Will Jim Harbaugh return to the NFL? Which teams would be interested in the Michigan coach?
While there has indeed been significant speculation, the one-time 49ers coach has made it clear that he’s only got Michigan on his mind.
After tongues were set wagging on Sunday, it seems the former NFL coach turned college legend has brought some sense of calm to the intense speculation surrounding whether or not he will return to the big league.
NFL teams want Jim Harbaugh, but he’s set to stay in Michigan
According to his own comments, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will be returning to the Wolverines for the next season. This of course brings to an end the anticipation that was ignited after a report on Sunday suggested that he was not only set to return to the NFL, but was in fact being weighed up by teams in the league. Truthfully, after back-to-back Big Ten champions and of course College Football Playoff qualification, it’s easy to understand why he said on Sunday night that he would be “back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023.”
If you’re feeling a little lost, we can recap for you. On Sunday, NFL.com reported that multiple NFL teams were working behind the scenes to determine whether or not Harbaugh was fit for a return to the professional game. This of course, follows on from reports just a year ago, which suggested that Harbaugh was being courted by NFL teams following his first conference title in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At the time, the Vikings were said to be front runners as they hunted for a replacement for former coach Mike Zimmer.
How has Jim Harbaugh done with the Michigan Wolverines?
As mentioned above, Harbaugh has led the Wolverines to two straight Big Ten championships. During his eight-year tenure with the school, he’s established a 74-24 record and where this season specifically is concerned, he’s taken the Wolverines to the cusp of their second straight College Football Playoff appearance. With all of this in mind, it’s fairly easy to understand why NFL teams would consider him as a potential candidate for the coming season. Indeed, it’s actually a no-brainer when considering the fact that Harbaugh’s previous time in the NFL saw a great deal of success.
As coach of the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh went 44-19-1 with between 2011 and 2014. Across that period, there were three playoff appearances, as well as a losing effort in Super Bowl XLVII in 2012, when his team faced the Baltimore Ravens. It’s worth noting, that his period of success came after spearheaded Stanford’s rise to a Pac-10 giant at the time. With Harbaugh at the helm, the Cardinal went 29-21 from between 2007 and 2010 and even orchestrated one of the greatest upsets in college football history when they topped No. 2 USC in 2007. The coach would go on to achieve a 12-1 record in 2010, as well as an Orange Bowl victory which resulted in a No. 4 finish in the final AP Top 25.
Will Jim Harbaugh return to the NFL?
Here’s the thing: Despite the understandable interest in Harbaugh, the reality is he agreed to a five-year, $36.7 million extension with the Wolverines in February of 2022, which was just after the NFL hiring process had come to an end. When considering the kind of success that he’s experienced in Ann Arbor, the fact that it’s his alma mater and the terms of his contract i.e., his contract went from $7.05 million in 2022 and increases steadily to $7.63 million in 2026, it doesn’t seem likely that he will make a return to the NFL just yet. He’s shown he can succeed at both levels and by all accounts appears to be exactly where he wants to be. That being said, one never knows when it comes to football. Watch this space.