Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines are less than two weeks away from a College Football Semifinal matchup against Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
However, a lot of the talk in Ann Arbor has been more about Harbaugh’s future with the Wolverines and whether he’ll make the transition back to the NFL after nine seasons with Michigan.
Harbaugh, 59, seemed to address these rumors in a roundabout way during a banquet Sunday night in which he addressed the team’s senior players.
“I just wanna say, I hope some of you are coming back next year,” Harbaugh said, via Derick Hutchinson of WDIV in Detroit.
It’s not a direct admission from Harbaugh that he’s planning on returning to Michigan for a 10th season. But it can definitely be interpreted that way.
Previous indications were that Harbaugh might make the jump back into the NFL after coaching the San Francisco 49ers to a tremendous amount of success from 2011-14. That’s especially true if Michigan wins the whole thing this season.
“This is a guess, this is a slightly-informed guess, I would think Jim Harbaugh is entertaining offers from the NFL….(If he wins it all) then he’s definitely going to the NFL. Because if he does, mission accomplished. I’ve never won a Super Bowl, my brother has won a Super Bowl, I’ve never.”
Bruce Feldman on the future of Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh
Michigan’s standing contract offer to Jim Harbaugh
A previous report indicated that Michigan was preparing a five-year, $55 million contract extension offer to Harbaugh. The whole sign-stealing scandal that saw him suspended to close up shop on the regular season had no impact on that, per Harbaugh.
The fact that said extension is not yet signed should raise some questions. Michigan reportedly wanted assurances in the deal that Harbaugh would not pursue NFL opportunities. That’s not going to happen given the rumors linking him NFL jobs over the past several cycles.
- Jim Harbaugh coaching record (Michigan): 87-25
Despite the drama we’ve seen surround Harbaugh’s tenure in Ann Arbor, it makes sense that the football program would want him long-term given the on-field success Michigan has enjoyed.
This doesn’t make it any more likely that Harbaugh will return to the Wolverines. There are going to be attractive NFL openings come next month, including with the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers.