I kept hearing jokes here and there about a coach being traded... but has it ever happened? CAN it ever happen? So crazy to think about.
Just have to say that if the Browns are willing to trade for a Head coach...then the Texans really have a golden opportunity to get the 2 1st round picks from Cleveland this year..
Browns did send them an offer, most likely ... and Harbaugh would've easily declined a trade to MISERABLE Cleveland. Who wants to get traded to Cleveland? That's like being sentenced to prison. Though, as some might know, there is a little friction between Harbaugh and Baalke, as in Harbaugh wants more say so in the player transaction, most coaches do. Which they tend to have complete control of in college? It may come a time where the organization has to choose Baalke or Harbaugh. I would keep Harbaugh, before Baalke in this situation. http://ninerfans.com/new/49ers-trent-baalke-and-jim-harbaughs-rocky-relationship/ http://www.49ers.com/news/article-2...aluation/14d3e121-f8c4-40cb-bc64-303b2ef51249
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/18/jim-harbaughs-new-contract-could-include-more-power/ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/21/baalke-harbaugh-tension-is-real-despite-wins/
skippynj says: Dec 18, 2013 10:08 AM They could bring in the Dali Lama as GM and Harbaugh would have “creative tensions” with him as well. Just in his nature to be an abrasive, whining, no-it-all.
From that article, and I agree: "Harbaugh has the emotional maturity of a 12 year old, so no shocker here."
Does trade in this sense just mean the coach himself secured an offer from the hiring team and the incumbent employer declines to sue for tampering?
If that were the case, why wouldn't the coach just resign, and sign with a new team outright? It would be pretty hard to "prove" tampering, and the coach's new team wouldn't be weakened by trading valuable picks/players. My thought is that its pretty hard for these coaches under contract to simply leave one team and sign with a new one right away. There's likely a boat-load of non-compete clauses in there... and the only way the coach could leave is if his team agreed to the parameters of a trade. At the same time, I doubt teams really care if coaches "talk" with other teams... as long as they're under contract, they know that there's not much they'll be able to do to get out of it. The main headline of this whole story should be that Harbaugh was looking to leave San Fran... it got buried in the "Cleveland tried to trade for him" lead, but in reality, this was Harbaugh being pissed a the power struggle in SF, and tried to get out of his contract.
I think this was all Harbaugh trying to leave SF... and of course, the Browns (who have extra picks) would have been happy to have him. I doubt the Browns called SF and began "trade talks".
I give props to Cleveland, Harbaugh would of changed their entire culture. Supposedly Harbaugh and the Niners have some real issues right now, they don't want to pay him top coach $
Mort talked about it on the Dari and Mel show... He said Cleveland was getting kind of desperate and so they tried to think out of the box. They knew Harbaugh and SF aren't really getting along so they inquired, and were surprised when there was real interest there.
My point was that this story relied upon Harbaugh being unhappy in SF. This wasn't as if Cleveland just targeted teams with good coaches and made them all trade offers. Once they got wind that Harbaugh was unhappy, they went for it. Doesn't make them "crazy"... Just highlights that Harbaugh-SF was not in the best of relationships (but he's decided to continue to try and make it work). Theoretically, SF could really make out pretty well in a deal...if they felt they had a suitable replacement for Jim.
Harbaugh is from Cleveland and would have gotten full reign over all football operations. He seriously considered the opportunity. The 49'ers would have probably been set with talent for a long, long time. Scary to think about.