With Raiders interested in Harbaugh, Stanford eager to extend coach's contract
By Darren Sabedra
Stanford Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby has met with Coach Jim Harbaugh and his agent about a contract extension that would "keep Jim at Stanford as long as possible," Bowlsby said Tuesday.
News of a potential extension came in the aftermath of a source telling the Mercury News' Tim Kawakami that the Raiders are very interested in talking with Harbaugh about becoming their next coach.
"Jim and I have talked, and I have visited with his agent," Bowlsby wrote in an e-mail Tuesday. "We will be happy to extend Jim as long as he would like to be extended. No details have been determined, but we would like to keep Jim at Stanford as long as possible."
Harbaugh is in the second year of a five-year deal he signed when Stanford hired him in December 2006 from the University of San Diego.
When asked Tuesday about the Raiders job, Harbaugh, a former assistant in Oakland, said: "I have given no thought to any other job than the one I have. I haven't talked to anybody or anything like that. I hope this doesn't get to be like the quarterback question — like who's your starting quarterback. That would get real repetitive."
Harbaugh changed the subject when asked if he and Raiders owner Al Davis had spoken recently.
"We have three games here, starting with Oregon," Harbaugh said. "Can you honestly think I would be thinking about anything other than playing against Oregon and going down this stretch?"
The Cardinal is 5-4 overall
and 4-2 in the Pacific-10 this season but must beat Oregon, USC or Cal to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2001.
After inheriting a program that went 1-11 in 2006, Harbaugh led the Cardinal to victories over USC and Cal during a 4-8 season in '07.
Owen Marecic's status for Saturday's game at Oregon remained in doubt. The fullback suffered a high-left-ankle sprain last weekend against Washington State and wore a protective boot Tuesday.
Marecic said he has never had a high-ankle sprain but held out hope that he would be ready to play Saturday. Marecic is from Oregon and the stakes are obviously crucial for the Cardinal.
"It's getting better by the day; it's getting better by the minute," Marecic said. "It would be pretty disappointing (not to play). That's why I am working hard to get back out there. That's where I am in my mind. I'm set on playing this weekend. It's a big game."
Marecic's presence is significant because his physical blocking has given the long-struggling Stanford running game a huge boost this season.
But Harbaugh is confident that, if needed, backup Josh Catron could do the job.
"Josh will be fine," Harbaugh said. "He's a veteran guy that we have a lot of trust in. I think Josh is one of only a few players on our roster that has never missed a practice — spring practice, fall practice, two-a-day practices — since I've been here. He's always game-ready and confident."
Stanford has attempted just 26 passes in its past two games. Can the Cardinal win any of its next three games without being more balanced?
"Not concerned about balance, necessarily — unless that's what it takes for us to be successful in our next game," Harbaugh said. "Just won't put a generality on it. (The offense is) going to be whatever we can do to move the ball best to score touchdowns and be productive."
Offensive lineman Chris Marinelli, who hasn't played since suffering a shoulder injury Oct. 18 at UCLA, might be
