The wait-and-see regarding Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and his future — will he return to coach the Wolverines for an eighth season or return to the NFL — has taken an interesting turn.
Harbaugh, 58, is interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings for their head-coaching vacancy, a source confirmed to The Detroit News on Saturday. Pro Football Talk was the first to report the interview.
Harbaugh has, according to the source, informed Michigan of the Vikings interview.
If Harbaugh were to go to the Vikings, it would mark his return to the NFL. He left the San Francisco 49ers after four seasons to take over at Michigan in December, 2014. Minnesota recently hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager. He worked for the 49ers during Harbaugh's last two years, so the two had a working relationship.
Harbaugh is coming off his seventh and best season at Michigan. He led the Wolverines to a 12-2 record, which ended with a loss Dec. 31 to Georgia in the Orange Bowl national semifinal, and shortly after, his name began to come up in NFL speculation. NFL rumors involving Harbaugh had come up in previous years, but Harbaugh would quickly squash them, jokingly referring to "jive turkeys" coming up with ways to negative recruit against Michigan.
During the last month, Harbaugh has mostly rumored to be on the Las Vegas Raiders' radar. But this is the first report linking him to an interview.
