful will have to keep their trust in as they eagerly await for Michigan to be the champions of the West once again.

Four-star guard Jalen Warley has Michigan in top 10

Juwan Howard and company have made the cut for the top 10 of 2021 four-star prospect Jalen Warley.

As a top 30 prospect and the No. 3 combo guard in his class, Warley is exactly the type of talent that Howard wants to bring in to the program, and this is certainly a great step.

The 2021 class could pay huge dividends for the Wolverines with a plethora of open scholarship spots.

Warde Manuel on his minority athletes facing oppression

National Brews

• Vikings running back Dalvin Cook says he will be holding out until he gets a new deal with the Vikings.
• Lamarcus Aldridge is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. The Spurs, however, will return to action in late-July when the NBA returns from their hiatus at Disney World in Florida.
• The MLB has proposed a 76-game plan to the player’s union. The players would receiver 75 percent pro-rated salaries and a playoff bonus.