Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh joined ESPN’s Colin Cowherd Wednesday morning for one of the most awkward interviews we’ve ever heard.
Cowherd repeatedly asked Harbaugh long-winded questions (which seemingly were designed to get Harbaugh to validate his opinions), and Harbaugh responded with short, boring answers. Cowherd tried to make the point that if the Big Ten was a stock he’d buy it, but Harbaugh had no idea what Cowherd was talking about.
“Future of the Big Ten. You’re at Michigan, Urban Meyer at Ohio State, James Franklin. When I look at these coaches I say ‘elite recruiters, elite coaches.’ I said this yesterday. The Big Ten feels like it’s a buy for me. Could you sense… do you have a sense of that and a feel for the conference overall?
The Big Ten feels like a buy to you? How does it feel that way?
You don’t see that?
Explain that to me, I don’t understand ‘a buy.’
Well I mean, let’s be honest. Michigan’s a heavyweight. Ohio State’s a heavyweight. They now both have great coaches. It feels like the Big Ten is on the come. It feels like there’s momentum in the conference.
Oh… a buy. Like something to buy as opposed to sell. I thought [you meant] bye week. Like a bye.”
Cowherd later called out Harbaugh for giving him short answers after Harbaugh interrupted him.
“You’re not a rear-view mirror guy, it doesn’t seem like, you kind of forge your way.
This feels like one of those where you ask like 50 questions…
Well you’re giving me slow, you’re not giving me a ton to work with coach, so I just want to find something out about Jim Harbaugh the human being. I’m a player right now and I want to play for a bunch of schools, I’m listening to Jim Harbaugh. I want to play for Jim!
Do you have any eligibility Colin?
No, and I can’t play worth a damn but what I’m saying is I’m trying to… I want Jim Harbaugh the guy. Because I bring all these coaches on and I want the guy. I mean what, what…. I’m a wide receiver, why should I play at Michigan?
You are?”
The interview ended abruptly, and Cowherd referred to it as a “clunker” on air. Harbaugh responded hours later on Twitter.
