As of today, according to ESPN, Jim Harbaugh is considering the University of Michigan after it offered him a whopping $49 million six-year contract, which would make him the most expensive coach in college football. To all of the naysayers who think this is a ridiculous amount, think again.

With all of the craziness surrounding U of M football in recent years, I ask you– why not? I understand the ludicrousness that is the amount the athletic department is willing to spend, and moreover, I acknowledge the woebegone pattern of replacement coaches since the Schembechler era in the 80s. It is no secret that the University has picked what it thought would be winners and then dumped them after relatively short periods of unsuccess. But if anything can be learned from the cognitive dissonance Michigan now has to face in the mirror every morning when thinking of Rich Rodriguez and his complete resurrection of the Arizona program– oh, and not to mention his new title as Pac-12 coach of the year– sometimes patience really is a virtue, and at this point money can’t buy U of M patience back, but it can buy hope!

And this hope comes at a perfect time. With the irrefutable mistakes made by Brady Hoke this season, notably letting his sophomore quarterback stay in the game against Minnesota after taking a hit that left him visibly unsteady and unwell, Michigan fans are given a justifiable excuse to say farewell and never look back. Sorry Hoke, but “this is Michigan for God’s sake…” And we don’t take fondly of that here, especially when we’re not even winning– HELLO…! Maybe if he’d made it a winning season, Michigan would have kept him around, who knows…

The point is that they let him go, but not without firing the Athletic Director first. Now this is the real kicker (no pun-intended): Dave Brandon finally resigning after years of leading Michigan  athletics, particularly football, down the toilet. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know the guy personally and therefore I don’t think it’s fair to judge his character based on public knowledge. So Dave, if you’re reading this, I just want to say: I’m sure you weren’t being evil or mean in your disbandment of UMich Athletics, and I would even bet that you had good intentions at heart. But that doesn’t change the fact of the matter, and that is you certainly didn’t help… With Dave Brandon gone, taking with him his overpowering professional business approach at directing athletics, the next football coach might actually have shot at sticking around for a while.

Who better to give that chance to then Jim Harbaugh, a ‘Michigan man’, with off-the-charts credentials and an attitude that could heat up a late Michigan home game in November. Although according to ESPN, some reports say acquiring him is not likely, if anybody needs a bang-up coach now, it’s Michigan, and if the fans are at all reminiscent about the recent happenings, it is safe to say that Harbaugh’s winning temperament will be welcomed with open arms. Within the realm of possibility (and hopeful notion) that Jim Harbaugh ultimately decides to come to the U of M, fingers crossed that he can get some warm-weather recruits to migrate with him.