Report: Jim Harbaugh considering surprising move that could shake up the football world

Could Jim Harbaugh head back to the NFL? A new report suggests it’s a possbility.

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

Sources from both from the NFL side, and at Michigan, tell The Athletic that Jim Harbaugh might be tempted to leave the Wolverines to return to the NFL: https://t.co/BvGNjBZmdv

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 4, 2022

“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.

How Jim Harbaugh turned Michigan around

In 2020, Michigan went 2-4 in the COVID-19-impacted 2020 season. Harbaugh and the Wolverines completely turned things around this year, going 12-2 and earning the program’s first-ever CFP appearance.

Prior to the 2021 season, Michigan restructured Harbaugh’s contract and he took a pay cut as a result. What difference a year makes, right?

But Harbaugh’s crowning moment at Michigan probably wasn’t the CFP appearance. No, it was the Wolverines’ victory over Ohio State this year. It marked the first time Michigan beat the rival Buckeyes since 2011. It’s also the first time Harbaugh beat Ohio State as a head coach.

If you thought the coaching carousel was done, think again. Based on this report, it might be starting up again.