The college football season has come and gone, and soon enough, there’ll be a new Super Bowl champion. It’s a reminder that a dark spring and summer (I’ll find time to go outside eventually, alright? Please don’t judge.) lie ahead. Despite the action on the field winding down, a question on the tip of everyone’s tongues in the football world remains (well, sort of):
What is Jim Harbaugh, son of Jack, brother of John, the first of his name, going to do next?
In case you’re not up to speed, the current Michigan Wolverines head coach, fresh off a College Football Playoff berth and the best season Ann Arbor’s seen in years, might be looking for a new gig. Hey, who among us? We’re in the middle of a pandemic. Now would be a great time to soul-search, blaze new trails, see new worlds—yes, even if you’re a multi-millionaire football coach.
The latest sentiment and rumblings appear to center around the 58-year-old Harbaugh cashing in his chips and taking over in Las Vegas.
Sources inside Michigan think Jim Harbaugh would take Las Vegas Raiders job if offered: https://t.co/GjEtkuZMzH
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 20, 2022
Harbaugh in Vegas would be fascinating if only it meant we got to see his trademark theatrics and dramatics on an NFL sideline again. Don’t you want to hear Tony Romo waving his arms wildly or Troy Aikman making a deadpan joke over a replay of him yelling and laughing all at once? No? Am I the only one?
No offense, but if Raiders were to be good under his stead again, well, that’s just icing on the cake. The Theater of Harbaugh comes first.
Where the plot thickens is that Harbaugh has long been a part of the football world’s rumor mill when it comes to taking another job. While the Wolverines are his beloved, cherished, darling, sacred (insert any other adjectives about love) alma mater, the underlying assumption has always been that he’d prefer to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in the NFL first and foremost.
And after leading Michigan to the Playoff (let’s be honest: that’s probably the ceiling if Nick Saban, among other SEC titans, has anything to say about it), now would be the perfect time to jump back to the League and finish what he started years ago in Santa Clara, er, San Francisco.
Harbaugh has reportedly discussed extensions with Michigan, but these sorts of matters are ever-mercurial and fickle, especially when it comes to the mind of a football coach. (Not necessarily a “normal” person.)
Report: Jim Harbaugh discussing contract extension with Michigan @NBCSBears https://t.co/b99oupVT63
— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) January 10, 2022
In that respect, you can’t count out a potential move to Chicago either, where Harbaugh was the starting quarterback for six seasons (1987-1993). Getting the opportunity to coach Justin Fields would be the envy of many young first-timers, let alone someone respected and established like Harbaugh. (Plus, Mike Ditka has been someone he has said he counts as a mentor. Uh, it’s 2022, but we’ll disregard this part.)
Of course, neither the Raiders nor Bears have expressed any official interest in Harbaugh as of yet. Indeed, all of this is some juicy rumor-mongering (albeit from some plugged-in, big-time reporters). If any interviews are being conducted behind the scenes, count this writer shocked that the Davis and McCaskey families, of quite literally anyone, have managed to keep them under wraps.
Should Harbaugh make the eventual jump back to the NFL, he’ll leave behind a Michigan squad expected to return 11 starters, which has +5000 odds to win next year’s National Championship, according to Tipico. Aidan Hutchinson might be leaving for the NFL, but that does not mean Michigan won’t still be a force. Those odds would, of course, place the Wolverines at No. 5 behind only Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, and the defending champion, Georgia.
So, yeah, again: At or near a ceiling of qualifying for the Playoff (which isn’t that easy to do, to be precise), but not much else.
Whatever Harbaugh decides about his coaching future in the coming days, he can be sure the football world will be waiting with bated breath.
After all, once the games disappear and the stadium lights flick off: What else do we have to look forward to?
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