Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his interest in the NFL is feeling a bit déjà vu a year after he flirted with NFL opportunities.
Now, the Denver Broncos could be in play, according to a report Sunday morning from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, and have planned a virtual interview with Harbaugh this week. But the Broncos also reportedly have requested and received permission from the New Orleans Saints to interview Sean Payton. The NFL Network also reported Sunday negotiations have begun between the Broncos and Saints for a potential deal for Payton, who would be a desirable hire for several NFL teams that have and may soon have openings.
Harbaugh, 59, who came to Michigan after four seasons at the San Francisco 49ers, is on the heels of back-to-back successful seasons with the Wolverines, who have gone 25-3 with two Big Ten championships and two College Football Playoff appearances. Twice in the last month he has said he thinks he will be back coaching Michigan this year and each time left the door open by adding that "no one knows what the future holds."
But last Friday, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel confirmed the university had received a draft of an NCAA Notice of Allegations and Harbaugh is accused of a Level I, the most severe of NCAA violations, for lying to and misleading investigators. Several assistant coaches are involved in Level II violations stemming from impermissible contact with the recruits during the COVID recruiting dead period.
This is not the only NFL team that has been linked to Harbaugh, although any Carolina interest in Harbaugh seemed to be dismissed last week when reports surfaced he had spoken with the team owner. A CBS Sports report confirmed reporting last week that Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper did speak by phone with Harbaugh last week, but added the Panthers did not initiate the call.
The sourced report from CBS Sports said "Harbaugh — or his representation — had been calling Tepper with some regularity in recent weeks." The two men spoke but it was not considered a job interview.
Last year about this time, Harbaugh had a virtual interview with the Minnesota Vikings, then flew on National Signing Day for an in-person interview with the Vikings. He did not receive a job offer and returned to Michigan and told Schefter his flirtation with the NFL would not be a reoccurring issue and he would stay at Michigan as long as he's wanted there. Harbaugh would later say he had completed his initial seven-year commitment to Michigan and the Super Bowl itch was still there — he had lost in the 2013 Super Bowl to his brother, John, the Baltimore Ravens coach.
Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor following the interview and signed a five-year extension that includes a $3 million buyout that will drop to $2.25 million on Jan. 11. The new contract also includes he could be fired for Level I or Level II violations — the NCAA's Notice of Allegations, its final word on this situation, likely won't be sent to Michigan until later this month at the earliest.
Certainly, this latest dalliance with the NFL could be a negotiating ploy for Harbaugh to rework his Michigan contract for greater compensation.
Michigan and Harbaugh had been negotiating a new contract early in 2020, but Harbaugh and athletic director Warde Manuel pushed that to the side while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic concerns and how they affected the department as a whole.
Coming off the 2020 COVID-shortened season when Michigan went 2-4, Harbaugh's pay was slashed nearly in half. After he led Michigan to a 12-2 season in 2021, which included a win over Ohio State and the program's first Big Ten title since 2004, this latest contract restored his pay. He made $7.05 million last year but with incentive bonuses for winning the Big Ten title and earning a spot in the CFP, among others, he made more than $10 million. Still, his base pay is less than several Big Ten coaches.
