The fact that you don't see the potential that Jim has in Lawrence is very comical. Stanford was 16-40 the 5 years before Jim got there. Once he got his guys in there, Stanford went from being terrible in the Pac-12 to winning the Orange Bowl. The only reason Shaw has had success is because he inherited what Jim had already built the short time he was there.
The Big 12 is a much better conference than the crap Pac-12 with much deeper recruiting opportunities. You give the reins to Jim with the opportunities available in Lawrence, watch out.
Delusion has a tendency to make the aspirations and potential seem far greater than it really is.
I personally, would think Jim Harbaugh would be a great addition to the Big 12 because it makes KU competitive and add to the overall strength of the conference. However, realistically, he *might* be influenced by his wife enough, along with the discontent in SF, to make it more in the realm of reality, but more accurately, within a few feet of the actual outside boundary (ie, almost out of fantasyland, near unicorn avenue.) However, if the winter passes and it's some coordinator that has ties to Mangino that ends up getting it, how will you spin this as being better than hiring Harbaugh? I expect your zeal to be at least as intense as your current "You just wait and see!" energy.
To think that Jim would bring anything other than a positive to the Big 12 is hysterical. The guy has won in the D1 ranks, and turned a franchise around that had been in disarray for years, in the 49ers. He is hired, drafts Smith and Kap, who have both been successful, yes Smith has had his issues but a very productive player none the less.
In his first season he took the 49ers deeper than they had been in almost 15 years. The next year after resigning Smith who eventually got hurt Kap started. When Smith got healthy Jim knew Kap was the future. That kind of talent recognition is rare in today's coaching landscape. Apply that to a similar QB in Cozart, unreal potential.
Jim sees the potential that Lawrence provides and is going to make the jump. I didn't address the OC getting the job because we don't want anything to do with Mangino anymore.