KU's top choice as their next head football coach has announced he's staying at Stanford. Jim Harbaugh released a statement on his Twitter site saying, “Don’t believe rumor mill. I’m proud to remain head coach @ Stanford. As Toby said, I am a Stanford man. Today is about Toby".
Toby, of course, is Toby Gerhart, Stanford's Heisman Trophy finalist. Yesterday, I had several sources close to the KU situation telling me the offer was in Harbaugh's court but not to expect an announcement until after the Heisman ceremony tonight. One K.C. radio station reported Harbaugh had been offered 2.7 million per year. The fact that all of this leaked may have helped kill the deal. Harbaugh didn’t want to overshadow Gerhart’s moment.
Late yesterday, Kansas A.D. Lew Perkins denied KU had made an offer to any candidate and said the search was ongoing. Today Stanford A.D. Bob Bowlsby announced Harbaugh had signed an extension "a while ago". The reality is it's unlikely Harbaugh had signed any extension recently or he wouldn’t have allowed his name to be floated as a candidate at Notre Dame or negotiated with Kansas and Stanford would have already announced the deal.
Now Kansas must turn their sites elsewhere. Top names still being mentioned are Turner Gill, Skip Holtz and Tommy Tuberville. Kevin Sumlin and Houston’s A.D. have stated they have an extension all but done and Randy Edsall has given indications he’s staying at UConn.
If he wants the biggest winner and best coach from the bunch, Perkins will be talking to Tuberville today. He’s a free agent at the moment and could hit the ground running.
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