Jim Harbaugh’s future with the Michigan Wolverines has been a hot topic over the past month, with many speculating that he’ll ultimately leave the NCAA powerhouse program for another shot at the NFL.
Harbaugh’s Wolverines are the No. 1 ranked team heading into their Rose Bowl and College Football Playoff National Championship showdown with the No. 4 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on New Year’s Day.
Harbaugh is expected to generate plenty of interest in the next NFL head coaching cycle. So far, the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers have made in-season coaching changes, with several more openings to follow in the coming weeks.
During his appearance on “The Next Round” (h/t Andrew McCarty of The Spun), college football insider Bruce Feldman reported that Harbaugh’s tenure with the Wolverines is winding down, as he’s expected to return to the NFL ranks:
“There’s a much better chance that Jim Harbaugh is coaching his last game [than Nick Saban. He’s flirted with the NFL the previous two off-seasons. In fact, he went and interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings on signing day, no less, two years ago. Then, last year, he was in the mix with the Broncos job and ultimately turned it down….
They’ve been through a lot. He told me when I saw him in the summer that they were going to break Georgia’s record and have 20 guys drafted off this team, and they’re going to have a lot of guys drafted off this team. The nucleus is going to move on to the NFL…Everything I’ve heard is that is ultimately the direction (the NFL) he wants to go.”
Harbaugh has served two different suspensions here in 2023, adding to speculation that he’ll ultimately leave the Wolverines. The first suspension stemmed from NCAA recruiting violations, and the second one was because of allegations that the football team engaged in an illegal sign-stealing scheme.
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Before joining the Wolverines in 2015, Harbaugh served as the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers (2011 to 2014). Harbaugh guided the 49ers to three straight NFC Championship Game appearances and a trip to Super Bowl 47, where they fell to his brother’s team in the John Harbaugh-coached Baltimore Ravens.
