ESPN insider names candidates to replace Jim Harbaugh amid NFL speculation

With rumors circulating that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh could draw interest from multiple NFL teams this offseason, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg names Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien as a name to watch if anything happens.

“(O’Brien) would have been a serious candidate after the 2020 season if Michigan and Harbaugh parted ways,” Rittenberg posted on Twitter.

Bill O’Brien offers Michigan an interesting option with two years of experience in the Big Ten. He helped bring Penn State back from the brink in 2012 and 2013 before leaving for the Houston Texans job in 2014. After his stint back in the NFL, O’Brien signed on with Nick Saban’s staff as offensive coordinator and helped lead Bryce Young to a Heisman Trophy season.

Rittenberg also named Michigan offensive coordinator and wide receiver coach Josh Gattis and running back coach Mike Hart as potential internal candidates provided Harbaugh’s departure.

Gattis is also a former Alabama assistant, working as so-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2018 before taking over at Michigan. Hart provides an unknown after one season at Michigan, never working as a coordinator in his first decade in coaching.

More on Jim Harbaugh to the NFL

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported Tuesday afternoon that Jim Harbaugh “might be tempted” to leave Michigan and head back to the NFL.

“I’d always heard from people who know him well that they thought at some point he was going to go back to the NFL,” Feldman wrote. “I didn’t think he would leave Michigan knowing he’d never won the game that matters most there (against Ohio State), but now he’s done that and won the Big Ten, it feels like the timing might be right.”

Feldman lists the Las Vegas Raiders as a potential destination. Harbaugh got his coaching start with the Raiders in 2002 as the quarterbacks coach. Rich Bisaccia is serving as Las Vegas’ interim head coach after Jon Gruden resigned earlier this year. It’s unclear if the Raiders are going to retain Bisaccia or not.

But the Chicago Bears could be another option considering he played there from 1987-93. Rumors are swirling about Bears coach Matt Nagy’s job status, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Chicago could fire Nagy after its Week 18 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Harbaugh has previous NFL coaching experience with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14. In those four years, he had a 44-19-1 record and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012.

He’s also in his third college head coaching job right now. Harbaugh coached at San Diego from 2004-06, at Stanford from 2007-10 and just wrapped up his seventh year at Michigan after taking over at his alma mater in 2015. In 14 seasons at the collegiate level, he has a 119-51 record, including a 61-24 mark with Michigan.

The Wolverines went 12-1 this year before losing to No. 3 Georgia in the Orange Bowl last week.