Jim Harbaugh says he plans to be back at Michigan in 2023
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh’s name has surfaced in NFL circles again, NFL insider Ian Rappaport and others have reported. To be clear, that doesn’t mean Harbaugh has shown interest — only that he’s a hot commodity again, as he should be after leading U-M to back-to-back Big Ten titles.
RELATED: Michigan 43, Purdue 22 — Notes, quotes, and observations … a second title, but more to write
RELATED: Big Ten champs, again … Michigan handles Purdue for second straight title
“The NFL, it seems, isn’t ready to close the door on Harbaugh,” Rappaport wrote. “Sources say multiple NFL teams have been doing background work recently on Harbaugh, who led Michigan to the Big Ten championship and locked up a College Football Playoff bid with Saturday’s 43-22 win over Purdue.
“One NFL source plugged into the situation said they believe Harbaugh would consider a return to the NFL, and a source with another team that could be running a head-coaching search said they believe Harbaugh would discuss an opening if asked and weigh the right situation.”
Harbaugh as asked specifically about the subject Sunday night during his Fiesta Bowl conference call. The Wolverines will play TCU Dec. 31, but some still wanted to ask about his NFL interest.
“A lot of ‘that-time-of-year’ type of speculation,” Harbaugh said of the rumors. “No man knows the future, but I think that people that think we’ve done a good job and are pleased with the job that we’ve done here at Michigan are going to be very happy to learn that I’ll be back enthusiastically coaching the Wolverines in 2023. And those people that don’t approve of the job we’ve done and would rather see somebody else coaching here, I think they’ll be most likely disappointed to learn that I’ll be back coaching the Wolverines in 2023.”
He also openly wondered why other coaches aren’t mentioned when the rumors arise.
“Like I said … it’s really biblical. No man knows the future. I can’t make any vows of what’s going to happen, what’s not going to happen,” Harbaugh said. “I might ask you a question … there are tremendous coaches right here in our league. Ryan Day, Greg Schiano, Bret Beileima, Jeff Brohm … I could go on and on. PJ Fleck.
“I think they, with the job that they’ve done, deserved to be asked the same question.”
Harbaugh admitted he was extremely interested in the Minnesota job last year. Sources told us then he was planning on taking it but it wasn’t offered to him, something he later seemed to confirm.
Top 10
- 1Hot
Strength of Schedule
CFP Top 25 SOS ranking
- 2
Alabama needs a prayer
Tide can make the CFP but needs help
- 3
3 ACC teams in CFP?
Path for ACC outlined
- 4
Taco Bell offers Oklahoma
Brent Venables story pays dividends
- 5
New CFP Top 25
College Football Playoff rankings revealed
“There was a tugging at me that I was once that close to a Super Bowl and I didn’t get it, ” Harbaugh told the Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom. “Some NFL jobs came open. I was contacted by the Vikings. For better or for worse, it was something I wanted to explore. I went in thinking, ‘I’m going to have 100 percent conviction on this, and if they [Minnesota] have 100 percent conviction on this, then it’s something I’m gonna do.'”
And when it didn’t materialize, he said he planned to be back at U-M for as long as A.D. Warde Manuel would have him.
“Sure, the Super Bowl is the greatest prize in our sport,” Harbaugh told Albom. “But winning a national championship, that’s pretty darn great. Let’s do that.
“There was a pull to the NFL because I got that close to the Super Bowl, but this was the time [to look]. And this is the last time. Now … let’s go chase college football’s greatest prize.”
For the second straight year, he’s right on the doorstep.
