Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s decision to have the Wolverines practice in Florida is not winning him many popularity contests with the NCAA commissioner, or SEC and ACC coaches. Breaking the mold, Florida’s Jim McElwain has Harbaugh’s back, and via the Associated Press and ESPN, he actually sang Harbaugh’s praises.
“I kind of look it as more power to him,” McElwain said Tuesday, the day before the Gators opened spring practice. “It’s totally legal. He’s not doing anything that’s illegal. He’s pressing the envelopes. He’s putting their name in the paper every day. And, you know, that’s cool. I mean, I’d come to Florida, too.”
McElwain was not done.
“There are great players here, right? There’s a reason every school in the country comes here and recruits. So I think for them it’s trying to gain an edge and give them an opportunity to practice in great weather. I don’t plan on taking ours to Michigan. I’m all for what he’s doing.”
McElwain’s points are spot on. If Harbaugh was doing anything that was remotely close to being against NCAA recruiting rules, then it would be difficult to defend him.
But the fact remains that Harbaugh having Michigan’s spring practice in Florida is well within the NCAA rules. Harbaugh’s response to the criticism of rival coaches was spot on. On a different note, the fact that they’re so critical of him definitely points to their focus not being in the right place, which could be exactly why he does it.
Florida is incredibly fertile recruiting ground. If it’s within the rules, coaches would be foolish to not try to gain some edge in recruiting the Sunshine State’s best players. More coaches should take McElwain’s approach, which is to see what Harbaugh is doing as a smart move and see if it can be replicated.